ABOUT THE MESSAGE DRUMBEAt

The Message Drumbeat helps executives and organizations communicate better. Clients work directly with Message Drumbeat founder Rich Hayes.

For more than 30 years, Rich has improved the communication skills and executive presence of corporate and nonprofit leaders, Nobel laureates, government officials, entertainers, doctors and nurses, professional athletes, and a wide range of businesspeople and entrepreneurs.

He’s prepared experts for tens of thousands of media appearances, including 60 Minutes, Good Morning America, and ABC’s World News Tonight, and been quoted in news outlets from USA Today to the San Francisco Chronicle.

He is lead author of A Scientist’s Guide to Talking with the Media (Rutgers University Press), which was called “essential medicine” by Nobel Prize winner Leon Lederman and an “invaluable guide” by Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter Deborah Blum.

Rich is an award-winning creative director who also served for many years as media director and senior manager at the Union of Concerned Scientists, one of the nation’s leading nonprofit organizations.

He began his career as a reporter for a U.S. Congressional caucus, where he moderated panel discussions of government, industry, and nonprofit experts chaired by the late Senator John McCain and then-Senator Al Gore.

As a lifelong drummer and active vinyl record DJ, Rich has appeared on stages from Nashville to New York and Las Vegas to London. When coaching clients, he combines lessons from the business world with his musical experience, which includes projects with Andrew Bird, They Might Be Giants, and other artists, to share universal truths on connecting with audiences that apply to all fields and professions.

Here’s what a few of our clients have to say:

“Rich Hayes is the best of the best at tailoring messages that inspire attention and action.” -Linda Bloss-Baum, Business and Entertainment Program at American University

“He makes it fun and entertaining, almost like performance art, while at the same time teaching how to effectively communicate.” -Patty Monahan, California Energy Commission

“He helped hone my storytelling and delivery skills and gave me the confidence to position myself as an expert in a nascent field.” -Karen-Lee Ryan, Founder and CEO, Walk Eat Nashville

Read more praise for our work. Or get in touch to learn how we might work together.