Joan Bigwood

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Overview

Hired 2 times

1 employee

14 years in business

Payment methods

This pro accepts payments via PayPal and Venmo.

Featured Projects

4 photos

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Speaker theme

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Reviews

Customers rated this pro highly for professionalism, responsiveness, and value.

Exceptional 5.0

6 reviews

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Sully M.

Nov 12, 2018

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Hired on Thumbtack

Sales Training

Susan B.

Apr 28, 2016

Silicon Valley is populated with exceptional people. But, even among these stars, Joanie Bigwood shines brighter and embodies an entirely new level of creative storytelling, cerebral hilarity, and audience engagement. Last summer, I hosted an event for over 100 Toastmasters and their families and friends. Toastmasters is an organization that helps people master public speaking and most of the attendees at our event were long-time members who have seen a lot of speeches. For entertainment we had a monk in full orange monk regalia who taught us a series of collaborative exercises and games, a nuclear engineer/ecstatic dancer who showed us how to do Contact Improv, Miss Ethiopia who gave an inspirational speech and led us through a Zumba session, and Joanie Bigwood who won our hearts with the most unique talk/performance of the night! Joanie wowed the crowd as she simultaneously juggled a series of balls, representing different stages of parenthood, while she gave an introspective and enlightening talk that included one of the most honest and funniest rap songs about raising kids that I have ever heard. She danced, she sang, she juggled, and she gave a speech that made me laugh and cry. No one could take their eyes off of her and at the end of the performance she got a standing ovation (from a really discerning crowd). People were still talking about her at the end of the night, wanting to know more about her and where they could go to see her perform again! Joanie Bigwood was the star of our event and I would recommend her to infinity and beyond!

Marie H.

May 9, 2016

We hired Joanie as the keynote for a volunteer recognition event. Her topic was volunteerism, something she knows a lot about, since she founded and runs an all-volunteer arts organization. Because she always goes the extra mile, Joanie called several board members and got their inside view of our organization and its mission. When she gave her talk, she included a hilarious poem about the board members, a surprise to each and every one of us. It was the perfect way to call out our accomplishments, without it being too long-winded, as those things so often are. Joanie is that speaker who takes your mind off the boring nature of speechifying by taking you on a word odyssey, painting landscapes and details in equal measure. Who needs PowerPoint when you have Joanie Bigwood. She is a master storyteller, inspiration and wit. I can see how she would appeal to even very young audiences because she is so energetic and creative. She is like a stand-up comedian, but with much more to say.

Kate A.

Apr 20, 2016

Joan gave a reading (from her novel, "Co-opted") and spoke at a social gathering at my church. We are a large, downtown parish in a state capitol and her audience is not easy to please. She had them eating out of her hand! They laughed, they wept, they let their coffee grow cold -- they were entranced. Joan is truly a magical speaker.

Alla S.

Jul 5, 2018

Joan is the only person who has ever been able to reduce my strong accent—by using clever tricks and exercises. She is also a fine editor, a devoted teacher, and she will be your biggest fan. Joan is more than a coach. She is an inspiration. I recommend her highly.

FAQs

What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
My minimum fee is $500, and the maximum is $5,000 so far!
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
I begin with a phone or Skype call. I gather background information, a process which drives my creative process. No canned talks here! I do a final check-in for any possible lSt-minute changes. There is always an extra sheen on the day.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I am an award-winning novelist and poet. My gift for language led to a decade-long writing career at Stanford University, where I wrote speeches, among other high-level communication in the Development Office. I have been a Toastmaster for several years, to hone my technique and help others achieve their speech-making goals.