Wendy Gu

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I’m a Principal Research Scientist and Medical Liaison at Boston Scientific, so clear and effective communication is crucial for both of my roles. I’ve had the privilege of working with John through 1:1 and group coaching opportunities. I had previously taken many presentation skills courses, so I was initially skeptical about how beneficial working with John would be, but it turned out to be life changing. Not only has he helped me improve my communication and presentation skills, to my surprise and delight, he has also helped me change my mindset, which is the most powerful asset we have. Our mindset shapes everything we perceive and everything we do. After working with John, I have a much more confident and empathetic mindset, which has helped me both professionally and personally. If you’re considering working with John, my recommendation is to go for it. The only regret you’ll have is not doing it sooner.

John Konsin

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Nah, I really don’t need a speaking coach”, I was thinking as Johnson & Johnson introduced me to John Bates. The coaching was part of JNJ’s support to prepare my pitch for one of their QuickFire Challenges. I wasn’t being arrogant. It’s just that after making hundreds of presentations and many speeches over my 37-year career in Life Sciences, I thought I didn’t need a coach. I was self-taught and spent time reading about effective speaking and even took a course on “How to present like Steve Jobs.” I had been pitching my company, Prapela, for about 6 months and had recently won the “Best Overall Presentation” award at a big event in Boston. Surely my time would be better spent on something else. Still, my conscience and my respect for JNJ told me to take the course along with the other participants in the Challenge. I completed each online training session and then participated in a few video conference calls with the class and John.”

Wow, John and his course was a game changer for me and Prapela. John’s course is way beyond the basics of slide content, posture and delivery. You learn the importance and the skills of connecting with your audience. For me, I discovered how my traditional emphasis on facts and putting everything in chronological order got in the way of being authentic. And I also met a terrific, positive person – John is simply a great coach and his course is flat out fun. “Yeah, I really did need a speaking coach”, I was thinking as I held the Winner’s trophy for JNJ’s Next-Gen Baby Box Challenge. Thanks to John and Johnson & Johnson, Prapela is raising funding and on a pace to introduce the Prapela SVS next-gen baby box in 2018.”