BJØRN STILLION SOUTHARD, Ph.D.
COACH & FACILITATOR
Presentation design and delivery
Workshop facilitation skills
Argumentation and debate
Keynote addresses, pitches, and high-stakes presentations
Clear and concise communication from technical experts
Areas of Expertise
“Confidence comes from preparation, practice, performance, and reflection. My goal is to partner with speakers to do the work to gain that confidence.”
Bjørn is inspired by helping clients realize that they have something compelling to share with an audience.
He is the co-author (with Spoken with Authority’s founder Christine Clapp) of Presenting Now: A Guide to Public Speaking and Leadership Communication Online, in Person, and Beyond (2022), Presenting Virtually: A Guide to Public Speaking in Online Contexts (2020) as well as Presenting at Work: A Guide to Public Speaking in Professional Contexts (2014), and a collaborator on Let ‘Em Speak, a podcast launched in 2020 that explores the intersection of presentation skills and inclusion.
Bjørn has two decades of experience delivering public speaking instruction and seminars across the country. He has developed numerous presentation skills development programs, for both individuals and small groups, and for short and long-term engagements. Bjørn has a doctorate and master’s degree in communication from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a bachelor’s degree in rhetoric and media studies from Willamette University.
Bjørn is also author of the award-winning academic book Peculiar Rhetoric: Slavery, Freedom, and the African Colonization Movement, and numerous articles about the history of public address in the United States. He is an Associate Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Georgia.
