Speakeasy Coaching – a communications agency with a sense of humour

Meet Louise Stevenson, CEO of Speakeasy Coaching and Brighton Comedy Course.

Louise’s journey as a stand-up comedian and writer to communications coach and CEO is an interesting one. Having performed alongside Jimmy Carr, Alan Carr, and being pipped to the post as Channel 4’s Best Newcomer by Russell Brand, hers is not a typical business background. 

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

It’s a brilliant day to be supported and celebrated by all. Working in male dominated industries like stand-up comedy and book publishing aren’t easy, though I feel that it is, slowly, getting better. There’s been many positive changes in the business world too, more female entrepreneurs, leaders, and speakers. IWD is a busy time of year for me, and I’m always delighted to be asked to speak at these events. Being able to connect and inspire so many women to be bold, is a real privilege. Many of the clients we work with are women in business, so we know what women want to work on the struggles they face.

Why do people fear public speaking so much?

Fear of failure or embarrassing ourselves are the main reasons. Speaking in front of others can be hugely stressful. Stress doesn’t help us make the smartest decisions, but recent research shows that anxiety caused by stress doesn’t just cause bad decisions, it can actually lower IQ. Being able to overcome that fear has much wider benefits not just our professional lives, but also in our personal lives.

What does Speakeasy Coaching do differently from other communications agencies?

Twenty years as stand-up comedian has given me the skills to communicate with humour and connect with my clients. My process helps clients feel comfortable. I evaluate their strengths and weaknesses and build a programme that encourages them by pinpointing solid improvements to excel and thrive in their communications. I’ve earned a reputation for putting clients at ease. I do this by being honest, and down-to-earth. 

Also, our training is never boring. It’s fun. We work hard on the group coaching workshops but there’s also plenty of interaction and laughs. I coach my clients to be comfortable and authentic in their communications. We use techniques from the world of comedy to create engaging content and deliver it with style and confidence.

What is the most common misperception about communications?

That communications must be dry and devoid of personality. That you can’t use humour without losing professional gravitas. It’s complete nonsense. I’ve coached people delivering talks on cancer and suicide, or IT and data. The subject can be tough, though you can lighten technical or dry content with humour, it helps you connect with your audience. Communications have evolved so much over the years. Humour doesn’t necessarily mean jokes, it can be an entertaining fact, statistic, or anecdote. Audience engagement is key whether your presenting to the board, managing your team, or delivering a pitch. Know your audience. And be clear on your objectives.

What do you enjoy most about running your own business?

I love the variety of my work. One day I’ll be delivering a workshop to a Fortune 500 company, the next I’ll have back-to-back 121 coaching sessions with clients working on an Angel investor pitch or making a case for a promotion or a Ted talk. My clients are as diverse and interesting as their objectives. 

What’s new for 2023?

We’ve just launched our Stand up for Charity Challenge which is a unique opportunity for organisations to have their employees take up the challenge to write and perform their first ever 5 minutes of original stand-up comedy and deliver it live on stage, in front of their colleagues, clients, friends and family – whilst raising funds for a local charity. The brave souls need no comedy background as comedy training is provided to help learn the tricks of the trade in a sa fe and enjoyable environment. Much more exciting than a bowling tournament or painting a wall we think!

You had two books published during covid. How was that?

A lot of hard work. But I’m glad I did it. I completed my master’s degree in creative writing a while back so to have my first book, How to Be a Comedian and Smash your first gig, featured in the Scotsman Newspaper, and be interviewed by the BBC was a real thrill. The feedback was great, especially from the readers, and both books continue to do well on Amazon.

In these tough times, how are companies prioritising training?

Budgets have been affected, but most companies know the value of having strong communicators. Retaining confident staff who can sell, pitch, speak at industry events and company meetings is more important now than ever in these competitive times. Speakeasy coaching’s core is confidence building, though we cover so much more. We create authentic and powerful communicators within teams and across the organisation. 

How to get in touch?

If you’d like to discuss 121 coaching, team development days, or the 6-week workshops, then get in touch with louise@speakeasycoach.co.uk. There’s plenty of tips and coaching options on our website https://www.speakeasycoach.co.uk/ 

For Comedy Courses and Stand up for Charity info go to https://brightonstandupcomedy.co.uk/