Kirsty van den Bulk - KVDB

Kirsty van den Bulk - KVDB Strategic communications consulting for complex and impact-driven organisations Social Media Strategy: Build tailored plans to maximise engagement and reach.

At KVDB, we empower business owners, startups, content creators, and marketing teams to confidently build a strong foundation for growth. In today’s fast-paced digital world, standing out requires clarity, confidence, and an authentic voice. Our services help you master communication, elevate your brand, and connect meaningfully with your audience. Led by Kirsty van den Bulk, a multi-award-winning

expert in social media and marketing (Social Media Service Provider of the Year, Techpixies 2024, and Business of the Year, Techpixies 2023), KVDB combines proven strategies with real-world experience to help you succeed. What We Offer

Key Messaging: Create concise messaging that resonates across public speaking, social media, and client communications. Camera Confidence Coaching: Use acting techniques to speak confidently and engage authentically on camera. Public Speaking Training: Captivate audiences and deliver impactful presentations with ease. Content Creation Training: Master YouTube, Canva, and podcasting to create professional-quality content. Why KVDB? Award-Winning Expertise: Recognised for delivering tried-and-tested solutions. Holistic Approach: Consistent strategies across all communication channels. Tailored Support: Personalised guidance focused on your goals. Real-World Experience: Practical advice grounded in proven results. Accessible Solutions: Flexible pricing options for businesses of all sizes. Training Outcomes

With KVDB, you will:

Build confidence in communication and presentation. Refine your key messages to connect with your audience. Master public speaking and on-camera techniques. Streamline content creation for maximum impact. Engage audiences authentically while driving results. Whether you’re hosting webinars, delivering a keynote, or creating social media content, KVDB will help you shine. Let’s take your brand to the next level!

My feed is a clash of voices; it is either the frustration of the job market and the ATS, or a wall of AI-generated mark...
06/05/2026

My feed is a clash of voices; it is either the frustration of the job market and the ATS, or a wall of AI-generated marketing fluff, intermittently broken up by real human voices.

But let’s be honest about the good, the bad and the ugly truth: we are all using AI. It isn't going away. In fact, Gartner predicts that by 2029 the new gatekeeper for business will no longer be human.

When I was first asked to embrace AI in 2022, I was sceptical. But it quickly became a powerful tool; simplifying tasks and acting as a database that allowed me to cross-reference information back to the source.

Since the adoption of AI, the way we shop, search and live has fundamentally changed. The gatekeeper is no longer a person behind a desk; it is an algorithm. We are moving beyond SEO into the world of GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) and Agentic AI.

This is the era of the Machine Customer.

It is a shift from simply being found by "answer engines" to interacting with autonomous systems that don't just talk, they act. This matters because the way the world "sees" you has shifted. If you aren’t on that map, you are invisible before a human ever knows you exist.

We spend so much time typing and creating, but if we aren’t speaking the language the machine understands, we’re just shouting into a void.

The shift is clear:

👉 The Machine handles the filter, verification and ROI.
👉The Human makes the final decision based on want, need and desire.

Authenticity alone won't get you in the room if the machine gatekeeper blocks the door. The winners will be those who bridge that gap; technical data for the machines and real human connection for the people.

Are you visible, or are you just noise?

I wrote more about the rise of Agentic AI and navigating this new digital shopfront in my article yesterday.

You can read the full piece here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/digital-shopfront-machine-customer-navigating-new-b2b-van-den-bulk-gtghe

We are no longer just selling to humans.Some B2B brands treat social media as a digital dumping ground for technical she...
05/05/2026

We are no longer just selling to humans.

Some B2B brands treat social media as a digital dumping ground for technical sheets or generic updates. They are missing the point. Your social media is a digital shopfront, but the customer is changing.

By 2029, Gartner predicts that Agentic AI will resolve 80% of customer issues autonomously. We are entering the era of the machine customer; AI agents that negotiate rates and vet vendors before a human ever sees your proposal.

If your digital presence isn't built for The AI Gatekeeper, you simply will not exist in their world.

Read how to bridge the gap between AI data, the boardroom, and human trust 👇

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/digital-shopfront-machine-customer-navigating-new-b2b-van-den-bulk-gtghe

"Give them a set of crayons and you will get a pretty poster."If you have spent five minutes in a commercial environment...
30/04/2026

"Give them a set of crayons and you will get a pretty poster."

If you have spent five minutes in a commercial environment, you have likely heard this jab at Marketing.

It is the classic symptom of the canyon between Sales and Marketing. On one side, you have the "cold end" where Sales teams are fighting for deals.

On the other, you have the engine room where Marketing teams are buried under technical specs, trying to make sense of the noise.

Neither side wants to pick a fight, but without a Technical Translator to bridge that gap, the customer is the one who suffers.

I have written about how we stop the "crayons" conversation and start building the internal alignment that actually drives revenue.

Read the full article below 👇

The dashboard is green. The notifications are through the roof. The inbox is pinging every five minutes.But when you loo...
22/04/2026

The dashboard is green. The notifications are through the roof. The inbox is pinging every five minutes.

But when you look at the cold hard facts of the spreadsheet, the reality is biting.

You are getting plenty of attention, but it is the wrong kind. Your inbox is full of people trying to sell to you, not buy from you. Meanwhile, your sales channel is screaming for substance and your warehouse or your service team is watching tumbleweeds.

If your marketing looks viral but your sales out is stalling, you are trapped in a vanity loop.

Most SMEs are still using an outdated playbook. They are renting space on social media platforms that do not care about their P&L, while ignoring the technical architecture that actually captures intent.

If you do not know why your brand is currently invisible to the inquirers and the AI models they use to find answers, you are essentially gifting your market share to the competition.

I have put together some thoughts on why it might be time to pull the handbrake on the noise and start building commercial architecture.

Find out why your biggest magical mistakes are actually the blueprint for your next breakthrough and how to finally own the answer.

You can read the full piece here 👇

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kirstyvandenbulk_price-is-a-secondary-conversation-if-you-activity-7451942994347372545-f5FN?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=member_desktop_web&rcm=ACoAABtHu9oBre_73pB6aeOd0dwf_HQLzap2UJY

Have you ever stood in front of a promotional stand and watched the tumbleweeds roll past?I have. I spent my early caree...
17/04/2026

Have you ever stood in front of a promotional stand and watched the tumbleweeds roll past?

I have. I spent my early career at the sharp end of experiential marketing, in-store demonstrating, and beauty campaigns. While I was auditioning for acting roles, I was paying my rent by turning failing campaigns into converted sales.

I wasn't in a boardroom; I was in town centres, pulling up pop-up banners and assembling stands. My "script" was a catchphrase: "Would you like to try the latest...?"

Many a time, I would start a campaign only to find that the well-honed marketing slogans and key messages from HQ simply did not work in the world of direct selling.

I was in my early twenties (which was, of course, only yesterday... Not!), and I was responsible for The Number:

🔢The number of people scanned into the booth.
🔢The conversion rates.
🔢How many units were purchased and what time we sold out.
(Assuming the stock actually arrived in the first place; I spent many a year running around town centres just checking stock levels!)

When those "well-thought-out" campaigns failed to land, my team and I were the ones who had to turn it around in real time. We didn't just stand there.

We were creative. We brought the fun. We found ways to stop those tumbleweeds and actually engage the audience. We took a message that was falling flat and reinvented it on the spot to make it click.

I learned marketing on my feet.

I learned it by failing, adjusting, and finding the human connection when the strategy on the slide deck was nowhere to be found.

Today, I lead the strategy for many clients with years of senior experience to back me up. But the principles I use today were forged on those drafty shopping centre floors. Because if a message doesn't work at the sharp end, it doesn't work at all.

I’m curious, what was the "hard way" job that taught you how to actually engage an audience?

Let’s talk about the grit behind the polish. 👇

Bake the cake. Decorate the cake. Paint the walls.Just do not get them mixed up. 🎨🧁Turns out you can overhaul a kitchen ...
21/11/2025

Bake the cake. Decorate the cake. Paint the walls.
Just do not get them mixed up. 🎨🧁

Turns out you can overhaul a kitchen between coats of paint, wrap up a major project, take on new clients, hunt for new roles, and still produce a Pudsey Bear that passes the happy squeal test. Honestly, I am as surprised as anyone. 🙃

We wanted a project and we definitely bought one. The kitchen has been my focus for three weeks, sanding, priming, painting, and laughing at myself between meetings and drying times.

Then Thursday arrived.

➡️ Client work on the go
➡️ Messages pinging
➡️ And a last minute Pudsey bake request from my nine year old

Not just any cake.

🐾 A full Pudsey Bear with proper spots and personality. Her school reputation depended on it. No squeal, no success.

So there I was, a half painted kitchen behind me, a cake needing a bear makeover in front of me, and a to do list that felt like it needed its own support group. Cue that familiar voice insisting I could not do all of it.

That is the thing about overwhelm.

➡️ It is dramatic
➡️ It is convincing
➡️ And it always arrives when you least need the commentary

So I stopped.

➡️ Breathed
➡️ Focused on one thing instead of twenty
➡️ And everything shifted

✨ Pudsey passed the happy squeal test
✨ The final kitchen doors are painted
✨ Clients are happy

And once again, I proved to myself that you do not need to feel capable to begin.

You just have to start. And if you make a mistake, ask yourself, will this matter a year from now.

So tell me…

When did you last surprise yourself by doing something you were convinced you could not pull off?

nyone who knows me knows I’m a huge advocate for great customer service.It comes from my early days in customer-facing r...
06/11/2025

nyone who knows me knows I’m a huge advocate for great customer service.

It comes from my early days in customer-facing roles with Allders, Selfridges, John Lewis, and Currys, and later as an Event Manager for Nintendo.

There’s something incredibly rewarding about meeting a disgruntled customer and watching them turn from unhappy to a raving fan. For me, making a customer happy truly counts.

But here’s the thing.

In today’s world of AI, online transactions, and keyboard warriors, customer service isn’t the same.

Too much of it has become automated. Efficiency has replaced empathy. Convenience has replaced connection.

From a business perspective, in the drive to save money and speed up efficiency, the fact that there’s a human being on the other side of the screen has somehow been lost.

Good service isn’t just about solving problems. It’s about making people feel seen, valued, and respected.

And this all starts with culture.

We can create teams that put customers first, or we can allow disinterest to grow when people feel underpaid, undervalued, and unappreciated.

This isn’t just happening in workplaces. It’s in schools too.

Children are still carrying trauma from the pandemic. That pain can show up as anger, frustration, or withdrawal. What looks like bad behaviour is often a cry for help.

Teachers see the tears, the shouting, the silence, and yet receive little training on how trauma affects behaviour and learning.

These children are not difficult. They are simply trying to make sense of a world that changed overnight.

We may need to ask ourselves, are we all a little traumatised?

We watched leaders set rules they didn’t follow.

Mirroring behaviour is real, and when those at the top don’t care, why should the person on minimum wage feel motivated to go above and beyond?

So what’s this really about?

It’s a reminder to pause, reflect, and choose to do better.

Because whether you’re building a business, leading a team, or raising the next generation, it all starts with one simple principle:

👉 Make your customers happy.

If you have ever felt that your message didn't quite land, whether in meetings, pitches, or videos, this is for you.When...
21/10/2025

If you have ever felt that your message didn't quite land, whether in meetings, pitches, or videos, this is for you.

When you speak with confidence and clarity, people listen. They connect. They remember you. That is the difference between speaking and truly communicating.

At the Public Speaking and On-Camera Presenting Masterclass, you will discover how to

✨ Communicate your message with confidence and impact
✨ Turn nerves into natural presence
✨ Use storytelling to build a genuine connection
✨ Speak on camera with clarity and authenticity

I have spent over 25 years helping professionals find their voice, drawing on my background in acting, marketing, and strategic communication to help people move from hesitation to confidence.

🎤 Public Speaking and On-Camera Presenting Masterclass
📍 The Old Counting House, Wallingford
📅 6 November 2025 | 09:30 – 17:00

In 24 hours, the opportunity to join at the current rate will close. If you have been waiting to feel confident every time you speak, this is your moment.

👉 Find Out More Here: https://kvdb.newzenler.com/courses/public-speaking-and-presenting-on-camera-masterclass?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=2025-10-21&utm_campaign=1+Day+Left+to+Save+100+on+the+Public+Speaking+Masterclass

ver wondered why some people hold the room before they even speak?It’s not just confidence. It’s connection.We are alway...
14/10/2025

ver wondered why some people hold the room before they even speak?

It’s not just confidence. It’s connection.

We are always presenting. In meetings. On video calls. Pitching ideas. Leading teams.

But so many people hide behind scripts or slides. They turn their cameras off, overthink every word, or freeze when things don’t go to plan.

The truth?

Confident communication is not about perfection.

It is about presence and knowing what to say and how to say it with clarity, purpose and impact.

That is exactly what I teach.

Drawing on years of stage and screen experience, as well as two decades in 360-degree brand communication, I help professionals overcome fear, ditch the script, and find their authentic voice.

🎤 Public Speaking and On-Camera Presenting Masterclass
📍 The Old Counting House, Wallingford
📅 6 November 2025 | 09:30 to 17:00
🎥 Includes a 1-minute professional video filmed by Andy Scott (worth over £500)

This is not about memorising lines.

It is about feeling prepared, calm and connected, whether you are speaking on stage, in a team meeting or hitting “record.”

✅ Present without clinging to notes
✅ Handle nerves and build real presence
✅ Speak with clarity in person and on camera
✅ Walk away with a video you can use on LinkedIn, your website or socials

💥 This week only

Andy Scott and I are offering £100 off.

Yes, I know! I don’t usually discount.

But for October, we decided to… well, do it because we can.

So for one week only, you can join us for just £297 (normally £397).

And if you would feel braver bringing a friend, reach out to us.

We will work out a deal that makes it an easy yes for both of you.

Because we know attending something like this takes guts

And we will be with you every step of the way.

🎟 Book now →https://kvdb.newzenler.com/courses/public-speaking-and-presenting-on-camera-masterclass/buy?coupon=OneWeekOnly

⏳ Offer ends midnight Wednesday 22 October.

Communication is the difference between closing a deal and losing one.I learned that truth early. At 8 years old, standi...
01/10/2025

Communication is the difference between closing a deal and losing one.

I learned that truth early. At 8 years old, standing on stage as Macduff’s child in Macbeth, I discovered that words have power.

As an actor, director, and presenter, I saw how words can inspire or inflame, build trust or break it. Through Stanislavski training, I learned to explore the subtext, where tone, pause, gesture, and breath change everything.

Today, I bring that foundation into my role as a Communication Strategist. I don’t just coach people to speak better, I help them connect, influence, and convert.

That is why I was trusted to lead communication for the EU-funded OCEAN Project. My work was about doing the work with words: writing the website, DECP, and project reports, shaping messages that spoke to stakeholders from policymakers to mariners, and building a consistent language across platforms so every voice aligned with the project’s goals.

And every word was backed up with data. Because numbers are also words. They tell a story of impact, trust, and change when you know how to communicate them.

That is 360 communications in action: seeing the full picture and making sure every word, every number, every message works together.

The same principles are at the heart of my Speak With Confidence training and my Public Speaking & On-Camera Presenting course.

Here is why businesses choose me:

✅ I help teams find their authentic voice
✅ I remove the “ick” from sales by focusing on trust and connection
✅ I align communication with marketing and sales so words don’t just land, they deliver results

💡 If your business needs communication that inspires trust and drives action, explore my course here → https://kvdb.co.uk/ Or DM me to talk about tailored B2B training for your organisation.

Because communication is never just words. It is the difference between being remembered or forgotten, trusted or dismissed, closing a deal or losing one.

Address

The Old Counting House, 82e High Street
Wallingford
OX100BS

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+447703548181

Website

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