When Gulshan Bano approached me for help with her conference talk, I was thrilled. As the founder of Strike Back Self-Defence, she has an incredibly important mission—empowering women and girls with the skills and confidence to protect themselves. Her work isn’t just about teaching self-defence; it’s about putting power back in their hands, both physically and mentally.
Gulshan is a confident speaker with compelling, real-world stories that highlight the urgent need for self-defence training. Her talks were already memorable and impactful, but with several important speaking opportunities coming up, she wanted to ensure she made the most of every moment on stage. She wasn’t looking for a rigid script—she wanted a flexible structure that would allow her to adapt in the moment while still delivering a clear and powerful message.
The Challenge: Maximizing Stage Time Without Losing Flexibility
Gulshan had a wealth of experiences and insights—each one powerful in its own right. She had ideas for different stories she might use and potential audience activities but didn’t want to lock herself into specific choices too early. Instead, she needed a structure that gave her the freedom to decide on the day while ensuring her message remained clear and impactful.
Her biggest concern? Wasting valuable stage time. She wanted her speech to feel natural and engaging while staying focused and delivering maximum impact. Without a guiding structure, even the most compelling stories can lose their effectiveness.
The Process: Creating a Flexible Framework
Rather than scripting every moment, we focused on building a structure that allowed Gulshan to stay adaptable. We worked on:
Clarifying her key message – Ensuring that no matter which stories or activities she chose, they all reinforced the same central takeaway.
Creating a powerful audience journey– Creating a clear beginning, middle, and end that could accommodate different content choices within a set time.
Establishing anchor points – Key moments in her talk that would guide her flow, giving her freedom within a structured framework.
Polishing her transitions – Helping her smoothly pivot between different ideas without losing momentum.
Strengthening her call to action – Ensuring her audience left with a clear understanding of what they could do next.
The Result: A Talk That Delivers With Impact and Flexibility
By the end of our work together, Gulshan had a framework that let her step onto the stage with confidence, knowing she could adapt in real time without losing the clarity of her message. On the day, she captivated the audience—not just because of the strength of her stories, but because they were delivered within a structure that kept them engaged and inspired.
This wasn’t just about helping her grow her business—it was about making sure her mission reached as many people as possible. The work she does matters. The more people hear about it in a clear, compelling way, the more women and girls can feel empowered to take control of their safety.
The Takeaway: A Strong Message Needs a Strong, Flexible Structure
Gulshan’s experience highlights something I see often—confidence in speaking doesn’t always mean confidence in structure. Even the most passionate speakers benefit from a framework that ensures their message sticks while giving them room to adapt.
If you have a powerful story to tell but struggle to bring it together in a way that makes an impact, I’d love to help you refine it.
Your voice deserves to be heard. Let’s make sure people listen.
Looking for help to add power to your talks?
Check out Sparkle my Speech. A power hour designed to help you get your message and mission across more effectively, whatever business you're in. https://softlyinspired.co.uk/speech-sparkle/
Learn more about the work of Strike Back Self-Defence here https://strikebackselfdefence.com/
