HI. I’M SONESS

HI. I’M SONESS, your speaker coach

Over the past 15 years, I’ve trained over 140 professional speakers, who have stepped on stages around the world, from corporate events through keynotes to the new generation of impactful public events such as TEDx and PechaKucha.

As a speaker with international experience, I’ll show you how my clients and I get booked to speak without having all the things a speaker is “supposed” to have, like expensive headshots, lavish speaker pages, or various credentials — all those extra things that stop you from doing what you are meant to do: sharing your message with the people who need to hear your message most. My coaching program builds upon highlighting your strengths and your message, and it’ll show you the right steps to take the stage. 

As a former associate professor of International Business Communication skills, having authored 2 university textbooks on presentation skills and published in 3 academic journals on communications. You may have seen my weekly communications TV show on NHK or FOX TV.

So, I get where you are coming from as a speaker. I spoke at the TED Worldwide Talent Search, TEDxWasedaU, TEDxKumamoto, TEDxFukuoka, TEDxKyoto, and I continue to speak globally both on-stage and online.

Speakers

LIVE IN ACTION

See me speak here…

“How to speak so people will listen?” Soness Stevens, a communications researcher and practitioner asks, “How to listen so people will speak?” Learn how to become a better listener. This talk, performed at TEDxWasedaU, teaches powerful listening skills through active listening, compassion, and Hello Kitty!

Miscarriage: what do you say? What to say when a friend has a miscarriage? Soness Stevens is a global communications practioner and researcher. In this talk delivered at TEDxKumamoto, breaking taboos on the sensitive topic of miscarriage, Soness shares the voices of 600 women suffering losing a baby of what to say and what not to say.

Empowering

Inspiring

Teaching


Listen to me speaking here…

NEED AN ENGAGING SPEAKER?

Soness Stevens is a communications expert, TED Global & 4-time TEDx speaker, and coach to over 140 public speakers worldwide. Her stories move audiences from laughter to tears to standing ovations.


Soness’s talks connect, engage, and move audiences of any size from 10 to 1,000. She’s spent two decades telling stories and sharing important and powerful messages and thus transforming her audiences’ lives with her belief ‘listening is love’.

Her TEDxWasedaU talk on “Have You Ever Felt Heard?” received two standing ovations. Her TEDxKumamoto talk on “Miscarriage: What do you say?” changed dialogues around grieving loss whether it’s the loss of a baby, hopes, or identity.

Soness is a published academic. Her communications research changed the game at YNU by instilling autonomous learning and interactive teaching.

Soness speaks around the world from North America to Asia to the Middle East at events, and her clients include McKinsey, Disney, World Family, NHK, FOX, Google, Mobile World Congress, TED, TEDx, Softbank, Good Life Project, National Digital Design Conference Pakistan.

Soness is the official English voice of Hello Kitty. She lives near the beach and practices Zazen Meditation at her local temple in Japan.  

You may have seen Soness at…

  • NHK TV

  • Global Communications Forum

  • Yokohama National University

  • TED Worldwide

  • TEDxWasedaU

  • TEDxKumamoto

  • TEDxFukuoka

  • TEDxKyoto

  • FOX TV Japan

  • Apple Theater

  • Disney

  • Disney’s World Family

  • Pioneers Unplugged

  • For Empowered Women

  • Happiness Summit

  • Learnology

  • Run for the Cure

  • NEC

  • Softbank

  • iAi NLP

  • Yokohama National University

  • Shonan Bunkyo University

  • Aoyama Gakuen University

  • Pacific Bay Women’s Conference

LOOKING FOR A GUEST ON YOUR PODCAST?  AS HEARD ON...

POWER OF EMOTION 

Soness Stevens’ talks at the November FEW meeting and shared her secret weapon to connect and engage audience authentically. Curious what she empowers her speakers before they go on stage? Click here to read on the full details. 

DONE WITH DIETS 

HOW TO WOW YOUR AUDIENCE ONLINE OR ON STAGE WITH SONESS STEVENS

START YOUR SPEAKING JOURNEY NOW – SONESS STEVENS

WOMEN POWER

ENTREPRENEURSHIP REQUIRES RISK TAKING

[FEW] SONESS STEVENS WOMAN IN JAPAN EXPERIENCE


SPEAKING TOPICS

 

HOW TO LISTEN SO PEOPLE WILL SPEAK

Great leaders have to be great listeners.  Same holds true with great relationship makers.  In a world where everyone is vying for attention, the genius is in being able to hear.  What if your message was being lost, whether in the office, client meetings, your keynote presentation or the stage of a TED-style talk? It’s not a language thing. It’s about the deeper connection.  Soness shares 4 basic elements you need to remember to communicate effectively with any audience–whether it’s global like TED or as close as your next door neighbor to connect and engage with anyone.

YOUR TALK IDEA FROM DAYDREAM TO REALITY

How do you even start turning your idea for a talk into reality? And once you have it, how do you get to speak at events? Soness Stevens gives you a Roadmap to public speaking for the new generation of talks with meaning and impact: everything you need to take your spark of an idea to get booked to speak at events.  You’ll learn what makes an idea worth spreading, create a clear and concise concept, and gain confidence in your idea to the audition stage.

THE POWER OF EMOTION IN YOUR STORYTELLING

What makes a talk engaging? The power of story, of course! Or is it? Everyone talks about the Hero’s journey.  But the story is simply a vehicle to move from point A to point B. The Power of Emotion is the fuel to drive your story.  Whether you are connecting with others over lunch, networking after hours, or preparing for a TED-style talk, you’ll learn simple and powerful techniques to captivate.

HAVING SECOND THOUGHTS? THINK IN YOUR SECOND LANGUAGE!

Having difficulty deciding how to streamline your ideas?  Do you have difficulty making decisions? Research shows cognitive benefits for bilinguals--especially in decision making.  When you are having second thoughts, let this easy process simplify your life.

GO AGAINST THE GRAIN: REMOVE LABELS AND FIND CREATIVE SOLUTIONS!

Searching for creative solutions?  Remove the labels.  The impossible become I'm Possible.  

Now Let’s craft your talk!

Book your Private Coaching Session here