Metaspeech co-founders Mariana Marquez and Emma Zangs
Counting the likes of Google, Spotify and Ocado among its clients, Metaspeech offers management teams bespoke public speaking training, with a twist.
Now benefiting from working space and mentoring from startup incubator Bathtub 2 Boardroom, co-founders Mariana Marquez and Emma Zangs told us more about their exciting business.
(1) Who are you and what’s your business?
We are Mariana Marquez and Emma Zangs choreographers and co-founders at Metaspeech. Our business offers an alternative approach to public speaking training. It is all about moving, thinking on your feet, experiencing, and embodying flow. Last year, our training helped clients raise a combined 12m, win the SXSW VV2 Best SpeakerAward, and get funded on Dragon’s Den.
We count Google, TechWeek, Trendwatching.com and 4YFN as our clients, coaching business leaders from firms as diverse as seed-funded startups at accelerators like Seedcamp and Wayra to executives at Ocado, Propercorn, and Spotify.
(2) How long have you been around for?
We launched Metaspeech eighteen months ago, but weve been working together for five years as choreographers
?(3) How do you make money?
We sell training packages to individuals and workshops to companies.
(4) What makes you different and why should people take notice?
Because we are not from tech. We are artists and we transferred our skills to an industry we didnt know. Our method is no-nonsense and based on neuroscience and mindfulness research as well as dance. We support people to transform the way they present themselves and achieve their business goals.
A Metaspeech training class in action.(5) What was key in terms of getting started?
Believing in what we had to offer.
(6) What’s your biggest achievement to date?
In October 2015, we went to NY and had the pleasure to give a workshop for a Google team (Primer App). We are currently choreographers and pit coaches?-in-residence at Telefonica’s startup accelerator Wayra, which has been a great honour.
(7) What setbacks have you had along the way?
Poor strategies for product-market fit meant we took quite a long time to find our ideal clients. Weve also found ourselves having to clarify our vision way too often it can sometimes be easy to loose focus.
(8) In five years? time, I will?
Have an app to help people rehearse their speeches by using motion tracking technology and VR.We want to be giving speeches and offering training across the globe, and be managing other coaches doing amazing work.
(9) What one tip would you give to others starting out??
Listen to your gut instincts.?(10) Who are your business heroes and why?
Anyone who started something from nothing that helped other people and had fun along the way.
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