Success StoriesHear it from the professionals who made the change.
Directors, managers and specialists from organisations including L’Oréal, Aker Solutions, the European Commission, Al Rajhi Bank, Nokia and the BBC, describing what changed in their own words.
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Video case studies
Three professionals, three different challenges. Watch them describe the change in their own words, then read how we worked on it together.
Brazil · Energy
“I’m much more comfortable speaking about different topics and sharing my thoughts.”
Dalton DamoulisVice President, Performance & Transformation Renewables, Aker Solutions
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Dalton is from Brazil and he is a Vice President of the Renewables department of a Norwegian company in the energy sector. Before starting the coaching sessions, his main challenges were communicating his ideas in a spontaneous, structured, and confident manner during business meetings and presentations in English. This lack of confidence often led to stress before meetings resulting in vocabulary blocks and disjointed speech.
In order to rise above these challenges, we created a plan together which involved improving his spontaneous speech, rectifying structural mistakes, working on presentation skills, and aligning his mindset with one of a confident speaker.
In his testimonial, Dalton talks about how he has no more concerns with his English independent of who he is talking with, whether in Board meetings or with the CEO.
Brazil · Healthcare
“Since starting, I have had a quantum leap in my career due to achieving greater confidence.”
José Carlos RodriguesHead of Neurosurgery, Heliópolis Hospital, São Paulo
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José is from Brazil and is the Head of the neurosurgery department in one of the biggest hospitals in São Paulo. During our initial conversation, he told me how his English was a result of mainly self-study, and this obviously demonstrates what a determined person he is.
José’s main difficulty was a lack of confidence speaking English due to not having much opportunity to practice. But it was a challenge that he needed to overcome because he had been invited to join a fellowship of neurosurgeons in the USA, and had to give a presentation as well as hold conversations with other American neurosurgeons.
Our initial action plan involved a grammar review, fluency work, and presentation skills. José gradually developed his confidence expressing himself and, although it was scary for him to give a presentation for the first time in the US, he delivered it successfully. This in itself, stepping into the uncomfortable zone, gave a massive boost to his overall confidence, not just his English, and as he explains in his testimonial, his career has skyrocketed since.
Slovakia · Finance
“After the first few sessions, I went to present in front of people and didn’t feel any stress, anxiety… absolutely nothing.”
Martina JackaninovaFinancial Controller, ISS Facility Services UK
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Martina is from Slovakia, a Financial Controller for a multinational company, and is based in London. In the video, she explains that speaking English on a one-to-one basis was fine, but speaking in front of groups of people when presenting and during business meetings was a whole different story.
Due to not having confidence in her ability to express her ideas eloquently, coupled with a fear of making mistakes, she suffered from anxiety and stress. She focused too much on avoiding making mistakes instead of communicating her ideas. This meant that she kept quiet during meetings. While people saw her potential, she couldn’t really shine.
To overcome these challenges, we focused on shifting her mindset, to begin with. This involved developing more of a growth mindset while learning how to deal with her perfectionist tendencies. In combination with this, we developed her presentation skills, mainly focusing on her delivery, body language, and speech organisation.
The results have been phenomenal. As she mentions in her testimonial, there is no more anxiety or stress before presenting, she can really show people what she is capable of and is able to deal mentally with any negative thoughts about her English.
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Recent recommendations from clients, published on Steven’s LinkedIn profile.
“I’m writing it in English because of what I learned from Steven.”
I had the pleasure of working with Steven through three one-to-one English courses, and I can honestly say they made a real difference.
His coaching was practical, engaging, and focused on real-life communication rather than just grammar. Thanks to Steven, I gained much more confidence speaking English in both my professional and personal life. Today, I feel comfortable communicating in meetings, daily conversations, and while traveling.
And I think the best proof of my progress is this recommendation itself. I’m writing it in English because of what I learned from Steven. Thank you for helping me make that leap.
“My fluency has reached an entirely new level.”
Working with Steven has been one of the most impactful decisions I’ve made in my professional development. His teaching methodology is exceptional: highly structured yet flexible, always tailored to my specific communication goals within a corporate context.
Thanks to Steven, my fluency has reached an entirely new level, and I now feel confident and secure expressing myself in English in high-level business settings.
Steven is more than just a language teacher; he is a remarkable coach.
“Always there as a safety net.”
Now, when I talk in circles and lose my train of thought, the techniques Steven taught me are always there as a safety net. His frameworks help my ideas take shape before I accidentally drown everyone in the room with my lengthy explanations.
The best part about Steven’s coaching is that he has a practical structure for every situation imaginable. From casual small talk to high-stakes presentations, he equips you with the right tool for each and every scenario. Partnering with Steven to sharpen my English communication was hands down one of the greatest choices I’ve made in 2026.
“I now communicate more confidently and effectively in high-stakes situations.”
I had the privilege of working with Steven Hobson, and I can confidently say that his coaching has been truly transformative. Steven combines deep expertise in business English with a unique ability to bring out clarity, confidence, and impact in every interaction.
Steven is insightful, patient, and inspiring. He creates a supportive environment where growth feels natural and achievable. Thanks to his guidance, I now communicate more confidently and effectively in high-stakes situations.
“A total game-changer for my professional growth.”
I’ve been working with Steven for about 5 months, and he has been a total game-changer for my professional growth.
What makes his coaching unique is how he merges Business English with Emotional Intelligence and Leadership mindset. His structured monthly plans are perfectly tailored to my growth, moving from foundational concepts to advanced professional frameworks.
I really appreciate how supportive and flexible he is. He always makes sure to help me prep for my upcoming meetings or presentations, and his post-session feedback is incredibly helpful.
“Frameworks for different events and situations.”
Steven is an excellent coach who brings a modern, practical, and engaging approach to public speaking. One of the things I value most about his coaching is the way he teaches you to use different frameworks for different events and situations. This has helped me organize my thoughts, communicate my ideas clearly, and deliver my message with confidence.
Over these three months, I have gained valuable skills that I can apply to different speaking situations, and I feel much more confident in the way I deliver my speeches.
“For the first time, I’ve been able to confidently engage with colleagues across the globe.”
I’ve recently completed the Impactful English course with Steven, and it’s been a truly transformative experience. For the first time, I’ve been able to confidently engage with colleagues across the globe, something I had never imagined possible before.
Steven’s approach is both logical and effective: starting with self-awareness to overcome doubts and anxiety, then building mental frameworks to understand and explain ideas, always using professional language tailored to the context.
This method has empowered me to pursue new career opportunities using a language that isn’t my mother tongue.
“A transformative experience.”
Working with Steven has been a transformative experience for my English-speaking journey. Steven has a unique talent for blending language coaching with core soft skills, such as empathy, active listening, and emotional intelligence, creating a safe, supportive environment that encourages real growth.
He helped me objectively identify my speaking strengths and weaknesses while providing practical, confidence-building methods to improve.
“Effective communication truly is a career accelerator.”
Working with Steven was a turning point for both my communication skills and professional growth. His kind coaching helped me speak more confidently and naturally, especially in my social and professional life. I not only improved my vocabulary and fluency, but also refined my pronunciation, which made a big difference in how I express myself.
Our sessions completely changed how I approach English and I now feel much more at ease using it in my daily work and even prefer it in professional contexts. Effective communication truly is a career accelerator.
“A significant impact on my skill development.”
Mr. Steven is an extremely creative person, and he has had a significant impact on my skill development. I enrolled in an intensive course in public speaking, which helped me improve my ability to speak in front of an audience.
Through these courses, I have made remarkable progress in my use of the English language. I am now better able to organize my thoughts and connect them in a smooth manner.
“Clear structure with real-world application.”
I highly recommend Steve as an exceptional English coach, especially for Business English and fluency development. His teaching style is both professional and engaging, combining clear structure with real-world application.
Throughout the course, Steve provided personalized feedback, practical exercises, and consistent support that helped me improve not just my language skills, but also my confidence in using English in professional settings.
“Clear, practical, and always focused on my needs.”
I highly recommend Steven for business English support. He helped me improve my language skills and, most importantly, feel more confident using English at work. His lessons were clear, practical, and always focused on my needs. Thanks to his guidance, I now communicate more effectively and with greater confidence.
More client success stories
From newsrooms and hospitals to boardrooms and global brands.
“I was hired by the BBC.”
Steven’s training was essential for my career. Through the sessions, my English improved a lot and I was hired by the BBC after a selection process entirely in English which Steven supported me on. I highly recommend his services for which I am eternally grateful.
“The ideal executive coach.”
The English language becomes important and crucial for employees as their careers progress. I was searching for someone who could assist me to improve my language ability and who has the knowledge and experience, and I found Steven. Mr Steven was the ideal executive coach who has the abilities, expertise and teaching technique to develop my speaking and presentation skills.
All of my colleagues saw improvements and especially in my writing during the coaching sessions. I feel more at ease now when I write formal emails to top management.
“My English is completely transformed.”
My English is completely transformed. I now feel so much more confident giving presentations in English. People finally understand every word I’m saying. I remembered the first session when I started with Steven, and I didn’t have confidence when I attended meetings, gave presentations, and communicated with the Board level in my company.
I recommend Steven as a coach because you will have more than a teacher. He pays close attention to every detail to give you a session that really helps you improve your English.
“A unique methodology to train English for business skills.”
I strongly recommend Steven’s work. He trained me on English communication skills for around 1 year, as well as a presentation for an international board meeting. He has a unique methodology to train English for business skills.
“Confidence speaking English in very challenging situations.”
Steven gave me English coaching when I was an HR executive at an important multinational company and needed to increase my confidence for English communication. It was a position that demanded dealing with international executives, preparing and delivering presentations, lead meetings, and participating in international seminars.
Steven’s method included a variety of tools that really developed my English skills in a very special way. This was key to making me increase and maintain my confidence speaking English in very challenging situations.
“It sped up my career.”
Steven’s coaching was really important for my confidence and career development, due to improving my English presentation skills. I started expressing my ideas with more confidence and communicating more objectively and clearly. The way of learning changed my point of view of the English language. I started to prefer this language to do business! I can say that communication is everything in the business environment and it sped up my career.
“Much more confident and prepared.”
Back in 2020, I started my English coaching with Steven. I faced many challenges related to confidence in attending meetings and presentations, as well as issues with writing. Nowadays I feel much more confident and prepared.
I’ve also learned with Steven some techniques to better prepare myself for presentations and meetings, such as defining the desired outcome and crafting my message for the presentation. These two simple actions have helped me a lot in my professional life.
“Helped me to increase my self-confidence.”
I really recommend Steven as the coaching sessions with him helped me to increase my self-confidence, improve my working performance, and identify new skills that can be developed. Moreover, he helped me to improve my communication skills as well as personal relationships.
“I felt confident and happy with my English level.”
Before having the coaching, I did not feel confident speaking in English for a long time. Nowadays I feel confident and the improvement in my accent was visible.
I liked Steven’s approach with an emphasis on my needs for business communication, which was my main focus. Recently I spent two weeks in the USA and I felt confident and happy with my English level.
“A leap in English skills in just a few sessions.”
The experience I had with Steven was a leap in English skills in just a few sessions. We were together for one purpose: to prepare myself for an international interview.
I received support not only with the language but with posture, strategic questions and answers, and practices to keep me calm and confident. It was due to this preparation that I was able to reach the goal and go through the interviews more confidently.
“I soon developed the confidence.”
When I started to work in a multinational company, which was always my dream, I found myself escaping or avoiding having to speak in English in meetings and presentations.
After Steven’s coaching sessions, I learned specific vocabulary and expressions aligned with my area and I soon developed the confidence to overcome my challenges. After participating in my first English meeting I started to focus more on the content and what I wanted to communicate, as opposed to feeling insecure about my English.
“More confidence and ease in my topic in English.”
My problems were insufficient vocabulary, errors in the use of prepositions and direct translation from Russian into English. Steven very carefully and accurately noticed all the shortcomings and corrected them. I have ready-made phrases for conversation and texts in English. What is especially valuable: they are tied to the theme of my work.
This gave me more confidence and ease in my topic in English. I highly recommend him.
“An excellent methodology.”
I would like to recommend Steven as an English fluency and confidence coach. The improvement in my level of proficiency in English since the first session has been remarkable. Steven has an excellent methodology. As a professional, he is extremely organized, dedicated, and competent.
“A program completely aligned with my needs.”
Steven, who is an excellent coach and teacher, challenged me to reach a higher level of English communication quickly and effectively. He developed a program completely aligned with my needs, focusing specifically on what I used English for in my day-to-day professional life.
“An excellent experience.”
For 2 years I had English fluency coaching with Steven and it was an excellent experience. In addition to being a great coach, he was able to understand my needs and issues related to my work that were very important for my career. The sessions were light and very interesting. They went very quickly and the feeling of “I want more” was left.
“The most effective way that I have found.”
Steven’s coaching approach has been the most effective way that I have found to continue improving my English. It has helped me to equip myself with English business skills, the right mindset, and confidence to a much more comfortable level. I highly recommend him!
“Free to express myself.”
Steven made me feel confident that I could be free to express myself in a non-judgemental and trustworthy setting, and this made me feel comfortable during the sessions. I really appreciate his professionalism and guidance.
“Essential for my academic and professional development.”
During the whole academic year, Steven gave me the support that I needed with my projects and helped me to prepare for job interviews, presentations, and pitches to clients. I highly recommend Steven’s coaching. It was essential for my academic and professional development.
“I began to feel more confident.”
The coaching I took with Steven was very interesting and helped me a lot in my understanding and speaking in English. I realized that I have managed in these last 6 months to increase my fluency in conversation and I began to feel more confident when I have to participate in a conversation in English.
Your English shouldn’t hold back your expertise.
Book a discovery session and we’ll talk about where you are now, what you want to improve and whether coaching is the right fit.
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