ABOUT DOUG CAMPBELL
VIDEO - My Story: How I became obsessed with the study of communication skills
Most of the success I have had in life has come from my ability to communicate. I used to have terrible communication skills myself, but I set out to conquer them and eventually turned my weaknesses into strengths. Now I am inspired to teach those skills to others.
Read my story below.
Read my story below.
EARLY YEARS
When I was growing up, my family traveled around the world because of my father's job. I went to elementary school in Germany, middle school in Florida, and high school in California and Belgium.
The experience of moving every few years was great for learning different cultures and meeting different kinds of people, but not great for social skills development. I was friendly but quiet for the most part - what most people would probably label an introvert. My communication skills were near the bottom of the barrel. One of my clearest memories from high school is a little graduation party we had. I remember feeling very awkward, not knowing how to make small talk, even with people that I knew fairly well. I sat in the corner hoping that nobody would come over and talk to me. Not exactly what you would expect of a future career public speaker and communication coach!
The graduation party was the first time in my life that I really felt like I was missing out because of my communication skills. I knew that I had to make some changes.
I went to college at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. This is where my communication and social skills really took off. I knew that these skills would probably be needed in whatever career I chose, so, with much anxiety and hesitation, I signed up for an intro to public speaking class. To my surprise, I thrived in the class. I actually even enjoyed it. The quiet, focused, introverted kid who had entered college was making some major changes.
After considering a career in law and majoring in political science, I decided to change direction and become a high school teacher. When I was entering college, I never would have thought in a million years that I would become a teacher, or anything else that included much public speaking for that matter.
My public speaking practice had prepared me well.
The experience of moving every few years was great for learning different cultures and meeting different kinds of people, but not great for social skills development. I was friendly but quiet for the most part - what most people would probably label an introvert. My communication skills were near the bottom of the barrel. One of my clearest memories from high school is a little graduation party we had. I remember feeling very awkward, not knowing how to make small talk, even with people that I knew fairly well. I sat in the corner hoping that nobody would come over and talk to me. Not exactly what you would expect of a future career public speaker and communication coach!
The graduation party was the first time in my life that I really felt like I was missing out because of my communication skills. I knew that I had to make some changes.
I went to college at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. This is where my communication and social skills really took off. I knew that these skills would probably be needed in whatever career I chose, so, with much anxiety and hesitation, I signed up for an intro to public speaking class. To my surprise, I thrived in the class. I actually even enjoyed it. The quiet, focused, introverted kid who had entered college was making some major changes.
After considering a career in law and majoring in political science, I decided to change direction and become a high school teacher. When I was entering college, I never would have thought in a million years that I would become a teacher, or anything else that included much public speaking for that matter.
My public speaking practice had prepared me well.
TeachINg career
I got my first teaching job soon after graduating college and taught for many years. At first I taught U.S. History and Economics, but quickly changed to math and taught just about every math class offered at the high school level at some point.
Even though I taught for a long time, I knew from the beginning that I would probably not retire as a teacher. There would come a time when I would make a change. To what, exactly, was unclear for a long time.
I enjoyed working with young people, but my fascination with communication skills continued. This interest eventually led the publication of two advice books for educators that focused heavily on the communication and social skills side of teaching. Not bad for a math guy!
My love for helping people with communication-related issues was starting to grow.
Even though I taught for a long time, I knew from the beginning that I would probably not retire as a teacher. There would come a time when I would make a change. To what, exactly, was unclear for a long time.
I enjoyed working with young people, but my fascination with communication skills continued. This interest eventually led the publication of two advice books for educators that focused heavily on the communication and social skills side of teaching. Not bad for a math guy!
My love for helping people with communication-related issues was starting to grow.
first inspiration to coach communication skills
In 2011, another defining moment in my fascination with communication skills occurred - a friend of a friend who I barely knew asked me to help him improve his social skills. This acquaintance was very uncomfortable talking to strangers and people in general and wanted to get better.
I agreed to help, and I wound up working with him for an entire summer - taking my new student downtown and giving him communication challenges. The two of us would walk up and down the street and talk to strangers, while I would give communication and social skills tips. At the end of the summer, he had improved a lot and suggested that I go public with my ideas.
I was hesitant to publicize my communication ideas at first. I really only got involved to help this one guy, not to share things publicly. I talked to a few trusted friends about the idea, though, and they encouraged me to go public. As a result, I created a website and blog to discuss dating, relationships, and general communication and social skills.
But did I really want to be the dating advice guy? That didn't feel like the perfect fit for me. It also felt like there would be too much of a risk that I might help people who wanted to just get better so they could use people. So I took a break for a little while from the communication-advice-giving life.
I agreed to help, and I wound up working with him for an entire summer - taking my new student downtown and giving him communication challenges. The two of us would walk up and down the street and talk to strangers, while I would give communication and social skills tips. At the end of the summer, he had improved a lot and suggested that I go public with my ideas.
I was hesitant to publicize my communication ideas at first. I really only got involved to help this one guy, not to share things publicly. I talked to a few trusted friends about the idea, though, and they encouraged me to go public. As a result, I created a website and blog to discuss dating, relationships, and general communication and social skills.
But did I really want to be the dating advice guy? That didn't feel like the perfect fit for me. It also felt like there would be too much of a risk that I might help people who wanted to just get better so they could use people. So I took a break for a little while from the communication-advice-giving life.
doug campbell training
After studying communication and social skills for awhile with a focus on dating and relationships, I had a breakthrough idea - I realized that these objectives were just one possible end result of many. The actual goal didn't really matter. The skills needed to succeed in those areas could be applied to any objective that required communication, both in personal and professional situations. This opened up the door for many more possibilities.
My goal now is to help people with ANY communication-related challenge that they face, from personal to professional. The specifics of the goal are not as crucial as figuring out the communication skills needed to reach it. That means that I can help people no matter what the goal is, as long as it is connected to communication.
My goal now is to help people with ANY communication-related challenge that they face, from personal to professional. The specifics of the goal are not as crucial as figuring out the communication skills needed to reach it. That means that I can help people no matter what the goal is, as long as it is connected to communication.
I created this website to help people improve in an underrated but extremely important area - communication skills.
So, if you would like to improve the way you or your organization communicates through public speaking, social skills, or virtual communication skills, I would love to help. Your level of success, happiness, and peace of mind that you achieve may depend on your ability to communicate.
Get in touch today to find out more.
So, if you would like to improve the way you or your organization communicates through public speaking, social skills, or virtual communication skills, I would love to help. Your level of success, happiness, and peace of mind that you achieve may depend on your ability to communicate.
Get in touch today to find out more.
OTHER FACTS ABOUT DOUG
• Grew up playing soccer and other sports
• Coached basketball and tennis in North and South Carolina for many years.
• Wrote two books for teachers to help them with leadership discipline, school relationships, and general survival in the teaching profession.
• Wrote The 200 Communication Commandments: Practical Tips for Personal and Professional Situations
• Paid for his first car and house down payment from the proceeds from selling sports cards that he collected as a youth.
• Has lived in the Upstate of South Carolina since college
• Coached basketball and tennis in North and South Carolina for many years.
• Wrote two books for teachers to help them with leadership discipline, school relationships, and general survival in the teaching profession.
• Wrote The 200 Communication Commandments: Practical Tips for Personal and Professional Situations
• Paid for his first car and house down payment from the proceeds from selling sports cards that he collected as a youth.
• Has lived in the Upstate of South Carolina since college
