Mary’s Celebrity & Professional Speech Coaching Testimonials

Mary — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:40:15 +0000

“Mary, your techniques gave me so much confidence as a speaker. It is a whole new world of speaking for me.”

Peggy Fleming, Olympic Gold Medalist Ice Skater and ABC TV Commentato

“Mary, you are the best coach I’ve ever had!

Bernard King, former NY Knicks and NBA All-Star & Legend

As a busy professional, I receive hundreds of requests to speak to groups. Mary helped me to organize my thoughts in outlined speech that helps keep me on track and creates impact. She found out my specific needs and worked with me to achieve my professional speaking goals.

Billie Jean King, Tennis Pro, World Team Tennis,
International Tennis Hall of Famer

“Thank you very much for all of your assistance with the coaching and development of our speaker, Tom Whittiker. Your thorough understanding of the speaker business combined with your superior motivational skills has prepared you for excellence in this field I would be happy to serve as a reference for you.

The dramatic turnaround in Tom’s delivery, style, and speech content can be credited to your perseverance and drive. Your ability to get Tom to stop relying on his visuals and to focus on the presentation on him was exactly what we were looking for. You were able to get him to emotionally expose himself to the audience and share the highlights of his remarkable story in both an inspiring and honest fashion….”

John Truran Director of Sales & Marketing, Keppler Speakers

“Thank you so much for all your help and assistance. I now have an entirely new model in my head as to how I will approach all future speeches.

Your enthusiasm is contagious, and I benefited greatly from the time we spent together. I will look forward to working with you in the future.

Sincerely, Richard E. Connors, CLU Senior Vice President The MONY Group

When the MONY Group’s Creative Department asked me to be a speaker on the company’s Main Platform of the Honor Club meeting, I did not know what a wonderful adventure this opportunity would introduce into my life.

Most people have a great fear of speaking in front of a few people, not to mention hundreds, even thousands. Although I had fear, I knew that with proper preparation, I could become effective at getting my message across to the audience. What appropriate insight MONY had to retain a speech coach to assist us novices in preparing for our speeches. The real gift was retaining you, Mary. It is specifically because of you that I was able to achieve such success in my performance. From the moment I met you in New York at the MONY Group’s home office to rehearse my speech for the first time, I felt confident with your constructive coaching and your sense of style in bringing out the best in me to the audience. Not only did you make suggestions for the content of the speech, but also for the delivery of the speech’s main points. Your exercise in my vocal variety was especially effective. You gave me confidence in my appearance, posture, and expression. But most of all, you so sincerely communicated to me to give the audience myself — which proved to impact the audience to an emotional extent. I titled my speech, “Along the Yellow Brick Road” because of the lessons of the importance of knowledge, knowing my heart’s desire and having the courage to pursue my desires I have learned along my life’s journey. I have also learned that there are those that help us find out way. Mary, as I continue along my journey, I will cherish you as one of my “Glinda’s”, my coach, my friend. I’m convinced that because you are pursuing your heart’s desire, you are so effective at helping others to pursue theirs. I thank you. Please wear my gift of the ruby slippers pin knowing that the power to pursue our dreams is within us. I wish you much success.

Respectfully,

Michele Florio Williams Financial Professional at The MONY Group

A young man with a new job that requires him to speak in public goes to take a class in public speaking. He goes into the class expecting to learn nothing. He is already a good public speaker, what else could he possibly learn? Enter one Mary Gardner, the instructor hired by Department of Personnel HRDI. The man leaves the first class raving to his family and co-workers about his fabulous instructor. He comes to class each week, anxious to see what else he can learn from Mary. He finds that there is always something to learn from someone with the experience and knowledge gained from years of public speaking and training other speakers. By the end of the class, he assesses what he has learned and realizes that Mary Gardner has had a profound influence on the way he will do his job and the way in which he will pursue new opportunities in his career and his life.

I want to thank you, Mary, for making me look at the way in which I was doing my job. I looked and decided that it was time for a change in the way that I present information and in the way that I present myself. You are a truly remarkable public speaker. I feel that anyone can learn something about public speaking from taking or even just attending one of your classes or lectures. I am certain that you are a tremendous personal coach to your clients. You have the ability to make anyone feel great about themselves. That is an amazing gift. I hope that your clients appreciate your talents and thank you every day. Thank you again for making me start the process of re-inventing our Pension Seminars and, in that process, starting to re-invent myself. I have enjoyed the chance to share in your experience and your energy. I hope that we can cross paths again. Good luck in your future endeavors. I am sure that you will be a huge success in whatever field you choose. You are already a huge success in life.

Sincerely,

Ken Hartman Manager Benefit Education Programs, NJ Division of Pensions and Benefits

Just a note to thank you again, and tell you how helpful your coaching session was last week in preparation for my audition.

The session really helped me identify specific things I could do to improve my performance. Your visualization techniques helped, as did your specific comments about my style and approach. If only I’d come to you before my Harry Belafonte tour, I could have put more of myself into that experience! At any rate, I want to thank you again for your constructive, objective tips, which really helped me do my best under pressure.

Warm Regards,
Monica Simms

Star Causes with Mary Gardner

Mary — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:42:33 +0000

Weary of seeing yet another story about how that male celebrity is back in rehab or the well-known socialite is rumored to be anorexic?Well, the public is too, and they are demanding a new perspective on stardom.

In a world obsessed with celebrity culture, ironically, many shows ignore the constructive, more compassionate side of celebrity lives. In addition, with the rise of many shows like Extreme Home Makeover and Oprah’s upcoming O Philanthropy programs, the public has called out for the media to focus on the good things the celebrities are doing to better the world. Star Causes will feature the positive side of a life in the public eye by showcasing celebrities and the charities they passionately support.

Star Causes is a forum for celebrities to discuss projects they care deeply about and thus, have used their status to promote.Celebrities will see the show as an opportunity for positive press and publicity for their cause. Viewers will discover important causes, how to get involved, and an unknown side of their favorite celebrities, not typically covered in entertainment media.

The casual atmosphere of the one-hour show will highlight the ‘dressed down” celebrity in their home or in a relaxed environment. The show’s host will interview celebrities about why and how they were compelled to get involved in their particular charity, and how they currently contribute. Footage may also include the celebrity at events promoting ways to get involved and upcoming opportunities. Additionally, vignettes will show the star “at work,” demonstrating their commitment and care, as they interact closely with those who benefit from their involvement. Human interest segments will include interviews with those directly benefiting from the charity’s work.

Beyond appealing to the emotion and interests of viewers, Star Causes will be highly interactive. A dedicated website will promote live auctions featuring celebrity memorabilia gifts, events, trips or conversations with featured celebrities. Messaging will also reach out to the audience and encourage their involvement, whether it be volunteering their time or donating money. An online community will promote the organization and connect viewers to celebrities and the details of their causes.

Star Causeswill not only bring to light the star and their cause, but will brighten the lives of those that are in need.

This show, hosted by Mary Gardner, TV personality, professional coach and formerly publicist and agent to the stars, will interact both in the studio and on site at charity functions all over the country. Each week, one charity will be featured with their celebrity spokesperson, along with one lesser known charity that deserves a voice. There will be no shortage of celebrities welcoming the opportunity to allow their “cause” to become the “star.”

Star Causes with Mary Gardner

Mary Gardner » Celebrity

Mary’s Celebrity & Professional Speech Coaching Testimonials

Star Causes with Mary Gardner