Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Hennis.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
About 10 years ago, I was working as a graphic designer for a research organization. I worked on many different types of designs, but what I found constantly frustrating were the presentations. I was often asked to help scientists and researchers with their presentations at the very last minute, and because they were out of time, I was told, “Just make it pretty.” But making something pretty is never the goal in design–communication is. I felt like these slides missed the mark. They were overloaded with text and information and weren’t focusing on what the audience actually needed.
So, I approached my boss and asked if I could research what makes information memorable. I had studied psychology and graphic design in undergrad and had always loved research, so I dove into peer-reviewed articles on how people learn and retain information. From that work, I created my very first workshop on how to give better presentations.
That original workshop has evolved over time, but I still teach presenters how to communicate more effectively by thinking about their audience and what they can process. To present more memorably, presenters need to understand their audience’s working memory, attention, and cognitive load; use visuals intentionally to guide what the audience sees, focuses on, and remembers; and clearly tell their story.
Today, I run my own business, where I help individuals tell their story visually through graphic design or verbally through presentations. I work with presenters, teams, and organizations to help them present more effectively, pitch more persuasively, and run better meetings. I’d love the opportunity to work with you and help you tell your story in the most impactful way possible.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I launched my business in December of 2019, and just a few months later, the global pandemic brought everything to a halt. In March of 2020, every contract I had worked so hard to secure was suddenly canceled. I went from feeling like my business would be profitable within six months to not knowing when (or if) that would happen.
It was an incredibly uncertain and discouraging moment, but I kept moving forward. I experimented constantly and pivoted often. I reached out to everyone I knew. I shifted from in-person workshops to online offerings. I tested new ideas, launched new services, and, honestly, threw a lot of spaghetti at the wall to see what would stick.
Starting out that way fundamentally shaped how I run my business today. Now, every year I reassess what’s working, what needs to change, and where I need to pivot next. I’m always asking myself: if one stream of income disappeared tomorrow, would the business survive? That mindset has made me more flexible, more strategic, and more willing to take calculated risks. It also taught me the value of persistence and hard work; I’m not afraid to put in long hours to build something I truly believe in. What began as a crisis ultimately made my business stronger and more resilient.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
What makes my business unique is that I approach presentations from the audience’s perspective. I don’t just help the presenter feel more confident. While I absolutely love helping people feel more comfortable on stage, confidence alone doesn’t guarantee communication. And a great performance doesn’t necessarily mean an audience will remember anything. My focus is on making sure the message is actually received, understood, and remembered.
I specialize in blending graphic design, teaching, and the science of learning to help presenters communicate their message more effectively. Every workshop and one-on-one engagement is grounded in research on working memory, and how people process information. This allows me to tailor presentations so audiences stay engaged, don’t zone out, and walk away with a clear, specific message and call to action that’s easy to say yes to.
The results consistently speak for themselves. I’ve had participants tell me that audience members called their presentation the best they had ever seen. Recently, a group I worked with presented to a local government body, and someone in attendance, who had been in local government for 25 years, told them it was the best presentation they had ever sat through in 2.5 decades. It wasn’t just because the slides looked great (although they did) and it wasn’t just because the presenters were confident (although they were rock stars). It was because the message was intentionally designed for the audience to understand, remember, and act on. And they did receive a yes that day.
What I’m most proud of brand-wise is seeing my clients realize that great communication doesn’t have to be complicated. Initially, when implementing my new approaches, I tell clients to choose one thing to focus on. Once that gets easier, choose another one. They build on their presentation skills bit by bit, and when they apply these principles and feel empowered to do it on their own, it means there’s one more person in the world who can teach their coworkers, teams, and future mentees how to communicate more effectively. Ultimately, that means fewer wasted meetings for everyone and more presentations that get things done.
PowerPoint typically gets a bad rap. There’s even a phrase “death by PowerPoint” for those terrible slides with the presenter’s notes typed up and read to the audience. But I believe PowerPoint (and any other presentation software) is just a tool. When people learn how to use it intentionally, they can create content that audiences remember for years. I’ve had workshop participants reach out 5 years after our sessions to tell me they still remember specific exercises and that the way they communicate at work has permanently changed.
At the end of the day, I don’t just help people make better presentations. I help them transform how they communicate, which makes every meeting, pitch, workshop, and lecture more effective for the rest of their careers.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I loved being outside as a child (and still do). As a kid my sisters, neighbors and friends would play outside and make up amazing make-believe stories that we would act out. My love of nature and storytelling hasn’t subsided. I still go hiking, exploring natural parks and mountain ranges near and far. I help my clients with storytelling on a daily basis.
Pricing:
- I offer in-person and virutal workshops that are priced based on location, group size, and customization
- I offer presentation design packages based on how many slides you need designed
- I can offer other designs, such as infographics, postcards, social media posts, whitepapers, book covers, logos, etc. These are priced based on what you are looking for and the hours required
- I do offer asynchronous courses that are priced individually: https://makeitmemorable.studio/courses/
Contact Info:
- Website: https://makeitmemorable.studio/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellehennis/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@drhennis
- Other: https://www.daniellehennis.com/
