Meet Emma Serlin an entrepreneur, author, mother, businesswoman and the founder and director of London Speech Workshop. Passionate about helping companies have great communication at every level, so that authenticity, connection and engagement are constantly present. Emma developed the Serlin Method™, which infuses performance, psychology and coaching. She has a background in performance; did a postgrad at the prestigious Oxford School of Drama and was an award-winning theatre director. She has an MSc in Psychology, is a trained life coach with CTI Institute, and she has a foundation in psychotherapy. Emma is the author of two books on the art of effective communication: The Communication Equation and The Connection Book.
Tell us, in your own words, what do you do?
I run London Speech Workshop, a communication coaching company. We coach people in all kinds of communication – from the top level and more obvious communication styles such as elocution and presentation skills, through to more nuanced styles such as emotional intelligence, authority, rapport building, impact, charisma, connection and so much more. Obviously, as founder, my main role is to captain the ship and make sure that the direction of the company is consistent with what I believe to be excellent, whilst making sure that we’re growing. As well as that, I’m naturally a creative person and there’s nothing I love more than coming up with creative solutions to psychological relationships and communication issues. I create new material all the time for different aspects of the business – from how to overcome imposter syndrome through to how to navigate difficult conversations.
What was the thought process behind starting London Speech Workshop?
To be honest, I never planned to run a company that teaches communication skills. It happened to me, rather than me going out to look for it. I have always been very driven and focused, with clear intentions (which, at the time, was centred around making it as a TV drama producer!). London Speech Workshop happened to be the thing that came along when I wasn’t looking. My goal was ultimately to help people live their best lives and be their best selves. The human struggle is very real for everyone – it’s my goal to remove the blocks that get in the way of being what you want to be. This was what drove me to work in TV drama too – it was about giving people ideas, albeit packaged as a story, to help inspire them to live their best lives. What happened next, was the realisation that the work I could do with communication coaching was in fact totally in line with what I had always wanted to do, but in a much more connected way. So, I got behind this new idea and felt very excited. The business started to grow from there, and the adventure of growing a company has been compelling ever since!
What makes London Speech Workshop unique?
A lot of what makes London Speech Workshop unique is the creative method at the centre of the business. The Serlin Method™ is influenced by aspects of my own life – my TV drama experience, my drama school days, my work as a theatre director and on The Bill, my psychology Masters, my psychotherapy training, my strong interest in personal development and growth… there are so many strands to the method, and it keeps growing. Being dyslexic, I like to keep things very simple and easy to remember. The tools in our method are just that – they make something that could seem intimidating or complex totally simple, accessible and effective. We’ve been going for almost 14 years, and it’s wonderful to see the method working through the many thousands of clients that we’ve worked with.
Another big part is our uniqueness is about how much we care as an organisation. We truly care about kindness, and we understand how important it is to be valued and of value in the world. One of my main drivers is the idea of a triple bottom line – i.e. thinking about people, planet and profit when it comes to quantifying the success of the business. When clients come to us, they feel it. They understand that we truly care about their progress, and about the integrity of the desire to do good in the world.
What are some tips you can give to women who can improve their way of communicating?
The first tip for women to communicate more effectively is about word power. The words you choose have the power to put you in one position and the people you’re talking to in another position. We don’t want to make people feel angry, defensive, attacked, superior or inferior – in other words, we don’t want to create a status or hierarchy through our words. What we do want to do is use words that make people feel respected. This means avoiding passive words. Many women have a tendency to apologise and use disclaimers – these are expressions such as “I’m sorry for interrupting…”, “I just want to say…” or “This is probably rubbish but…”. These undermining words have the power to put you in inferior position, which you certainly don’t deserve and should try and avoid. On the flip side, female leaders and managers often have a tendency to move from a passive to an aggressive place without intending to. For example, they use words like “you must”, “you should” or “you always” which imply judgment and an “I’m right, you’re wrong” perspective. We have a specific communication tool to overcome this which clients can learn about on an effective communication course.
The second bit of communication advice for women is about taking up space. Women in the workplace sometimes have a tendency to make themselves smaller when they’re feeling nervous or intimidated. This is the case both from a linguistic perspective, as previously described, but also from a physical perspective. Not only will people perceive you as small if you take up as small a space as possible, you will also feel small. So it’s a really good idea to allow your body to take up more space – particularly in a meeting environment or a situation where you feel slightly backfooted. At LSW we teach women how to work from the outside in and how to use body language and nonverbal communication to help them. We talk about this in our free eBook – “How to look and sound confident, even when you don’t feel it”.
My final tip for women is about vocal delivery. Your ideas have weight and therefore must come down rather than floating up. This is called downward inflection or vocal gravity. So, to make sure you have impact, gravitas and authority, make sure your voice comes down at the end of your point. Here are some more communication tips for women at work.
How do women communicate differently to men and what could they learn from each other?
Of course there is no one way that all men communicate and another way that women communicate. Though of course dependent on the individual, the general stereotype is that men are often more forthright in their communication i.e. they tend to get to the point straight away and use fewer disclaimers. Rather than saying “this is probably rubbish”, they will often go straight in with “I’ve had this idea”, and then present their idea. So that’s something that women can learn from men when it comes to effective communication. On the contrary, where men are more forthright, women tend to be more sensitive and attuned to the people around them. Often the reason women use disclaimers in the first place is because they don’t want someone to think they’re arrogant, or their words need to be softened to avoid offending or being taken the wrong way. So, a feminine quality that men can learn, is about reading the room and making sure that people are receptive. In summary, women don’t need to apologise, but they also don’t need to get straight to the point – “I’d really love your opinion on this idea” is a perfect balance of this. The ideal space between the extremes of female and male stereotypes in terms of communication is one with warmth AND gravitas. Here’s a bit more on how women can play to their strengths to get heard.
How do you define good communication?
We have a simple equation for good communication. Authenticity + Connection = Engagement. Authenticity is when you truly care about what you’re saying – it matters to you. Connection is when you care about your audience – they matter to you. If those two things are present, you get engagement – when the listener cares about what you’re saying. This is at the heart of effective communication, and there are so many tools within this that we teach in our method. My book is filled with simple, no-nonsense tools for better communication with friends, colleagues, family and business partners, that can be put into practice in as little as five minutes – you can download a free sample or buy the whole book here.
Tell us something about communication we don’t know
A lot of people think communication is just about talking, but this simply isn’t true. Communication is very much a two-way dynamic, and therefore the art of listening is a huge and important part of the art of communication. Essentially, if someone is a great listener, they are in many ways, already an amazing communicator. There is so much evidence around this – President Clinton was known to be a great listener, and this made people feel like they mattered. At LSW we teach the importance of active listening – watch this video for three tips on this topic.
How do you stay relevant and current, and where do those inspirations come from?
I absorb the world around me – this might be in the form of a podcast, a newspaper article, a casual office chat or whatever else that pops up on any given day. Creating a platform where my team are excited about what we’re doing, and therefore take pride in offering up their ideas, is also a very important part of it. This is innate in me – I can make a lot from a little drop of water. For example, I was recently reading a bedtime story to my son, and in reading it, I found three big communication lessons that I can now teach to my clients (my latest newsletter was all about this – sign up here to receive the next one). I’ve trained my mind to be an expert at finding pearls of wisdom in anything.
If you could go back and tell yourself one thing before beginning your career, what would it be?
Don’t sweat the small stuff. From experience, I know that if you get bogged down in the day-to-day tasks, you won’t get to do all the big beautiful things that are out there. If you decide that you’re on a bigger trajectory, don’t get your energy caught up in little bits along the way.
At London Speech Workshop, our mission is to empower people across the world to communicate more confidently, more authentically and more effectively. We work with people to improve their connections and achieve their personal and professional goals. We help people remove barriers that get in their way due to their communication. They might want to get a promotion, be more respected in their work, have more authority or gravitas, increase in confidence at work and in personal life. Or they may have trouble delivering presentations and speeches, dealing with nerves, connecting with others, building rapport, getting their point across or being articulate. We give people the tools to be the best communicator they can be, and our courses genuinely change people’s lives. Our courses include Effective Communication, Elocution, Accent Softening, Interview Technique, Public Speaking, Presentation Skills and group workshops for businesses. Each course is entirely bespoke, depending on the person’s unique communication goals, budget and timeframe. We have 12 amazing coaches who deliver the 1-hour one-to-one sessions on Zoom or in one of our London offices. For more information, we recommend booking a free 15-minute Discovery Call to find out how we can help.
Follow London Speech Workshop:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Londonspeech
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speechworkshop
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/london-speech-workshop/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/londonspeech
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb4Q262PBly0Dn5Ao-xyJGQ
![From Music to Perfume: How did your background as a music teacher influence your transition into perfumery, and how do you incorporate your musical sensibilities into creating fragrances? I’ve always thought in terms of metaphors, and music has many that can be related to perfumery! Beyond just thinking in terms of top, middle and base notes [soprano/alto/tenor in choir], I approach each fragrant idea as a composition. When documenting my ideas, song structures often come to mind. As the scent brief is visited, I meditate on what the fragrance should convey - do I want to create an accord or a “chord” of fragrance note combinations? Do I want an a capella soloist (a particular ingredient to stand out more than others?) Many of my thoughts regarding song composition transfers to my scent formulation process, with me treating each note as an intentional soliloquy at some point.
Brand Origin: What inspired you to start Pink MahogHany in 2005, and how has your vision for the brand evolved since its inception?
An avid lover of all things pleasantly scented (with slight modesty), looking back in retrospect, it’s no huge surprise that I’ve created an indie perfume house with just an idea to provide unique options for those who may be sensitive to unnecessary pungency. Initially, I just wanted to evaluate various blends to note their aroma profiles when “played” together…it wasn’t until I had friends and family asking if I knew of brands that catered to those who may be on the more olfactory sensitive side, that I really began to take my research more seriously. In the almost 20 years that Pink MahogHany has been in existence, our micro visions for the brand have evolved to larger territory. Where Pink MahogHany used to only be a personal brand, we are now also a bespoke formulation service provider to other indie brands seeking unique fragrance offerings for their products. These products range from (but are not limited to) perfumes, candles, body butters and lip balms. Ingredient Transparency: You emphasize transparency and the use of desirable ingredients in your products. How do you select your ingredients, and what challenges have you faced in maintaining this standard?
Being an indie brand often comes with a set of assumptions and misconceptions - one of them being more negative than positive as it relates to ingredients used. There is a lot of “fluff” in the industry with labeling falsification. Because fragrance formulas are a trade secret, not every molecular breakdown of a material has to be noted on the ingredient label (it would be incredibly long), but we at Pink MahogHany™️ adhere strongly to the IFRA [International Fragrance Regulatory Association] regulations that state for common and potential allergens to be listed on our ingredient label. We’ve taken this a step further to also include these ingredients listed on our website to promote further transparency, all while protecting our intellectual property. Unfortunately, we’ve had companies to unethically sell lesser expensive “dupes” of our artisan perfumes, so as a way to create a better authenticity stamp, we make it our duty to be honest about our claims. If our perfume says “Rose Bulgaria”, it is in fact just that and not a component of rose being passed off as the source material. Collaborations and Custom Scents: Can you share more about your work with private label clients? What excites you most about creating custom scent solutions for other indie brands? I could easily sum this up in one word and say “Funding.” True, there is money out there, but I’m always thinking outside the box. Having a program that has an “Each One Fund One” mentality doesn’t exist (that I’ve been made aware of). Bootstrapping can be quite the challenge, even when you’ve reached the 6-figure mark annually. Competition to be seen and set apart is extremely high, so having quality packaging and branding is a must. There are lots of factors to consider, though when desiring to make upgrades. If there were a unique, tier-geared funding operation available, it would help perfume brands offset packaging and bulk material costs in the beginning stages.
Industry Challenges: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an independent fragrance house, and how have you overcome them to grow your brand? As the brand continues on the path of organic growth, I would like to expand our reach into schools, offering perfumery as an arts elective for middle and high school. I’d love to partner with botanists, farmers and horticulturists directly to grow and source raw materials for the students to work with in the creation of tinctures. My passion is getting back to nature as best as possible, as nature was my first “scent experience” as a child. We would also love to witness our fragrance creations being used to scent model homes, our focus diffuser blends being used in automobile dealerships as well as partner with Air Bnb and boutique hotels that specialize in highlighting minority, indie brands. Personal Journey: How has your personal experience, particularly as a divorced mother and someone who has experienced the loss of a child, shaped your approach to life and your work in perfumery?
Because I homeschool my twin sons, we are together a lot more than most, so one thing we all do is have moments of sharing where a neutral “floor” is laid to converse about anything. Though they are quite communicative by nature, I realize that sometimes I can be in work mode so much that it spills over into what should be our quality time. My sons see the authentic me and learn how to communicate through seeing authenticity. I’ve learned not to feel as if I have to be the epitome of perfection but allow them to see my imperfections vulnerably but with discernment. Having had two traumatic experiences pretty close together has taught me how to truly slow down and enjoy the simplicities of life - igniting a spiritual aspect that I’ve always carried but never fully explored…until Kenji’s sudden passing (2018.) Grief has a way of catapulting us into a quest for more meaningfulness in both life and business. After Kenji’s passing and my processing through the initial stages of grief, I was able to incorporate our spiritual bond into Pink MahogHany by way of essential oil diffuser blends for both focus and sleep and most recently aromatic perfume elixirs. It’s been quite the process channeling the void of his physical presence, but I also have peace knowing he can be honored in a great way through scent. I noticed once I began to be more open and receptive to spiritual signs, synchs and “winks”, more ideas began to flow. It’s been this way since his transition. Emotional Expression: Fragrance is often tied to memories and emotions. How does your personal life influence the fragrances you create, and do you have a particular scent that holds special meaning to you? My creative process is much more alchemic now, and I include Kenji by talking out loud to him, believe it or not. I’m a firm believer that when our loved ones transition from the physical plane, they are still present - just in another form. I choose to keep his memory alive by not pretending he never existed (even if for a brief period of time). I am working (slowly) on a book and accompanying fragrance, but I know it will require me to revisit some memories I’m not quite ready for, so until then, his big brothers will launch their debut fragrance, The Peaceful Tiger (they chose the name.) I’ve learned that even in what we consider “small things”, our transitioned loved ones want to be recognized and acknowledged. When the twins and I designed their fragrance label (with a designer out of the country that didn’t know anything about me personally), we had issues with the graphic - so much so that the designer asked if they could rework the design. When they sent the proof for approval, the Tiger was not only younger but sleeping, with an uncanny, angelic resemblance to baby Kenji! Becoming more aware and being more sensitive to my intention for launching a fragrance has definitely made room for more divine situations like these to occur. Healing Through Scent: In what ways has creating fragrances been a form of healing or expression for you, especially after the loss of your son, Kenji Mwamba? I know my sons may not necessarily want to be perfumers, but they definitely have an entrepreneurial heart. My desire is that whatever they decide to pursue (acting, script-writing, music or architecture), they know that anything is possible with the right amount of determination, grit, belief and immersion. One reason I chose to homeschool is so they could enjoy learning without restraint and have ample time to devote to their own separate passions and it still be fun. They know Pink MahogHany is theirs if they want it (many, many years from now - lol), and we are already discussing business structures for whatever they choose their role to be once I retire. Work-Life Balance: How do you find balance between your professional responsibilities and personal well-being, and what self-care practices do you prioritize? I’m not just a perfumer; I’m also a consumer, and self-care is huge for me. I often take salt baths to reset my energy and clear my mind after being around large groups of people or free a long day. I’m a habitual perfume sampler, and I have so many to choose from to wear as my “nightcap.” Even if just for 10-15 minutes, I cherish each moment I’m able to have some “me-time.” When time and co-parenting schedules permit, I’m definitely on a flight somewhere to indulge in some delicious food and mouth-watering mocktails!](https://www.womenontopp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_3812-1200x720.jpeg)
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