What my clients say about me

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Find out what my clients say about the work I’ve done with them and how I’ve helped their business to thrive. Filter using the links to see testimonials for particular areas of my work.

 

Compere coaching

I am writing to express my deepest gratitude for our coaching sessions!
Your guidance has been invaluable, shaping not only my skills but also my confidence on stage.
Your insights, knowledge, and patience have made this journey an enriching experience.
Thank you for sharing your expertise and passion, I learnt so much from our time together.

Sam Bishop, Performance Psychologist and Executive Coach

Compere coaching

It was great to get feedback from Steve to help improve the running of our events. The tips and advice that he gave me was really helpful. And while feedback can be sometimes difficult to receive, how Steve delivered the feedback was very encouraging. I’d highly recommend working with Steve.

Paul Davis, Purpose and Business Growth

Compere coaching

Steve could perhaps best be described as a ‘King-maker’ – of course – along with being a true expert in his field. He taught me the skills and techniques needed to take on a vast public speaking challenge and come out smelling of roses. All done in a friendly, supportive and insightful manner. Public speaking and compering are not skills that most are born with, but we muddle though. The difference between this and actually getting it right are absolutely night and day. The investment in Steve’s professional guidance was worth every penny!

Josh Singer, Head of International VAR Channel Development at Helvar

Compering

I had the pleasure of working with Steve at a large Alumni lunch where he was compere. He was the consummate professional and added hugely to a great event. If you’re looking for a host/compere/emcee for a large event I would highly recommend booking him. He is clear, concise, witty and has a wonderful sense of reading the audience.

Matt Garman, Leadership and Growth Speaker & Atlantic Rower

Compering

When we first hired Steve to compere The National Business Crime Conference, we’d never used a professional compere before – but now he’s fronted the event four times and I can absolutely see why hiring a professional is such a good investment. I can relax and focus on what I need to do at our flagship event, secure in the knowledge that Steve will set exactly the right tone and keep the event running to time, remaining unflappable and easy to work with even when there are changes and issues arising once the event is up and running. Steve is now our go-to compere.

Peter Fisher, General Manager, National Business Crime Solution

Compering

I invited Steve to be the MC at a prestigious event at Croke Park in Dublin – the Global Speakers Summit. He was the ultimate professional, going above and beyond the normal role of a MC. He made sure that everything was in place for the speakers, he was part of the team that planned the days, and he managed the stage perfectly. I couldn’t recommend a better MC for any type of event. If you need a MC – just book Steve!

Alan Stevens, Reputation Specialist, Speech Coach, Global Keynote Speaker

Compering

Steve recently compèred the Global Speakers Summit that I attended in Dublin and it’s hard to put into words how good he was. The role of compere is not an easy one, especially in a room of professional speakers! But Steve made it seem effortless, combining good humour and professionalism beautifully. Great work Steve and thanks for making the event a fabulous one!

Jackie Handy, Diversity, Inclusion and Equality Specialist

Compering

I had the pleasure to listen to Steve last week in Dublin. He moderated the group at an Event as MC: excellent! So I highly recommend Steve Bustin as an Event MC

Prof. Dr Nicole Jekel, International Keynote Speaker

Compering

Steve has been the compere at our annual Halloween Ball fundraiser for several years. He is a consummate professional: well-prepared, personable and articulate. He is able to command – and keep – the attention of several hundred people, but is equally skilled at engaging with more intimate audiences in smaller settings. I know that I can trust Steve to help us deliver an exceptional event and have no hesitation in recommending him.

Fiona Mulliner, Director of Income Generation, Martlets

Compering

Steve recently hosted a major business event for us at the Brighton Grand. He was excellent – a great combination of professionalism and a light touch which was just what our event needed. He kept the event moving along at a good pace while at the same time really engaging with the audience. I strongly recommend Steve to other businesses and business organisations.

Jeff Alexander, CEO Gatwick Diamond Business

Compering

I’ve worked alongside Steve a number of times, mostly when he was MC-ing things. He is engaging and makes sure he’s knowledgeable about the subject in hand; timings are always spot on, the audience is happy but he never, ever dominates, much preferring the speakers and the client to be the stars of the show.

Guy Clapperton ACIPR, Director of Regions (elect) at Professional Speaking Association

Compering

Steve is a fabulous event host and facilitator. He has hosted a range of webinars for the tourism sector. Steve’s style and approach is highly professional and engaging, and easy to work with. He managed a panel of around 13 people with an audience of 200, all engaged in chat and Q&A. Steve’s insight into the sector issues and ability to make the debate flow effortlessly made the webinars a success. I would certainly use Steve again and happily recommend him for similar projects.

Jo Williams, Head of Local authority funded tourism development partnership for West Sussex

Compering

Steve did the most brilliant job as the MC of a full day Leadership Summit at the London Stock Exchange at which I spoke recently. He was highly professional, exceptionally well-prepared, funny, relatable and quick-thinking on his feet, always finding the appropriate and tactful words to say to make both the audience and the speakers feel constantly at ease. He even took the trouble to proactively suggest ahead of time, some excellent ideas that really enhanced the transitions and the day as a whole. As a speaker, I’ve seen how the MC can really make or break an event. Steve absolutely made this one.

Lorne Sulcas – The Big Cat Guy, Motivational Speaker

Critique Club

My 6 month Critique Club ended this week
Steve was phenomenal, leading me and five others on a collaborative journey of self-improvement, where we learned new skills from each other and from Steve. Together we covered so much about the art of speaking as well as the business of speaking. If you are serious about growing as a professional speaker then I seriously recommend Steve Bustin and his Critique Club

Daniel Solomons, Founder, Byte Behaviour

Critique Club

Being part of Steve’s six month Critique Club mastermind was a career game changer. The monthly group zoom helped refine my skills as a professional speaker but the 121s focussed my message, which in turn refined my brand and business model. Highly recommend to anyone looking to speak better and take their speaking business to the next level.

Jo Lightfoot, The Human Battery Charger

Critique Club

I joined Critique Club with one clear intention; the confidence to not rely on a written script when speaking.

Coming out of the programme six months later, I had gained much more than this singular confidence. Steve pushed me well out of my comfort zone to be very comfortable to speak off the cuff and off-script whenever needed and to become a much better all round professional speaker.

I really enjoyed the group dynamic, the individual and group exercises and the 1:1 sessions solidified all the skills I’d acquired throughout the duration of the programme.

Steve masterfully guided the whole of our cohort always ensuring that each of our specific needs were met in each session.

If you want to take your speaking skills to the next level or if you want to get your voice heard, then I would highly recommend Critique Club to you.

Amy Rowlinson, Life Purpose Strategist and Host, Focus on Why podcast

Critique Club

I have just completed Steve’s 6 month Critique Club course focused on improving my public speaking. The course covered many elements of speaking not typically covered in many speaker courses however the greatest value to me was the opportunity to practice material in an environment that was not only safe but provided the feedback to allow you to quickly develop content and enhance skills.

Steve also provided 1-2-1 sessions and in both cases, went above and beyond to support me in key speaking events. For anyone serious about speaking publicly, Critique Club will be an investment that shows high returns.

Caroline Cavanagh, Anxiety Specialist

Critique Club

Steve Bustin’s mastermind group Critique Club is a worthwhile and enjoyable experience. I found the nice blend of group coaching and 1-2-1 coaching an easy way to reach my goals as a presenter. Highly recommended for new/existing content development as well as speaker delivery techniques. A good place to have fun and learn loads!

Kevin Neary, CEO, Orcawise

Critique Club

I joined Steve’s Critique Club in 2021because I was looking to take my professional speaking to the next level. With his help I feel I have made a huge leap towards the next level of professionalism. Steve is one of the speakers who I very much admire and so I jumped at the chance of working with him on his six month programme. The group sessions were incredibly helpful, giving me the chance to practice my new talk in front of a nicely critical audience. The best value from my investment came from the 121 sessions I had with Steve, which are part of the programme. His insights have been invaluable – so much so that I have joined the ‘advanced’ group, to carry on working with and learning from Steve, for another six months.

Chantal Cornelius, Appletree Marketing

Critique Club

Steve is a brilliant public speaking coach, and I learnt huge amounts working with him. I particularly value the 1-1 sessions with Steve; I started off with a half written scrappy presentation and finished up with a really powerful piece that I’m proud of. Working with Steve is a joy – he’s great company, generous with his time and really insightful. Thoroughly recommend!

Abigail Dombey, Chair – Hydrogen Sussex

Critique Club

I participated in Steve’s Critique Club programme and couldn’t be more pleased! Steve’s approach was excellent, he is extremely easy to work with and has a natural manner which quickly put all of us on the course at ease. His energy is infectious, and he really made the whole course an unforgettable experience. Unlike many coaches, he has had a lasting and positive effect, building on my strengths and giving me the tools to work on my less strong areas. I cannot recommend Steve highly enough.

Steve Rackley, Co-founder and Director at James Chase and Silicon Brighton

Critique Club

I have recently completed Steve’s Critique Club programme. It is valuable, effective, and fun. Steve’s insights and skilled analysis and advice have made my speaking much more powerful. His advice has resulted in better structure, more confident delivery and a more powerful impact for the audience.
Steve’s Critique club has allowed me to reach beyond the standard I had expected to take years to master in a matter of a few short months.

William Buist, Strategic Mentor

Critique Club

I decided it was time to push my speaking to a new level. So I went on the hunt for a coach to support my own learning and growth. Steve’s reputation precedes him, so it was an easy decision for me to join the Critique Club. It was a fantastic opportunity to finesse my own speaking techniques – through one2one work as well as feedback from others on the programme. The result of my work with Steve was that I was nominated the Professional Speaking Association’s Emerging Speaker of 2021.

Camilla Long, Bespoke Communications

Media Training

“Thoroughly enjoyed my experience with Steve. I learnt some great techniques through my media training. Steve is very professional and knowledgable. Would definitely recommend.”

Dr Marco Nicoloso, Aesthetic Doctor, Ouronyx

Media Training

Steve has a brilliant media training style that not only equips people with the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to take control of different media scenarios effectively, but also makes them want to do more. I’ve worked with him a couple of times now, and the feedback from delegates is always overwhelmingly positive; with everyone finding the sessions not only extremely informative and beneficial, but also a lot of fun.

Vicky Trendall, PR and Communications Manager, University of Hertfordshire

Media Training

The M Collective specialises in luxury travel and lifestyle PR. We have worked with Steve for many years. He has a brilliant knack of getting to the core of what needs to be done, then gently unpicking it – and putting it back together again, perfectly improved – with clarity and relevance – to create a compelling story that will fly. He has also worked with our own team, training them in all the key skills of their roles – from our youngest to most senior colleagues. I would have no hesitation in recommending Steve to anyone: but not too often, we want to continue benefitting from his expertise ourselves!

Lucinda Buxton, Managing Director, The M Collective

Media Training

Steve’s an excellent media trainer who I’ve worked with in multiple sectors. He’s able to very quickly understand the challenges and more complex questions – making trainees feel very prepared for upcoming interviews. Steve can adapt the session well for beginners and those needing a refresher or for a specific media interaction. 

Alex Fulton, Head of Corporate Communications, The Body Shop

Media Training

Steve delivered a day’s training in crisis communications to our on-call media team. He was a great teacher – facilitating valuable discussions and leaving the team feeling confident and competent. The entire session was fun, engaging and informative and I would have no hesitation in recommending his services to other teams.

Phoebe Warneford-Thomson, Senior Communications Executive, Port of Dover

Media Training

I spent an afternoon with Steve in preparation for high-profile media interviews, Steve made the session such an enjoyable and unexpected afternoon.  He is a master at this, a natural coach and intuitive to the needs of the recipient and by the end of the day I felt confident and ready to tackle anything the journalists could ask me.

Janine Marshall, General Manager, One Aldwych Hotel

Media Training

We had a one day media training course run by Steve for our Senior Leadership Team. The course was excellent – informative and hands on with instant feedback. The real life TV interviews were challenging but good fun, with many learning points. Steve was very professional and affable and the whole team have come away feeling much better equipped to handle media interviews. We would highly recommend Steve for both media and presentation skills training. In addition, his new book, “The authority guide to presenting and public speaking” is first class.

Rodney Lunn – Chief Executive at Shoreham Port

Media Training

Steve ran a media training session for a number of key staff at the Port. The training was a huge success, helping our staff to understand how to maximise the delivery of our key messages, especially when under pressure. The mock interviews that he ran were challenging and greatly improved by the research Steve had already carried out into topical areas at the Port. Overall the staff gave excellent feedback on the session, having learnt a lot, grown in confidence and also had fun – Steve was a pleasure to work with. We will definitely be working with Steve in future on a variety of communications projects.

Nicky Goldsbrough – Corporate Services Manager, Shoreham Port

Media Training

“There are a lot of people who claim that they can undertake media training! Too often they trot out the same tired old nostrums that they have been recycling without adjustment for years. With Steve you get an imaginative, tailor-made product that clients love because they can see that it’s been designed for them.”

Jonathan Upton, Prestige Consulting and Communications

Media Training

“Fabulous media training from a real expert. This training gave me confidence, knowledge of techniques & lots of really professional advice.”

Wanda Goldwag, Non-Executive Chair, Senet Group

Online Compere

Steve is a fabulous event host and facilitator. He has hosted a range of webinars for the tourism sector. Steve’s style and approach is highly professional and engaging, and easy to work with. He managed a panel of around 13 people with an audience of 200, all engaged in chat and Q&A. Steve’s insight into the sector issues and ability to make the debate flow effortlessly made the webinars a success. I would certainly use Steve again and happily recommend him for similar projects.

Jo Williams, Head of Local authority funded tourism development partnership for West Sussex

Online Speaker and Host

As National President of The Professional Speaking Association, Steve has maintained a high profile by engaging and inspiring the speaking community and welcoming and encouraging new and less experienced speakers. I was fortunate to hear Steve’s speech on “Better Together” in which he gave great, actionable advice about how to create and maintain connection during the pandemic. Steve never fails to inspire both with his energy and generosity. Many thanks, Steve.

Sarah Bramall, Transformation Coach

Online Speaker and Host

Steve has professionally led a series of webinars for the CWS Partnership over recent weeks. Managing complex topics, Steve puts the speakers at ease and facilitates a really engaging webinar for the audience. Thank you!

Caroline Wood, Director, Coastal West Sussex Partnership

Online Speaker and Host

I worked with Steve as he planned, implemented and presented at the Professional Speaking Association’s Speaking Business Summit. He is a consummate professional who led the team to deliver an online event that was of the highest quality, exceeding delegates expectations for content, delivery, engagement and impact. His ability to motivate and lead was clear, and his determined professionalism ensured the whole team delivered at their very best.

William Buist, Building Better Business

Online Speaker and Host

I recently attended the Professional Speaking Association annual summit which of course, was hosted virtually. As National President, Steve was instrumental in making this happen and ensuring it ran seamlessly across 5 days. Despite us knowing just how much work went on behind the scenes, Steve’s leadership meant it appeared effortless. And as always his hosting was filled with energy and fun! Never has an online conference been so enjoyable! Thank you Steve – it was truly fantastic and any organisation would be lucky to have you host or participate in their event too.

Jackie Handy, Embedding Inclusion in Business

Online Speaker and Host

In October 2019 Steve became President of the UK Professional Speaking Association (PSA) and he already had well advanced plans for a Speaking Summit – plans that had no back up in the event of an international pandemic. In April he decided to scrap the plan and take everything online. That week long event has just finished and I have to say, as the founding President of the PSA, that was one of the best events I have ever attended on or offline. Steve inspired his PSA team to literally set the bar in online events. On Sunday I felt as if I had just returned from a week long event, even though it had all happened in my dining room. Leadership is not one of the skills Steve asked to be endorsed in – that reflects his humility as a great leader. If you have an online event and Steve is involved in any way, expect great things.

Rikki Arundel, Diversity Expert

Online Speaker and Host

I’ve just watched Steve present yesterday at an online conference and he was nothing short of amazing. His techniques to engage with the audience and keep them engaged were very effective with the best use of tools you can see in the industry. On top of this, he’s well informed, funny and has some great stories to tell. I would highly recommend Steve for any conference whether it is online or in person.

Philippe Guichard, Industrial Designer – TED.com, Product Development and Design

Online Speaker and Host

Steve recently presented an online session about the myths of speaking, particularly focusing on professional speakers. I have to say it was dynamic, fun, and interactive. He gave us the right balance of information and inspiration. 

Sally Foley-Lewis, Productivity and Self-Leadership for Managers

Online Speaker and Host

I attended two webinars hosted by Steve last week. The first was a training session Steve delivered on how to appear professional in online presentations – really useful hints and tips on taking Zoom to the next level. His background and experience in professional journalism and public speaking shone through and I’ve made lots of adjustments to my home office setup as a result of this training session. The second session was a panel event hosted by Platf9rm, with 10 speakers and around 200 participants connected via Zoom and live-streaming on You Tube at the same time. Steve co-hosted brilliantly, keeping the discussion moving and passing audience questions to the appropriate panel members. With the Zoom chat box and Q&A box to monitor and the Platf9rm team relaying additional messages from the You Tube feed via WhatsApp, only a skilled host like Steve could have made this appear so effortless.

Lisa Kerr, Consulting With Kerr

Online Speaker and Host

Aside from his depth of communication knowledge, the thing I admire about Steve is the way he actively seeks out, and turns his hand to, the changing breadth. His knowledge of video-based working has been never more useful than to our online working lives today. In his coaching, online for home (WFH) and traveling, Steve gives me valuable, personalised insights and support. Aside from individual performance, he has a wealth of insights into the nuances of video-based business communication in group situations; one-to-many or one-amongst-many. Through his experience, he cuts through the noise of the unnecessary to the surgically precise need.

Nick Price, Futurist

Online Speaker and Host

Steve did a fantastic job of hosting and moderating our first major online event, The Event Economy – following the recent lockdown. With his background in journalism and in the arts (as well as being a PLATF9RM member!) we knew Steve was well suited to the role, and we got together with him a few days before to plan things out.
With a big panel for a Zoom call (12 including host), Steve did a terrific job keeping everybody contributing, while keeping an eye on all the questions that were coming through from the audience, as well as working with our production team throughout.  
It made for a very well received discussion with valuable outputs for the Event and Creative Economy – and we’re building on that going forward.

Seb Royle, Founder and CEO, Platf9rm

Presentation Skills

Steve regularly participated in L&D webinars and seminars that I organised. I considered him a go-to expert on topics related to public speaking and communication styles. Steve has always been friendly and professional, making it very easy to work with him. Highly recommended!

Conor Akin, Commercial+Content Service

Presentation Skills

Steve has an authentic and individual approach to teaching communication and presentations skills which is as unique as it is effective and fun! He flexed the workshops to the specific needs of the team and their roles and gave people specific practical tips and tricks. Highly recommended!

Sarah Marshall, Vice-President Legal, International & Japan, Alexion at AstraZeneca

Presentation Skills

No matter how good we think we are, we can ALL be better presenters. There are many presentation trainers out there (and I’ve been trained by some of them), but Steve stands head and shoulders above.

His PR and journalism background means he understands our business, and his public speaking, coaching and training experience, combined with his manner and personality allow him to deliver his training in a way that struck a chord with the whole team.

Feedback has been excellent and I wouldn’t hesitate in working with Steve again.

Matt de Leon, Managing Director, Richmond & Towers

Presentation Skills

I worked with Steve on a recent client project, where he prepared speakers and MC’s through pre-event speaker training. Steve requested a briefing beforehand and was well prepared for, and tuned to, our client’s unique needs. His approach was fresh, interactive, informative and included light humour – which meant attendees were interested and engaged throughout the training. In addition, Steve was able to offer tangible examples of common mistakes and how to overcome them, as well as frameworks for folks to take away and utilise. We had very strong feedback after the training (incl. an individual who said it was the best speaker training they’d ever had!). I would definitely recommend Steve Bustin for speaker training needs.

Felicity Cator, Event Manager, Legacy Events Group

Presentation Skills

Ever since a bad experience at University, when I pretty much froze in front of an audience, I’ve disliked presenting. Over the past 25 years the inevitable has happened and I’ve had to face those fears, albeit with much trepidation. Following a recommendation, I invited Steve to run a business presentation workshop for the BIPC team. I knew that there were varying levels of skills and confidence across the team and they weren’t very enamoured with the thought of a presentation workshop. However, Steve delivered a workshop that was memorable, genuinely fun and had the added bonus that it was also a good team bonding experience. One thing that really stood out was Steve’s ability to give constructive and tailored feedback to the team. I also felt the day was clearly structured and key points were emphasised. Ok I still don’t love it and there’s still plenty of room for improvement, but thanks to Steve’s help, I’m more likely to deliver a presentation an audience will want to hear. I also have some handy tips to create content, better structure a presentation, warm my up my body and voice and hopefully avoid ‘Death by PowerPoint’!

Joanne Simmons, Libraries Services Manager, Business & IP Centre, Brighton & Hove

Presentation Skills

Steve is awesome! Having worked with Steve on Defining needs, Designing sessions and Delivering super engaging workshops I can say he is fantastic. His dedication to delivering quality and taking pride in getting it right for the client is second to none. He does all this with combining fun, humour and inspiration. Top facilitation too.

Punit Jansari, Development Director at JAAN Learning & Development Ltd

Presentation Skills

Allergan used Steve’s services for the first time recently and it was a spectacular success.  Steve works collaboratively and quickly to develop a truly bespoke programme.  We asked for a programme that focused on effective communication comprising debating techniques, how to build an argument as well as using body language to get your message across   Steve delivered a 3 hour programme that kept 30 glaucoma specialists from across the globe enraptured and engaged. You know it’s been a success when the next day all the doctors put into practice the techniques Steve had taught them during their presentation. Steve was immediately booked for our future programmes!

Bernie Ursell RGN RM, Corporate Affairs and PR Manager, Ophthalmology International Brands, Allergan

Presentation Skills

“I can already see the difference Steve’s coaching has made to the presentations given by my senior management team. Whether they’re speaking at staff meetings or delivering external pitches and presentations, they’re more confident, more creative and, most importantly, more effective. What’s more we all thoroughly enjoyed the coaching, whatever our previous level of experience. I’m already booking Steve again to work with my Heads of Departments.” 

Margaret da Costa, Hospital Director, Spire Southampton Hospital

Presentation Skills

“If you’ve got KOLs (Key opinion leaders) who need to deliver complex medical information and also your brand messages in modern, creative presentations, Steve Bustin is your man. He coaxed some of the most senior doctors in our sector out of their comfort zones and encouraged and challenged them to tell relevant stories in engaging ways. Working with KOLs in three different countries, Steve understood and harnessed cultural and language differences to enhance the final presentations. The KOLs enjoyed working with Steve, and all commented how his approach has changed the way they think about presenting. We were delighted with the speeches the KOLs delivered under Steve’s guidance and the way our audiences responded as a result.

Carina Ran, Associate Director Medical Education, Allergan

Presentation Skills

We were lucky enough to get Steve to visit some of the Wired Sussex team and share his fun and practical approach to finding your own brand of presenting. With Steve’s guidance, we made sure to give dull PowerPoint slideshows and monotone speeches a wide berth and instead, were given practical tips on finding our own tone of voice. My favourite part of the session was getting positive reinforcement for the ways we were already naturally communicating well. This provided us with the confidence to fearlessly practice presenting to each other during the session. Which for someone that struggles with nerves when it comes to public speaking is completely unheard of! Myself and my colleagues came out of the workshop buzzing with excitement at the prospect of putting our new speaking skills to action. Would heartily recommend to anyone looking to improve their communication skills- the tips you come away with can be applied in many different scenarios, from presenting to big crowds to making sure your voice isn’t lost in team meetings. Fantastic!

Rosalie Hoskins, Hub Manager Wired Sussex

Social Media

Steve presented a communications and social media presentation for Soroptimist International London Anglia Region at the regional development day.  He was the keynote speaker at the end of the day.  He was brilliant.  He had to manage a wide age group and variety of levels of experience and managed to find a way of presenting his material that appeals to everyone.  He presented with an abundance of energy and his session was both informative and fun.  Everyone at the meeting said how much they really enjoyed the session and how much they got out of it.

The group have now been inspired to rethink their communication plans.  As a result of Steve’s presentation, communication was a key topic at the next regional meeting to align on how to take the information he share to the next level.  I know all the members really appreciate the time he spent and are already putting their plans into action.

I would highly recommend Steve as a speaker.  He really understands his topic and how to present it in understandable chunks that leave the audience knowing just what to do next.

Alison Charles – Soroptimists International

Social Media

“To date, Steve has delivered the best social media training I have attended. He took time to understand the diverse needs of our team and investigated our existing social media activity so his workshop was bespoke to our department objectives. His delivery is accessible, friendly and professional. Steve clearly knows his subject and he has the talent of making everyone feel confident in exploring the platforms. Well worth the money!”

Sarah Grant, Alumni Communications Manager at University of Brighton

Social Media

“I’ve been avoiding Twitter for years, but Steve explained everything clearly and now I can’t wait to get tweeting.”

Jo McKinney, STEM Sussex

Social Media

“As a company we were complete novices on Twitter – we knew what it could do for the business but were deeply nervous about dipping our toes in the water and getting our brand out there. Steve gave us the confidence not only to tweet as a company but also for the directors to tweet as individuals. Steve helped us formulate a strategy that worked for us and our business, addressed our fears and highlighted how we could build as we gained confidence on Twitter. His training sessions were fun and interactive with lots of tips and exercises to make sure we’re off to a strong start in the Twitterverse. I’d recommend Steve to anyone looking for guidance in the social media world.”

Lyndsay Simpson, Director, The Curve Group

Social Media

“This was an absolute fantastic social media training session and gave a very positive view on social media and what can be achieved (as well as highlighting the negatives). Steve Bustin delivered the training extremely well and from Dover / Shepway perspective we came from various levels of experience and all learnt something new and it ticked all the boxes for us – strategy, objectives, content, ideas, and how to tweet. Those authorities that did not attend certainly missed out. We came away buzzing with ideas to put into practice, and personally I came away with several new followers.”

Mandy Pile, Dover and Shepway District Council

Social Media

“WOW! Gone from complete virgin tweeter to confident tweeter in 6 hours! I can now see that we are only bumping along the surface of what could be achieved. Absolutely the best course I have ever been on.”

Brian Rumbelow, Dover District Council

Social Media

Your social media course was amazing today. Thoroughly enjoyable and very informative – you’d obviously put a lot of time into the preparation. I had a few misgivings and just wanted to make sure what we were going into was worthwhile and manageable. You answered and assured me about any concerns I had and I am sure my colleagues felt the same. We can now move forward with confidence, with much greater knowledge about how social media can help us at Dunedin.

Russell Toms, Head of marketing, Spire Dunedin Hospital, Reading

Social Media

Extremely informative workshop! Takes the fear out of social media and helps you formulate a clear strategy.

David Liversage, Blue Phoenix

Social Media

I spent a day with Steve Bustin at the Garden House in Brighton for his Social Media Class. His class was full of in-depth expertise. Our business offers international training, consulting, speaking and more, so our expectations have been high and he exceeded them by far. Anyone who is strives for excellence in Social Media or needs expert advice on what to do and what not to do should book this class immediately.

Niels Brabandt, CEO NB Network

Social Media

“A fast-moving day with lots of engagement. Thoroughly recommend it – even if you think you know it all, there will be something new to learn.”

Daryl Parsons, Economic and Social Engagement at University of Brighton

Speaking

I recently attended an event where Steve delivered his new keynote. It blew me away!
Steve is an exceptional speaker. He utilised technology in the most effective way to reinforce his messages.
He framed his content around a practical metaphor that was relatable to all and created a structure that allowed people to take the messages that were relevant to them based on their personal experience and stage of business – and that in itself is an incredible talent; delivering messages at different levels to suit different of experience in the audience
Still using the same metaphor, he left everyone with something tangible to take away and actively use to implement the messages he had delivered.  I would highly recommend Steve to any event organiser or corporate who wants to help their audience to grow and perform at a higher level.

Caroline Cavanagh, Anxiety Specialist

Speaking

I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with Steve both on a 1:1 and at the recent PSA conference and he’s always generous with his time, energy and expertise.

I recently saw him deliver a new keynote at the PSA conference that used a wide range of techniques in speaking, with stage craft, metaphor, technology and scripting all coming together beautifully. He kept the room engaged and present throughout, dropping a beautiful message into the mix.

I highly recommend Steve and it’s a pleasure to watch him work.

Dave James, Dave the Coach

Speaking

Steve’s recent keynote ‘Sowing the seeds of potential’ was fantastic: It was poignant, heartfelt and funny; It had a strong and memorable message; and for his audience of speakers, he gave a practical demonstration of 10 ways to stand out on stage. Steve’s content is clever and engaging and his delivery is warm and authentic. He even continued the engagement with a clever, give-away that reinforced his message and will keep him in his audience’s mind long after he left the stage. I can’t recommend him enough as a keynote speaker.

Carole Benton, Words2Win

Speaking

Steve was the closing speaker at a conference packed with top notch speakers. His session blew me away. It was engaging from the first second to the last. The innovative use of technology really added to the experience. He weaved storytelling and useful insights together masterfully. Really striking, memorable, and useful. This session would be the talking point of any conference!

Bryony Thomas, CEO Watertight Business Thinking

Speaking

Such an amazing speaker who showed us different ways of engagement with audience which makes any presentation memorable and actionable. Thank you for sharing your wisdom.

Richard Hovorka, Business Coach

Speaking

Steve ran a HRD workshop for me as part of our on going support to the HR community. His workshop was delivered with flair, humour and authenticity. He engaged the audience and we all came away with little nuggets. I highly recommend him and would definitely love to work together again. Thanks Steve!

Jo Taylor, Founder & MD, Let’s Talk Talent

Speaking

Steve presented at J.P. Morgan IB offsite in September and he did a fantastic job. He really tailored the presentation to our prep-discussion and really connected with the audience. We wanted to thank him for his commitment and strong performance. Highly recommended!!

Tania Kukran, Vice President at J.P. Morgan

Speaking

Thanks Steve for the engaging and stimulating sessions with our BRITE Profitnet group.  You shaped the content beautifully to meet the needs of the businesses, and flexed the details to match their priorities.  Generous examples from your own extensive experience were entertaining and insightful. It was great to work with you!

Jude Badger, Head of Project (BRITE) University of Brighton

Speaking

As National President of The Professional Speaking Association, Steve has maintained a high profile by engaging and inspiring the speaking community and welcoming and encouraging new and less experienced speakers. I was fortunate to hear Steve’s speech on “Better Together” in which he gave great, actionable advice about how to create and maintain connection during the pandemic. Steve never fails to inspire both with his energy and generosity. Many thanks, Steve.

Sarah Bramall, Transformation Coach

Speaking

Steve delivered a great online session for us on Effective Online Meetings, he was an absolute pleasure to work with and the session received brilliant feedback from delegates. There are so many positive comments that I could share from the delegate feedback – however, these were mentioned over and over again: “professional, knowledgeable, well prepared, enthusiastic and engaging” and one delegate said: “It was very relevant to how we are currently working, and provided many useful practical tips to take away and use. It kept me engaged and interested throughout and was a really enjoyable training session.”

I would not hesitate to work with Steve again, or recommend him to others.

Lizzie Robson, Finance Skills Development at NHS Health Education England

Speech Club

I’ve been attending Steve Bustin’s Speech Club for over a year now and it’s a highlight of my month. Taking time out to watch and listen to other professional speeches is an important CPD as a Voice and Speech Coach. Steve curates the speeches carefully and facilitates the group beautifully, giving everyone a voice. He’s open to sharing his expertise but also to learning and taking on board the views of others. His introductions and wrap-ups are both wise and wonderful! I hope they will continue to flourish and wish the same to Steve.

Fiona Brennan-Scott, Author, Breathtaking Communication

Speech Club

Speech club is a book club for speeches. Being a speaker, I know how hard the skill is, and Steve is a generous communicator, mentor and moderator of the craft. The Speech Club gave me insight into the breadth of professional speaking skills I would not otherwise expose myself to. Steve makes it easy, and the community he builds is supportive and friendly. This is a great way to dip your toes in the water, and like me, you may go on to join Steve’s equally supportive mastermind groups, the Critique Club and Advanced Speaker Club. With Steve Bustin in your corner, you think you can fly.

Janice B Gordon – Customer Growth Expert

Speech Club

Steve’s ‘Speech Club’ is a really interesting and thought-provoking free monthly event which dives into the ways in which powerful speeches work, and what we can learn from some of the most engaging speakers on the planet. I always learn something new, and it’s great to listen to a diverse range of opinions and insights from fellow communicators. I thoroughly recommend joining Steve’s ‘Speech Club’.

Fiona Mulliner

Speech Club

I have known Steven for many years, having met him initially at the Professional Speakers Association in UK. He’s the goto-person for training, mentoring and coaching, of speakers of all experiences and calibers… and… he’s also the goto-person for that elusive soft 7th habit of “sharpening the saw”: Steven’s Speech Club is probably the best source of this continuous improvement (kaizen) of the art of public speaking, where each month, a public speech by a public figure, is watched and studied in private by the attendees as pre-event homework, and then… in the magic hour of the club meeting itself, the techniques used are analysed, dissected, studied and commented, in such a way that each of the members has at the end of the meeting, learnt from Steven’s cohort experience, augmented and made even more palatable by Steven’s ubermaster orchestration skills. In summary, an unmissable monthly event.

George Chiesa, Think Differently

Speech Club

I’m a huge fan of Steve’s Speech Club (this is the book club for speeches). Each month there is a different speech, some notorious, others a discovery. Attendees dial in from around the globe to watch, enjoy, discuss and critique the chosen orator. I love the humour, the learning and the exposure to some speeches I’d otherwise not have discovered. Steve has a wonderful way of picking excellent content and also extracting lessons for us all. I highly recommend it.

Rob May, Cybersecurity Keynote Speaker

Speech Club

Speech club delivers extraordinary value. Steve has a masterful ability to identify and analyse a speech’s subtle, nuanced elements that affect its performance. The discussions enable everyone to take away actionable insights that improve professional speaking and every aspect of our communications.

William Buist, Strategic Mentor

Speech Coaching

Steve is a fantastic trainer and coach. We have worked together on a number of programs and the events are always highly rated! Whether it’s F2F or virtual coaching Steve has been able to help managers and leaders find their voice and tell stronger stories.

Janet Kettles, Fractional Communications specialist

Speech Coaching

“Steve’s coaching and guidance supported me for an upcoming presentation. His insightful tips and feedback gave me confidence for my talk which helped me to win an award for my presentation. Would recommend his services.”

Alex Prior, Associate Brand Manager, AstraZeneca

Speech Coaching

No matter how good we think we are, we can ALL be better presenters. There are many presentation trainers out there (and I’ve been trained by some of them), but Steve stands head and shoulders above.

His PR and journalism background means he understands our business, and his public speaking, coaching and training experience, combined with his manner and personality allow him to deliver his training in a way that struck a chord with the whole team.

Feedback has been excellent and I wouldn’t hesitate in working with Steve again.

Matt de Leon, Managing Director, Richmond & Towers

Speech Coaching

I would recommend Steve to anyone. I had a best man speech to deliver and speaking to Steve made all the difference! Steve is an expert in the field and a true gent! He really got to know me and the groom in question, which helped with the structure, delivery and a sense for what would and wouldn’t be funny!

William Busby, Financial Advisor

Speech Coaching

I worked with Steve on a recent client project, where he prepared speakers and MC’s through pre-event speaker training. Steve requested a briefing beforehand and was well prepared for, and tuned to, our client’s unique needs. His approach was fresh, interactive, informative and included light humour – which meant attendees were interested and engaged throughout the training. In addition, Steve was able to offer tangible examples of common mistakes and how to overcome them, as well as frameworks for folks to take away and utilise. We had very strong feedback after the training (incl. an individual who said it was the best speaker training they’d ever had!). I would definitely recommend Steve Bustin for speaker training needs.

Felicity Cator, Event Manager, Legacy Events Group

Speech Coaching

Steve is a brilliant public speaking coach, and I learnt huge amounts working with him. I particularly value the 1-1 sessions with Steve; I started off with a half written scrappy presentation and finished up with a really powerful piece that I’m proud of. Working with Steve is a joy – he’s great company, generous with his time and really insightful. Thoroughly recommend!

Abigail Dombey, Chair – Hydrogen Sussex

Speech Coaching

It’s not everyday you get the opportunity to be speech coach to a gold medal winning Paralympian! It’s been a joy to work with wheelchair rugby player Aaron Phipps on his new keynote where he explores his route to Paralympics Gold. He’s a terrific speaker and has an amazing story to tell – he’s got a bright future as a motivational speaker as well as as a sportsman. See https://aaronphipps.com for more details.

Interview with Paralympian Aaron Phipps

Speech Coaching

When I was asked to deliver a brand new keynote, I knew I needed help to write it, rehearse it and make it as good as it could be. Once we’d won the gold medal I knew I had an even better story to tell but wasn’t sure how to tell it to entertain and inspire an audience. Working with Steve gave me all that and more. Not only did he help me find the best way to tell the story of our journey to Gold, he helped me introduce the drama, humour and messages to keep the audience with me from start to finish. He told me honestly which bits worked, which bits needed more work and which bits to drop altogether. I’ve had nothing but positive feedback on the keynote Steve helped me to create and polish and he’s given me real confidence to deliver it in front of any audience.

Aaron Phipps, Paralympic Wheelchair Rugby Gold Medallist 2021

Speech Coaching

Steve provided valuable 1-2-1 communications training – as part of my strategy to further develop my leadership skills for my company, atom presents – and in the wider live music industry. I would highly recommend Steve to anyone looking to develop public speaking skills.

Thom Milner-Smith, Concert Promoter, Atom Presents

Speech Coaching

Steve brings years of experience as a professional communicator to his role as a speech coach. This means he can deconstruct your content and then reconstruct it to help you get your message across in a more powerful way.

Just one example is his new Speech Club. He puts in an enormous amount of preparation to give attendees valuable takeaways.

Oh, and he’s a great speaker himself, obviously.

Jackie Barrie, Copywriter, Experiential trainer, author