We recently connected with Jane Paterson and have shared our conversation below.

Jane, appreciate you joining us today. What’s something crazy on unexpected that’s happened to you or your business

The owner & MD of a candy company contacted me late on a Friday afternoon. His chief chemist had been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in the Candy Hall of Fame–yes, it exists! He would receive this award two weeks from that Friday and need to give a speech. Please could I help him write and present this speech? Small hitch, the chemist had a hectic schedule and couldn’t fit in too many sessions.
I readily agreed; how difficult could this be? Maybe a handful of people hearing his 2-3 minute thank you?
We met on Monday, and my heart sank.
The chemist was a very shy man in his mid-seventies, whose English was limited and heavily accented. No problem, I could get a solid 2-3 minutes out of him.
The MD–whose son I had coached on interview technique–joined to give me the background. My heart sank.
This ‘handful of people’ was closer to one thousand attendees at a two-day convention in Florida.
When I queried the length of the speech, yes, you guessed, my heart sank.
An 8-10 minute speech was the normal length.
We rolled up our sleeves and prepared a heartwarming and authentic speech.
At our last session, I wished him well and headed home as nervous as a parent before their child’s major recital.
Late on the Saturday evening, I received a video of my client delivering his wonderful speech. He never missed a beat. The final scenes were of the standing ovation and his family rushing forward with tears in their eyes.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started my business because I was tired of seeing good people fail because of poor communication.

I understand the real fear many people experience when speaking up in front of others. However, it matters deeply to me that no one’s voice is silenced due to their own fears or insecurities.

When people develop their communication skills, they are empowered to speak up. They enrich their relationships, build their careers, grab those leadership roles, form real connections, and even bring about change.

One Perfect Speech came about when my work as an English teacher and writing tutor overlapped with my passion for public speaking. From helping people write and present successful speeches, I expanded into a multi-faceted business, teaching clients of all skill levels every aspect of public speaking.

I saw in my clients how improving their speaking skills positively affected their relationships and, therefore, every area of their lives. As my business grew, I found myself moving into the area of Chief Cheerleader for my clients.

By working with them to improve their communication skills, I empowered them to speak up. My positive approach – your voice is worthy of being heard! – caught fire in all aspects of their lives. In addition to developing powerful and effective speakers, much of what I do is to remind them how deserving they are of taking center stage in their own lives.

I believe it is up to each of us to make our voices heard so we can share our values, passions, concerns, and unique personalities. When we do, we are all richer for it.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

My first foray into owning my own business was when I lived in Cape Town, South Africa. After my post-grad, I worked at a newspaper for eight years and then started a media relations business with a partner. We were fortunate to be very successful, giving me a taste of business ownership. We moved to the USA in 1999, but with two very young children, I became a full-time mum.
When my youngest, a son, was around 7th grade, I started an Etiquette business, modern manners for the 21st century. It was a slow growth, but I had built into a decent business three years later. I held classes and gave presentations covering every aspect of etiquette for children, teens, and adults.
By January 2011, I had it all scoped out–or so I thought.
My big plans went off a cliff with just one sentence: your 15-year-old son has acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
I stopped everything and focused on his health for the next three and a half years. With no family in the US, only my husband and 18yr old daughter, I became the CEO of my most important project.
By the time he was in his senior year of high school, I was ready to restart my life–but etiquette no longer appealed. I didn’t have the energy to recreate all I had lost.
I had always loved speaking & writing, but during my years in the hospital, I saw how vital clear communication was to creating effective connections.
I started my public speaking business from scratch, but six years later, I am back to being a solopreneur and doing what I love.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

As a speaking coach, I made it a point to work with clients I could coach in person. I knew the importance of reading body language, teaching non-verbal skills, and standing in front of a crowded room, and although I was often asked to coach someone over Skype, I insisted this wasn’t ideal and suggested they look for a coach in their area. And then came Covid.
For weeks I pushed back against working on Zoom, assuring myself, “This will only last for a few weeks.”
I berated myself for never developing any online clients and started to assume my business would fold.
But, when it became hugely apparent, we were in this for months, if not years, I decided to become a virtual expert!
It was the best decision I made.
I felt empowered to take on clients from all over the USA. Within six months, I was working internationally.
I have coached people from many southern African countries and given presentations to groups in the UK.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://oneperfectspeech.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oneperfectspeech/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

Image Credits
Charissa H. Yong Photography