Project Charisma was born from my own struggles with public speaking anxiety. The shaky hands, racing heart, fear of judgement — I dreaded being in the spotlight.
After becoming a Toastmaster, training as an actor, and stepping into professional speaking, I discovered that speaking with confidence isn’t a gift you’re born with, but a skill that anyone can learn.
Once I conquered my own presentation nerves, I became passionate about helping others do the same.
Since then, Project Charisma has helped hundreds of individuals and teams find their voice, and step into the spotlight with confidence.
Whether it’s coaching individuals or training teams, my training delivers real results — because it’s born from my own real life experience.
The problem? Most people are simply never taught how to handle nerves, engage an audience, or deliver a presentation that truly lands.
As you grow in your career or business, the expectations to speak confidently increase — and with them often comes that familiar feeling of imposter syndrome.
Some people push through and try to mask their anxiety. Others avoid public speaking altogether.
But with the right guidance and practice, anyone can learn to speak with clarity, confidence… and even a bit of charisma too!
At Project Charisma, that’s exactly what we help you do.
At the heart of our training, there’s a simple but powerful 4-step framework…
1. Skill Acquisition
We teach you the core techniques of confident communication — structure, storytelling, body language, voice control, and managing nerves.
2. Low Pressure Practise
You put the skills into action in a supportive low-stakes environment with constructive feedback.
3. Guided Rehearsal
We help you refine and rehearse your real talks and presentations with personalised guidance.
4. Real World Wins
Finally, you take your improved skills into real situations — meetings, pitches, or keynotes — and experience the confidence that comes with speaking well.
Here’s what sets us apart:
I’ve been where you are — You’re learning from someone who overcame public speaking anxiety, and now speaks for a living!
Practical training — No outdated techniques or fluff. Just hands-on methods that are proven to work.
Personal touch — You’re working directly with me, and everything we do is tailored to achieving your transformation.
Flexible delivery — We’re based in Manchester, but travel across the UK and internationally, and offer high-quality virtual training worldwide.
Book a free 30-minute introduction call.
We’ll discuss your goals, answer your questions, and see if there’s a good fit. If we’re the right match, I’ll explain exactly how our training works and how we can help you.
When you work with me, you’re learning from someone who has walked the path of public speaking.
While overcoming my own speaking fears, I spent four years deeply involved in Toastmasters International, eventually becoming Club President.
I also worked as a professional actor across stage, screen, and voice-over, performing in theatre’s across the UK, Italy, and even once off-off-Broadway!
Most importantly, for over 10 years I’ve been training professionals to speak in public — while also working as a paid speaker myself.
This combination of real-world experience means I can guide you effectively, whether you’re just starting out or looking to take your speaking to the next level.
I bring battle-tested insights from the stage, the studio, and the training room — all focused on helping you speak with charisma!
Danny Riley is an award-winning speaker, Chartered Manager, and TEDx Speaker Coach. His expertise in public speaking and leadership has helped countless professionals find their voice.
Although Danny no longer works day-to-day with Project Charisma, his insights and early contributions continue to shape the way we train — keeping our programmes practical and results-driven.
With five years as a professional actress and model, Jasmine brings a strong background in performance, voice control, and creative expression.
Her sharp eye for detail and insightful feedback make her excellent at helping speakers refine their presence and delivery. Jasmine leads our community, and helps to devise our advanced communication skills workshops
Chris is a hypnotherapist and published author with a specialism in helping people overcome phobias.
Although Chris no longer works with Project Charisma, his understanding of the psychology behind confidence continue to influence our approach. He now runs his own therapy practice alongside a distinguished 20-year career in education.
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Hey Ed,
Just wanted to share some feedback we had from the delegates after the October Away day 😊 You went down a storm!
– Presentation skills session very good
– The presentation skills session was AMAZING! Very informative and will definitely come in handy.
– Really enjoyed the presentation skills
– Speaker was very engaging and interesting and worked for all aspects of our work
– The presentation was amazing, getting to interact with each other and learning different presentation skills.- there wasn’t a moment which I found it boring or not helpful.
Jess Docksey, Workforce & Education Programme Manager
“Absolutely Brilliant training session to do, really enjoyed it. Ed was fab made everyone feel at ease, more confident and relaxed. I will take so much away from this session thanks Ed, you do a great job 👍👏”
Diane Axford — GMCA
“Attended an excellent full day session hosted by Ed at Project Charisma, it was a fantastic learning experience and would recommend to anyone who gets the chance.
Ed made everyone feel at ease even when facing our insecurities, individual conversations around the exercises left no question unanswered. A great experience that I can put into practice straight away.”
Siobhan Keane — GMCA
100% recommendation rate! All attendees gave you a 10 on how likely they would be to recommend the workshop to peers!
Here’s a summary of the group’s feedback from the session:
Ideas that resonated with the group the most:
Presentation Structure: Key techniques like planning, the “rule of three,” and the power of pausing.
Audience Engagement: Effective strategies such as the “audience hug” and balanced eye contact (“light housing”).
Public Speaking Elements: Focus on body language, voice modulation, and mindset.
Vocal Variety & Filler Words: Importance of vocal variety and minimising filler words.
Mindset Shift: Emphasis on being prolific over perfect; enthusiasm and charisma over confidence.
All the group have rated themselves as an 8, 9 or 10 in terms of confidence in demonstrating the skills they have learnt in your session.
Other comments:
“This workshop has given me a great toolkit to help build my presenting skills. I feel more empowered in my public speaking and have the confidence to participate in presentations within my role.”
“I thought it was well run, the overall content was excellent. Great feedback throughout the course to support not only the individual but also the group. I would recommend the course strongly to my peers.”
“Was nervous going into the class, worried that it would be a bit school-like or based more in acting (which it was not). Thoroughly enjoyed the experience – would love to do it again later on in the year/next year to look see how my skill has (hopefully) improved.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed this workshop and was highly impressed with Ed. Ed’s approach to the subject, his personal story, the layout of the workshop and his energy made for an engaging, memorable and impactful workshop. Ed was able to give helpful feedback to everyone whilst also filled us with encouragement and confidence. I feel he shared some life skills that I will take forward with me in my career and I would love the opportunity to work with him again!”
