I contacted Ben to help me level up my presentation skills for an important event I had coming up…read more He gave a straight forward, honest assessment of where I was at and how I could get to where I needed to be. I appreciated that he didn't try and sell me a ton of sessions I really didn't need. It was clear that he had my best interests in mind and gave me exactly the type of focused coaching I needed. Celebrating where I was strong and guiding me when I needed support. Ben is really friendly and easy to work with. His calm demeanor is really helpful when your trying to navigate your own doubts and fears. I am happy to say at arrived at my event and killed it!! Thank you Ben for being a big part of of that.

Had the one hour free startup pitch coaching session with Ben Linzer which was amazing, and spot…read moreon. I was able to go over some key points and from that he extracted a strategic investor pitch!

Richard is an amazing teacher. He is patient, accommodating, and will give you the right feedback…read moreto get you to your best speaking abilities. I had a lot of fun during these sessions, and could see the immediate impact they were having in my business. Would 100% recommend him!

Highly recommended - a life saver! I hired Richard to help…read moreme prep for a keynote speech. I had decent content, but he helped me refine it and get better at delivery. Practicing with him was extremely helpful. I felt prepared, confident and I nailed it! Thank you, Richard

Amy is one of the best coaches I've worked with! Improving my communications skills has always been…read morean area I've struggled to tackle head on. I'm extremely thankful to have worked with Amy! She's organized, transparent and truly effective with her coaching style. From initial intake, program design, through the very last session I felt connected and engaged. Amy doesn't apply cookie cutter tips and suggestions in her coaching style. Instead she takes time to get to know you and holds you accountable long the way. I HIGHLY recommend working with Amy and would definitely work with her again in the future.

It is with gratitude and admiration that I write this review. Amy Johnson is an extraordinary…read morespeech and communication coach! From our first meeting to the last one, Amy was informative, clear and supportive. Her vast professional knowledge assisted me and helped strengthen my own professional growth. I came to her with specific goals for areas of improvement (e.g. articulation and pronunciation), and to this day I feel more aware and equipped with knowledge and skills to continue with my own development as a communicator (I am an educator). Further, her professional competence goes beyond content. Amy also guided me to identify habits and emotions that were hindering my communication, while I capitalized on my aptitude and strengths. I feel that everyone deserves quality coaching in his/her life. Amy Johnson is that type!

My husband and I attended Tori's childbirth preparation and newborn essentials class a few weeks…read moreago, as we prepare for the arrival of our baby in February. The class came highly recommended from our OB and I was happy to take any more resources that didn't involve too much doom scrolling. The entire class was very informative and it's clear that Tori is a very experienced nurse (my aunt also happens to be a L&D nurse as well). I found it very helpful that she went through all of the options in a very clinical way and it helped reaffirm what choices I had available to me. I don't think it's reasonable to expect that everyone will agree with all aspects of the class (especially when it comes to baby products), but it brought me a lot of comfort and understanding that I didn't have before.

My husband and I took Tori's One Day Childbirth Preparation Class and later went back for Baby Care…read moreand Breastfeeding. I guess why I didn't leave this review as 1 star is because the childbirth class was informative but we both walked away from the baby care class questioning Tori's credibility. The biggest red flag was discussing SIDS and baby's "bed". Someone brought up SIDS as a concern (btw she asks at the beginning of class what everyone's fears are and doesn't address them) and she basically said don't worry about it because it's very rare, we don't know why it happens and there's nothing we can do about it. Later another person asked if baby will have a bed in the hospital and she scoffed and said "What bed? Mom is the bed". Every modern literature states the "ABCs" babies should sleep Alone, on their Back, in a Crib. While the technical definition of SIDS means that the diagnosis after death is still unknown there is one measure that significantly reduces likelihood of SIDS: sleeping on your back. This was researched by doctor's worldwide and launched the "Back to Basics" campaign also known as "Safe to Sleep" program which reduced SIDS by over over 50% in the US in the following decade. Mayo Clinic, National Institute of Health, and even the pamphlet that Tori passes out in the childbirth class (Preparing for Birth by Plumtree, page 65) states that baby should sleep on their back AND additionally without things like blankets, plush toys, bumper etc. So saying that it's fine for baby to sleep on mom and that "there's no science/evidence for why we stopped putting babies on their stomach" frankly is dangerous for new parents who haven't done any of their own research and were hoping to get all their information from her classes which which is mainly why I'm writing this review. Then there is her demeanor - she is definitely blunt and takes a more blasé approach to childbirth and childrearing which I didn't find an issue with during the 6 hour childbirth class but the 2 hour baby care class was a different story. She says she's not here to judge anyone but then says things like "oh god please don't tell me any of you got the baby cappuccino machine (Baby Brezza)" or "why, why on earth do you need to look at your baby on your phone??? (baby monitors/Nanit)". I haven't bought any of these items and am also of the camp of minimal consumerism (buy thoughtfully, get free/secondhand) so that's not what bothers me, it's that she treats 20/30/40's something ADULTS as mind addled teenagers who are addicted to social media and don't have brains to think for themselves. Your audience in the Bay Area is largely college educated working professionals (tech, medicine, law, etc.) who can likely distinguish between actual evidence and science backed research vs Instagram influencers and make the right decision for their own family and their own specific needs. She also dismissed many questions and contradicts herself - someone asked what to do when baby has a cold and she just goes "What cold? Babies don't get colds" but later explains how to use the suction bulb when baby has a cold - she harps on "this generation" for buying too much and says "Why do you need to buy a plastic tub to wash your baby in?" then proceeds to whip out a flower petal pad thing and says this works fine... but isn't that just another thing to buy??? Overall I get that she's trying to de-influence people from over consuming and trying to assure new parents that they don't need to be anxious and paranoid about every little thing but the approach is borderline rude and condescending. And for people like my husband and I who aren't in that camp but just wanted to learn something her answer to most questions is "don't worry about it, baby will be fine whatever you do, anything important you'll figure out"... so why did we sign up for a class?? Again the attitude and lack of information falls second to any advice she had that was dangerous. She ends the class by saying she grew up in the 70's, playing outside, feral, youngest of 5 kids in the back of the station wagon without a seatbelt and that it wasn't really a bad thing. This pretty much sums up her mindset, nostalgia for "a simpler time" and "the good ole days" but some things have changed and for good reason, like babies should sleep on their back, not letting women stay pregnant past 41 weeks, vaccine and immunization advancements. Also, I get that statistically you're unlikely to die not wearing a seatbelt here and there but should you really be implicitly saying it's fine to not wear a seatbelt when presenting as an "educator"?

My son has been attending Speech Inc for a couple of years and we have had a wonderful experience…read more(specifically with Brooke and Carolyn)! His expressive speech has completely transformed and he really enjoys each session with his speech therapist (he adores her!!). As a parent, what I have so valued about Speech Inc is their thorough, data-driven recording of abilities and progress, and outlining of specific goals that we revisit quarterly. I was a little apprehensive of how engaged my son could be once we had to switch to virtual appointments but have been so impressed with how well his speech therapist has been able to keep him engaged and keep his progress steady. It will be a bittersweet day when he graduates soon!

My now 5 year old son has been going to Speech Inc once a week, an hour at a time for close to a…read moreyear now. We started with in office appointments which were great because they have tons of toys for the kids to play with while they're "working" on their speech. The parents usually are sat in the waiting area which is nice and airy. The views are pretty amazing since the office is on the 7th floor. I believe some parents may have left the waiting area to run errands but were always back before the children finished. So there's always that option. However, since the pandemic, offices are closed and we are doing our appointments virtually on Zoom. We are still having great success with progress. The sounds that my son had trouble making while saying certain words has greatly improved. Through Zoom, he was able to get the same help and learn even more words and progress in his journey. Currently our speech pathologist is Kristin. WE LOVE HER! She is super professional, very friendly, flexible and is an absolute sweetheart! She knows how to keep my son's attention and is always super patient with him. We've had office visits with her before the pandemic and even though I was not in the room with my son, I knew he had a great time because he'd be smiling ear to ear when he met me in the waiting area. So if you're looking for virtual appointments or (eventually) in-person appointments, I would definitely recommend Speech Inc.

This is a special toastmasters group. Meetings are structured, well run and, dare I say fun…read more Guests are welcomed and are always pleasantly surprised at the inclusive environment. The group is diverse with a mix of professions and backgrounds. There is a reason this group has been around since 1984... they create a positive environment for individuals to come in and develop themselves as a public speaker. I joined as they met in my office building, and ended up staying. I get a lot out of performing formal speeches. That said, I get as much from attending and getting the chance to participate during ad hoc speaking portions of the meeting, and by taking on functionary roles (observation reveals a lot!). Toastmasters is a great process, and this group is an exceptional group, as shown by the group and individual speaking awards it consistently wins. Highly recommend.

This club is impossible to get to. I drove through San Francisco traffic and desperately searched…read morefor parking only to arrive at building 1255 and find that it's locked. No one is there in the lobby to let me in. Finally someone comes out from the elevator, I go into the building. Then the elevator... I get on, press 3 to go to Constellation Brands and... Wait for it... Nothing. I guess you need a key card. I go out to the totally unattended lobby, see a door and figure maybe there are stairs. I go up a flight only to find out that the entrance to each floor is locked. I call the club phone for help and get no answer. If you are a private club you should register as one. I will not be returning because apparently I am not welcome. -signed a 3 year toastmaster that loves attending other clubs that are welcoming

This program is not worth the time or money. The instructors seem more focused on the school's…read morefinancial survival than providing quality education. Some staff members also have difficult personalities, which affects the learning environment. Since the school lacks accreditation, you'd be better off enrolling in a local accredited community college, where you can earn credits and gain valuable experience while saving your money. What Studio A.C.T costs: San Francisco Semester (15 weeks): * Program Tuition: $15,000 * Books & Supplies: $150 * Cultural Landscape: $400 * Total Cost: $15,550 Summer Training Congress (6 weeks): * Program Tuition: $5,500 * Books & Supplies: $25 * Cultural Landscape: Not applicable * Total Cost: $5,525

I've taken several classes here - Intro to acting, Acting 2, Acting 3, Unarmed combat, and armed…read morecombat and every time I feel such clear growth through the classes, appreciation for the instructor and passionate peers, and feeling more confident in myself and my skills. Classes can be very different depending on what instructor you have, so try diversifying your instructors to get a feel for what teaching styles you like. I can also be helpful to ask other students which instructors they've had and what they thought. I really enjoyed Jomar as an instructor, he gives awesome feedback and has such a positive attitude. Dave maier is an excellent fight instructor. ACT also has a good reputation in the bay and most people I've talked to who've lived here a while know of it. For acting 2 and 3, be prepared to put some time into memorizing scripts - it makes your experience a lot better if you're partially or fully off-book!

I've been a member of Rainbow Toasties for about two years now. I really love it. Everyone is so…read morefriendly and encouraging. Having a queer safe space to tell queer stories is so needed. Allies are welcome. :) We currently meet at every Thursday. Always online and sometimes with an in-person component at the Folsom Center. Please see the website for more details!

I have been a member of Rainbow Toastmasters (RTM) for some time. It is one of the first LGBTQ+…read moreToastmasters clubs established in 2005 and is open to LGBTQ+ and allies! The meetings are fun, vibrant, well organized! It is great learning to be a better speaker and presenter in a fun atmosphere with other new and experienced RTM members. RTM has both zoom and hybrid meetings - it is important to learn to speak in both situations! Please check out RTM!