Hi! We’re
<- Jakob and Jelmer ->
Read our stories below
About Us:
✔️ Certified Dale Carnegie trainer.
✔️ Read 55+ books on social skills.
✔️ Trained & coached on 4 continents.
✔️ Trained & coached 3500+ people.
✔️ Lecturer at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
✔️ Background in theatre.
Jelmer’s story
<- From this
Growing up in ever-changing environments forced me to transform from being a shy kid who often felt muted and lonely, to learning to talk to everyone. I’ve lived in 11 different houses before I moved out for university. The skill I was forced to develop to help me make new friends and get good grades, eventually laid the foundation for what I am doing now. But my true obsession with public speaking came later in life.
In 2016, I took part in a start-up competition at the London School of Business. We were up against delegates from virtually every top university in the world (Oxford, Harvard, MIT, etc.). With each round of competition it became increasingly clear how important presentation skills are; each team had brilliant ideas and products, but ONLY the teams who could actually sell their ideas made it to the finals. I had to present for my team and luckily, I received an extensive course in public speaking just before the competition... Because of that, we were among the winners.
For a few years, I worked for at multinationals and the importance of good communication skills kept coming back. The colleagues who were more confident and charismatic were always more successful. They made promotions and earned more. They had a skill for life. It inspired me to learn as much as possible about public speaking, and one day start passing the skills on to others.
That day came in 2019, I became obsessed about public speaking; followed courses from great coaches, did improv and read whatever I could. A world opened up for me as I improved in ways I never imagined. Since then I've trained thousands of people. And what a privilege to be able to do what I love for a living.
Curriculum
PresentThing: Passionately giving workshops since 2018.
Previously: Quorn Foods, NXP, KPMG.
Theatre, coaching and entrepreneurship competitions.
Studied at Erasmus University (Rotterdam School of Management), with electives at London Business School and Delft University of Technology.
Other cool things I do:
Founder of Man-Up Club. A voluntary platform for healthy masculinity. 5-15 men meet once per month to talk about how to navigate trying to be a good man in the 21st century.
Started a book club in 2020 and still running it – I love learning and sharing new knowledge. My goal is to read 3 good books a month.
At least one day a week goes into volunteering.
I make surfboards as a hobby.
To this ->
Jakob’s story
<- From this
I wasn’t always the confident speaker you see today. In fact, I spent much of my early life feeling like an outsider.
When I reached university, I hit a wall. Despite being surrounded by people, I often felt lonely and left out. It wasn’t just a social challenge, it felt personal. That pain led me to a choice: stay quiet or take responsibility.
Thankfully, I had read “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” at 15 (still one of my favorite self-help books).
The idea of being proactive stuck with me. So I decided to take control of my situation. I read over 55 books on social skills, asked hundreds of friends for honest feedback, and turned my insecurity into a personal mission. Eventually, that journey led me to become a certified Dale Carnegie trainer and teach the very skills I once lacked.
But something deeper clicked when I ran my first presentation skills workshop. A participant, visibly nervous at the start, approached me after the training and said: “This is the first time I actually enjoyed speaking in public.”
That’s when I committed fully: I invested over €25,000 in world-class speaking trainings, studied with top coaches, and began training professionals across 4 continents, from young professionals to CEO’s to international teams.
Today, I teach speaking skills with one rule in mind: “If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong.”
That’s why our trainings are interactive, practical, and anything but boring. Because when people feel safe, challenged, and engaged, transformation happens.
Curriculum
Maastricht University: Pursued a Bachelor in Business & Economics.
Certified Dale Carnegie Trainer: Trained in one of the world’s most renowned programs for communication and leadership.
Conducted trainings on 4 continents: Delivered workshops for companies like ASICS, NEA, and Arvato across Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America.
Speaking coach & workshop facilitator: Specializing in storytelling, presentation skills, and social intelligence.
Other cool things I do:
Learning at least 1 new skill per year: For instance, I learned Italian in 50 days to surprise my italian girlfriend, and recently ran a marathon with just 30 days of preparation.
My personal YouTube channel: I share what I learn about social skills, and Life on YouTube.
Social skills nerd: Read 55+ books on social skills and synthesized it into usable insights.
Mini-retirements: I’m taking off a few months every 2-3 years to reset and learn. Like a 5-month solo backpacking trip through Asia when I was 19, or a 4-month adventure with my girlfriend across Central America last year.
