Most PhDs spend years learning how to do research.
Very few are taught how to communicate it.
In a recent conversation on The Bold PhD podcast, presentation coach Dr. Andrew Churchill shared how he accidentally built a career helping PhDs become more confident, compelling communicators—and why communication may be one of the most important career skills for researchers today.
After nearly becoming a professor himself, Churchill realized he didn’t want the traditional academic path anymore. Instead, he slowly transitioned from university teaching into entrepreneurship, building a business around presentation coaching for PhDs, researchers, and academic innovators.
And along the way, he discovered something important:
Academics are often taught to present their work like journal articles.
That’s the problem.
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Why Academic Presentations Often Fall Flat
According to Churchill, many researchers structure presentations the same way they structure papers:
- Background
- Methods
- Results
- Discussion
But presentations are not journal articles.
Audiences do not want a 30-minute literature review before learning why the work matters. Instead, Churchill encourages researchers to “start in the middle”—to begin with the interesting finding, question, or insight that captures attention first.
In other words:
Don’t make people wait for the important part.
This shift transforms presentations from passive information delivery into engaging storytelling.
Entrepreneurship Is a Real Option for PhDs
The conversation also explored something many PhDs quietly think about but rarely discuss openly: entrepreneurship.
Churchill explained that his consulting business started organically. People kept asking for help with presentations, storytelling, and communication. Eventually, he realized those requests pointed toward a real business opportunity.
His advice for PhDs considering entrepreneurship was simple:
Pay attention to what people already ask you for help with.
That skill may be more valuable than you realize.
Stop Charging for Time
One of the most powerful moments in the conversation centered on pricing.
Churchill emphasized that entrepreneurs should not charge based solely on hours worked. Instead, they should price based on outcomes and expertise.
PhDs often underestimate their value because academia trains them to disconnect expertise from financial worth. But years of specialized training, problem-solving, and communication experience matter.
Clients are not paying for one hour of work.
They are paying for the years it took to develop that expertise.
Final Thought
For PhDs navigating careers beyond academia, communication is not a “soft skill.”
It is a career skill.
Whether presenting research, building a business, interviewing for jobs, or pitching ideas, the ability to communicate clearly can open doors that technical expertise alone cannot.
And perhaps most importantly, this episode is a reminder that there is no single “correct” path after a PhD.
Sometimes the career you build starts with the thing people keep asking you to help them with.
You can find Dr. Andrew Churchill on LinkedIn