90 minutes. Camera-ready.
No agency middleman.
The same one-on-one media prep Ben Tobias ran for CFOs and business-unit presidents at a Fortune 60 insurer, now available as a standalone session. You come in with your message. You leave ready for the camera.
Pick "Other" if it's not listed, and mention Executive Media Training so I know which session to prep for.
Two ways to prep
Same trainer, two different problems. Pick the one that matches what you're actually walking into.
Lighter tier
On-Camera Presence
$350
90-min Zoom session
Posture, delivery, eye contact, filler words, and camera comfort. For anyone who needs to look and sound more confident on video. No message architecture or reporter-style mock interview included.
Full session
Executive Media Training
$1,500
90-min virtual session, flat fee
Everything in On-Camera Presence, plus message architecture, a live mock interview with real reporter-style questions, and bridging drills for staying on message under pressure. This is the session detailed below.
Where the training comes from
What's included
Pre-session intake
You fill out a short brief before we meet: the interview, the outlet, your key message, and the two questions you dread most. I read it in full so minute one is useful.
Live on-camera practice
We run actual mock interviews on Zoom, on camera. I play the reporter. You practice bridging, pivoting, and answering the question they asked without losing your message.
Message architecture
We build a 3-point message structure before the cameras roll, so you're not searching for what to say under pressure. It's built around your audience, not a template.
Real-time feedback
On word choice, body language, filler words, eye contact, pace, and what to do with your hands. Immediate, specific, not vague. Things you can fix before the actual interview.
Bridging and blocking drills
The specific phrases that get you back to your message when a reporter takes you off course. You leave with a set of language that's yours, not generic PR speak.
Written debrief
A short post-session note with your key messages, one or two watch-outs, and the specific adjustments that will make the biggest difference before your next camera moment.
How 90 minutes works
Context and message build
We review your intake brief, confirm the interview or scenario, and build your 3-point message structure together. You leave this phase with something specific to say.
Techniques: bridging, blocking, pivoting
I walk you through the mechanics of staying on message when the conversation doesn't go where you planned. Short explanations, then practice.
Mock interviews, live camera, full reps
I play the reporter. You answer on camera. We stop, adjust, run it again. This is where most of the session lives because repetition is the only thing that actually works.
Crisis and hostile question drill
The hard questions you're hoping they don't ask. We practice them so they're not a surprise on the day.
Debrief and action list
What you did well, what to fix before the real thing, and the two or three specific adjustments that will make the biggest visible difference. Followed by the written debrief sent same day.
Who this is for
- ✓ Executives prepping for an earnings call, acquisition announcement, or media inquiry with a tight timeline
- ✓ PR directors who need to prep a C-suite executive before a scheduled interview and don't have time to run a full agency training program
- ✓ CMOs and communications leaders facing a crisis or an issue that's about to go public
- ✓ Comms agency owners who need a senior-level trainer for a client and want someone who can deliver, not just facilitate
- ✓ Any executive who has camera experience but has never had formal media training and knows they need it before something important
The trainer
- Ran one-on-one media training for CFOs and business-unit presidents at a Fortune 60 insurer, preparing executives for live TV, earned media, and high-stakes interviews
- Seven years as sole PIO for a major law enforcement agency, on camera for everything from routine traffic to nationally covered criminal cases (Dateline, 20/20)
- Corporate PR: Today Show, Good Morning America, NBC Chicago, Chicago Tribune, Bloomberg. About 617K earned media value on a solo campaign with no agency
- Orchestrated a Bloomberg employer-brand partnership (Flex Pods), media-training 12 employees and leaders and building the complete pitch strategy end to end
- Built the external AI messaging library and a 100-person internal AI communications curriculum at a Fortune 60 insurer, including spokesperson guidelines for AI-related media inquiries
- Agency orchestration experience: Golin, Ketchum, Edelman
- FPRA keynote speaker, June 2026
Book a session
- ✓ Pre-session intake brief
- ✓ Message architecture build
- ✓ Live mock interviews on camera
- ✓ Bridging, blocking, and hostile-question drills
- ✓ Real-time feedback on camera and delivery
- ✓ Written debrief, same day
Common questions
How far in advance do I need to book?
Most clients book 2 to 5 days out. If you have an interview tomorrow, email ben@catalyst19.com directly and I'll do what I can.
What do I need to prepare?
Fill out the intake form when you book. That's it. Bring your key message, the outlet or interviewer name if you know it, and the two questions you most want to avoid. Everything else happens in the session.
Can I buy a session for an executive I need to prep?
Yes. Book under your name and we can schedule to include the executive directly, or you can forward the booking link to them. Email me if the setup is unusual.
Do you work with PR agencies?
Yes. If you need a senior media trainer for a client on a fast timeline, reach out at ben@catalyst19.com. Agency rates and recurring relationships are available.
Is there a refund policy?
Sessions rescheduled with 24 hours notice are moved at no charge. Cancellations inside 24 hours are not refunded. If something extraordinary comes up, email me and we'll work it out.