Renegade Speaking school
Where public speaking is playful and fun (yes, really).
Live speaking classes, workshops and drop-ins for people who want to get more comfortable speaking, find more confidence and personality in their communcation, and actually enjoy being in front of a room.
Stop shrinking, start talking, and learn to put the most interesting version of yourself in the room.
Renegade Speaking School: Public Speaking Classes in Boulder County, Colorado
Get off the sidelines and on the stage.
Most of us walk around with stories we haven't told and a version of ourselves we haven't fully brought into the room yet. Somewhere along the way you learned to shrink it, polish it, make it more palatable.
But here's the thing about public speaking: the only way to get better is to actually do it. At the Renegade Speaking School, we don't spend a lot of time talking about speaking. We do it.
Our classes are built around theater, improv, storytelling, games, laughter and a whole lot of reps. You'll get up, try things, get coached, laugh about it and try again. And you'll learn a lot by watching the other people in the room - what works, what doesn't, and what makes you want to lean in and listen.
That's how you get better.
Your classes are so different than any of the public speaking training I've done in the past. I'm loving it!
TedX Speaker, Renegade Speaking School Student
Meghan Bonde
You are such a great coach!
4-week live series in Lafayette, CO
Thursdays, October 8–29 | 12:30–2pm | $199 (7 spots left)
A small-group speaking series to help you get more comfortable in front of a room, find your voice, think on your feet and have more fun speaking.
8-week evening series in Lafayette, CO
Wednesdays, January 13 - March 3 | 6:30 -8pm | $429 (10 spots)
Our winter Speaking School is an 8-week live experience for building your speaking skills through theater, improv, storytelling, play, coaching and plenty of reps. Come if you're brand new to speaking, already use speaking in your work, or want to get serious about becoming a stronger speaker.
What's Enrolling Now:
We take play seriously.
A lot of traditional speaker training and programs focus on where to stand, how to be more professional and what not to say. Between us, I think play, presence and personality are a hell of a lot more important than polish and professionalism.
That doesn't mean skills don't matter. They do and we work on them but I don't have a cookie cutter approach that just grinds out more boring and safe speakers.
I think grown-ups need more TimE to play.
Especially when we're trying to get better at something that makes us nervous and vulnerable.
Play gives you permission to try something before you know whether it's going to work. It gets you out of perfection mode and it makes it easier to experiment, take a risk and try again.
That's why the heart of Renegade Speaking School involves theater, storytelling and improv exercises designed to get you out of your head and into the room. It's designed to help you use your voice and body, think on your feet, connect with people and help you develop your voice and stage presence.
We'll also work on the practical stuff: identifying the nervous habits that get in your way, stretching your range, learning to dial your energy up or down, and figuring out how to adapt to different rooms and audiences.
The goal isn't to make you sound like a speaker.
It's to give you more freedom, flexibility and permission to sound more like yourself.
WHO is this for?
You have something to say but haven't quite figured out how to say it yet.
You freeze, over-explain or apologize the moment there's an audience.
You want to sound less like an AI bro-bot and bring more humor, warmth and personality into how you communicate.
You're an educator, business owner, salesperson or professional who wants to inspire action—not put people to sleep.
You're a trained speaker or performer who wants to feel less like you're “performing” and more like you're actually yourself onstage.
Or maybe you're a total beginner and you just want to try it.
You just need to want to communicate with more ease, more confidence, more humor and a lot less apology.
And then, of course, you have to be willing to get up and do it.
The short version: People who want to get better at speaking.
This may also look like:
You don't have to know if you want to be a professional speaker. You don't need a five-year speaking plan.
The renegade way
A brave space.
You're going to try things here that might not work. That's part of the process. You might blank or ramble or tell a story that goes absolutely nowhere.
Good.
Nobody is keeping score, and you don't have to walk in already confident or “good at speaking.”
We're here to practice, break rules, laugh, get frustrated and get better.
Fair Warning...
I'm going to make you talk.
Hey, I'm Jen - the Renegade Speaking Coach. In fact, I've had a mic in my hand, talk in my head or song coming out of my mouth since I was doing shows for my stuffies (and patient AF parents) in the 80s. I have over two decades of professional acting, speaking and entrepreneurship under my belt which means I've spent most of my adult life performing, teaching, facilitating and getting in front of rooms full of people. I've also been nervous as hell before speaking, forgotten what I was going to say, tried too hard to get things “right" and worried about what people thought. And any speaking coach who tells you otherwise is full of shit.
So I'm not interested in teaching you how to become some perfectly polished version of a speaker. I want you to be able to walk into a room, know what you want to say, connect with the people in front of you and trust yourself enough to actually say it.
And for those of you who like credentials, I have those too. Dual degree in musical theater and public communication from American University, studied voice, acting and improv with numerous pros in NYC, and have over 20 years of professional stage and commercial experience — including a year-long tour with The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and commercials for Jackson Hewitt, USPS, Science Moms, Town of Vail, CSU School of Public Health, and many more. I speak in front of groups regularly, host a podcast and sing in a local choir. I use my voice - a lot...and I love helping others use theirs too.
4-week live series in Lafayette, CO
Thursdays, October 8–29 | 12:30–2pm | $199 (7 spots left)
A small-group speaking series to help you get more comfortable in front of a room, find your voice, think on your feet and have more fun speaking.
8-week evening series in Lafayette, CO
Wednesdays, January 13 - March 3 | 6:30 -8pm | $429 (10 spots)
Our winter Speaking School is an 8-week live experience for building your speaking skills through theater, improv, storytelling, play, coaching and plenty of reps. Come if you're brand new to speaking, already use speaking in your work, or want to get serious about becoming a stronger speaker.
What's Enrolling Now:
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I write my keynote in this class?
No. This isn't a keynote writing program. It's about building presence, confidence, and finding your voice all of which are the foundation that makes everything else land better. Want help developing a specific talk? Check out the Rooftop Session or ask Jen about one-on-one coaching.
Do I need experience?
No. Whether you've never spoken in front of a group or you're already comfortable on stage, this class meets you where you are.
How is this different from Toastmasters or other speaking programs?
Toastmasters is peer-led, highly structured, and great if you want consistent practice and a clear curriculum to work through. RSS is different. It's facilitated, built around your specific stories and voice, incorporates improv, theater and movement and is designed to be alive and a little messy in the best way. Think less rulebooks and more room to play.
Will i get one-on-one coaching?
This is a group experience, but you'll get real feedback and attention in every session. If you want dedicated one-on-one work to prepare for an upcoming talk, click here to learn more about private coaching.
Is this only for women or moms?
Nope. The Renegade Speaker School is open to decent humans who want to find their voice and use it. All humans over the age of 18 are welcome.
Do you offer these virtually?
Renegade Speaking School is currently offered live in Lafayette, CO. If you want virtual coaching, you can book a one-on-one session to get my dedicated attention in a Zoom room. Learn more here.