From terrified to teaching
In the beginning…
Speaking in public wasn’t always comfortable for Carmie. As a child, she panicked at the very thought of it. Her heart raced.
Her breathing accelerated. And sometimes she actually felt nauseous. Rather than raise her hand in class when teachers asked questions, she pretended she didn’t know the answer. When asked to read aloud from a book in camp, she said she had a sore throat. Instead of working up the courage to ask people in ticket booths for passes to a movie, a carnival ride, or swimming pool, she often chose to not go.
One day her sixth-grade teacher sat down beside her after class and gently smiled. “Carmie, I know that you know the answers to the classroom questions. But if you don’t speak up no one else will ever know how amazing you are.” The words stuck and that was a moment she never forgot.
As the years passed, she watched people she admired speak. She learned what engaged listeners. She practiced. She gained the courage to speak up more. She got positive feedback. Her confidence grew. Years later, public speaking – the same skill that had terrified her as a child – not only became the field of work she pursued but a talent in which she excelled!
To pay for her university education, Carmie faced cameras working as an actress in numerous TV commercials. Earning a degree in broadcast communications, she became a TV reporter. Being more interested in working behind the camera, she became a writer/producer/director of TV commercials and corporate image films. This led to being hired as Corporate Communications Manager and Olympic Communications Manager for UPS, a position she held for almost ten years. In all of these roles, she was constantly told she had a natural gift for helping others look and sound their best when speaking to different audiences.
Whether for staff meetings, sales pitches, fundraising, board meetings, keynote addresses, or TV cameras, Carmie teaches others that you don’t have to be famous to be an outstanding public speaker.
Today…
Carmie McCook is an internationally respected public speaking and media interview expert. She has taught thousands of business professionals and other individuals how to become more dynamic, engaging, and persuasive speakers for any media interview, B2B presentation, or public speaking event.
Using her techniques, Carmie’s clients have won major competitive contracts, launched new products globally, received promotions, secured funding, handled tough questions from TV reporters, appeared on news programs, responded credibly in crisis situations, and enjoyed standing ovations after giving a speech.
Carmie has taught executives, company spokespersons, and other prominent individuals how to confidently handle interviews with prominent U.S. and international media outlet, including ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, CNN, BBC, NPR, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, The Times of London, Le Monde, Al Jazeera, Business Week, Washington Post, and numerous trade and business publications.
As a highly sought-after public speaking coach and presentation trainer, she has been called upon to prepare high-profile professionals from around the world for a broad spectrum of speeches, business presentations, and appearances at international conferences. Those include TED Talks, ICANN’s annual conference in Seoul, Korea and the Global Climate Conferences in Copenhagen and Paris. She was also called upon by Samsung to prepare the company’s president for his live, global announcement to 150 countries, of the Galaxy Smartphones.
Recognized for her expertise in leadership communications, Carmie’s advice, as well as her opinions on high-profile newsmakers, has been featured in interviews with numerous U.S. and foreign news and business publications. Interviews with her have appeared in the Washington Post, Slate Magazine, Smart CEO, Atlanta Journal, Atlanta Business Chronicle, AM New York, Radio France International, and Jyllands-Posten (Denmark). She is also a regular contributor to The Business Matchmaker, an international business publication dedicated to developing commercial trade opportunities between the U.S. and Asia.
Based in Washington, D.C., Carmie is a magna cum laude and Phi Kappa Phi graduate of Georgia State University’s School of Journalism and completed a special advanced studies program at the University of London and the BBC. She serves on the Board of Directors of the British-American Business Association (BABA) and is an active member of BABA’s Energy and Environmental Business Committee. Carmie is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, which explains the southern accent.
The associates
Carmie has strategic partnerships with a network of high-powered training colleagues, all very successful in their fields. When there is a requirement to bring in additional instructors for any client’s communication training needs, she assembles just the right team.
With Carmie McCook & Associates, you always get expert training and coaching that delivers real results.