Why Choose PowerSpeaking, Inc

We believe that everyone’s voice deserves to be heard, and that everyone can learn how to become a more powerful communicator.

What sets us apart

• 40+ years of working with Fortune 500 companies that trust us to listen and deliver
• 1.5M individuals and teams upskilled worldwide
• 99.5% of our clients say they recommend us to colleagues
• Engaging workshops, personalized coaching, and on-demand resources

Describing our “secret sauce,” one client said, “Working with other vendors is transactional. Working with PowerSpeaking is transformational.”

Teams come to us with impressive skills in their areas of expertise. Yet they often lack the confidence, skills, and mindsets they need to be powerful presenters and communicators.

Their managers know that ineffective communication wastes time and money. Critical decisions are stalled, projects veer off course, and working relationships suffer.

When people learn to communicate effectively, share ideas and perspectives, and listen actively, everyone in an organization benefits. Good ideas are more likely to find wings, critical projects move faster toward completion, company goals are met, and people feel heard and valued.

In other words, transformation.

How we do it

Our expertise is knowing how to help people make the transformational journey from ordinary to extraordinary presenters and communicators—in the shortest possible time.

Whether your team needs fast, focused skill development from one of our 2-hour PowerBlox™workshops or a more comprehensive, tailored, multi-program Learning Journey, they’ll benefit from:

• The most recent research in business communication, plus our primary research and interviews with executives and industry experts
• Sophisticated adult learning models
• The most recent research in business communication
• Step-by-step behavioral techniques for learning that lasts
• Video recording with private, personalized coaching in our comprehensive programs
• Proven programs in varying formats: face-to-face or virtual, small to large groups
• Personalized feedback and coaching

Your team can expect an unforgettable experience led by Facilitators and Coaches who thrive on seeing clients transform their communication skills.

What’s it like to work with us

We’re a fun, innovative, diverse team of expert facilitators and business people, many of whom started out in different careers. Just to name a few: a lawyer and pharmaceutical sales rep; several engineers, stage actors, corporate managers, and journalists; a math teacher; executives in banking and sales; a psychologist; and a number of organizational- and learning-development leaders.

Different experiences, different perspectives—but everyone at this woman-owned business shares a passion for PowerSpeaking, Inc.’s mission: We empower technical teams and leaders to drive business success through clear, confident, and impactful communication.

Learn more about our Management and Staff, our global Facilitators and Coaches, our Board of Advisors, and our complete Program and Services offerings.

Our commitment to an inclusive, sustainable world

Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is woven into everything we do—from the way we design and deliver our programs to how we collaborate with our customers, partners, and employees.

PowerSpeaking, Inc. is active in, and CEO Carrie Beckstrom is on the board of, ISA–The Association of Learning Providers (ISA-ALP), the leading industry association for learning providers, whose mission is to improve the world of work.

We’re also dedicated to taking meaningful actions toward a net-zero business and sustainable practices.

Here are a few examples of our ongoing efforts:

• We’ve partnered with premier carbon accounting firm Rye Strategy to measure and reduce our carbon footprint, and to invest in a diverse range of global offset projects.
• We’ve created an internal Green Committee to drive and monitor ongoing sustainability initiatives.
• Staff is given one work day per year dedicated to Volunteer Day, where they contribute their time to everything from local food banks to conservation projects.

Our story

It started in 1985 when founder Rick Gilbert left his corporate training job in Silicon Valley to start his own company. His passion was helping people break through their fear of public speaking, find their voice and their own passionate message, and deliver it in a way that moves people.

Four years later, Rick’s partner Mary McGlynn joined him in running the young company. They worked out of their ground-floor den, and Mary says, “We’d often be working to the raucous sounds of our small daughter and our office manager’s daughter playing upstairs.”

From the beginning, we strove to create an energizing environment for expressing ideas, creating community, and sustaining connections with the extended PowerSpeaking family.

Fast-forward to 2025, when President and Owner Mary McGlynn retired, transferring ownership of the company to PowerSpeaking, Inc. CEO Carrie Beckstrom and Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing David Azevedo.

With this next-gen leadership transition, the company is primed for growth and an expanded global reach. With more than 1,500,000+ people trained worldwide—and counting!—we carry on the same passionate drive to help teams and leaders boost their impact on the business by becoming clear, confident, high-impact communicators.