BLOGS PAGE COMING SOON
Natalie Massa
Real Estate Agent
I recently finished a confidence-building and public speaking course through Di Riddell and found her to be outstanding at not just motivation, courage and her true calling “Public Speaking” but also in listening and asking the right questions to find the real reason as to why this may have been an issue for me.
She listened, the way that Di used her skills, listened, critiqued (which only helped me improve) and managed our class was fantastic, I was very nervous about the whole idea, Di made me feel very comfortable the whole time and I have no hesitation in recommending her services now and in the future.
On a final note: I since had to give my first public speech at a business networking night, and whilst I was still nervous, I can tell you right now if it wasn’t for the help and guidance of Di I would NEVER have got up and delivered it. Thanks, Di for helping build my confidence not just as a speaker but as a person who really needed it!!!
‘I was inspired by Di’s session on presentation skills. She was real, authentic and empathetic – yet challenging. By implementing her strategies I delivered a clean, professional presentation. She made an amazing contribution to making my goal of being a speaker a reality.”
Emily Gower
Writer/Speaker October
Kathryn Fowler, Receptionist,
Nambour Christian College.
Linda M
Sherry Davidson
Civil Celebrant & JP (Qual)
Rockhampton…
I recently attended a workshop on confidence in speaking and I gained the knowledge that everyone suffers moments in which they lack confidence.
I know now that the tools that I have been using to get through those moments are the right ones. The content was very beneficial.
I highly recommend Di’s approach to delivery. I have been to so many of those dull booorrring… talk talk … look at me … I this and I that presentations that I have come to dread attending Seminars.
Di involves everyone and uses their stories to make her points.This makes the day very interesting and memorable. Thank you, Di for a very informative morning.
“Di – love what you are all about – your strength, your confidence and your courage. So glad the world has women like you. Go for it girl.”
“Di is a bold, vivacious confident advocate for women (and men too) through confidence and resilience. You want this lady on your team.”
CEO & Founder; addingvalue.com
ML Brisbane
‘From the first email contact, I was struck by Di’s professionalism, enthusiasm and passion for what she does. Following our first phone call, I felt confident that she would be able to help me achieve my goal.
‘Di is friendly and encouraging. The sessions are structured but she makes them lots of fun. She is certainly a ‘glass half full’ kind of person and she instils this in others. I felt my confidence and speaking ability grow as the sessions progressed. She is insightful and a good listener. Di gives positive feedback in abundance and even the negative feedback is given in a tactful and helpful manner.
I felt that she went the extra mile for me. My sessions usually went overtime. Di also organised a mock interview panel for me which was very helpful.
On the day of my interview, I was nervous of course but felt that with Di’s help that I had prepared as well as I could. Within minutes of the interview commencing I could feel my confidence kicking in.
The ‘forty’ minute interview was over in twenty-five and I was recommended for the position.
I would certainly recommend Di Riddell to anyone requiring professional coaching to assist them to achieve their goals. I am very grateful to her for her help.’
Dr. John Harris General Practitioner, Nambour
Dr. John Harris General Practitioner, Nambour
Di worked with me in a recent campaign I was running. She was my coach and mentor. She was wonderful. her coaching covered a range of aspects such as etiquette, speech writing and delivery, protocol and even what to wear to each function. Her caring coaching, wisdom and experience made a tremendous difference to my confidence. Di’s manner was professional yet personal, focused on the bigger picture yet with careful attention to detail. Thanks ever so much Di. And yes, I was successful in my campaign!
Carolyn
The bonus in working with Di was the flow on to my personal communication and life goals. It has given me greater confidence in my presenting style to make a significant difference in my career. As a Miss World entrant, Di has been invaluable to me providing tools, support and motivation to achieve more and remain focused on the pageant as well as change and manage my personal life better.
Through the sessions with Di, I have discovered the important role a coach can play in my personal life, to set and achieve goals and more beyond my capabilities. Di has helped me observe situations from a different point of view which taught me more about myself”.
I thoroughly enjoyed working with Di Riddell. Following my first phone conversation, I couldn’t wait to meet her, as her enthusiasm to work with me to achieve my goals was infectious.
She guided and encouraged me through the sessions. Most sessions went way over time, enabling me to develop the skills I needed to prepare and deliver my presentation. her feedback and fine-tuning turned a mediocre presentation into a dynamic one.
I am extremely grateful for the knowledge and skills she has shared with me and would recommend Di to anyone needing coaching to achieve their goals.
Johanna English GP Golden Beach
Di worked with me in a recent campaign I was running. She was my coach and mentor. She was wonderful. her coaching covered a range of aspects such as etiquette, speech writing and delivery, protocol and even what to wear to each function. Her caring coaching, wisdom and experience made a tremendous difference to my confidence. Di’s manner was professional yet personal, focused on the bigger picture yet with careful attention to detail. Thanks ever so much Di. And yes, I was successful in my campaign!
Dr. John Harris General Practitioner, Nambour
Coral McVean
District Governor;
Toastmasters International
“Di’s active listening, her perception and broad view of possibilities encouraged me to create and take action on options that opened doors to success in achieving my goal.”
Di worked with me in a recent campaign I was running. She was my coach and mentor. She was wonderful. her coaching covered a range of aspects such as etiquette, speech writing and delivery, protocol and even what to wear to each function. Her caring coaching, wisdom and experience made a tremendous difference to my confidence. Di’s manner was professional yet personal, focused on the bigger picture yet with careful attention to detail. Thanks ever so much Di. And yes, I was successful in my campaign!
Dr. John Harris General Practitioner, Nambour
“Di immediately made me feel at ease and delivered an uplifting and valuable session in confidence-building with an array of tips and techniques to take away. I recommend Di for anyone with the desire to grow inwardly and get the most out of all aspects of life.”
Amanda Sutton Wild Rangers Encounters
Denise Moser
Creative Business Consultant
This book is the most fantastic set of resources for anyone – not only the suppressed, but it is also for anyone who wants to be fully self-expressed.
I would strongly encourage anyone buying the book to also do Di’s courses. Personally interacting with the author, albeit on the internet will enhance and speed up the process. You will feel as though you are part of a community and all on a great journey to speak out.
You may discover your voice is the one voice that can deliver the message that is the one message one person needed most to hear.
This is a book about how to change, one simple act at a time. Changing the world one voice at a time.
This book has incredible potential to help a lot of people break out of their fears the way you have, spread their word and understand that their voice is important to lighting up their life and the world around them.
Niva Seawright
Pat Law
Linda M
When I think about my own life and the healing of my emotional wounds so that I could find my voice… the search I went on reading and studying so many personal development books, looking for strategies to firstly own my stories, my pain and my life, and then trying to work out how to have the courage to fall in love with myself all over again so that I would know that I was worth the work… and then to find the balance between those strategies that engaged my thinking and those that nurtured my heart. Well, it was quite a search and what I love about this is that Di has it all right here in one book!
What I love about this book is it is a wonderful combination of storytelling and action steps. For us to make real change and step up into our story and claim our voice we need to connect to the emotion of knowing we are worth it and then engage and upgrade our thinking. Di leads us through this beautifully.
Denise Moser,
Creative Business Consultant
If you are troubled and seeking help following any form of abuse, these words of wisdom from one who has gone through this experience could certainly be of assistance.
The background behind the exercises and advice offered by Di are from her first-hand experience.
I wish you well as you work your way through the exercises.
Be patient. Change takes time.
Marigold Dempsey
Your Voice Matters is a very clear well-structured book that takes you step by step on your journey to finding your voice and speaking up. Love Di’s use of her own stories highlighting her journey to speak up. Her use of questions throughout the book makes you stop and think about where you are and where you are going. This brings a unique interactive element to the book.
Di follows this up by incorporating exercises - simple but pertinent exercises that help you on your journey. I also love that Di has included links to videos.
My favourite chapter is Chapter 3 on Embracing Change. There is so much in this chapter to help you understand, accept and move forward with change – something that each of can relate to.
Congratulations Di Riddell on a well-structured very practical book that covers everything you need to discover Your Voice and speak up.
Mike Storkey
International President 2016-17;
Toastmasters International
Opportunities to endorse published authors are a rare event. On being asked to endorse Di Riddell’s latest publication I was somewhat unsure as to what to write. The theme of her book, “Speak Up – suppression to expression in 9 vital steps provided the answer”
Di speaks from personal experience. As a past leader of a not for profit organisation dedicated to personal development and communications, she has had to deal with her lack of self-confidence and direction following the loss of her life partner. Drawing on these experiences and the challenges she faced, this book speaks from the heart. It is both practical and empathetic, yet manages to capture the frustration that so many feel when confronted with a similar situation.
Di’s positive, yet simple solutions provide a meaningful resource to all those who have lost their way but want to feel that they are respected and that their voice still matters.
Brilliant, enriching and life-affirming! ‘
Speak Out’ is a must-read for anyone seeking to reclaim their self-confidence and to understand that their voice matters. Using simple exercises, activities and techniques, this step-by-step guide takes us on a journey to empowerment in just nine vital steps. Di Riddell connects easily with her readers and gently guides them through her proven, no-nonsense strategies so they may move from suppressed to expressed to claim the life they deserve.
Di balances being authoritative and knowledgeable with compassion and gentleness, as she writes authentically from a place of truth and love. She shares her own extraordinary life-voyage and how she overcame emotional and physical trauma, so that we may too. Part inspirational journal, part instruction manual ‘Speak Out’ is absorbing to read and offers simple, effective and attainable strategies for anyone wanting to reclaim their voice.
One of my favourite quotes is “It’s not how many times you fall, but how many times you rise”.
Di’s book is an offered hand to help you rise. Di has been down, not only from falling, but also from being pushed and hit, and has discovered the skills she needed to not only rise but to shine as well. In this book, she shares her discoveries.
It is well worth the read, no matter what your struggles are.
Pat Armistead,
Joyologist
How well you have processed and assimilated your lived experience Di, owning it, dealing with it and choosing to tell it.
I felt I was there. What a story!
My heart bleeds for that innocent misused little girl.
Marie Ward, RN B. Couns
Di Riddell’s book Beyond Abuse is thought-provoking, absorbing, confronting and uplifting, and it offers validation and hope to anyone who has or is, experiencing abuse.
In her own words, Di shares her life experience as a survivor of domestic violence and sexual abuse, and her extraordinary journey to healing and wholeness.
Written from a place of love and truth her story offers a template for survival and triumph - she shows us that it is possible to get beyond abuse to live the life we deserve.
Through her book, we see that Di Riddell is a survivor, an inspiration, and a wonderful example of an ‘ordinary’ person doing extraordinary things and that we can be too.
Barry Basel
This is absolutely a tale that should be read, considered and discussed by everyone because it is a much too common part of our lives. This story could go to any venue where there are people who have been hurt or who have hurt. It is as thought provoking as it is personal and the reader cannot help but rail at the savagery of everyone who was involved.
Regan Toll
This quote touched me
‘It does not matter what we have done to others in our life or what has been done to us; we are capable and responsible for any change in ourselves.
Congratulations in making the change Di.
Ron McClean
Dianne Thorley,
past Mayor of Toowoomba
Linda M
Our Sunshine Coast Business Breakfast Group (SCBBG) encourages their members to deliver 10min speaking spots to promote their business.
We were seeking a speaker to deliver a presentation on ‘delivering a great presentation’.
Ellie McAlister,
Family Planning Queensland 2012
Jeremy Britton,
President, S/C Swap Club, October 2010
“Di Riddell’s presentation skills training is impeccable, her knowledge on the subject matter is absolute and experiential and her presentation is fun and engaging.
Di is a gracious speaker who is there to help, heal and not to ‘sell’. Di was our keynote Speaker at Sunshine Coast Business Swap and we would be delighted to host her again.”
“Wow – how dynamic is Di Riddell!
We had amazingly positive feedback and we look forward to working with Di again soon.”
Linda M
It is with great enthusiasm and pleasure that I recommend Di Riddell as a speaker and author. Keen to share of herself with her audience and readers, Di has a great talent in delivering a message of hope, resilience and courage to people of all ages.
Our high school students greatly appreciated her talk, which brought forward themes of gender and social inequalities, the long term effects of violence and how seeking support can be a pathway out of victimhood. Di’s experiences and her willingness to share her vulnerabilities in an open and refreshing manner touched a chord with some students in a way that a traditional ‘educational’ session would certainly not have achieved.
I would encourage anyone who is looking to engage Di as a speaker or who is considering purchasing her book to do so without hesitation. Letting Di bring some ‘colour into your life’ may be just the tonic you or your organisation needs.
Di worked with me in a recent campaign I was running. She was my coach and mentor. She was wonderful. her coaching covered a range of aspects such as etiquette, speech writing and delivery, protocol and even what to wear to each function. Her caring coaching, wisdom and experience made a tremendous difference to my confidence. Di’s manner was professional yet personal, focused on the bigger picture yet with careful attention to detail. Thanks ever so much Di. And yes, I was successful in my campaign!
Dr. John Harris General Practitioner, Nambour
Tanya Scott
Community Solutions;
March 2009
“A lively presenter with a wealth of information. Di connected and engaged her audience and she spoke to the heart and spirit addressing both mind and emotions. Loads of practical tips and hints on improving personal presentation at the interview.”
Marguerite Westcott,
BA, Grad Dip Ed, Mater of Ed St (Guidance and Counselling)
Hiliary Aquili
(Participant Community Solutions) 2009
‘Thank you for your words of wisdom spoken so sincerely at our Networking and Presentation skills workshop presented at Community Solutions 21 April 2009.
Di presented her challenging life as a testimony to the ability of one person to change from worthlessness to oozing confidence. Sharing her life of sadness and humour made me aware that it is possible for anyone to become confident and present well.
Di gave us excellent tips to take with us on a job interview and I passed with flying colours.
I start my new job on Monday.’
‘Di Riddell was our guest speaker at our last student graduation. Di’s talk was very entertaining and well presented. She spoke from the heart and managed to convey to the students a profound message of hope and encouragement.
Di is a polished speaker and while her manner was relaxed and humours it also contained deep meaningful insights.
All present enjoyed her presentation immensely.’
Helleyna Burton,
Director Quest College 2007
Francis Mercer,
Life Coach and Sexologist 2007
Linda M
Shane Allen, CPA, Brisbane,
Communication Skills Trainer
Advanced Communicator - Toastmasters International
National Speakers Association of Australia (Associate)
Di was truly amazing as the MC for our wedding in October 2010.
Engaging her as our MC was just the best decision. We found Di very open to how we wanted our night to run, and meticulous in her attention to detail.
She was also fun, bubbly, comforting, a real pleasure to work and showed respect to our cultures.
We would not hesitate to recommend Di to any of our friends for future weddings or functions.’
Michelle Schwab,
Wedding Planner - Perfect Day Weddings, Sunshine Coast
‘Di provided a wonderful service the bride and groom Yvie, Jeremy and myself as the wedding planner.
My business relies on personalised service from suppliers like you to satisfy our customers. I sincerely appreciate your efforts, creativity and the way you conduct business.
I will recommend you to others because it’s a pleasure to work with knowledgeable and helpful people’.
Linda M