Open. Listening. Knowledge. Amplified
Most people are not short of ideas. What gets in the way is the microphone, the blank page before you hit record, the uncertainty about how to shape what you know into something people will want to listen to.
That’s exactly what On Mic w/OLKA™ is for.
I have been broadcasting since 2015. Over a decade of live shows, CPD-accredited podcast learning and bespoke production work across professional development and higher education. JFI Radio is one of the longest continuously-running independent professional development podcasts in the UK.
Finding Your Voice Through Podcasting.
These are hands-on sessions, not lectures. You'll record, listen back and refine, because that's the best way to learn. We'll cover microphone technique and basic audio awareness, because good sound makes a huge difference and it's more straightforward than people think. We'll work on voice and breath, pace and presence, and how to stop sounding like you're reading off a page. We'll structure your thinking before you hit record so your ideas come out clearly, and if you want to go further, we get into planning and producing a short episode from scratch, editing basics and how to build a format that fits your purpose.
These sessions work well for professional development teams, higher education faculties, student cohorts, and organisations that want their people to communicate with more confidence and clarity.
I've delivered workshops in university settings and across different professional contexts. The approach adapts to where you are and what you need.
Your Voice, Your Way.
This is for individuals who want to work on their voice specifically, whether that's for podcasting, public speaking, presenting, or simply feeling more confident when they open their mouth in a room full of people. We'll work on breath control, pacing and tone. On how to project without shouting and how to slow down without losing the room. On finding the version of your voice that sounds like you at your best, rather than a slightly anxious version of yourself doing an impression of a professional.
Sessions are tailored entirely to you. Some people come with a specific goal, a conference keynote, a podcast they're about to launch, a presentation they've been dreading. Others just know they want to sound and feel more confident and aren't quite sure where to start.
I've delivered vocal coaching with luxury retail professionals in Qatar, research scientists in Kuwait, training professionals in Denmark, health care staff in UK and students to prepare for their assessments.
OLKA was born in Brisbane International transfer lounge in Australia in November 2025. A long layover, a thought that wouldn’t wait, and a Zoom H2n Handy Recorder in my case.
The H2n came into my life much earlier, around 2011, through Radio Leinehertz in Hannover, Germany. I was working on a European Commission project with them as one of my project partners, deep in the world of community radio. I even did an all-night show of my own and read the news every hour on the hour until 4am! Watching the team head out on location with the H2n, compact and unfussy, capturing everything they needed without a van full of equipment, I filed the memory away. Some things just stay with you.
The H2n is the only portable recorder with 5 built-in microphones and 4 recording modes. It handles everything from a focused one-to-one conversation to the full acoustic energy of a room. Onboard compression, limiting and a low-cut filter mean it performs well in real spaces, not just ideal ones like a studio. Auto gain, auto-record, pre-record. Over 20 hours on two AA batteries. it also doubles up as a USB microphone, so the same device that travels with me to workshops connects straight to a laptop without the need for a pre-amp (audio interface).
Compact, capable, and it goes everywhere I go. That’s OLKA.
Just a note: this isn’t a sponsored post, a paid placement or an affiliate arrangement of any kind. I bought my Zoom H2n with my own money, discovered it through my own experience, and write about it here simply because it does exactly what I need it to do. No one asked me to. No one paid me to. That’s the only kind of recommendation worth having.
