Personalized Public Speaking Coaching for All Ages
Rate for 1:1 coaching: $170/hour
Based in Portland, OR — Available nationwide via remote sessions.
Featured Public Speaking Articles
all penned by yours truly; scroll to the right or click here to read more!
Hi, I’m Jamie Silva, owner & founder of Silva Speech Coaching
Learn about my background, see what services I offer, hear from past students, read some words of wisdom—or book a free consultation today!
What I offer, how it works, and why.
Trusted by professionals from …
My Mission
To help people express themselves clearly, persuasively & confidently, no matter the setting.
My Experience
Since my initial forays into public speaking (and coaching!) in high school, I've spent thousands of hours presenting—in sports radio broadcasting, competitive forensics/debate, corporate settings, stand-up comedy and podcasting. Then, since launching Silva Speech Coaching five years ago, I’ve spent even more thousands of hours helping my students reach their speaking goals! Thanks to this range and depth of experience, I'm able to help both adults and kids tackle a wide array of speaking challenges.
My Methods
In addition to being deeply knowledgeable, extremely dedicated and highly responsive, I take time to learn about each student's unique speaking settings, goals, struggles and strengths—then thoughtfully design individualized lessons for each. I also take students behind the scenes of the coaching process, explaining my methods and encouraging self-analysis—so that even after our sessions, you can be your own coach and keep honing your skills for the rest of your life!
Me on the job!
Student Spotlight — Byron Rodgers, CEO at Bravo Research Group
Seen here delivering the keynote presentation we worked on at an executive protection industry conference in Mexico City.
Jamie is one of the best coaches I’ve ever had. Honestly I could not have done my presentation to the level of excellence I was able to execute on without him. I will definitely be utilizing him in the future and I highly recommend anyone who is serious about delivering their presentation with excellence definitely works with him before “the day” comes. His mastery of speaking, the English language and even ideas around various topics added a depth and texture to my presentation that really took everything to the next level.📈
FAQs
How much do you charge?
The default rate is $170/hour (each session is an hour). This gets you all my customary content, analysis & feedback, with all exercises & speaking done live in-session.
If you send me a recording of you speaking for me to review outside of session, that's an additional $30 charge, as that takes extra time, especially since I usually watch it several times. Recordings can be great fodder for coaching, since I can listen to/watch them beforehand (usually several times), and come to the session prepared with feedback. This also allows us to pack more insight & analysis into each session, which makes it a higher-quality service designed to help you reach your goals faster.
For workshops, seminars & group classes, the rate is the same, but also may apply to prior prep work if I’m doing a lot of content customization. The specifics are pretty negotiable, so reach out & we can discuss.
Also, if I travel to the event, naturally the client would cover transportation, lodging, food and any sessions lost from traveling on weekdays.
How do you personalize lessons?
Several ways:
I ask a ton of questions in the consultation—about your speaking goals, past experience, perceived strengths & weaknesses, the settings you speak in, nerves dynamics & much more. The path to personalization starts with getting to know you personally!
I have you tell a story & present on a work-related topic at the start of our first session. If you send me a recording, I review that too. Then, by observing how your vocal delivery changes (or doesn’t) across these various styles and analyzing it across a dozen or so dimensions (e.g., speed, volume, inflection, enunciation, fillers, and organization), I’m able to craft & share a customized development plan.
I then tailor every single session (as well as the homework) to wherever you’re at—adjusting for your progress, trouble spots, questions, additional speaking objectives we might unearth, etc. Naturally these things vary student to student & session to session, often in unpredictable ways. That’s why a cookie-cutter or curriculum-based approach simply won’t cut it, in my view.
What do sessions look like?
There is tremendous flexibility based on each student’s unique needs, but in general, a session looks like this: I give feedback on any homework (usually practice recordings); we run through vocal exercises designed to target speaking flaws/hone skills; the student gives a live (prepared or impromptu) speech & I critique it; and (if needed) I offer suggestions for handling nerves.
Are sessions remote or in person?
Remote, over google meet or another video chat service. I mean, if you’re right in my neighborhood, maybe we meet up, but even then remote is logistically simplest.
If you want to fly me out for in-person sessions, great! That’ll just be more expensive.
How many sessions will I need?
I wrote a whole article about this!
How often would we meet?
However frequently you like. Some students are very busy & can only manage once a month; others have a big speech coming up and want to meet several times a week. Most, though, do weekly sessions.
Can you reduce my accent?
Yes! I can help you reduce your accent so that people can always understand you. However, if you want your accent to disappear entirely & sound just like a native English speaker, you’ll probably want a speech therapist or accent elimination specialist.
IAQs
(infrequently asked questions—they’re still worth answering)
Do you have a Method of some kind?
Depends what you mean. I think a lot of coaches package their ideas into a special Program/Process/Method for marketing purposes, probably with a snappy acronym, like S.PE.A.K. — Start Presenting Excellently And Kreatively (K is a tough one). In my opinion, this is mostly gimmickry designed to dress up middling ideas in fancy “secret sauce” terms. So yes, I have my methods—don’t we all!—and you can learn about them on this page, my blog, past student experiences, and/or by booking a free consultation. But I don’t frame them as a Unified Theory of Communication or a 10-Step Guaranteed Greatness Program.
Talk about your speaking experience/background.
Ah, I believe you’re looking for the “About Me” page. I can share more about what’s outlined there, but that’s best saved for a consultation. These are just IAQs, not a “let me tell you my life story” blog post. 😛
Is this coaching thing a side gig?
Nope, this is it—this is the whole employment shebang. Not only is this great for me (I love this job!), but students benefit too. since it’s easier to find available session slots that fit your schedule when your instructor is coaching full-time.
Do you have sessions on weekends?
Sometimes. Saturday mornings (Pacific time) are the best bet, but I reserve the right to be out having fun instead. What’s the point of working for yourself if you don’t have some work/life balance, y’know?
Do you offer group classes or corporate trainings?
Sure do! These tend to be a bit more bespoke (meaning, customized to your business’s/employees’ needs), so if that’s what you’re looking for, drop me a line & we’ll see about setting something up.
What if I know someone who could use your services? Do you offer a referral reward?
I do indeed! If you refer a new student, you get $50 off your next session. If you’re not a student, you get a cash equivalent instead.
Where are you based?
Portland, OR. A pleasant place, lovely this time of year.
I have more IAQs. Where can I get answers?
You can use the Free Consultation form, which just sends me an email. Theoretically you could use that form to send not just extra questions, but also fun facts, fan mail, random opinions and/or recipes. So, go to town! I’d love to hear from you. 🙂