“Banana Confident” is a six-week, hands-on workshop that provides a safe space for women to practice speaking in a fun, open mic setting. It’s a NEW WAY of teaching public speaking that utilizes skill sets found in the arts to help you become a more effective, connected and real speaker. We believe great speakers aren’t born, they’re cultivated through repetition, bravery and not taking ourselves too seriously.

You’ll learn your own style and how to stay “present” when speaking; practical tips to keep your message clear and sell yourself; and techniques that make your “presentations” sound like “conversations”.

Small class sizes (10 per class). Multiple opportunities in EVERY class to PRACTICE speaking. Participation is a hallmark of the course, so come prepared to share!

Computer with zoom, great lighting and desk required. Extra points for an amazing background! We highly encourage signing up for our Open Mic as well and performing there in addition to this class.

The class is a six-week workshop to learn and practice speaking in a small group setting. There’s lots of feedback and a graduation show to get you started on your Banana Confident Journey. All classes include access to Open Mic throughout duration of class.

Our Open Mic is open to anyone who would like to perform 2 min of stand-up, poetry, share a written work, a pitch, spoken word piece or what they had for dinner that night. Feedback comes through the chat feature on zoom. Anyone can participate or just come and watch until they are ready.

My son recently auditioned for Juilliard in NYC. He arrived with a wealth of experience in stand-up comedy, video shorts, writing, acting… and a banana. He said the day was filled with a lot of crying. Students who made it through the callbacks were crying. Students who didn’t get through the callbacks were crying. It was a very intense day. Many students showed up with lunches/dinners packed, but my son’s mindset was “whatever will be, will be”, so HE showed up with a banana. He had banana confidence. He had done the work. He had done the practice. And getting into Juilliard is no easy feat. He knew they either wanted him or they didn’t and he was mentally prepared for both options.

He made it through three callbacks and we lived for two weeks with the possibility that he was going to Juilliard, until he was cut.

There was something about this I loved. If I could go into any experience, especially one that I’m nervous about, knowing I’d done the work, practiced and I just needed show up. I’d do it.

That’s how I feel about speaking. You can’t wait until the night before your speech and think you’ll magically know what to do.You have to practice. You have to do the work. And at some point, you have to grab your banana, head up there and do your best. Some days it will be amazing. Some days…not so much. But they’ll always be another day…and another banana.

Banana Confident means you’re fearless, you do the work and you’re willing to fail until you don’t.

Our classes are taught by artists and meant to be fun. Through improv, games and small group work we cover the following speaking basics:

Class 101- Know your Tells

Class 102- Body Language

Class 103- The Art of the Pitch

Class 104- Speak with Purpose

Class 105- Connect with Audience

Class 106- Graduation Preparation and Run Through

Graduation Show

This workshop launched in response to my experiences as a mom, comedian and corporate host. As a comedian with over twenty-two years of experience on radio, television and in theaters around the country, I noticed when I was hosting corporate conferences, too often, I was the only woman on stage.  Even at conferences where women made up a majority of the membership!

Why weren’t more women on the main stage?

My “normal friends”, who were not artists, were deathly afraid of speaking in front of people but my “comedian friends” seemed fearless. They had spent week after week, year after year, sometimes bombing but eventually “killing it” on stage. So, I thought…

What would happen if I created a place for my “normal friends” to practice speaking? Would they intrinsically get better?

My daughters were in high school around this time and I thought…

What if we provided a “safe space” for young women to practice speaking? Would that give them an advantage in school, work, relationships?  And one day those main stages?

Our first program launched in March of 2018 with twelve fearless high school students and continued expanding into surrounding schools. We were invited to present our program at the Pennsylvania Women’s Conference and our presentation was standing room only. While our program had been geared toward teaching younger women, we were inundated with requests from women of ALL AGES to help provide a safe place to practice, be vulnerable and become more confident speakers.

Our weekly Open Mic begins Wednesday 3/12/25 from 9:30pm-11:00pm EST. You can join us every week and get “on stage” with a two minute set. Cost: $17.50/mo

Click Sign UP for upcoming classes to be notified when classes launch.

Cost: $350.00. Registration includes our six week series and graduation show.