Meet Stacia Keogh | Story & Speaking Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stacia Keogh and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stacia, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I had to move forward. I worked as a performance storyteller and jobbing actor for decades relying on education to develop my teaching practice and project work. The arts are always the first thing to go when funding is cut. Of course when you have to stand in front of people and explain your idea or plan or self your realise those performance skills transfer to presentation skills in the world of business.

I discovered networking to connect with adults, specifically entrepreneurs inventing new solutions to tackle the worlds work.

I had explored the world of business in between gigs waaaay before there was such a thing as gig economy working in advertising and making training videos. I began to hook up how I could support people who were making a difference in the world.

I had amassed so much wisdom and my ability to share needed to expand. I was ready to level up my whole practice from teacher to Story and Presentation Coach so Story-PreZ was born.

Most people need to speak but lack the ability to identify and structure their content. Then there is the presentation aspect as you can have the best story in the world but not the technique to deliver it so it lands with people and compels them to act.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am at heart a performer. I trained as an actor and started as a professional storyteller when I was hired to bring the Dr Seuss exhibit off the walls at the Denver Children’s Museum. At the time multiculturalism was on the school curriculum and how do you teach that? Through origin stories of course! So I started working my magic in schools and public venues, mostly getting ‘naughty kids’ out of corners –they weren’t really naughty they were just bored or excluded by ‘traditional’ teaching methods.

When I lived in Seattle during the 90’s I was part of the Riot Grrrl scene and a founding member of a theatre company Book-It dedicated to promoting literacy by staging novels and short stories with narrative intact. Literacy is a cause that informs much of what I do. People’s ability to read, write, speak in a public forum, own their language, use critical thinking is the one thing that could solve so many problems in the world. It was also a privileged to work with artists from all over the world in the Washington State Artist in Residence Program and to be mentored by Vi Hilbert a Native American tribal elder of the Upper Skagit tribe at University of Washington.

I came to the UK to do an MA in Drama in Education with NYU doing field work with Youth Theaters in Ireland then got swept up in learning the language and reconnecting with my Irish roots (I am a dual citizen Irish/American) I came to London for a year –25 years ago! I became a LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts) teacher and examiner as I raised my children as a single Mom so need to monetize my talent for a consistent income and work within school term times. Now the ‘kids’ are launched I continue to work as an actor and voice artist.

My business as a story and speaking coach takes all of this knowledge and experience and infuses business people with the creativity and the practical craft to bring their ideas to life.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My London would definitely include a walking tour starting in theatre land of the West End Soho and China Town, venturing past the known places such as Trafalger Square stop into St Martin of the Field for a lunchtime concert then on to the more hidden gems in Covent Garden like pizza at Home Slice in Neals Yard to a walk down the South Bank with a play at the Globe Theatre –or if it’s winter a magical experience in The Sam Wanamaker Theatre which is a Jacobean chocolate box of a space where the shows are performed beeswax candle light. At some point we’d make our way over to Borough Market catch some street food maybe a knees up at a local pub. A recent find is the Zetter Hotel in Clerkenwell, or the 40 Winks Hotel in Bethnal Green for late night cabaret entertainment.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My network is my networth.

I was stalked on LinkedIn by an amazing woman called Hela Wozniak-Kay who is the founder of a business club called Sister Snog. She invited me to join this group of sassy high-heeled well connected business women in London who are truly Sisters supporting the hell out of each other as cheerleaders and champions in business. I always say Sister Snog took me off the sale rack and put me in the front window.

I was also selected as a top 100 f:Entrepreneur in the #ialso campaign organised in 2019 by Small Business advisor to the UK government Michelle Ovens. Highlighting the multi faceted businesses run by women who ‘I also this and I also that…” this gave me validation and made me feel like a proper business.

I would like to especially thank Henriette Danel who recommended me to your magazine and has a beautiful business called The Client Attraction Program. Lovelda Vincenzi who taught me about the speaking game and more about sales than any marketeer. and finally Lavinia Osbourne founder of Women in Blockchain Talks who has introduced me to a whole new universe of community.

Website: http://storyprez.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storystacia

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/staciakeogh

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Staciastory

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/staciakeogh.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=stacia+keogh

Other: My Podcast FINDING MY VOICE launches December 13th Apple podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/finding-my-voice-podcast/id1598387827 Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/0Gda9VSJbQZ4Ry6vmFGUG2?si=uekktUQ9TaaK2tfrVM3zBA

Image Credits
Yolanda De Vries