Born to Speak
The Story Behind Communicate Powerfully.
Communicate Powerfully didn’t start as a business idea. It started as a pattern Carly Shorter couldn’t unsee.
Over years working in radio, leadership, and facilitation, Carly kept noticing the same thing play out - good people, with good intentions, struggling when conversations got uncomfortable. Not because they didn’t care. But because they didn’t have the confidence, language, or tools to say what needed to be said in the moment.
Projects stalled. Relationships frayed. Tension went underground. And the cost - to people and performance - was real. That observation became the foundation of Communicate Powerfully.
A bit about Carly
Carly brings over two decades of experience in communication, leadership, and facilitation - including 14 years in radio across Aotearoa and Australia, followed by senior leadership roles where she helped grow and lead national organisations.
Along the way, she learned something the hard way:
Communication isn’t about being louder, tougher, or more articulate.
It’s about awareness, courage, and choice - especially under pressure.
Some of Carly’s most important learning didn’t come from theory or textbooks. It came from:
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Leading teams through uncertainty and change
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Navigating difficult conversations herself
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Making mistakes, repairing relationships, and trying again
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Watching what actually worked - and what didn’t - in real workplaces
That lived experience shapes everything she teaches.
How Carly works
Carly is known for facilitation that is:
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Warm, real, and engaging
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Playful where it helps, steady where it’s needed
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Safe enough for honesty, challenging enough for growth
She doesn’t position herself as the expert with all the answers.
She creates the conditions where people can think, reflect, practice - and choose how they want to show up.
That balance of depth and practicality is what clients consistently comment on.
Our Values
We are Purposeful
We are intentional and ensure we have a clear sense of what we want to achieve, so that we deliver a meaningful experience, aligning the content with your outcomes.
We are Authentic
We bring a down-to-earth approach to the work we do and foster meaningful connections with clients and learners alike.
We are Playful
We inject a lively spirit into our sessions, making them enjoyable, interactive and memorable.
We are Quality Focused
We prioritise quality, offering top-tier communication training from start to finish. Our goal is to empower success through effective communication.
Why Communicate Powerfully exists...
Communicate Powerfully was created to give people what Carly wished she’d had earlier in her own leadership journey - practical, human tools to communicate clearly and respectfully when it matters most.
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No scripts.
No corporate jargon.
No box-ticking training.
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Learning to take ownership of their impact
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Helping people understand themselves and others more clearly
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Teach people to address issues early instead of avoiding them
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Help people, teams, and workplaces to build trust through honest, respectful conversation
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Today, Communicate Powerfully is delivered by Carly and a growing network of licensed Communicate
Powerfully trainers (CPLTs), supporting organisations across Aotearoa NZ and beyond.
While the work has grown, the heart of it hasn’t changed.
At its core, Communicate Powerfully is about this:
Clear communication gives people a choice - and that changes everything.