About

MessageHouse.org creator, Marc Fest

Messagehouse.org creator Marc Fest is the founder of Elevator Speech Training (www.est.io), a coaching service rooted in the Message House Method that helps professionals communicate successfully in speaking situations that are important to them (for example, when they raise money, interview for a job, or talk about their project or organization).

Clients include foundations like Carnegie, Ford, JPB, and Knight but also businesses like Axel Springer, an international media company.

From 2007 to 2012, Marc was vice president of communications for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the world’s leading foundation for innovation in communications and media.

From 2004 to 2006, he served as vice president of communications for the New World Symphony, an orchestral academy based in Miami.

While he did not invent the original Message House Method (its origin is unclear), Marc has refined it by adding an optional step that uses four simple questions to help devise key messages. He created MessageHouse.org, a free communications tool used by businesses, non-profits, governments and individuals around the world.

For more information, check out the Message House Story.

Marc does his coaching work from a remote farm in the Everglades where he lives with his Belgian shepherd dog Zeus. More importantly, Zeus has his own online presence at www.SeeMyDog.com.

Testimonials about Message House-based Elevator Speech Training

“If only all my one-hour meetings were so productive!”

Priya Jayachandran
CEO, National Housing Trust

“This one-hour session was more impactful than weeks I have spent in other communications trainings.”

Dan Nissenbaum
CEO, Low Income Investment Fund

“Marc dramatically increased the effectiveness of my pitch – in just one hour.”

Kyra Shields
Bright Cities Program Director, Healthy Babies Bright Futures

“Seriously one of the best trainings I ever had.”

Marielena Hincapie
Executive Director, National Immigration Law Center

“In just an hour I left with concrete ways I can be more effective.”

Rachel Micah-Jones
Executive Director, Centro de los Derechos del Migrante

“Miraculous improvements… in one fast-paced hour.”

Roz Savage
First woman to row solo across three oceans, Author, Environmentalist

“In an hour, I went from having a rambling discussion of my goals to a compelling 3 minute pitch.”

Annelle Sheline, Research Fellow, Quincy Institute

 “I had no idea so much could be done in just one hour!”

Heather Ferguson, Executive Director, Common Cause, New Mexico