Celebrating Success: A Case Study - Louise

When I first met Louise, I saw a woman who knew what she wanted - and got it.

She had spent the last few decades building a career, a family, and always strived to be the best version of herself.

With a husband and three children, she had climbed the ranks in the French division of one of Europe's most prominent financial institutions.

Until that point, Louise had been successfully leading and managing teams throughout France - but she was now in charge of an entire region in Europe.

Which meant that she was now working in English.

Louise was confident and clear in French, but when it came to speaking in English, this was far from the truth.

Her accent was so strong that it undermined anything she said.

It was hard to understand her, let alone take her seriously.        

If there was any chance of her moving up any further in the company - especially in such a male-dominated industry - she had to do something about her spoken English.

To be honest, when I heard her speak for the initial assessment, I was shocked.

Was this a joke?

Though she had lived in the US for a few years, and although she could read and write very well in English, her accent made it sound like her English was extremely basic.

Of course it was closing doors for her!

Tragic, but true.

Shortly after we started working together, Louise knew exactly what she was doing that made her sound so stereotypically French and hard to understand.

Initially, this was quite a harsh realization for her.

If ignorance is bliss, awareness can be a harsh wake up call.

But here's where it gets interesting;

At that moment, Louise made a choice.

Rather than letting herself give up in the face of what seemed like an insurmountable task (she wanted to sound completely natural when she spoke English, speaking with impact the way she speaks French),

She recommitted to her goal and decided to take the process seriously.

From that moment on, she implemented every bit of feedback and advice I gave her. She corrected herself relentlessly, and within a few months she had achieved what she had failed to do for years;

She was speaking confidently at international conferences, giving trainings in English, presenting to high-profile clients without any doubt that she'd be understood clearly and listened to attentively.

Today, she can do everything in English with the same confidence and effectiveness as in French.

She successfully manages people across Europe knowing that they'll understand her clearly and take her seriously - not just for her position but for how she speaks!

Does she still make mistakes?

Of course! 20 years of bad habits don't go away overnight - but she knows exactly when she's making them, and she can correct herself immediately.

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Louise is just one of dozens and dozens of busy professionals who have successfully gone from heavily-accented English to speaking English clearly, confidently and naturally.

Many of our clients now live in English-speaking countries, but this is certainly not the case for Louise.

In fact, almost none of her colleagues are native English speakers, yet she's made *dramatic* progress in a very short time.

If you're a busy professional, expat or entrepreneur who wants to communicate effectively in English, command respect, and above all be understood clearly the first time, book a free discovery call today.

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Please Note: A prominent figure in her industry, Louise requested that some of her identifying characteristics be omitted in order to preserve her anonymity.

The story and lessons remain true.

If you'd like to hear a sample of her progress, simply send us a message on LinkedIn or schedule a free session.