Sarah Mitchell

Sarah’s journey into confidence coaching started with a moment she’ll never forget. She watched a colleague transform after overcoming severe public speaking anxiety — something that had held him back for years. That moment sparked a passion. She realised how many people were struggling silently, convinced they just weren’t “natural speakers” or confident types. That wasn’t true then, and it’s not true now.

After completing her Bachelor of Communication Studies at the University of Queensland, Sarah spent five years as a corporate trainer. But she noticed something troubling. Confidence training was expensive, often locked behind corporate budgets that everyday people couldn’t access. So in 2015, she shifted gears entirely — moving from boardrooms to community centres. The work felt more real. More meaningful.

Building VoiceUp’s Foundation

In 2016, Sarah recognised a critical gap in accessible, evidence-based confidence training for everyday Australians. She founded the first of VoiceUp’s assertiveness coaching programs in Brisbane — starting small, working with community groups and professionals who’d been told they weren’t cut out for public speaking or networking. The results spoke for themselves.

When she joined VoiceUp Australia Limited as Senior Program Director in 2019, she brought that same ground-level approach. She’s since expanded the organisation’s reach to Perth and Adelaide, developing modular workshops that address stage fright, networking anxiety, and professional communication challenges. Her work isn’t about turning introverts into extroverts. It’s about helping people find their authentic voice — and then use it with confidence.

The Evidence-Based Approach

Sarah holds a postgraduate certification in Cognitive Behavioural Coaching from the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors. That training shaped how she works. Every program she designs is grounded in psychological principles. She’s trained facilitators across the VoiceUp network and regularly contributes research on anxiety reduction techniques in professional communication settings. This isn’t guesswork — it’s proven methodology delivered with genuine care.

What drives her? The moment when someone realises they can do something they thought was impossible. When a person who’s been silent in meetings finds their voice. When networking stops feeling like torture and starts feeling like connection. That’s what keeps her designing programs, training facilitators, and showing up to community centres across three Australian cities.