FAQ

Think of your trainer or coach as your trusted sounding board, helping you to test your assumptions, holistically explore alternatives and strengthen your communicative and leadership presence – your whole self. Just in a laguage that's not your mother tongue. This can be hard, which is why it's good to have a professional sandbox. A sparring session in a professional one-to-one context is a confidential, dynamic, thought-provoking dialogue between a client and a trainer or coach, focused on challenging ideas, refining strategies and accelerating decision-making . Unlike mentoring or therapy, it emphasises an equal footing from the outset and sharpens critical thinking through constructive confrontation.

The best way to see if we’re a fit is to first book a new client session (30-min. via Teams).   Once you’ve booked your new client session, I’ll email you a pre-survey (in English or German). Your answers will help me to prepare for our initial session.   In our initial session, we’ll go over where you currently are and where you want to be by when. We’ll also briefly outline and agree upon how we might work together.   In our first full regular session, we’ll:   Outline your goals in detail Co-create your session roadmap Schedule your sessions Agree on the terms of our collaboration Get started   The emphasis is on co-creation as this work is always at eye level.   One-to-one sessions are typically 45 min. or 60 min.   The total number of sessions agreed upon will vary according to your goals and scheduling.   Sometimes, you might need an emergency session or an extra session at short notice – on top of your existing contingency. In this case, please use the returning client booking button to book additional sessions as needed.

Each session is tailored to your needs following a co-created roadmap.   Think of each session as your personal sandbox to practice using English as a first, second or foreign language. You’ll be doing most of the talking, presenting, persuading, pitching, explaining, exploring, debriefing, defending, probing and questioning – like you would in your job and in your role. Only here, you’ll be doing it in English, facilitated by a professional who’ll offer you feedback, improvements and strategies so that you leave empowered, ready and confident for that next English call, meeting, trade fair, presentation, panel talk, board meeting or EU committee.   One-to-one sessions are typically 45 or 60 min. via Teams (you’ll receive a Teams link for each session in advance).

Please book a session by using the booking buttons on this website:   New clients (30-min. initial session) Returning clients (45- or 60-min. full follow-on session)   Please use the contact form to enquire about workshops. Please provide a brief to keep email back and forth to a minimum.

In most cases, all formats are primarily offered via Teams or Zoom – both great technologies that, with additional online tools, bring out the best in digital collaboration. Let’s not kid ourselves – most business travel these days sucks, so if we can avoid unnecessary flights and traffic jams, keep our carbon footprint low, get a decent night’s sleep in our own beds and keep travel stress at bay before doing the work, we should opt for digital meetings first. In some cases, for example, team workshops, the work will, of course, call for in-person experiences. In such cases, we’ll arrange to meet in person in a way that make sense and is sustainable and for the highest good of all involved.

theslooow.co offers tailored, needs and goal-relevant sparring and coaching sessions in one-to-one or group and team setups. The focus is on helping you do and be your best – to help you and your team better find your voice, work out your whys and hows, and get your message across with confidence. Read some case examples in the playbook to get the gist.

I mostly work one-on-one with clients and also facilitate and moderate events, workshops and retreats with groups of people on request in areas I’m familiar with and have solid experience in. This can range from classic business topics as outlined in the services section and in the playbook, but can also include holistic lifestyle topics such as breathwork – ideal as a mindful addition to classic corporate events or as a prelude. I also have great colleagues and collaborators with whom I’ve partnered up with for years. If you’re looking for something that I can’t help you with, I’ll connect you with someone who can. It’s called neTTworking (German speakers will appreciate the pun).

theslooow.co is a niche service agency that offers non-native speakers of English and mother-tongue English speakers alike uniquley tailored language and communication skills services. Expect thought-provoking insights, practical strategies and transformative experiences designed to help you or you and your team work with greater confidence and clarity in areas where you need and use English for Specific Purposes (academia, audits, R&D, c-suite, HR, committees and panels). The goal? Sustainable professional progress and growth in specific areas were you most need support and a qualified sparring partner.

I co-ran a translation and language training services business for 16 years where, every December at our end-of-year strategy meeting, we’d all choose a word of the year for the coming 12 months. What started out as a bit of a tongue-in-cheek scribble on the whiteboard simply stuck with me and manifested into theslooow.co with three intentional os. In a world still very wired for speed in so many ways, the goal in the work that I do to support you with your language and communication needs, means slowing down to speed up. Read more about the slooow.co in the manifesto and the playbook.

The work we’ll do is about starting where you’re at and taking things beyond that point from a holistic vantage point in English. For example, practising professional dry runs for high-stakes outcomes without losing face; carving out professionally guided time slots to bounce and reflect ideas; reflecting on your work and business strategies and milestones; skilling up on specialist knowledge and working on unique topics or business-relevant content that’s not available in standardised e-learnings or conventional corporate trainings; practising and honing given skills in a foreign language to build self-reliance and self-confidence; working with an external facilitator and mentor to help you and your team rethink approaches; trying out methods and tools to help you and/or your team be and do better. If you’re interested, read some case examples in the playbook to see if we’re a fit.