Development

Everything you need to grow a speaking career, all in one place

Imagine someone created a map to guide you through your speaking career. And then they added to that map all of the tools and assistance you would need along your journey. What would that be worth?

That’s what we’re doing here at Pomona Partners. For all of the talent we work with, whether you’re just starting out in our Academy, an experienced Professional speaker, or in our Premier tier.

We’ve created an assessment tool to help you understand your strengths and weaknesses, across all of the critical aspects of growing a career from speaking.

We’re backing this with a constant flow of new training content, targeted to overcome our talent’s most common weaknesses. Our assessment tool points you to the training content you need.

And we’ve built a panel of expert coaches and third party suppliers to address all of your critical needs, giving you speaker training, slide design, marketing support, photography and even support on publishing.

The Talent Map

The Talent Map is our unique approach to helping each speaker assess where they are across every aspect of their speaking career. It then matches their stage to content from our training library, and recommends coaches and third party services to help to overcome any barriers. It forms the core of our training and development offer.

Training Library

Our training library is a growing archive of articles, videos and case studies from our coaches, in-house experts, and our speakers, all sharing their learning on how to overcome some of the challenges that speakers can face in their careers. From the most basic tips on speaking, mic technique, camera work and dress, to advanced guidance on producing the best showreels, photography, and stage presence.

Development Lead: Monika Neall

Our Academy is powered by experience and expertise. Our partners deliver development services to academy members to help them to advance their skills, expand their reach, and achieve their goals.

We create and deliver core skills training in profile, proposition and performance. We curate training from trusted coaches for you to invest in.

Co-ordinating our Academy and client development programmes is the job of Monika Neall. Monika has long experience in talent development, having run one of the UK’s most successful literary programmes for young people, which counts many current stars amongst its alumni. She has also trained and mentored people in the arts and the third sector, bringing broad experience of different approaches and techniques.

Academy Partners

Penny Haslam, Speaking and Confidence Coach

A successful professional speaker who captivates and enriches their audiences with compelling content and world-class performances will invest in their career with a coach at a number of points; when starting out, and again when they have been established for a while and are looking to make the jump from good to great.
Learn how to manage nerves, build skills to ensure you don’t get derailed when a joke falls flat or something goes wrong, build your clarity both off and on the stage, and ensure that you’re always exceptional on stage.
Katharine McNamara, Marketing & Proposition Coach

In a noisy marketplace, standing out isn’t just about what you do—it’s about why you do it and how you communicate it. It helps businesses and individuals define their unique differentiators, uncover the deeper purpose behind their work, and craft a compelling narrative that resonates with the right audience.
By distilling what truly sets you apart, we create a consistent and authentic thread that strengthens your profile, builds your reputation, and makes it clear why people should choose you over the competition.
Kizzy Thomson, Literary Agent

You’re an expert in your field and you’re thinking about putting what you know into a book. A conversation with a literary agent is the best first step you can take.
Clarify what you want to write a book for and what you need it to achieve for you. Ensure that your idea is as robust as it can be, that it’s strong enough for a whole book. Learn how to sell your idea and get it commissioned.
Dave Henson, Slide Designer

We’ve all seen slides that have too many words, ideas that are too complex and those that simply don’t add anything to what the speaker is saying. Your slide deck should be as strong as you are, your visuals as strong as your sound.
You can work with a designer to tailor-make a slide deck that reflects your content and your brand, or you can commission a set of templates that you can personalise for each event you speak at.
Steve Clinton, Copywriter

You’re great at finding the right words for your keynotes, but struggling to articulate why someone should book you. A series of panel questions doesn’t phase you, but your website, your bio, and your socials feel lacklustre.
Working with a copywriter once you’ve developed your proposition can help you get noticed and grow your inbound leads.
Dan Sodergren, Social Media and AI Expert

As an independent speaker, your social media is usually your marketing department. Building confidence and skill in your self-promotion is an essential part of being self- employed.
Learn how to develop your content, start to think about tone of voice, and learn how to use AI to maximise the quality of your work and minimise the time you spend on it.
Laura Carroll, Voice Coach

Working with a voice coach is a practical way to lift your presenting to the next level; enhancing your clarity and your sound to enrich your connection with your audience.
Increase your vocal stamina and equip yourself for the demands of a professional voice-user.
Elevate your skills from being a competent speaker, to someone who really shines on stage. Go from speaking, to performing.
Sam Jones, Media Relations Advisor

Work with a Media Relations Advisor to help you be the go-to person in your field for journalists across the board.
Give yourself the competitive advantage to ensure it’s your name making headlines and your face on TV.
Guy Kilty, Podcast Consultant

Whether you have a podcast already and you’re looking to improve it, or toying with the idea of starting one, a podcast consultant can help you.
Ensure you know exactly what you want to do with a podcast and why, improve your sound or increase your reach. Investing in professional coaching helps you to hit maximum impact as fast as possible.