About
Catherine Syme

I founded Fear-less public speaking in 2018 to address a need I first recognised a decade earlier. After taking a career break to raise my children, I returned to the workforce around 2008. I had a senior role where strong communication skills were essential but I had lost confidence in public speaking. I struggled with significant anxiety and occasional panic when presenting.

At the time, I searched for a programme designed for people with public speaking anxiety but couldn’t find one. Eventually, I joined Toastmasters, which turned out to be right for me. However, I knew others were looking for what I once tried to find—dedicated support for their public speaking fears. That’s what inspired me to establish Fear-less public speaking.

Recently, I moved to beautiful Wanaka, New Zealand, and have since developed a new one-on-one coaching programme, drawing on insights from seven years of leading in-person group courses in Auckland.

Over the years, I have created and refined a range of tools and strategies to help people manage public speaking anxiety and have witnessed the transformation of many anxious speakers. You can read some of their comments here.

Anxious speakers can be found at every organisational level, from recent graduates to senior leaders. Regardless of your experience or position, I am here to help you become a more confident and capable speaker.

Outside of coaching, I remain an active with Toastmasters – I am a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM). I also enjoy skiing, yoga, and cycling, and have recently started playing golf—a hobby that is proving a great test of my humility and perseverance!