Articulation FAQ

Clear answers. Practical details. Everything you need to know before you work with us.

1. About Articulation

What is Articulation?

Articulation has been helping speakers succeed for more than 15 years. We coach individuals, teams, and executives on every aspect of communication—whether it’s a keynote, a leadership presentation, a business pitch, or a high-stakes conference talk. Our work covers idea development, story design, structure, delivery, style, and presence.

Who is Articulation?

Our leadership team includes Ruth Milligan, Blythe Coons, and Acacia Duncan. Together, we bring more than 70 years of experience in speechwriting, coaching, acting, directing, facilitation, media training, and organizational communication.

Who founded Articulation?

Articulation was founded by Ruth Milligan, one of the longest-serving TEDx organizers (TEDxColumbus) and co-author of The Motivated Speaker (Wiley, 2025). Ruth has coached thousands of speakers and is frequently sought out for communication strategy and leadership messaging.

How many speakers have you worked with?

Thousands—including CEOs, senior leaders, deep subject-matter experts, researchers, and high-stakes conference speakers across nearly every industry.

What industries do your clients come from?

We work with Fortune 500 companies, tech innovators, healthcare institutions, professional services, financial firms, and research organizations—any team looking to elevate communication and message clarity. Here is a list of some notable clients. 

What makes Articulation’s coaching unique?

We combine professional storytelling with evidence-based communication science, tailoring every session to the speaker’s goals, audience, format, and stakes. Our approach is practical, structured, measurable—and always human-centered.

2. Working With Articulation

What is your coaching process?

Our typical flow:

1. Discovery — Clarify goals, audience, stakes, and event format.
2. Content & Story — Build the idea, structure, outline, and narrative.
3. Design — Shape slides or visual support, if needed.
4. Rehearsal — Practice, refine, and elevate delivery.
5. Polish — Manage timing, presence, and confidence.

Every step is tailored to the speaker and event.

How do you customize coaching?

We adjust based on your content, skill level, event requirements, and timeline. No two speakers—or coaching sessions—look alike.

Do you provide feedback on existing presentations?

Yes. Many clients come to us with draft presentations or slides. We provide structural, narrative, design, and delivery feedback—then help you elevate the work to a polished final version.

Do you sign NDAs?

Absolutely. We work with confidential content regularly and can operate under your organization’s NDA process.

Do you work with non-native English speakers?

Yes. We regularly help global leaders clarify structure, pacing, and delivery for English-speaking audiences.

Do you travel for coaching or events?

Yes—our team travels for in-person coaching, conferences, and workshops. We also coach virtually across time zones.

3. Individual & Executive Coaching

Do you coach CEOs and senior leaders?

Yes. We work extensively with CEOs, founders, and C-suite executives preparing for town halls, leadership meetings, board updates, press engagements, conference keynotes, and more.

Do you work with individuals?

Yes—professionals hire us directly or through their company for one-on-one coaching for any speaking need.

Do you work with public speaking anxiety?

Every coaching engagement includes grounding techniques, mindset work, and tools to manage stress responses. Confidence building is baked into our entire approach.

Can you help experienced speakers who want to level up?

Absolutely. Many of our clients are seasoned speakers working to refine their influence, storytelling, or executive presence.

4. Team & Corporate Services

Do you work with teams?

Yes. We offer:

• Team-building workshops
• Multi-session masterclasses
• Customized communication upskilling programs
• Storytelling training
• Content development sprints
• “Hot seat” coaching for high-stakes presentations

Do you offer a public speaking class?

Our Executive Communication Masterclass is one of our most popular programs—delivered in small groups of 4–6, because speaking is social and feedback accelerates growth.

What types of corporate coaching do you offer?

We coach leadership communication, storytelling, presentation skills, clarity and structure, and executive presence. We work one-on-one, in small groups, or in large-scale programs.

Do you offer virtual coaching?

Yes. Our virtual sessions are fully interactive and include video practice, recorded sessions, and detailed feedback.

5. Conference & Event Support

How do you support large events or multi-speaker conferences?

We coach conference speakers individually or in peer groups, helping them refine content, delivery, timing, story, and audience connection. Our process reduces risk and ensures a memorable, aligned speaker lineup.

Do you offer speaker readiness assessments?

Yes. We can assess speaker lineups or leadership teams and provide recommendations to improve clarity, confidence, and consistency.

Can you design a full conference speaker preparation program?

Yes—we regularly create custom, end-to-end programs for conferences needing consistent messaging, coaching support, and rehearsal structures.

What makes your conference coaching unique?

We combine high-touch coaching with the logistics and strategy required to support many speakers at once. We’ve developed a proven method (case study available) to prepare conference rosters efficiently and effectively.

6. Approach, Mindset & Methodology

What communication science informs your coaching?

Our coaching pulls from:

• Cognitive load theory

• Evidence-based persuasion research

• Behavioral psychology

• Story cognition principles

• Audience attention and retention science

We pair this with the art of performance, story craft, and presence.

How do you help speakers stay authentic?

We don’t impose a “style.” We help speakers amplify what’s already strong and remove what gets in the way. Authenticity, clarity, and confidence guide everything we do.

7. Logistics, Pricing, and Getting Started

How long do coaching engagements last?

From half-day workshops to multi-month programs, depending on goals, team size, and event timeline.

How far in advance should we schedule?

For conferences or leadership events, 6–12 weeks ahead is ideal. For individuals, we can often accommodate faster timelines depending on coach availability.

What’s your pricing process?

After a discovery conversation, we provide a detailed proposal outlining scope, duration, and investment.

Do you offer retainer or ongoing coaching models?

Yes. Many clients work with us on quarterly or annual retainers for ongoing speaker development, leadership communication, or recurring event support.

8. Resources & Learning

Tell me about The Motivated Speaker.

The Motivated Speaker (Wiley, 2025) illuminates the core “threshold concepts” of great communication—concepts that permanently change how speakers think and perform. The book uses real client stories to illustrate why these ideas matter and how to apply them.

Do you offer free resources?

Yes—our blog features podcasts, articles, insights, and tips from our coaching practice:
www.articulationinc.com/blog

Where can I learn more from your team?

Explore our blog, client stories, case studies, and media appearances to see our work in action.