Acting and Living From Truth: Using Acting Tools for Authentic Communication
I don’t usually teach acting. I’ve wanted to, but the opportunity never really presented itself.
My work is rooted in craft, story, and performance—and I’ve always found a real passion in the process. I just haven’t had the chance to share it in a formal way. So when my wife and Emotional Content’s founder, Kimberly Ocampo-Shah, asked me to work with a corporate client and teach them some of the tools of acting, I didn’t think my first real opportunity to teach would come from the corporate space.
Honestly, my first thought was: Is acting really what they need?
The Real Problem (It’s Not Messaging)
Most corporate communication struggles don’t come from a lack of intelligence or preparation. They come from a familiar trap:
People try to sound “right.”
They try to sound “professional.”
They try to sound “confident.”
And in the process, they stop sounding like themselves.
The result is messaging that’s technically correct—but emotionally disconnected. It doesn’t land. It doesn’t move anyone. And it doesn’t build trust.
Why I Discovered Acting Technique Works in a Corporate Room
Here’s the part that surprises people: acting techniques aren’t about pretending.
At their best, they’re about removing the mask.
Actors train to do a few things that are incredibly useful outside of a stage or set:
Listen instead of waiting to speak
Stay present under pressure
Speak from a real need, not a rehearsed idea
Connect to intention (what I want) instead of performance (how I look)
That’s not “acting.”
That’s human communication.
The Shift: From Performing to Expressing
With this client, the goal wasn’t to help anyone become more theatrical.
It was to help them become more clear. More honest. More available.
So we worked with a simple, truth-first principle I come back to again and again:
Stop performing the message.
Start pursuing the truth underneath it.
When someone connects to what they genuinely mean—what they actually care about—something changes in their voice, their eyes, their timing, their body.
And the audience feels it.
What “Truth” Looks Like in Practice
A few of the acting-based prompts that translate beautifully into business communication:
What do you want the other person to understand?
Not what you want to say—what you need them to get.
What’s at stake if they don’t?
Stakes create urgency. Urgency creates presence.
What are you protecting?
The places we “sell it” are often the places we’re guarding. Truth starts when we stop guarding.
Can you say it like you’re talking to one person you care about?
Most people don’t struggle with honesty. They struggle with the room.
Why This Matters
When a team can communicate from truth, they don’t just “pitch” better.
They connect better.
And that changes everything:
They relate to their product with more clarity and ownership
Their messaging becomes simpler and more human
Their presence earns trust faster
Their audience feels seen instead of sold to
Acting becomes a bridge—not to performance, but to authentic connection.
Watch the Video
If you want the full breakdown of the idea—acting and living from truth—watch the full video here:
I’m grateful I got asked to do this, because it reminded me of something I’ve known for a long time:
Truth is not a “creative” skill.
It’s a life skill.
And when we practice it—on stage, on camera, in a meeting, in a conversation—we give people permission to meet us where we actually are.
That’s where real communication starts.
About Rajiv Shah
Rajiv Shah is an award-winning actor, screenwriter, and filmmaker whose work spans theater and film. He wrote and appeared in Run the Tide (Orion Pictures) opposite Taylor Lautner, Constance Zimmer, and Kenny Johnson. His recent credits include The Comic Shop (2025), Night Driver (2026), and The Subscriber (2026), with new projects currently in development.