The short version…
I’m an introvert. I studied art and design, then graphic design, got a job as a video game level designer, fell in love with performing stand-up comedy, became a full-time stand-up, didn’t become a star and so gave it up, went back to games and started a family.
Got all that?
If you’re after a little more detail as to why I’m now a communication coach and have stuck at this, then here goes….
Why I Became A Communication Coach
While working at a games company I saw a really bad presentation and realised that all the writing and performance skills I’d learnt as a stand-up needed to be put to good use. I decided that things needed to change and that it was down to me. If an introverted ex-level designer like me can do it, then I think anyone can transform into a confident communicator.
In 2013 I set up my own coaching business, working with individuals and small groups in Cambridge and London. After much hard work I have flourished, having found my place in the world. Clever me, eh?
Building Confidence & Having Fun
I easily connect with introverts as I am one, but that doesn’t mean I can’t support an extroverted person, especially if they want to become the best communicator they can be. I really enjoy immediately getting people past their perception of their skill level and then building on that foundation to become confident communicators.
Too many people have suffered watching boring speakers delivering dreadful material. I’m on a mission to change that. No matter what sector you are in, I bet you’ve sat through some pretty tedious training. It doesn’t have to be like that; I make training sessions fun, interactive and meaningful.
Here’s a quote from the awesome Jamie Walker of Rocksteady Studios that nicely sums up how I can help:
‘I think communication is the single most important skill in a team. Most people I meet in the workplace don’t know how to praise, reprimand, encourage, listen, sell, or apologise.
If you can’t do those things well it doesn’t really matter how good you are at your craft as you are so limited in your interactions with others.
Being good at what you do is important but to be great at what you do you need to be a great communicator.’
Jamie Walker – Co-Founder, Rocksteady Studios
I’ve worked as a designer (and experienced the joy of deadlines) at games companies including Sony and Electronic Arts, and as a professional stand-up comic for a few years, so I know how to engage and motivate. Occasionally I can be funny too.
Now, as a coach and speaker, I teach effective communication, using my personal skills to both show and tell. I deliver training for a range of clients in London and Cambridge, including Foster + Partners, Raspberry Pi, Redgate, Microsoft Research, Creative Assembly and Cambridge University.
Unique insights from the worlds of computer game design and stand-up comedy enable even the most introverted of my clients to deliver presentations that delight and motivate their audiences.
“Once in a generation, someone comes along who changes everything. Jon Torrens is not that person, but he met them once and tried to wow them with his Alec Guinness impression.”
Taken by Colin Ramsay
Taken by Colin Ramsay
Taken by Dan Griliopolous
Taken by Colin Ramsay
