Speaker Skills Academy FAQ

Speaker Skills Academy is a global community built on the principle that you get better at speaking by drilling specific skills. Through interactive sessions, expert coaching, and a supportive community, we help anyone become a more confident, compelling communicator.

The easiest way to get started is to attend a free Open Session. These monthly events are open to the public and give you the full Skills Drills experience. From there, you can explore membership options that fit your goals.

Unlike traditional speaking clubs, SSA is built on active practice. You will not sit and listen. Every session is designed around interactive drills that target specific communication skills. It's practice-first, always.

Skills Drills are our signature interactive sessions focused on practicing specific speaking and storytelling skills. You show up, do the drills, and build real skills through repetition. They're hosted live, twice a week for Gold and Platinum members.

Power Drills are short, high-focus sessions designed to work one skill deeply in a tight amount of time. Fast, focused, and effective. Available 2x monthly for all membership levels.

Open Sessions are a free monthly gift to the community. It's a full Skills Drills session open to the public, so you can test drive Speaker Skills Academy before committing to a membership. Same drills, same experience, open to anyone.

IdeaTalks are short, idea-driven talks given by SSA members and supported by Academy coaches. Each talk centers on one compelling idea, designed to spark thinking and challenge perspective. This annual event is open to the public as audience members. Learn more about IdeaTalks.

Creative Lab is the twice-yearly, in-person SSA experience designed to be lived, not watched. We gather for a handful of days, experience something together, and reflect on it as a group. Previous locations include Portland, OR and New York, NY. Explore Creative Lab.

SSA offers three tiered membership levels: Silver ($95/mo) for Power Drills and replay access, Gold ($295/mo) for live Skills Drills plus everything Silver, and Platinum ($695/mo) for VIP all-access including in-person events and Impact Groups. Visit speakerskillz.com to join.

SSA was founded by Cathey Armillas, a sought-after TED/speaker coach, and Marc Williams, a World Championship of Public Speaking finalist and TEDx speaker. Together they realized you only get better at speaking when you drill. Meet the founders.

You can reach us anytime through our contact page. We're real humans and we read every message. We'd love to hear from you!