Executive communication & pitch coaching for founders and leaders  

Clarity is the most underrated leadership currency we have. I have coached leaders for years, and a pattern keeps repeating. The people who look confident on stage are not always the ones who hold the room. The leaders who truly command attention are the ones who make things unmistakably clear. I learned this the hard way. Years ago in Brussels, I stood in front of sixty executives teaching a vocal-impact concept that had holes I had not seen. Halfway through a slide, I reali

This is the first in a series of articles dedicated to my Tech-focused Pitch Work and the ongoing improvement of my 7-Step Pitch Founder Framework PDF. I have worked with founders for more than thirteen years, and in that time I have watched hundreds of pitches succeed or collapse in real time. The pattern is familiar. The moment a pitch becomes a tour of features, the room quietly disconnects. Innovation alone does not help anyone understand the opportunity in front of them.

Yes, I know its a little late for Halloween, but here are 5 spooky story skeletons for last-minute story telling. Practice, share, rinse and repeat. Last week, I gave a keynote in front of 120 students in Paris on how to put storytelling into action.We had a great session, and what I shared was a simple and memorable way to tell meaningful stories quickly, even under pressure. In our careers, when we try to connect with people around truth and trust, one thing matters above

Layoffs dominate the headlines, but history suggests something else is happening beneath the panic, a quiet renaissance of work itself. Last week, Amazon announced it would lay off 30,000 corporate employees — roughly 10% of its white-collar workforce. They’re not alone. UPS is cutting 20,000 jobs in the US, Nestlé 16,000 worldwide, Lufthansa 4,000 by 2030, and Novo Nordisk 11% of its staff. However you cut it, these are brutal numbers. There’s no sugar-coating that. “Every a

Two weeks ago, I started feeling what I assumed was just a mix of back pain and flu symptoms brought on by overwork and some intense wood-cutting over the weekend. I pushed through it, using ChatGPT occasionally to track how I was feeling, try to get a picture of what was going on, and find small ways to sleep better. Nothing seemed urgent. Just a difficult week, I told myself. And the tips from the AI were helping alleviate the symptoms, too. Then I traveled to Corrèze to h

Uncertainty isn’t the enemy of leadership; it’s the arena where leadership is tested. Over the past few years, I’ve learned that some of life’s hardest moments mirror the same challenges leaders face in business: navigating the unknown with integrity, clarity, and calm. Uncertainty is not a regional issue; it’s a global constant. Whether in the U.S., Europe, or China, leaders today face a world where unpredictability is no longer an exception; it’s the rule. Here in France, w

In 2025, wicked problems are multiplying, but so are the tools to solve them. Article update: 13 October 2025. In 2025, Change rarely...

3 Truths for Standing Out in 2025 In 2025, content is everywhere. Advice is everywhere. AI is everywhere. Noise is everywhere. The real...

It started one evening with a call from my girlfriend. She had just spoken to a friend in the Czech Republic who had read a newspaper...

AI won’t replace leaders, it will amplify them. Smarter decisions, time optimization, and team insights matter most when paired with...

A quick take on Apple’s latest keynote from a long-time fan: highlights of the new devices, a look at where the presentation shined, and...

In 2025, being an entrepreneur is all about mastering the art of pitching to investors, partners and clients, leading diverse teams...

By Michael Rickwood We are each other's biggest obstacle or each others biggest asset Let’s begin with an observation: while it’s clear...

I’m not going to write about public speaking coaching/pitch techniques today, client relationship coaching, leadership, crisis,...

In 2025, there is nowhere to hide. What could have been a sweet moment between a couple at a concert quickly turned into a nightmare for...

Two weeks after wrapping up my 8th year as Discovery Stage host  at VivaTech, I wanted to share a few reflections on how the event and,...

As I sit here waiting at Eurostar Paris with two more hours to kill, I decide to let a few ideas out to breathe. I have nothing else to...

“Your voice can change the world” Barack Obama Your voice is unique. Like a signature. It is one of your most important differentiators....

“Let every eye negotiate for itself and trust no agent” William Shakespeare This is probably not the first article you've read on how to...

Taking ownership of the breath in front of an audience is a major challeng for most of us. But more often than not, it's simply the...