Composure Media: From television broadcasting to business leadership

Founded by former BBC broadcasters, Luisa Baldini and Louisa Preston, Composure Media provides tailored training solutions to help clients communicate with clarity and confidence to any audience. As Luisa and Louisa bring their company to the UAE, they discuss their transition from television broadcasting to business leadership.

Luisa Baldini (LB): I used to find public speaking and TV reporting exhilarating but nerve-wracking. During my career I acquired several techniques to make it easier for myself to feel more confident. I learned the hard way, so I wanted to parcel up all I’d learned to help people in business with their high-stakes moments through training and coaching.

Louisa Preston (LP): I always wanted to be a TV journalist or run my own business, so after working in TV news for 20 years it made sense to take those skills, partner with a fellow expert and establish a business. When we started in TV, it was a very male-dominated environment, and as a woman it was sometimes difficult to get your voice heard – something we still hear from women in business today – so it’s rewarding to help people feel heard.

LB: On TV we had to quickly engage our audiences and hope they’d stick with us. We learned to get to the point quickly, start with the most interesting aspects and then give enough background so people could understand the story. This way of communicating is often needed in business, so we are uniquely positioned to help people in this way.

LP: There is a tendency in business to over-complicate a message, especially as an expert. The key to great communication is clarity and remembering ‘less is more’. On TV you get used to communicating complicated stories in soundbites, but it’s amazing how much you can communicate in business in 30 seconds.

LB: Our clients learn practical tips and techniques that enable them to understand audiences better, communicate with impact and feel more confident in high-stakes moments. They find they are thinking more about their audiences, so they are able to communicate with them more effectively, they feel more in control of what they’re saying and are more confident.

LP: Luisa and I are very open and honest about how we felt at certain points in our careers; even as professional presenters we felt the nerves, and that makes us relatable to people feeling exactly the same in business. We used to get the sweaty palms and butterflies, but channelled in the right way, that adrenalin can enhance your performance.

LB: We know the GCC is a burgeoning region with a huge expat population where English is the dominant business language, which means we can be of service and easily slot in whilst respecting the local culture.

LP: We are passionate about helping people reach their full potential, especially women in business. The UAE’s directive to allocate at least one seat for women on private company boards is another step to enhance gender balance and an exciting time for us to share our expertise with both men and women to help them be impactful leaders.