Our Story:
From Stage Fright to Presentation Expertise
From Stage Fright to Presentation Expertise
The power to inspire
At Presenting Virtually, we believe that great presentations have the power to inspire, persuade, and create real impact. But for many professionals, delivering a compelling presentation isn’t easy—it takes skill, preparation, and confidence.
For me, this journey started with a very different experience.
From ‘Beetroot’ to the Big Stage!
For me, this journey started with a very different experience.
From ‘Beetroot’ to the Big Stage!
Speaking Up: My Journey to Confidence
As a child, I hated speaking in front of an audience. I’d go bright red whenever I had to read out loud in class—so much so that my classmates gave me the nickname Beetroot.
But something changed when I started my career at Vodafone. I realised I didn’t enjoy jumping into discussions during meetings, but I thrived when I had the opportunity to lead a presentation. I felt more in control, more confident—like I had permission to speak and be heard.
But something changed when I started my career at Vodafone. I realised I didn’t enjoy jumping into discussions during meetings, but I thrived when I had the opportunity to lead a presentation. I felt more in control, more confident—like I had permission to speak and be heard.
That realisation led me to embrace presentations rather than fear them. I took every opportunity to present, from internal meetings to major industry conferences in Cape Town and Bangkok. After my first big conference talk, I was blown away when people told me, “That was great! You must do this all the time!” In truth, it was my first time on stage at that level.
Encouraged by that feedback, I studied the art and science of presentations, learning from experts like Nancy Duarte and Garr Reynolds. I started informally coaching colleagues on their presentations—not as part of my job, but because I loved helping people communicate more effectively.
Taking the Leap:
A Business Built on Presentation Excellence
In 2006, I left Vodafone to focus full-time on helping professionals deliver better presentations. What started as solo work soon grew into a full consultancy, offering group training, speaker coaching, and slide design services.
Over time, I built a team of like-minded presentation specialists—experts like David, Andrea, Richard, and Alan—who shared my passion for transforming dull, forgettable presentations into engaging, high-impact experiences.
Over time, I built a team of like-minded presentation specialists—experts like David, Andrea, Richard, and Alan—who shared my passion for transforming dull, forgettable presentations into engaging, high-impact experiences.
Going Virtual:
A Personal and Professional Shift
As much as I loved the work, constant international travel took a toll. In 2018, I rebranded as Presenting Virtually, making a deliberate shift to remote coaching and training. The decision was personal—I wanted to be present for my growing family rather than constantly flying around the world.
A defining moment came when I was coaching speakers at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. On my flight home, we were forced to divert to Canada due to a medical emergency. My wife was pregnant with our second child, and all I wanted was to be home. That’s when I knew: we could deliver world-class presentation coaching without always being in the same room as our clients.
Then, in 2020, COVID changed everything. Suddenly, businesses realised they needed to engage, present, and connect over Teams, Zoom, and WebEx. Virtual presentations became a critical skill, and our expertise in this area became more valuable than ever.
A defining moment came when I was coaching speakers at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. On my flight home, we were forced to divert to Canada due to a medical emergency. My wife was pregnant with our second child, and all I wanted was to be home. That’s when I knew: we could deliver world-class presentation coaching without always being in the same room as our clients.
Then, in 2020, COVID changed everything. Suddenly, businesses realised they needed to engage, present, and connect over Teams, Zoom, and WebEx. Virtual presentations became a critical skill, and our expertise in this area became more valuable than ever.
Why We Do This
Today, Presenting Virtually is dedicated to 3 missions:
Presentations
Ridding the world of boring
presentations
presentations
Audience
Helping professionals engage, inspire, and persuade their audience
Transformation
Transforming slides from cluttered to compelling
Helping You Present with Clarity & Impact
We don’t do sales training, customer service workshops, or leadership coaching. We live and breathe presentations—helping business leaders and teams refine their messaging, create stunning slides, and deliver with impact.
If you’re preparing for a high-stakes presentation, or your team needs to communicate more effectively, let’s talk.