ABSTRACT
Jean Francois Ménard ( JF) has worked with Cirque du Soleil from 2008-2012 as a fulltime performance psychology specialist and since 2013 as an independent contractor. In March 2013, he built his own consulting and public speaking business (Kambio Performance, Montreal, Canada; see website in the reference section of this chapter). In November 2014, I (Leslee) had the pleasure of experiencing a 6-hour workshop related to performance psychology consulting and public speaking given by JF Ménard at the University of Tennessee. While describing the nuts-and-bolts of how he works with high-level performers, JF gave UT workshop participants insight into the activities he uses in his practice, the basic principles he works from, the mental skills he deems crucial to performance, his business plan, and two impromptu sessions with participants. In person, he is engaging, connecting, energetic, and challenges his audience to be the best version of themselves possible through the use of storytelling, exercises, metaphors, video clips, and humor (Ménard, 2014b). I then had the opportunity to collaborate with JF on this chapter, in which we explain his background and the experiences which lead him to becoming an engaging and sought-after performance psychology consultant and public speaker.
