Jose Ucar, Public Speaking Coach
Helping business owners and people in business to present with impact and confidence!
Featured on Yahoo Finance and Yahoo News as one of the Top Ten Public Speaking Coaches. Some of his articles have been featured on Mentors, Thrive Global, Disrupt Magazine and The Influencer Age.
Jose Ucar is a global TEDx speaker, curator and host, NLP coach, international business, marketing specialist and founder of Jose Ucar Ltd. Jose has spent the last ten years travelling the world, successfully growing and promoting different businesses by working alongside them to bring about transformational change through the power of advanced communication skills.
His goal is to give you the confidence to present the best version of yourself when communicating with others and speaking in public. “My motto is, learn to communicate with yourself first, then with others, and finally broadcast your message to the world," Jose says. This is reflected in his own personal speaking style, which he has spent years perfecting through learning neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), business, marketing and professional public speaking from some of the best coaches in the world.
Jose’s clients and partners include Procter & Gamble, SEAT, CUPRA, Sabio Group, Othership, Sports Work, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, The NHS, and General Assembly, to name a few.
He also has a growing community of over 40 thousand online students, with his signature World-Class Communicator Online Training Course being an amazing source of knowledge to give you the skills and techniques to adapt your presenting style and speech content for maximum impact in any setting.
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
Clubhouse - There is nothing like human interactions in real-time. At Clubhouse, the whole know, like and trust can take place in a single room. Greater human connections take place in less time. This is why I love it.
Tell us about you and your current role or area of interest.
I'm Venezuelan! I'm International! I'm a business owner, and I'm a communication and public speaking coach, NLP Master Trainer and Marketing Consultant who started presenting on international stages at the age of 16. For the past ten years, I've travelled the world, successfully growing and promoting different businesses, and I'm super passionate about human interactions that take place across cultures.
I speak, train, and coach on how to stand out, connect and deliver your greatness through the power of advanced communication skills. In simple terms, how to communicate successfully with your own flare to positively influence your audience.
What do you like about your career or area of focus?
Public Speaking is a transformational experience that requires daily practice and personal growth. You are never your final product, and public speaking is always testing you. But, if you use it to your advantage, it will help you uncover your deepest treasures.
Suppose you are on a journey of self-discovery and are willing to put yourself out there to positively impact people's lives while impacting yours. In that case, public speaking provides an incredible platform to shine, grow and evolve.
I've had people telling me that they hate and fear public speaking, and in a very short period of time, they have jumped on a stage and delivered their greatness with a level of freedom they never experienced before. It's ok to freak out in order to stand out. However, success is on the other side of fear, and public speaking can be the bridge.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
I was only 12 when my teacher Marcos Subero said to me. He used to call me by my surname. Ucar, to succeed in life, you need to do two things.
One - is to read newspapers every day (which I never did)
Second - to master public speaking.
That advice changed my life and has helped me to change and impact many more.
What inspires you, motivates you, or helps you to move forward?
The change I see in people. Waking up knowing that I'm building something that is greater than myself. To leave a legacy. To grow every day while gaining flexibility in my human interactions. To be able to tell my parents, wife, brothers and friends how much I love them.
What are you proud of in your life so far?
I'm proud of the many mistakes I've made and continue to make because each one of them has made me a better human being. I strongly believe that there is no failure, there is only learning, and if I die tomorrow, I'm happy because I've given everything my best (with the resources I have available).
What is your preferred way to meet new people/network?
In-person. I also recognise that virtually is more cost-effective.
What skills or qualities do you feel have helped you?
An attitude of gratitude without being complacent. Persistency and consistency have also been key. Becoming obsessed with the things I desire has also been helpful when I've managed to balance it out. I like to call it a healthy obsession for what I want.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
That stress is detrimental to success. That it's very important to work on your craft every day and trust the process, there are way too many things that we can't control, so spend time on the ones you can.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles and why?
I admire the people who have had a direct positive impact on my life. You can imagine this is going to be a very long list. I will mention the three people that come to mind.
I admire Toby McCartney for his ability to come up with incredible business ideas and turn them into successful businesses.
Sue Knight, for her ability to unleash the best out in people and for always moving forward regardless, is a great example of a powerful and determined mindset.
Last but not least, Elliot Kay, because I still haven't met a human being with more energy and determination. He is a great inspiration and a very positive influence in the public speaking world. But, most importantly, he is my friend.
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
Spending time with friends and family has always been number one. I believe in body and mind balance, so regular exercise is a priority (although I don't do as much as I'd like to). Then I like to read and speak in public, and this is my profession, interest and hobby all together. I like a simple life. Loving my wife is also very important (in case she reads this).
Has the pandemic had a positive or a negative effect on you and/or your business, and how have you managed it?
It was extremely tough at the beginning. Then it's turned into an oasis of opportunities since borders disappeared with virtual taking over. In a day, I can speak to Australia, The States, Europe, Russia, and Latin America. I do it all from my phone and laptop. I'm also glad to see more in-person events beginning to re-emerge.
But the transition was very painful, and it didn't happen overnight. I worked day and night moving the business online, creating an online course, new website, speaking on various platforms each day and more. The key: consistency, persistence and flexibility. I was determined to make it happen no matter what.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever mentored anyone?
I have several, and I've mentored many. If you want to succeed, it's important to look for help and support because there are many people who have already been where you are, so why reinvent the wheel? Time is limited, and to me a mentor and/or coach is a person that will help me achieve what I want in less time; it's a no-brainer.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work or interests?
I'd say join me and join an incredible community of human beings that want to create positive change. Together we are stronger, and we all bring something unique to the public speaking industry. Work on your craft every day, don't compare yourself with others, learn from failure, trust the process, have a mentor/coach and have some fun.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
One reason I come across often is that people have unrealistic expectations of what it takes to start a business and make it a success. Many have been sold the idea that it will happen overnight. The truth is that it's a very challenging process with many ups and downs. Of course, it's also rewarding, but be mentally ready because it will test you every day.
Is there a phrase, quote or a saying that you really like?
"We are never our finished product, and the fun is in the making!"
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
I'm all about the positive impact, so I like businesses and organisations that add value to society and the environment.
MacRebur - Building roads with waste plastics.
TOMS - Giving 1/3 of their profits to drive sustainable change.
Trinity - A charity committed to ending homelessness in the UK.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience/readership?
Success to me is Freedom. So, it is being able to do what I love day in and day out. But, success is also developing a way of thinking that enables me to solve problems and turn challenges into opportunities.
Apart from everything that I've shared, I'd invite everyone reading this to invest in their mindset and always remember that the quality of your thinking will determine the quality of your outcomes in life.
Go out there, make mistakes, learn, trust the process, turn your obstacles into opportunities, your weaknesses into strengths and live the life you deserve and want.