Executive media training and presentation coaching
The media trainer Fortune 500 companies call when the stakes are high
Media training is the preparation you need when it's your CEO on CNBC or your team facing a crisis. You can't wing it. Jess Todtfeld trains senior executives, government officials, and organizational leaders to communicate with authority.
- Former ABC, NBC and FOX producer
- Guinness World Record holder
- Certified Speaking Professional
Not sure where you stand? Take the 2-minute High Stakes Presenter Scorecard.
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Tell us what you need. Personal reply from Jess's team within one business day.
Success in Media provides executive media training, presentation coaching and spokesperson training to leaders across the country and around the world. It is led by Jess Todtfeld, a former ABC, NBC and FOX producer with 13 years in television and a Guinness World Record holder. Every program is custom-built, led personally by Jess, and delivered at your location or virtually.
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One interview. One presentation. One moment.
The executives who earn trust in the media, and at the boardroom table, aren't necessarily the smartest people in the room. They're the ones who've been trained to communicate under pressure.
Jess Todtfeld has trained leaders across healthcare, finance, government, legal, and technology. The methodology is built on one principle: give them the exact tools they need before they need them.
- 20+ years training senior executives
- 13 years producing at ABC, NBC and FOX
- 112 interviews completed, 96 officially certified by Guinness
- 100% customized to your situation
Training built for high-stakes moments
Every engagement is customized. These are the core programs.
Executive Media Training
TV, radio, print, and podcast interview preparation. Message development, bridging techniques, and handling hostile questions, so nothing catches you off guard.
Learn more about executive media trainingHigh-Stakes Presentation Training
Board presentations, earnings calls, keynote speeches, and investor pitches. The skill of commanding a room is learnable, and it changes everything.
Learn more about presentation trainingOn-Camera Training
From earnings calls and virtual board presentations to major network appearances. The subtle signals that separate executives who command the camera from those who disappear into it.
Learn more about on-camera trainingCrisis Communication
When an issue breaks, you have hours, not days. Jess prepares your team with the frameworks, message discipline, and rapid-response instincts to control the narrative.
Learn more about crisis communicationSpokesperson Training
Team-based programs for communications departments and corporate affairs teams. Build internal bench strength so every spokesperson is ready.
Learn more about spokesperson trainingOn-Site Media Training
Programs delivered at your office or facility nationwide, with separate options for virtual media training and sessions at our New York City studio on Madison Avenue. One-day intensives, multi-day programs, and custom blended formats available.
Learn more about on-site media trainingTraining tailored to your industry
Every sector has different stakes, different media landscapes, and different risks. Choose yours
- Healthcare & Doctors HIPAA-aware messaging, crisis prep and on-camera coaching
- Finance & Banking Interview prep and crisis communication for financial leaders
- Legal & Law Firms Courtroom-to-camera coaching and litigation communication
- Technology Product launches, analyst briefings and breach response
- Government & Public Sector Congressional testimony and press conferences
- Nonprofit & NGO Board presentations, fundraising pitches and press interviews
- Energy & Utilities Community relations and regulatory communication
- Higher Education Press prep for presidents, deans and administrators
- Pharma & Biotech FDA approvals, pricing scrutiny and clinical trial news
- Sports & Athletics Press conferences for executives, athletes and teams
- Insurance Catastrophe response, rate hearings and the financial press
- Media & Entertainment On-camera coaching and press prep for the industry
Same facts. A third of the words.
Jess teaches a method he calls the Sound Bite System: a quotable answer in 30 seconds or less. Here is one answer, edited the way a producer edits it.
Reporter“Your product was recalled last month. Why should anyone trust you now?”
Well, I think it’s important to understand that, you know, we take these things very seriously, and what I would say is that, at the end of the day, we found the problem ourselves, and, frankly, we fixed it in nine days, and going forward we are, sort of, committed to making sure that every customer hears it from us first.
We found the problem ourselves. We fixed it in nine days. Every customer hears it from us first.
Illustrative teaching example, not a client.
In a session you do this with your own answers, on camera, with Jess producing.
See how the training worksNot sure which training you need? Watch this first.
In about 90 seconds, Jess shows you how to choose the right training program for your situation.
Rather talk it through? Speak with Jess or design your training.
What leaders say after working with Jess
Choose a client
“I closed a million-dollar deal after hearing Jess’ strategies. I can’t begin to thank you.”
A client’s experience in their own words. Individual results vary.
“I now feel like I have the tools to be able to create more action from the people I speak to. I am grateful for the on-camera practice. I was immediately able to make changes to my presentations and improve them on the spot.”
“It’s hard to walk away from Jess Todtfeld’s training without ‘aha’ moments and a list of valuable pointers for dramatically improving communication skills.”
“The Sound Bite system is something I can implement right away. Your techniques on handling negative questions were exactly what I needed.”
The trainer behind the transformation
Jess Todtfeld spent 13 years on the other side of the camera as a television producer at ABC, NBC and FOX, deciding which guests made air and which executives came across as credible, before making it his mission to help executives communicate the way the best broadcasters do: with clarity, authority, and control.
Today, Jess is one of the most sought-after media trainers in the country, working with C-suite leaders, government officials, athletes, and communications teams at organizations that cannot afford a bad moment in public.
- Television
- 13 years producing at ABC, NBC and FOX
- Distinction
- Guinness World Record holder: 112 interviews completed, 96 officially certified
- Credential
- Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), held by fewer than 1% of speakers worldwide
- Author
- Media Secrets, a #1 international bestseller in 4 countries
- Method
- Creator of the High Stakes Presenter (HSP) Methodology
- Experience
- 5,000+ media segments produced
- Clients
- 12+ industries, including Fortune 500 companies
- After the training
- 365-day support and accountability program included at no extra cost
- Where
- Wherever you are: at your location or virtually, with leaders trained on six continents
Rehearse today. Be ready all year.
The training day is where the rehearsal happens. It is not where the preparation ends, and it is not where the support ends.
Each tick is one week. The bright tick at the top is the training day, and the longer ticks mark each quarter of the year.
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Before we meet: your world, understood
Preparation starts with what is actually at stake. We work through your audience, your message, and the difficult questions before anyone picks up a camera.
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In the room: practice, watch, refine
Realistic on-camera rehearsal with direct feedback from a former network producer. You record, play it back, and adjust.
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The next 365 days: the conversation continues
Support and accountability do not end when the training day does. During the year you have your trainer for 7 critiques or pep talks, a multimedia library, and a workbook customized from your own training, along with weekly tips, all at no extra cost.
Support details are confirmed in your proposal.
Questions executives ask before they book
What is media training?
Media training is a structured coaching program that teaches executives and spokespeople how to handle press interviews, on-camera appearances, and high-pressure public moments. At Success in Media it is built on Jess Todtfeld's HSP: High Stakes Presenter Methodology, and every session is customized to the interviews you are actually facing.
Who is media training for?
Any professional who speaks on behalf of an organization when the stakes are high: C-suite executives, board members, spokespeople, investor relations teams, government officials, attorneys, physicians, and nonprofit leaders.
How is media training different from presentation coaching?
Media training is for the moments you do not control: press interviews, live TV, crisis situations, hostile Q&A. Presentation coaching is for prepared remarks such as keynotes, board presentations, and investor pitches, where you control the room. Jess does both, and many clients combine them.
Is the training in person or virtual?
Both. Jess trains in person at your location or at his New York City studio, and virtually through a professional video setup that goes well beyond a standard Zoom call. He has trained executives on six continents.
Will I work directly with Jess?
Yes. Every session, one-on-one or full team workshop, is led personally by Jess Todtfeld. There are no associate trainers and no junior coaches.
How much does media training cost?
Pricing depends on the number of participants, the length of the program, the location, and how much customization you need. Every program is custom-built, so the fastest way to get a real number is to request a quick quote and describe what is coming up.
Your next high-stakes moment is closer than you think.
Whether it's a board presentation next month or a hostile reporter's call this afternoon. The time to prepare is now.
Personal reply from Jess’s team within one business day. Prefer the phone? Call (646) 233-1424.