
"I found myself doing something I hadn’t done in nearly 5 years: I began posting on social media. I launched my Substack. I opened conversations on LinkedIn"
For years, I only spoke when it was necessary. Not out of fear, but out of precision — a belief that my voice should enter a space only when it carried something meaningful.
Then I joined the Speaking & Influence Mastery program with Eric Edmeades… and something shifted.
Somewhere between the frameworks, the storytelling, and the way Eric shows up so authentically — sharing not just his knowledge but his art — I found myself doing something I hadn’t done in nearly five years:
I started speaking again. Publicly. Consistently. With intention instead of hesitation.
I began posting on social media. I launched my Substack. I opened conversations on LinkedIn. I spoke about conscious and ethical AI, Global Alliance for Artificial Intelligence (GAFAI), and the systems shaping our future. I even gave myself permission to envision the book I’ve carried inside me for years.
What surprised me wasn’t the content — it was the momentum. The sense of a voice that had been waiting… patiently… now stepping forward.
This experience didn’t just help me speak better. It helped me remember why my voice matters.
Thank you, Eric — for showing up so authentically, for teaching through presence as much as through technique, and for sharing your art of storytelling in a way that brings others back to their own.
I’m excited to see where this path leads next — and grateful for where it has already taken me.
Shiva Dehghan
Computer Scientist
Washington, United States
Related Stories

"It unlocked a whole creative wave. Courses, programs, my talks, my storytelling, everything feels more intentional and more me"
Liza Rogers
Founder · Vancouver, Canada, Canada

"It’s been a catalyst for professional growth too. I’ve taken on bigger stages, launched new projects, strengthened my presence in my field"
Lynn How
Teacher · Chelmsford, United Kingdom, United Kingdom

"I now understand more fully that storytelling isn’t just a skill. It is a lifeline"
Ferrell Marshall
Performance Coach · Spring Hill, United States, United States

"I learned map speaking and discovered that I don’t need PowerPoint at all"
Sverre Søraa
CEO · Bergen, Norway, Norway

"The content and instructors were the very best in their fields and were able to deliver the information in a digestible, practical way"
Dr. Stacey Kevin Frick
Self-employed · Miami, United States, United States

"Speaking and Influence Mastery has turned out to be truly therapeutic to me"
Hanneke van Kooten
Account Manager · Utrecht, Netherlands, Netherlands