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
My childhood was chaotic - I lived in 11 different houses before I moved out for university. The ever-changing environments forced me to transform from being a shy kid who often felt muted and lonely, to learning to talk to everyone. This 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, after years of doing theatre, I went out of my comfortzone by joining a start-up competition at the London Business School. My team was up against delegates from virtually every top university in the world (Oxford, Harvard, MIT, etc.). With each round of competition it became clear how important presentation skills are; literally ALL teams had brilliant ideas and products, but ONLY those teams who could actually sell their ideas made it to the finals. I decided to represent our team and honed in on my public speaking skills; learning whatever I could from courses, books and mentors. We won the competition.
Deep inside I knew public speaking was my calling, but I was afraid to go after it. Who was I as a young guy to do anything with this? I listened to my fears and after graduation I started working at a multinational, putting my public speaking ambitions aside.
Those few years at multionationals taught me two things: 1. Colleagues who are more confident and charismatic are always more successful (they get the promotions and earn more). 2. Most people never get trained in public speaking.
One day my former boss literally told me: “I don’t think this career is for you Jelmer. But I see a talent in you, go do something with public speaking.” Okay. The push I needed. 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, when I started my own company. Since then I've trained thousands of people. What a privilege to do this beautiful work.
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.
