Communication training with Own the Room.
According to Dmitriy Guzner, Assistant Operations Manager of Own the Room, the program began as a public speaking and communication training program. As their client list and demand for more products grew, the methodology expanded to cover sales, leadership, intercultural training, specialized programs for educators or media figures.
“Even within the core training, there is something for everyone, from eliminating weak language, using your full voice range, compelling storytelling and involving your audience to more advanced techniques for keynote speeches, 60-second ‘elevator’ sales pitches and running shorter, more efficient business meetings,” said Guzner. “Even people that don’t normally have public speaking appearances walk away with skills that stick with them in any situation. As one participant said, ‘you walk into Own The Room thinking it’s a public speaking training, and realize it’s a lot more than that. It’s about life.'”
Guzner works in Operations at Own the Room, which includes anything from building and maintaining the website, supporting their worldwide network of coaches and coordinating training events locally in New Jersey, New York City or on the other side of the world. “My job has taken me on some new and exciting travel opportunities, all over the US and as far as China and Singapore,” said Guzner. “Even when I’m just working in the office, there’s something different every day.”
Own the Room has done training in every continent except Antarctica, and does training for countless different types of clients. According to Guzner, Own the Room has worked with large companies to small non-profits – even some Hollywood celebrities and global leaders. Generally, the training groups range from 8-10 people in a small room to thousands of people in an auditorium. The training sessions are highly interactive, keeping the audience engaged and personally involved.
“A lot of our coaches also offer one-on-one executive coaching, which can be on public speaking, or someone’s work or even personal life,” said Guzner. “Those sessions are always kept strictly confidential, but people come out with some major breakthroughs.”
Bill Hoogterp, founder of Own the Room, delivered his first commencement address in his twenties; since, he has been a paid public speaker for three decades. According to Guzner, during college and as a young community organizer, Hoogterp traveled around the country recruiting college students and young people to volunteer with non-profit projects and charitable events. He later honed his public speaking skills during a successful career as an Internet entrepreneur, testing and refining his techniques in the corporate and business world.
Own the Room is now rapidly growing. “In addition to our headquarters in Montclair, we have over 40 coaches (and counting!) worldwide who deliver the Own The Room methodology to clients from all industries and walks of life,” said Guzner. “We believe everyone is a leader. Everyone has the potential to be a rock star speaker and presenter. With Own the Room training, you command the stage and the spotlight. Our mission is to teach you to cultivate the power of your own personality, unleash your creativity and develop your natural strengths and talents.”
Although Own the Room training occurs all over the world, they are still dedicated to the local community. “Many of our staff are parents; our children go to school in Montclair and neighboring towns and a lot of us are involved in the schools and lots of other local communities,” said Guzner. “There’s a very healthy work-life balance that you don’t see at other companies. It’s one of my favorite things about working at Own the Room.”
For more information about Own the Rooms and the services offered, please visit their website at owntheroom.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login