Presentation Skills Professional Development Program
For professionals who want undivided attention from their audience, proof their presentations are actually making a difference, and confidence in themselves as a speaker.
(This page is currently being updated!)
Does this sound like what you want when you give a presentation?
UNDIVIDED ATTENTION from an engaged audience (any audience).
PROOF OF IMPACT & confirmation that all your efforts were worth it.
CONFIDENCE in yourself as a speaker. AKA finally having that feeling of “I nailed it!”
…But, when working on your presentation, you don’t want to…
SPEND AGES UPON AGES on every single presentation you make. (You’re way too busy).
STRESS OUT that you’ll forget what you’re going to say because you’re using more visual slides.
WORRY that you’re making the wrong slide design or presentation script choices.
Then I have a feeling you’ve already tried things, like…
Ditched PowerPoint for another slide app, like Canva.
Spent hours searching for the ✨perfect ✨ template.
Tried to make SmartArt or DesignIdeas work.
Tried to have GenAI like Gamma or ChatGPT do the design or create your visuals.
Using as few slides as possible.
Tried to copy or “reverse engineer” ideas from good presentations you’ve seen.
Eliminated as much text as possible, so your slides are almost entirely visual.
Built up your data visualization & storytelling skills specifically.
If so, that’s a sign you’re dedicated to making better presentations. Nice.
Sadly, the above strategies are superficial time wasters… which is why you might feel like it takes too long or you’re discouraged and ready to give up.
Do you feel like you’re stuck on a hamster wheel?
Where you’re trying all the tips and tricks to make better presentations, but it:
takes too long
still doesn’t seem to look sleek and professional
still isn’t landing right with the audience
gets pushback from your audience
doesn’t match the good ones you’re inspired from
Instead of giving up and just going back to the old way…
Instead of convincing yourself that you just can’t do it…
Instead of convincing yourself that your audience wants bad presentations…
Let’s instead make all your hard work matter. Because, the problem isn’t you (or your audience)..
The problem is people aren’t telling you about the root cause of what makes a presentation fall flat with the audience. Spending time on those superficial time wasters without fixing the root cause first is like filling up a plane with gasoline and expecting it to fly…when it doesn’t even have an engine yet.
So what’s the root cause 👇 of bad presentations in every industry, across the world? Cognitive overload.
COGNITIVE OVERLOAD
is when your audience member’s brain gets “overheated” & involuntarily shuts down and disengages. It’s the #1 reason your audience will disengage from a presentation.
But, it just so happens to be the most preventable…
(IF you intentionally design for it).
Join my visual presentation skills course and become a pro at making ANY info interesting & engaging
In my program, you’ll learn how to apply an information design framework that lets you quickly whip together engaging, easy-to-follow, visual presentations that will keep your audience engaged enough to actually learn the thing.
Why should you care about cognitive overload?
If you give presentations and want your audience to:
Be fully engaged with undivided attention
Actually understand what you’re saying
Remember the key points you presented
Trust and believe what you’re saying
Be impacted in some way by your talk, lecture, or training
then…the #1 thing stopping you from achieving these outcomes is when your audience’s brain gets overheated.
Yes, it feels like your audience has the attention span of a goldfish. And what’s happening behind those blank eyes is that their brain can’t keep up with you.
How do I know? In part, due to my PhD in psychology (but more on that later 😉)
Cognitive overload is like a wrench that grinds this whole process to a halt…
…And when the gears stop, we see blank stares & distracted faces.
Build up your visual slide design + presentation script writing skills with 4 focused modules…
…And have an easier time applying it all with some handy implementation tools.
Cognitive overload is like a wrench that grinds the whole attention & learning process to a halt. But don’t worry, we’re going to make it easy to tackle. You’re going to stop it for good by “defeating” the 3 things that cause cognitive overload >>>
Anything in your presentation (script or slides) that doesn’t need to be there.
AKA form over function
Anything in your presentation (script or slides) that is messy, scattered, or disorganized.
AKA neither function nor form
A presentation that fails to give the audience the mental breaks they need to stay engaged…or a presentation packed with content that just falls flat.
AKA function over form
Don’t worry. You’re not going to “dumb it down.”
You’re just going to use some different strategies to make the type of presentations you’re already trying to make.
Presentations that are…
Clear & concise
Easy to follow along with and understand
Captivating, interesting, and memorable
AKA function x form
AKA information design
✔️ graphic design
✔️ PowerPoint (tech) skills
✔️ psychology & cognitive science
✔️ storytelling
✔️ pedagogy
✔️ user experience & user design
✔️ visual hierarchy
✔️ vector & photo design
✔️ developing an eye for design
✔️ data visualization
✔️ effective communication
✔️ universal/accessible design
You’ll learn all of it
(without being overwhelmed)
This is the professional development program that teaches you how to leverage psychology and other skills to design visually-engaging, digestible presentations
Slides like these prevent cognitive overload, and are much easier to make than you probably think! (p.s. these are all PowerPoint slides) 👇
No creativity required
This is a step by step training—You only need the ability to follow directions.
Participant gallery of before & after slide designs
About the framework you’ll learn
#1. Clear the clutter + Create an accessible “minimum viable” base design
The first step is to clear up some space for better design by removing clutter.
You’ll create a “minimum viable” base design, which are slides that:
Are more accessible
Look great as is (and can enough for one-time presentations)
Can be “upleveled” quickly and easily over time
You’ll get used to slides with less text, more visuals, and better pacing.
#2. Calm the chaos + Up-level slides with your own custom, creative visuals
The second step is to up-level those base designs. This is where you learn how to visualize any content you have, no matter how dry or technical it is.
You’ll learn a menu of design options:
ranging from low effort, medium effort, and high effort;
using using basic features like text boxes, shapes, animations, and icons.
You’ll also fix common issues that make the presentation too chaotic for your audience to follow. We’ll use simple structures and improve the balance between what you show with what you say. You’ll see a big difference in how much easier it is for your audience to follow along.
#3. Present quantitative & qualitative data effectively
Like course 2, this is an “upleveling” stage, but with quantitative and qualitative data as the focus. This is where you start telling data stories (without losing site of the data).
Never again slap a table or chart on a slide and stumble through your explanation. You’ll learn how to walk people through data on presentation slides so they understand and remember your key points.
#4. Storyboarding the ”wow” factor: How to captivate any audience, with any topic
The final step is to focus on the script/content (the storyboard).
This is when you learn how to ditch the information deficit model of communication, and gain the ability make any material more interesting and impactful (no matter how technical, dry, or complicated).
We’ll even cover how to tailor material to the audience, and cover public speaking tips for a solid, confident delivery.
In all, it’s about 32 hours in length
(that’s like being able to to take 4 professional development workshops, but at home & at your own pace!)
About the
slide layouts you’ll learn
#1. Slide layouts you’ll learn
Text only slides (to replace the “Title & Content” layouts)
Core content slides with text ^ a photo (3 layouts)
#2. Slide layouts you’ll learn
Multiple photos
Key point/summary slides
Text & icon layouts
Section (agenda) slides
Title slides
Custom visuals like timelines, process, venn Diagrams, models, etc
#3. Slide layouts you’ll learn
Tables (incl. for qual themes/codes)
Bar charts (horizontal & vertical)
Stacked bar charts
Line graphs (incl. slope charts)
Pie charts, waffle charts, icon arrays
Lollipop graphs
Qual quotes
Gauge charts (speedometers)
#4. Slide x scripting x storyboarding you’ll learn
Opening hooks (go beyond “ learning objective” slides)
Strong closings (no more “thank you” slides)
Visual themes or models that change or update as you go
Special slides that help you give the audience a mental break (i.e., prevent cognitive overload!)
Audience interaction ideas (+ slides to encourage participation)
Tailoring to your audience
Plus you get
implementation resources!
Quarterly member office hours (group zoom calls)
Get feedback on your presentation slide designs & scripts/storyboards
Get your questions answered
See examples from other members
Get support with struggles or challenges
Celebrate successes & wins
Feel comfortable sharing—these are not recorded.
PowerPoint template made by me — with 100+ layouts (including data visualization templates & assets)
100+ layouts, includes data visualization templates & assets.
I took me 60+ hours to put this together because I wanted this to be something YOU could use for any presentation.
Includes training videos on how to use and edit the template to perfectly fit your content, brand, style, and needs.
The program itself is mainly software neutral, but I do recommend PowerPoint, so this PPT template + bonus training is included as a bonus.
Curated photo library of 1,200+ FREE stock photos you can download + mini-course on finding/using visuals
No need to spend hours searching for free stock photos. I’ve curated 1,200+ of them for you! (saves you 20+ hours)
It took 20+ hours to put together, plus I update them regularly. And, you get to keep access even after you’re done with the program.
Where to find free stock photos? Icons? What about copyright? I answer all those questions (and share links to my fav sites) in the mini-course.
Complementary tech training & supplemental videos
PowerPoint tutorials, full-length webinar style talks, and other supplementary videos are available on my YouTube channel, More Than Powerpoint!
Course members get access to a private portal of these YouTube videos, so you can watch them without every having to leave the course (ad-free).
Plus, this private portal includes bonus content, such as answers to questions people posted in the comments.
Worksheets, handouts, PPT slide deck files, and checklists
Every lesson comes with a downloadable handout that you can keep forever, and reference whenever needed.
Throughout the course, you will also have additional downloadable materials such as worksheets, checklists, presentation files, and more!
Here’s everything included in the presentation skills masterclass:
4 presentation skills courses + 5 implementation resources
Course #1: Fail-Proof Slide Design
Course #2: Visual Slide Design
Course #3: Presenting Data with Slides
Course #4: Captivate Any Audience
Quarterly office hours (with me, Dr. Echo Rivera)
60+ supplemental videos with bonus content
Photo Library + mini-course (saves you 20+ hours)
Custom PowerPoint Template (saves you 60+ hours)
Downloadable PDFs, checklists, and files
Join the presentation skills masterclass today!
Choose 6 months of access or save $200 and get a full year of access. Prices are in USD do not include sales tax or VAT. Sales tax/VAT will be added where applicable.
6-month access license
Monthly payment plans are also available
1 year access license (save $200!)
Same time, better slides
“How long does this take?” You choose.
The whole framework begins with “minimum viable” slides for a reason—so you can whip together slides in as little time as possible, while also making them LOOK like you spent more time on them than you did.
But, for high stakes presentations like keynotes, TED talks or TEDx talks, job talks, teaching demos, sales webinars, or book tour talks…the framework also shows you how to “wow” your audience.
So, you’ll choose how much time and effort you put in based on the ROI you’ll get from a specific presentation.
Regardless of your choice, you’ll be making significantly more impressive slides in the same time you’re spending right now.
How is that possible?
You’re going to swap the things you’re currently wasting time with for smarter, better options.
YOU, NOW
Going back and forth on your designs
YOU, AFTER THE MASTERCLASS
Quick & confident decisions
Spending hours looking for new visuals every new slide deck
Find visuals faster and repurpose them across decks
Superficial, low-impact time wasters (that don’t prevent cognitive overload)
Fast & easy, high-impact strategies (that do prevent cognitive overload)
Reinventing the wheel for slide designs in every presentation
Start with “minimum viable” design & uplevel over time
AKA days of your time wasted on tasks that don’t actually improve your presentation.
AKA better presentations in LESS TIME + every minute you spend is step towards a clear, compelling, memorable presentation
Everyone wants to enjoy watching talks, lectures & trainings
The strategies you learn in this program will help you effectively communicate to an audience in the following fields:
STEM
Legal
Medical
Non-profit sector
Government sector
Higher education (yes, this includes class lectures for students!)
p.s. YES! This includes professional development or TTA providers (consultants, trainers, entrepreneurs).
The common thread?
You want your audience to learn something (knowledge or skill) dense, technical, complex, or difficult.
But your audience gets bored or overwhelmed (i.e., experiences cognitive overload).
So, you need strategies for improved focus & content retention among your audience.
2 types of people say their audience wants a text-heavy presentation (IME):
Those who don’t want to put the effort into making their presentations better, but don’t want to feel bad about it (not you).
Those who have tried to make their presentations better, but the audience didn’t care or actively grumbled about it (maybe you?).
If a supervisor/colleague is telling you to present in a text-heavy way there’s a strong likelihood they fall into #1. But peeps like that wouldn’t even be reading this page.
If it’s #2 for you, then I think I know what happened. The changes never fully fixed cognitive overload, or might have made it worse. For example, using no text in a presentation or as few slides as possible increases cognitive overload.
When you effectively use information design to prevent cognitive overload, EVERY audience in EVERY industry is going to appreciate it.
Natural speaking ability NOT required.
No, people don’t fear public speaking more than death, but it’s certainly one of the most anxiety-producing things we need to do as a professional.
I used to be terrified of public speaking, and my bar was set to “just don’t embarrass yourself, Echo”
I’d lose sleep for weeks leading up to a presentation. I’d throw up in the bathroom right before. My hands would shake and my voice would quiver while giving the talk.
And I’m just talking about a 5 min undergrad class lecture! 🥲
But now, if you watch me present, you’d have no idea I ever felt that way. So how did I get here?
At first, I followed all the public speaking advice I could find, and still failed. Miserably.
But then I started over with a blank slate and tried it my way. And it worked.
This is a zero-gimmick, zero-extroversion-or-improv-required way to get over your fear or dread of public speaking.
Question for you: Have you ever seen a great presentation and thought, “WOW! they’re such a natural!”?
That could be feeding into your public speaking anxiety without you realizing it. Same if you believe any of the following:
Extroverts/neurotypicals have the advantage when it comes to public speaking
It’s rare for introverts/neurodivergent peeps to excel at public speaking
Scripting and practicing makes you sound like a robot—don’t script/practice too much
Eliminating the “uhs” and “ums” and “likes” is critically important for a smooth, professional delivery
Working on improv skills is the most effective way to increase your public speaking confidence
Nervous system hacks like “power poses” are an important part of reducing your anxiety.
I used to believe all of the above, so as a level 10 neurodivergent introvert, I used to think I was doomed to suck at public speaking forever.
But I had dreams of becoming a researcher/professor! I needed to be able to do this. So when that advice failed to help me, I had to reset and try things a different way.
I stopped caring about my “ums” and “uhs” and never did anything like toastmasters.
Instead, I started to leverage my own strengths for storytelling and empathy (now called user experience) while working more on my scripts and slide designs. I also just, like, practiced more.
And finally. After years of struggling and feeling like a failure, I started to hear things like “wow! that was such a good presentation! You’re a natural!” from my peers & supervisors 😅
That’s when I learned:
Everyone has speaking strengths regardless of whether they’re introverted, extroverted, neurotypical, or neurodivergent.
Scripting and practicing is actually the big secret no one admits that makes you sound like a natural.
Eliminating the “uhs” and “ums” and “likes” is usually not worth your time.
Working on improv skills is fine if you wanna do it, but it’s not the best (or most direct) path towards more confidence as a speaker.
Deep down your brain knows that things like power poses are superficial and don’t make you a better speaker, so they’re not really effective
BUT… I absolutely was not a natural. While I was happy for the compliments, they were wrong. It made no sense to me at first, until the ✨💡 final insight💡✨ ignited in my brain.
If they were wrong…then that means I used to be wrong, too!
What I ultimately realized is that NO ONE is a “natural” public speaker.
It’s not a thing that exists.
Those people we all thought were “natural speakers” just…like…made an engaging presentation 🤣.
That’s it. 🫠
All this time, it was just that their presentation:
had a compelling script
had well-designed slides
was delivered smoothly because of practice
No genetic advantage. No special charisma. No sudden superpower.
Just like anything else, it’s all just a skill.
A skill that anyone can learn.
And I realized that we can’t always trick our brains into being confident.
❌ Increased confidence does NOT lead to better public speaking.
You can deliver a terrible presentation with 100% confidence (I know, I’ve seen it happen…and you prob have too 😬).
✔️ Increased confidence naturally comes after you’re giving effective presentations.
You can deliver a stellar presentation with zero confidence. (I know, I’ve done it).
And what happens is that after you deliver a powerful talk, engaging lecture, or fun training…your audience is going to tell you that.
And THAT is the long-lasting way to fix the root of your anxiety and dread—instant proof from your audience that you were effective.
When your audience goes out of their way to tell you how much they enjoyed your presentation…that’s the evidence your brain needs make you feel confident.
This is a skill that never goes out of style (like GenAI is gonna be).
…because presentation skills feed 2 birds with one scone 🍪✨🐤🐧
When you present more effectively, it’s pretty obvious that there are advantages to your audience. They’re going to learn more, retain more, and enjoy the experience.
But you’re busy, overwhelmed. Maybe even overworked and underpaid. Probably burned out, too.
You have to prioritize, and just about everyone around you gives the impression that presentation skills (“soft skills”) should not make the cut.
Fight the urge to keep this on the backburner, because this skillset has these 2 hidden advantages…👇
#1) Presentation skills make you both easier to hire and harder to fire
It’s soooo hard to get a job right now. And many are worried they won’t be able to keep their job.
This isn’t a new struggle, and it’s important to acknowledge that it’s not entirely within your control.
But there are time-tested ways to increase your chances of being the one who gets hired, or the one who gets to keep your job.
Be exceptionally good at the tasks required for the job.
Have at least one unique “bonus” skillset that others in the same field don’t have (+ that makes you a pleasure to work with or just generally irreplaceable).
Everyone is telling you to focus on #1, and you’ve likely already done that. But, so has everyone else. So it’s smart to assume that literally everyone else who might get your same position has those skills.
#1 is the minimum. It’s not what makes you competitive. #2 makes you the must-hire-cant-fire.
So you need something unique and valuable. Something that few people in your specific field probably won’t have.
Well…in every field, just about every single person is told to deprioritize presentation skills 😅
Yet, strong presentation skills equate to:
shining as an applicant, especially if you have to do a sample presentation or product.
easy networking at events like conferences, because other people will approach you already impressed.
being someone your coworkers & supervisors will enjoy listening to.
developing a reputation for this unique skillset, and becoming the go-to person for all things design.
Plus, because you learn an interdisciplinary design & storytelling (plain language) skillset, you’ll even be in a position to excel at adjacent products, like:
infographics, including visual executive summaries
visual reports
workbook, handout, and worksheet design
social media graphics
website design/website graphics
Please don’t dismiss just how much you’ll be able to leverage this skillset to get hired and stay hired.
#2) Presentations can help with burnout by being your creative outlet that brings joy and fulfillment.
Right now, working on your presentations is probably a drain on your energy.
Even if you don’t dread them, you just don’t enjoy it. So time drags and you have to fight yourself to stay focused on put the energy in.
The more time you spend on things you don’t enjoy only increases your risk of burnout and feeling unfulfilled.
One of the outcomes of my training program—and the corresponding boost in your presentation skills—is that working on them actually becomes fun and enjoyable. Time will fly by and you’ll wonder where the time went. Please don’t dismiss the importance of prioritizing ways to enjoy more of your time. That’s legit important.
Here’s what happens when you develop these highly valuable presentation skills:
Get other people excited about or interested in your topic.
Create presentations with less stress and more efficiency!
Get undivided attention from your audience, from start to finish!
Have more fun at your job, impress your boss, and become an invaluable powerhouse at work!
Move hearts, change minds, and inspire people take action.
Have confidence in your slides, your info, and most importantly—confidence in yourself.
We’re talking LESS anxiety, MORE confidence.
AKA stop being held back and actually enjoy giving presentations for once.
It’s time to vanquish imposter syndrome. 😤
This is the year that you master creating presentations that matter—a skill that will never go out of style. 😎
Hey there 👋🏻! I’m Dr. Echo Rivera.
I’ll never forget the time I sat down, excited, to watch a new webinar from a well-respected scholar in my field….only to be so bored within the first 5 minutes that I stopped watching.
I wasn’t even mad at the speaker, but in that moment my heart broke. 💔
Why? Let me give you the backstory ~
I earned my PhD (Community Psychology) in 2014 and then worked at a nonprofit research & evaluation center for 3 years. In all, I spent over 14 years dedicated to research and evaluation.
My research focus was on (ending) gender-based violence using intersectional, community-based approaches. While fulfilling, I realized we had a major problem. All systems of oppression are fully connected, yet many social justice researchers & practitioners are heavily siloed.
Even worse, literally everyone had the exact same struggle 😩—their presentations were dry, boring, confusing, overwhelming, or underwhelming.
I became massively overwhelmed and frustrated that all these brilliant people, doing important work that could literally reduce systemic oppression, were effectively whispering into the void of their own silo.
I grew increasingly anxious that we wouldn’t see major positive social change in my lifetime. I’m not even kidding when I say it started to keep me up at night.
But it was in those sleepless nights that an idea started to form. 🌜✨
I didn’t realize it at the time, but starting in undergrad I began learning a secret weapon. Born out of my intense fear of public speaking, I poured excessive amounts of energy into my class presentations. I started to hear things like, “That was the best presentation ever” and “Damn, I wish our professor lectured like that!”
That turned into conference presentations, evaluation finding presentations to the client, and other high stakes professional presentations. I continued to hear “That was the best presentation ever” and “You’re the first academic I’ve ever understood, you make this technical stuff sound so easy.”
While I was seeing head nods and captivated audiences, my colleagues were seeing blank eyes staring into space.
While I was hearing, “you changed my mind today, thank you!” my colleagues were hearing crickets.
Finally, one night it all clicked together.
I realized, I can’t personally make all the different fields of research collaborate and break down their siloes. But, what I could do is take what I’ve learned over the years and help make everyone a powerful speaker. 💪
And so I decided to center my work around one goal: To skyrocket the number of powerful speakers who use data to make the world a better place. 🚀
My mission is to make sure no respected scholar ever bored people again.
And so Creative Research Communications—my professional development company—was founded.
That’s why I’m here, creating these online courses to help YOU create better presentations. Because, for me, it’s my small part in creating a better world through better communication.
I can’t wait to help you become a powerful speaker! 🙌
with joy,
Echo Rivera, PhD
