YOUR GUIDES

Nearly 40 years of experience with Speakeasy clients. A widely respected voice coach, who has worked with a boxing champion and a top CNN foreign correspondent. Holder of two master’s degrees. That’s Doris – a real pro. In her presence, any intimidation you might have felt melts away. In Doris’ skillful hands, you recover some of that love of learning you had long ago.

Perhaps the most important element in Doris’ biography is her love of the theater. As an accomplished actress and director, she has a great love and respect for “play”. Doris holds a Master’s in Pastoral Ministry from Loyola University in New Orleans and a Masters in Speech Pathology from Emory University. As a Distinguished Faculty member, Doris delivers all of Speakeasy’s Style-Impact Programs and private coaching. She has been an instructor with Speakeasy for 40 years, and she is a clinically certified member of the American Speech Language and Hearing Association, a member of the Georgia Speech and Hearing Association, and of Zeta Phi Eta, a national honorary society for outstanding women in speech.

Sandra has delivers all of Speakeasy’s programs and has been conducting seminars and making presentations for the company since 1989. While Sandra has been with Speakeasy for almost 27 years, the special qualities she brings to our clients were already evident at the beginning of her career. After completing her graduate program at Columbia, she worked as an educator with students in Harlem. She thrived on challenge. She still does.

Sandra thrives on the challenge of helping Speakeasy clients meet their communication goals. She listens carefully to what you want to accomplish, and she remembers. So just when your energy flags, or your commitment waivers, she steps right in — reminding you, encouraging you, or suggesting an alternate route. That’s the kind of support you’ll get from Sandra. Her Speakeasy colleagues also experience it. As one observes, “She’s consistent and determined. She shoots straight, working hard to be sure I accomplish what I’ve told her I want to do. She stays with me until I get where I need to go.”

Doug insures that our communication and physical environment accurately reflect our corporate image and values. He also provides instruction, private coaching, and design and consulting services to Speakeasy’s clients on presentation content and visual support issues, and heads all design efforts delivered through our Visual Communication Group. He brings to this multi-faceted role a background in graphic, advertising, architectural and interior design. The processes he uses in working with Speakeasy’s clients are derived from almost forty years of experience in developing communication through all of these mediums. With Doug as your guide, you feel equipped for your own exploration

To his colleagues Doug has another title: adventurer – curious about cultures and creatures, especially marine creatures. Doug received a dual Bachelors of Environmental Design and Architecture from Auburn University. He serves as Chair for our Core Curriculum Committee and has been working with Speakeasy on communication and content planning issues for almost 35 years.

Helen takes great satisfaction in empowering clients to create transformational change in their communication. Because she appreciates the demands on busy working professionals, she focuses tirelessly on ensuring their time with Speakeasy is well spent. For the last twenty years, Helen has helped individuals and executives better present, lead, manage and connect with others. Helen brings years of experience to her coaching work. As a member of many regional theater companies, including several Shakespeare festivals, she’s acted on stages from Manhattan to Zurich and is a member of Actors Equity Association and Screen Actors Guild.

Helen lives in Manhattan with her husband and two sons. Among her interests outside her professional life, she is an active book club member, a determined beginner tennis player and an avid skier.

Helen graduated magna cum laude with an M.F.A from the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Alabama. She earned a B.A. in Marketing and Communications from Jacksonville University. She was awarded the bronze medal by the National Society of Arts and Letters.

Pat knows your voice. As a Speakeasy instructor, Pat brings 30 years of clinical experience evaluating and treating adults with communication disorders. As a clinician, Pat has insight into how a person can best change a behavior. It highlights her commitment to creating a safe and comfortable environment for personal growth and experimentation. Pat also held management roles for the past 25 years, making her intimately familiar with the demands executives face. Her coaching is all about understanding the uniqueness of each individual client. Pat says, “every person has potential inside of them they have not yet tapped.” Pat brings a gift for drawing out a person’s distinct communication strengths to help them build their own individual style.

Pat holds B.S. and Master’s degrees in Speech-Language Pathology, both from the University of Minnesota, and is a licensed speech-language pathologist, certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She was a charter Board Recognized Specialist in Swallowing and has served on the Executive Board of the Georgia Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is a current member of the Voice Special Interest Division, the Association for Talent Development and the National Association of Female Executives.

Paula takes a very active approach to life. When something interests her, she finds a way to try it. When Paula guides you, you know you have her full attention. She is on your side one hundred percent and her patience is unlimited. Her background has given her special expertise in speech and voice – she is a clinically certified speech pathologist – and has a special appreciation for the demands of the business world. She has had extensive experience in banking, telecommunications and IT.

Paula earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro and a Masters in Communication Disorders from North Carolina Central University. She spent five years as a speech pathologist in the public school system working with the secondary student population. She is a clinically certified member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and of the Georgia Speech and Hearing Association. She has licensure as a speech pathologist in two states – California and Georgia. Paula serves as Speakeasy’s SVP of Faculty and Dean of Curriculum.

Alex Cohen knew he wanted to be involved with something different – a group that bridged the power of the spoken word with personal development in the business world.  His search – and his hope of finding a career that combined two of his passions  – eventually led him to Speakeasy!

Alex Cohen has a breathtaking array of accomplishments. He’s bilingual. English is his first language; Spanish is the language he taught himself. He worked for five years in both languages as a Speech-Language Pathologist with the Dignity Health Medical Group. Alex holds a Masters of Arts in Communication Disorders and Sciences from San Jose University. He’s traveled extensively in Central and South America, and, also, in Europe and Asia. In fact, he’s lived in ten different cities and traveled to over forty countries. He holds a sky-diving license, enjoys bungee jumping, snowboarding, scuba diving, surfing and camping.

Tim takes great pride in helping people discover their unique powers of communication. He exudes enthusiasm, discipline, and the joy of discovering and connecting with others in all of his endeavors. This is abundantly present in his coaching style with Speakeasy clients. Tim has spent a significant portion of his career teaching and leading the development of others. He began teaching at Cornell University in the 1990s and went on to teach at Willamette University. He spent 20 years teaching private classes and workshops throughout the west coast.

Tim grew up in Oregon and spent much of his adult life in Los Angeles. He now lives with his wife and cats in the Netherlands. In his free time, he loves to travel and hike with his wife, catch up with his writer-son Walker, and decompress with a good book and his cats.

Tim attended Southern Oregon University and Graduate School at the University of Alabama where he earned his M.F.A. He is a Co-Founder of Third Rail Repertory Theatre in Portland, Oregon.

Jorge loves to travel especially internationally. Originally from Panama, he has lived all over the U.S. and is based out of Atlanta, where our US Headquarters are located. Additionally, he has taught numerous yearly assignments, out of our European Headquarters in Amsterdam. Working out and hiking balance his delight in eating out. Speakeasy is a natural home for Jorge who is a firm believer in ongoing personal and professional development. With Jorge you know you’ve found someone with your best interest at heart. Your gain is his gain. Jorge has had the opportunity, via Speakeasy, to interact with a multitude of people, from many diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. He has traveled from Amsterdam throughout Europe, to Brazil, to Johannesburg and Morocco in Africa, and to City of Victoria in Hong Kong, teaching our curriculum. He has also taught in Latin America, including Mexico City, Mexico, and Bogota, Colombia, where the client requested for the classes to be taught in Spanish, his native language.

Jorge focuses on the style-impact side of our work. He arrived in the United States, via a Fulbright Scholarship, which allowed him to further explore his passion for the area of global business. He holds a B.S. in Finance from the University of Louisville and then earned his M.B.A., in International Business, with concentration in Cultural Diversity and Multiculturalism, from Bellarmine University.

Nick Jermyn was born in Horsham, England and grew up in what he describes as “the wilds of Surrey” near the small town of Dorking. He joined the Royal Marines Reserves as a Marine at 17, and the regular Royal Marines Commandos as an Officer at 23, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel 18 years later. When asked what he values about his Marine years, he says, “The comradeship, the quality of the people, the leadership and life, the travel – to 60 different countries – and the opportunity to help and serve others – but most of all the comradeship.”

Nick was stationed in war zones in both Afghanistan and Sierra Leone, became a Jungle Warfare instructor and taught Leadership at the UK Defense Academy.

Since his retirement, Nick has acquired significant experience in executive coaching and leadership development, serving as a Principal Consultant with McKinney Rogers. Not one to do things by halves, he spent two years studying method acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute in Los Angeles and qualified last year as a Mindfulness Instructor. His acting led to work in film, television, narration and voice-over. He’s made ten audiobooks – the latest is titled “Horde” a comedic fantasy novel with an Orc as the hero. For fun he enjoys reading fantasy novels, skiing and rugby. As a fan, he’s followed the British Lions rugby club to South Africa and Australia – and, seeing how this man follows his passions, you might not be surprised to learn he’s a qualified coach of coaches!

What appealed most to Nick when he learned about Speakeasy? “I love the emphasis on unleashing a person’s true potential, rather than just telling people what to do.”

After graduating from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Masters program in 2012, Ryan began working in the acute care medical field. On moving to Atlanta, he returned to patient care as an SLP with Northside Hospital. As much as he liked the work, he found himself checking out alternative careers in speech pathology. He found what he was looking for on the Web at Speakeasy where the emphasis was on mastering interpersonal communication in everyday life. “At Speakeasy,” he says, “I really enjoy seeing personal growth and when I see people becoming aware of their progress, I see a ‘spark’ that makes me happy.”

Originally from Chattanooga, TN, Ryan loves travel. In his free time, it should be easy to find him with his friends at music or food festivals. He also spends a significant amount of time in the gym and in physical fitness activities which he uses for a meditation space – a place where he can develop a sense of centered-self when stressed.

Ryan, although a nutritional health nut, admits to having “the biggest sweet tooth.” But you can’t bribe him with chocolate. It takes gummy bears and sour patch kids!

For over 21 years, Pascale worked with in the medical field assisting adults on their journey to discovering or recouping their ability to effectively communicate. Working with a wide variety of patient needs, she was able to go beyond simply rehabilitating adults to completely transforming both their communication abilities and their lives.

Her early experiences brought forth an unrealized passion for connecting people through communication beyond the medical setting. Pascale’s holistic approach to communication and personal development inspired her to pursue new opportunities… including joining the Speakeasy staff as one of our instructors where she brings both her clinical training and her energy for helping people move beyond communication basics to truely connect to everyone of our clients.

Being of Haitian descent, Pascale enjoys music from around the world – especially music from the Caribbean. You may find her having a dance party or singing her heart out in her living room. Her at home karaoke set up is nothing short of phenomenal. Her family is the source of her pride and joy. Pascale has been married to her college sweet-heart for 23 years. She and her husband, Ebon have two children, Jayden and Mayah. They love to spend quality time outdoors – skiing, hiking, kayaking or playing fetch with their new Labrador retriever. Pascale also volunteers in leading a youth group through the confirmation process and teaches Sunday school at her church.

William brings extensive experience as an educator and E-Learning Consultant to his role with Speakeasy. Before coming to Speakeasy, he was a Learning & Development Specialist with Chime Solutions based in Morrow, Georgia. Prior to this corporate training role, William spent many years in K-12 education. His roles included Manager of Learning & Development for the DeKalb County School District; Employee Learning & Development Consultant for Atlanta Public Schools and S.T.E.M. Academy Leader/ Lead Teacher of Mathematics for Grover Cleveland High School located in New York City. He earned a Master of Science in Mathematics Education from St. John’s University and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Binghamton University.

William is a native New Yorker who moved to Atlanta in 2014. He is a dog Dad to two French Bulldogs, Romeo & Willow. William is a passionate NY sports fan (Knicks, Yankees, and Jets are favorite teams) and is also an avid traveler (the Caribbean and Latin America are favorite places to visit). He also trains regularly at a mixed martial arts gym and loves grounding practices like yoga and meditation when not training in the gym.

Ed has 25 years of experience handling public relations, media relations, analyst relations, and crisis management for major brands that include: LexisNexis Risk Solutions, McKesson, State Farm Insurance, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Advocate Health Care. As a corporate spokesperson, Ed has been quoted in major media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA TODAY, The Associated Press, and numerous business trade publications.

He has taught “Business Communication & Professional Development” to business school students at Georgia State University. Ed earned a B.A. degree in psychology from the University of Notre Dame and a J.D. degree from the University of Toledo College of Law.

Ed knew at an early age that he wanted to work in communications. While still only a senior in high school, he interned at a local television station where he learned how to shoot, write, and edit news stories for broadcast. With about 10 years of TV news production “insider” experience, Ed changed course slightly and moved from the news side to the corporate communications side.

Mari’s early fascination with all forms of communication led her to a career in speech-language pathology. She brings over 18 years of experience and leadership, providing dedicated service, certified coaching, and education to adults and parents in fields such as healthcare, education, and successful private practice. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development from the University of California, Davis; a Post Bachelor of Science degree in Communicative Sciences and Disorders from the University of Washington; and a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of the Pacific. She delivers Speakeasy’s Style-Impact Programs, provides private coaching, and is a clinically certified member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

While petite in stature, she has been described by others as “small, but mighty”. Initially uncertain as to how she felt about this characterization, over the years, Mari has come to adopt this phrase as an empowering mindset she carries into her work, coaching, and everyday life. Embracing who you are and recognizing the agency within yourself has become Mari’s mantra as she leads others in her work.

Mari’s curiosity and her comfort “met” for 14 months while she backpacked around the world. Needless to say, the latter took a backseat as she learned about herself, the many people she met, and solidified her ongoing commitment to staying on her own personal journey. In her spare time, you’re likely to find her near the water with her four-legged kids, catching up with loved ones, and living each day with gratitude.