stop giving your power away when you speak.
I help high-performing professionals speak with authority.
Hi, I’m Mary Falkenstern.
I’m a communication coach with over 15 years of experience working with senior leaders and promotion-track professionals at Fortune 50 companies and top-tier financial institutions.
I hold a master’s degree in speech-language pathology, with advanced voice training at the Massachusetts General Hospital Voice Center, a teaching affiliate of Harvard and MIT. Before working in corporate settings, I trained as a classical actor and am also a certified yoga instructor.
My work is dedicated to the craft of communication. I work with smart people who struggle to translate their expertise with impact. Together we find where authority breaks down and what skills are needed to speak clearly, decisively, and effectively.
knowing what to do isn’t the same as doing it
Most professionals don’t struggle because they lack insight.
They struggle because they can’t execute consistently in real time.
Confidence and mindset work often creates awareness without traction. People know what they should do, but under pressure, their old patterns take over.
Traditional coaching can reinforce this gap when progress depends on weekly sessions. This can lead to over-dependence on a coach’s feedback, limited application in real environments and ultimately marginal growth.
if you want real improvement in how you speak in actual rooms, you must have a communication strategy that involves targeted skill training and repetition in everyday conditions.
Confidence Doesn’t create authority. skill does.
How I work
My work is designed to close the gap between insight and execution.
I work with professionals through a focused, skill-based process that helps you clearly see how you communicate across your specific contexts and train the speaking skills that matter there.
HOW IT WORKS
Pattern recognition: We identify how you actually communicate under pressure (not how you intend to.)
Strategic playback: We use recordings, transcripts, and real examples to pinpoint where your authority breaks down and why.
Targeted skill development: From there, we map high-yield patterns to specific skills and train only what will create visible change.
Application in everyday conditions: Skills are then practiced in the conversations you’re already having, not reserved for big presentations. Repetition and real-time feedback happen daily.
Periodic one-on-one sessions: These sessions are used to orient you, sharpen your awareness, and equip you to coach yourself between sessions.
Most engagements last around four weeks and are designed to produce observable change in how you speak and how others respond. Clients also leave with a personalized roadmap for sustaining progress.
Work with Mary
Engagements are intentionally focused and require active application between sessions. Because of this, I work with a limited number of clients at a time.
If you are interested in exploring if you might be a good fit for you, the next step is to complete a short application.