MY STORY
Hi, I’m Michal Danenberg.
My love affair with the field of Communication began 25 years ago, with my undergraduate Communication and Management studies. I have gained experience in a variety of management and consulting positions since, in the fields of spokesmanship, PR, marketing and public image.
I established Podium 16 years ago. I wanted to create my own platform, where I can put all my abilities to use, a platform that will focus on everything I love to do and incorporate all the professional knowledge, experience and skills which I have acquired during the years I spent working in the various fields of communication.
Every year was another professional step for me. I have learned a great deal, constantly expanding my knowledge and enriching my reservoir of professional tools and technique. I met many clients from different disciplines and adjusted my workshops, consultancies and lectures to suit them better.
Day by day, the story of Podium and me came to be.
The Podium logo, two speech bubbles turning into a quotation mark, expresses the process I practice with my clients and have all my faith in: I am very excited to meet every new client, then they share their story with me and together we plan their lecture, presentation or assembly. We fine-tune the message, figuring out the best way to convey it to the audience, choose the best visual aids for the job and prepare for the performance together, until the lights go off and the speaker takes the illuminated stage (or screen, at this new Age of Covid).
I believe that everyone can tell their story better and I am here to accompany you on your journey and help you do just that - tell your story better.
My career first took off when I joined a production crew, catering for several television shows, including Yair Lapid’s talk show on Channel 1. Those were the days…
Back then, advertising was where everyone wanted to be and, and I was happy to be admitted to an exclusive account executive development program in one of Israel’s leading advertising and PR firms. I then performed as account executive, moving on to supervisor and associate manager at Porter Novelli Public Relations, of the GITAM BBDO group. At the same time, I was studying towards my MBA. When I was working at GITAM, I was sent to the UK to learn Media Training & Presentation Skills from the leading experts in the field. The training covered public speaking, message delivery and preparing for job interviews in the field of communication.
I took a short break to travel through Australia and New Zealand and came back to lead the Communication and Public Relations course at the College of Management Academic Studies, where I also founded the Spokesmanship and Marketing Communications unit.
My last position, prior to the establishment of Podium, was Vice President of Maala, a non-profit corporate membership organization promoting corporate social responsibility in Israel, member of an international network of organizations promoting corporate social responsibility around the world.
All that I have done and learned throughout the years, the paths I walked and the projects I have gained my experience developing, everything led me to start Podium, in the most natural manner. My work is doing what I love the most: improving and enhancing communication skills, offering employees and employers of any rank and field the tool-kit they need to upgrade the way they manage their public speaking, briefing, feed-back-ing, presenting, conversing and interviewing.
Nowadays, I work with both the private and public sectors. For the last 15 years I have been working with the military sector, licensed by The Ministry of Defence, lecturing at the Israel National Defence College for officers.
I work with established firms, as well as new start-ups and entrepreneurs, and I always enjoy the part I play, accompanying them on their path towards telling their professional story better.