Here's how you get there.
The Public Speaking Accelerator is a full day of in-person speaking and coaching. It's built around the fastest way to get really good at speaking: practice in front of real people with an expert coach by your side. Then do it again, until the speaker you just pictured is simply you.
Reserve your seat →Visible progress in one day.
Most workshops wear off by Monday.
This one is built to stick. After the day, you and Joseph meet privately to watch your footage from the day together, and you leave with a clear plan to keep improving on your own, long after the Accelerator ends.
“I’ve struggled with this for years. Can one day really help?”
Yes, because you don’t need more time. You need better feedback.
Athletes review game tape. Musicians record their practice. Meanwhile, you want to improve your speaking… yet how often do you watch yourself do it?
So we use the method every serious performer uses: record and review. On Saturday, Joseph gives you live feedback and you retry on the spot. After the day, you and Joseph watch your own footage together, and he shows you exactly what to change. For the first time you’re working on what’s actually there, not on what your inner critic says is there.
Joseph VanderStel came to speaking coaching from music: a PhD in music theory, teaching music at MIT, and a decade studying how sound holds attention… rhythm, tone, silence.
And it turns out that's exactly what public speaking is.
In 8 years he has coached around 3,000 people, many of them introverts who were sure they were the exception.
They weren't, and neither are you.
Join the Charlotte accelerator.
Finally become the speaker you've always known you could be.
Questions, answered honestly.
I'm a nervous beginner. Is this for me?+
Yes… as long as you're ready to be challenged. Joseph has coached around 3,000 people, a large share of them self-described introverts who were sure they were "too far behind." Interestingly, we find that the most dramatic transformations consistently come from the people who almost didn't sign up.
And the room itself is designed for nervous speakers. Joseph explains every drill before it begins. You start with short reps in small groups. Nobody is ranked, publicly scored, or surprised with humiliation. Feedback focuses on one behavior you can change, and you get to try it again with a coach in your corner.
Will the workshop be filmed?+
Yes. Athletes review game tape because you can't fix what you can't see. You'll review your speaking the same way: afterward, privately, with Joseph. Details are in our Participation & Filming Policy.
What if it doesn't work for me?+
The Every-Dollar-Back Promise: attend the full day, then go give your presentation, promotion interview, or pitch. If you don't walk out of it clearer and more confident than you would have been without the Accelerator, email us within 30 days of the Accelerator and you get every dollar back. No forms, no argument, no hard feelings.
Is lunch included?+
Yes. Lunch is catered. We collect dietary preferences after checkout.
How is this different from Toastmasters or a corporate class?+
Three ways:
- Coaching. Here, a professional coach gives you direct behavioral feedback and a chance to retry it. At Toastmasters, your feedback comes from fellow members.
- Practice. Here, you receive specific coaching and immediately retry it instead of waiting weeks for another speaking turn.
- Staying power. Here, the day continues with a 14-day plan and a private session reviewing your footage with Joseph.
I'm already a decent speaker. Is this too basic?+
No. The process is individualized. Joseph coaches the constraint that's actually holding you back… whether that's rambling, vocal authority, conversational delivery, storytelling, handling pushback, or holding a room. You practice at your level, not from a standardized script.
Can my company pay for it?+
Often, depending on your employer's policy. We'll give you an itemized receipt, an attendance certificate, and a short reimbursement-request template. Ask whether your professional-development, education, conference, or team budget can cover it.
Where and when is it held?+
Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 10:00am to 5:00pm, in a private classroom in central Charlotte, with easy parking. The exact address and arrival details come with your registration confirmation.
Talk to me (Joseph) for 15 minutes.
Still have questions? Book a free 15-minute Zoom call with me. You'll be talking to me, not a salesperson. If I don't think the Accelerator is right for you I'll say so, and point you to someone else who can help.
You might be where I was…
I used to dread public speaking.
My first real experience with it was as a teaching assistant in college.
I remember walking to class with my heart racing, struggling to take a full breath. I knew the material. But when I stood in front of the classroom, that competence seemed to disappear.
I would suddenly blank and forget what I was saying.
Then I would panic, speak faster, and ramble while avoiding more and more eye contact out of shame. I could feel myself doing it, which only made me more anxious. It was a vicious cycle.
The most embarrassing part was watching my own students demonstrate something for the class more comfortably than I could.
I saw my peers speak so naturally while I looked terrified in front of a room I was supposed to lead. I began to believe this was simply who I was.
Eventually, I made myself a promise: I would figure out why speaking felt so hard.
For the next 5 years, I made it my personal mission to become an exceptional speaker.
I studied accomplished speakers obsessively. I worked with performance coaches who help athletes and musicians perform under immense pressure. I learned that speaking has a lot in common with sports and music.
The first time it truly clicked was the first day I taught a class at MIT.
Before I walked into the room, I made one commitment: I would treat my students as people I genuinely wanted to share something with. I let go of trying to earn their approval.
I felt happy, light, and energetic. The joy of giving came through in every word.
And I remember thinking, almost in disbelief: Oh! It's supposed to be fun!
That moment pulled together everything I had been studying for years.
I turned those lessons into a coaching process and have since refined it in dozens of workshops across the country.
I built the Public Speaking Accelerator so you can, in a single day, learn the lessons that took me 5 years to figure out alone.
In your corner,
— Joseph
