About Us
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we believe that the body is the most influential factor in communication
Our goal is to empower individuals by developing a stronger nonverbal presence and a greater sense of body awareness. We demystify the concepts of body language and nonverbal behavior and uncover how we can utilize this knowledge to influence our inner and outer narratives.
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Karla Beltchenko founded The Narrative Body to empower individuals, groups, and businesses to find an authentic and confident nonverbal presence and connect and communicate with others on a deeper level. This journey began in 2008 when Miss Beltchenko developed body awareness classes that were taught in three-star Michelin-rated restaurants and luxury hotels. Since then, these classes have grown and evolved into The Narrative Body, expanding our scope to accommodate corporate clients, organizations, and one-to-one clients.
What sets us apart from other professional development coaching and soft skills training is the focus on the mind-body connection. We look to the body as the primary vehicle for communication, uncovering fundamental nonverbal skills that are too often overlooked. We take the time to detail the power behind anatomical awareness and understanding of one's body and discuss emerging research in the field of nonverbal communication and body language studies.
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After working with The Narrative, Body will begin to notice a shift in how you sit, stand, and interact with others; this will permeate into your personal and professional life, allowing you to exude confidence to stand out from the crowd.
Book a Session
Now offering virtual sessions!
June 01, 2020
We work with clients on developing nonverbal skills for success in the virtual space. Learn to be more comfortable presenting behind the camera, and incorporate fundamental nonverbal skills to help you and your team connect and communicate better during video conferences. One to one and group sessions available.
Corporate Training
Each Narrative Body training will encompass the physical and mental aspects of body language and nonverbal communication that will render stronger employee morale, productivity, and professionalism. Technology has changed the way we communicate over the past decade. Because of this shift, when we do have face to face communication our nonverbal skills are less refined. Implementing team training in body awareness, mindful leadership and nonverbal communication will not only benefit employee performance and retention it will also improve authentic, thoughtful and confident interactions with others. We work with each company to understand the brand ideology and the type of experience they would like to offer their employees and clients. In turn, training sessions are customized to meet organizational goals.
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One to One Coaching
We empower individuals to help them find their authentic self through the power of nonverbal communication and body language. We work with individuals on a case by case basis to bring forward their body awareness and nonverbal strengths. Our sessions cover a variety of topics including:
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Public speaking coaching
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Improve your on-camera presence
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Building Nonverbal confidence
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Executive presence
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Career transition training
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Presentation preparation
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Interview preparation
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How to own and read your room
Customer Experience and Hospitality
We have worked with luxury hotels as well as Michelin rated restaurants to establish the power of body awareness within their service culture. Implementing The Narrative Body training will transform the way employees and customers experience service. We work with management to develop nonverbal service standards within the organization. These standards are then put into practice through group training exercises which focus on the physical and mental implications of these standards becoming habitual within the culture of the company. Instituting nonverbal customer experience training will differentiate your company, your staff, and your brand, allowing your service quality to rise above the competition.
What People Say
Tina
Chicago, IL
Business School Interview Prep
I met with Karla to prep for business school interviews. Everything we went over was not only helpful for my interviews but also immediately applicable and valuable for my day-to-day work interactions, particularly in leading a team. Karla is extremely knowledgeable about the narrative body and, as a researcher, I really appreciated her research-based approach to the subject matter. I highly recommend Karla for interview prep and more generally for anyone looking to improve their leadership skills.
Deanne August
Honolulu, Hawaii
Building Confidence
Wow, I’ve taken and listened to a lot of professional and personal development classes, podcasts, etc. but this was something different that I had never been taught before. What I learned from Karla was something new to me and it complimented all the other teachings I had applied in my life. It helps me to achieve my goals I set for myself and I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to learn from her. She also is very professional and personable, which makes talking to her so easy.
Dan Lesser
Chicago, IL
Even virtual, a powerful experience for rising team leaders
Karla was extremely flexible and gracious in scheduling and re-scheduling (and re-re-scheduling) an event for emerging leaders on the Operations team. When it became clear that the event would have to be held virtually, Karla worked with me to adapt the content to our needs and to remote delivery. The content was immensely helpful in elevating the participants' awareness of how their body language plays a critical role in coordinating productively with others, and most importantly, in leading effectively.