Terry Vaughan

Terry grew up in England under the heel of a volatile and frequently violent father. Because of this,

it was essential for him to pay attention and try to predict when an outburst might be on the way.

Body language signals in the form of postural changes, gestures, subtle facial expressions, or vocal

modulation often provided the only clues that an outburst was imminent. He didn’t know it at the

time, but this experience would lead to a lifetime of interest in the subject of non-verbal communication.

Vaughan attended human behavior and body language training during his time with the British

Royal Marine Commandos and quickly realized he had a gift for decoding others. Upon leaving the

military, Terry taught several different combative disciplines including hand-to-hand combat,

Muay Thai kickboxing, edged weapons, and tactical firearms. However, the knowledge that it is

always safer to avoid a physical altercation ensured that situational awareness instruction was always

a part of his curriculum.

After more than 15 years incorporating various personal safety elements into his combatives

training, Terry created his D.I.R.T. Dangerous Individual Recognition Training®, a workshop that

builds trust, teamwork, and emotional intelligence for every group that attends. It also teaches

employees safety skills that will make them safer at work, home, or play.

Combining a love of body language with his experience of various leadership styles in the military,

Terry expanded his workshop and keynote presentations to include Mastering Body Language for

Leaders. This seminar goes to the heart of why we need leaders in the first place and showcases how

to be a leader that appeals to a group's anthropological needs. Once a leader understands why they

should be displaying certain non-verbal behaviors, they will improve emotional intelligence and the

ability to influence, guide, and lead through good times or bad.

After nearly a decade presenting various body language topics to a multitude of audiences, Terry

turned his attention to improving the speaking styles of other professionals with Authentic Public

Speaking and Communication. Terry often states that a speaker's body language can either support,

weaken, or completely undermine the verbal message, but if a speaker loses their authenticity and

becomes too polished, the audience will likely rebel and stop actively listening. Effective

communication is part art and part science, and every professional can benefit from maximizing

their non-verbal signals.

Vaughan is also the author of the popular book NOT WITH MY DAUGHTER! A Dad’s Guide to

Screening Dates and Boyfriends, a former British Royal Marine

Commando, a competitor on season 4 of the History Channel's television show, TOP SHOT, and a

host for GUNTV.