about
the story behind clockwork talk
People often ask me where the name Clockwork Talk comes from. It was inspired by my grandfather, who built clocks by hand.
When I was young, I spent hours in his workshop watching him build his clocks. He was meticulous about making sure all the gears ran seamlessly together, so if you had bought one of his clocks, you could expect accurate, predictable time.
Years later, I realized the same thing is true when you’re presenting. There are four gears that need to run seamlessly together for you to achieve accurate, predictable results.
> A clear outcome.
> The right message.
> A powerful delivery.
> The ability to handle challenging questions well.
One of those gears isn’t more important than the others. They’re all equally important.
Hence the name Clockwork Talk.
mila naimark, principal
For more than 30 years, I’ve helped leaders communicate in ways that influence decisions, build support, and strengthen relationships.
My career has taken me from communications leadership roles at Sony in Tokyo, New York, and Toronto, to EY Advisory Services, and ultimately to founding Clockwork Talk in 2008.
Those experiences shaped the way I think about communication. I saw firsthand that organizations are complex. Decisions are influenced by competing priorities, conflicting opinions, resistant stakeholders, strong personalities, office politics, and the constant pressure to achieve results. That’s why every Clockwork Talk framework is designed for the realities of organizational life—not ideal situations.
Throughout my career, one thing has remained constant. Great ideas don’t create results on their own. They create results when they’re communicated in a way that moves people. Whether that’s moving people from complexity to clarity, from skepticism to support, or from insight to action.
That’s the part of my work I love most.
I love sitting down with someone who has a great idea but can’t quite find the right way to express it. Together, we untangle the thinking, shape the message, and find the words that truly reflect what they want to say.
Then we bring it all to life. We work on the delivery until it feels natural and authentic. We prepare for the questions they’re worried about and, more importantly, how to handle the unexpected ones that catch them off guard. Somewhere along the way, you can actually see the excitement start to build for that person because they know they’re ready.
I’ve always believed communication training should leave people with practical tools they continue using long after a workshop ends. That’s why everything I teach is built around simple, effective frameworks that clients tell me they’re still using years later.
Every workshop and coaching engagement is designed and delivered personally by me. I love working directly with clients because it allows me to quickly identify what’s getting in the way of their success—and what to do about it.
When all of those gears come together, it’s a wonderful thing to see people achieve the results they were looking for... as reliably as clockwork.
education & credentials
Founder, Clockwork Talk
MBA, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto
BA (Psychology & Linguistics), University of Manitoba
Certified Leadership Coach, Hudson Institute of Coaching (ICF Certified)
Certified Coach, New Ventures West (ICF Certified)
Certified in Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), Birkman Method, Social Styles, Language and Behavior Profile, Kolbe, and DISC
Additional professional development in communication, graphic design, and AI.