"This above all: to thine own self be true ..."
Shakespeare
I believe the greatest gifts to our personal and professional life come from embracing our true self, our story, our passion and our purpose. And truly going for our dreams!
I’m a leading international Voice & Presentations Coach and an Interior Stylist. I've spent 20 years coaching high level actors including Rose Byrne, Sam Neill, David Wenham and many more to give authentic vocal performances in film, television and theatre, and I've coached professional creative entrepreneurs, authors, stylists, TV presenters, directors, wellness coaches and more.
My mission is to move creative women, inspiring speakers and visionary businesses to centre stage ... to help them shine and thrive vocally and visually.
Like a lot of women, it took me time, trust and training to unlock and embody my own voice and to learn to shine.
Here's my story ...
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I was born in Sydney, Australia and grew up from the age of 2 in Port Vila, Vanuatu (a South Pacific tropical island off the east coast of Australia). I was surrounded by beautiful cultures and voices from all over the world and spoke 3 languages – English, French and the national creole language Bislama. Little did I know how these formative island years would shape and inspire my career.
Our family moved back to Sydney nearly 6 years later to live with my grandmother. It was unexpected and sudden. I packed, boarded the plane and as a child had no idea that I was leaving Vanuatu permanently. It felt like my life and sense of identity were scattered like jigsaw puzzle pieces.
We arrived in beautiful Australia … the land of my birth and another island nation … but to me it didn’t feel like home. I spent years lost and adrift but I couldn’t express it. School wasn't a happy place for me but thankfully my heart was ignited by classes in art, drama, poetry, Shakespeare and taking singing lessons. The creative arts were calling out my name and enticing me to find my truest self expression and my voice through them. So I set my compass on the land of professional theatre.
At 22 I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts in Acting and had my heart set on being a Shakespearean actor. Well, the universe had other plans for me. In my 3rd Year at drama school, a Dialect Coach came in to train us in accents for our graduation play and a new light sparked inside of me! My Australian and Vanuatu lives were coming together … my love of cultures, voices, languages, accents and authentic creative self-expression. Talk about a heart zing moment!
I performed in Australia and New Zealand as an actor, singer and voice overs artist … at one time touring in a show for 2 years and another time singing at a VIP Dinner for the Prime Minister of Australia. But my coaching calling came, and at 28 I graduated as a Voice and Dialect Coach from the renowned National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). There began my career in training actors and creatives to find and express their most authentic self, voice and performances.
I’ve spent 20 years coaching award winning actors including Rose Byrne, Sam Neill, David Wenham, Rebel Wilson, Yvonne Strahovski (star of The Handmaid’s Tale), Jacki Weaver, Celeste Barber, Wayne Blair (film director of The Sapphires) and many others for international and Australian film, television, theatre and musical theatre. I’ve worked alongside Academy Award winners including film director Steven Soderbergh and coached for the top theatres including Sydney Theatre Company under the Artistic Directorship of Cate Blanchett and her husband writer/director Andrew Upton. I’ve taught at prestigious arts institutions including the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS), and I've had the joy of coaching speakers, authors, nutritionists, yoga teachers, stylists, designers and TV presenters to be their best.
In 2014, life spun the compass again.
My beloved father was diagnosed with a second bout of cancer and the universe tapped me on the shoulder once again to look at the bigger picture of my life … my happiness, my business and my dreams. And I decided some new changes needed to be made.
I took a leap of faith and went back to study a further creative passion of mine: interior styling and design.
In 2016 I graduated with my Certificate IV in Design and in 2017 I graduated with my Styling Diploma, both from the International School of Colour & Design (ISCD). I studied everything from creating design concepts & mood boards, colour psychology, business identity & branding, residential styling, office styling, visual merchandising, editorial styling, floor plans, furniture & décor selection and much more.
I won 6 awards in my 2 years of design studies: two Awards of Excellence (first place) and four Highly Commended Awards (second place), as well as an internship at Temple & Webster, a leading Australian homewares and furniture retailer. It was worth the leap! I've since gone on to help clients with the design and styling of their house extension, new apartment, vacation rental property, business colour branding, and the refurbishment of a Sydney law firm.
Voice and design go hand in hand for me. Whether we're making a film, rehearsing for a book tour or workshop, upleveling our voice and presentation skills, or styling our workspace to reflect our brand, we all have a story to tell and an image to share.
As Shakespeare said “This above all: to thine own self be true” ... and I know that for sure.
J E N N I F E R W H I T E C O A C H I N G
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