Q & A with Natira

What kind of clients do you work with?

I work with people who are a lot like me: sensitive, curious, values-focused leaders. People who have very high standards for how they show up in their work - for whom “perfect” or “the best” is a driving force. These are ad agency executives, solo entrepreneurs, higher education administrators, healthcare practitioners and coaches. They come to me because what they’ve been doing isn’t working: a technical approach of “move your hands like this”, “stand like this”, “sound like this”. They are sensing a disconnect in the room when they speak, or that everything falls flat.

How did you get into coaching?

Since I was a kid, I dreaded public speaking. But I was drawn to helping other people do it. I had a gift for seeing how someone could improve their presentation style and connect more with their audience. Before I became a coach though, I spent 17 years working in advertising – mainly at large NYC media and advertising agencies where I led Business Development departments and helped the senior executive teams pitch and win new clients. During that time, I came across the work of Amy Cuddy, a Harvard professor who gave a famous Ted Talk about public speaking and the power of body language; it blew my mind. Her research is an important part of my approach to coaching.

How do you approach coaching?

Public speaking is about connection: connection with yourself, with your audience, and with your content. It’s a very powerful thing when you can connect with that. As a coach, I focus on mindset as well as speaking. By combining these two things, my clients learn how to be powerfully present in any room. They can find their own authentic style and show their personality. They can express themselves more confidently, AND listen better. My obsession is helping people FEEL like their most enlivened self in front of an audience.