Hi THERE, I’m MICHELLE CHRISTINA RICHARDS.
THE PERFORMANCE COACH
With a warm, engaging and practical style I centre my clients to work in a way that works for them. I specialise in transformational coaching to help individuals and groups improve their communication and confidence.
Specialisms include: vocal and physical impact, confidence and communication, exploring the stories we subconsciously tell ourselves, leadership development, executive presence, presentation skills, interview skills, public speaking, managing anxiety and nerves, having courageous conversations. Audition prep.
I am a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a member of the Association of Coaching with certifications in NLP Coaching and Professional Leadership Coaching.
At the start of my career you would have found me on the stage in London’s West End and living out of a suitcase on Tours, a musical theatre performer signed to London Agents, Keddie Scott Associates. Alongside my stage work I started coaching Actors, Companies and Presenters in acting, audition technique, voice use and public speaking.
A few years later I founded, established and grew three very successful businesses: The Performance Centres, training students from 4yrs to Adult in Performing Arts (You can find out more here) and two further successful start ups in entertainment and events. I have a QTS in Secondary Drama and English, developed and co-authored on an international GCSE in Performing Arts became an Examiner at Higher Ed in Performing Arts and established a London Academy of Dramatic Art (LAMDA) Private Examination Centre in Communication and Performance courses in Cardiff.
A move at this point to the other side of the Stage as a full time Creative allowed me to continue and combine my business passions whilst working as an Artistic Director/Movement Director and Producer. This Creative work includes directing high level events, staging large scale productions and concerts.
Business skills include: employing and managing a wide variety of professional teams, creating strategic vision and direction, building policy, managing and growing large customer bases, pitching for investment with external partners and managing budgets, partnering with major retail company creating bespoke in house events for their clients, developing branding and marketing campaigns and managing transformation, behaviour change and growth.
My career experience in performing arts and business creates a truly unique toolbox of techniques and knowledge that lend themselves to aiding many of the challenges we face communicating effectively in every day life and business.
My Approach
My Coaching draws on a powerful toolbox of techniques from Theatre and Television based on Breath and Posture, Voice and Body Language, Mindset and Storytelling. I handpick from this box based on your needs. These techniques improve resilience and build confidence. They equip you with the tools you need to shed limiting behaviours and beliefs and become a better more confident and authentic communicator. You will then be able to present not only the best version of you, but also be able to better understand others around you in a way that meets the challenges of newer post pandemic expectations and priorities both in the public and private sectors and within the performance industry
How are you telling your story?
It may be that you need to improve your public speaking skills, or you need to pitch a big idea, launch your start up, get that new job, go for that promotion, perhaps you need to communicate more effectively as part of your job, lead a team and don’t know how to make a difference to employee engagement, perhaps you wish to bring about culture change, communicate effectively at an Executive level, create sustainable behaviour change in your workplace. You might be an actor / presenter needing to hone some skills. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more, or have a creative project you want to share with the world.
Perhaps you just want to improve your confidence and communication for you. Whether you are a Corporate Company, an Individual, an Actor/Presenter, an Executive or a Higher Ed Institution, I can help!