We all walk into speeches and presentations with a set of expectations. For the most part, we don’t know that we have them, but they are powerful and they affect every element of our experience. If a speaker deviates from these expectations, we often decide they’re “not good.”   What if we let go of … Read more

I was in a car accident yesterday. No one was injured, but my car sustained a lot of damage. In the hours after the accident occurred, I found myself calling my parents, checking in with friends I haven’t seen in a while, lining up lunches and coffee and walks.   I didn’t set out to … Read more

There are more ways than ever to connect with each other without being in the same place. Video conferencing software and apps bring us face to face; we can see and hear each other, we can create real relationships without ever even being in the same time zone. What is it, then, that we still … Read more

My daughter asked a great question last week.   We were in the audience of a big assembly hall, listening to the introduction of the speaker we had come to see.   She asked, “Why is the sign language interpreter so much more interesting than the person who is talking right now?”   I don’t … Read more

A little more kindness.   A little more thoughtfulness.   A little more reaching outside of our own convenience.   — What else? What do you see?

I’m thinking a lot these days about all the ways we have to communicate with each other in 2019. In my adult life, there was a time when you either talked on the phone, wrote a letter, or saw someone in person (or you could send a fax!)   Now we have so many options … Read more

The number one reason people give poor speeches and presentations is that they don’t think what they have to say is very important. Corollary: People give poor speeches and presentations when they do not feel that they themselves are very important. Reminder! Join me on Scott Perry’s Creative on Purpose webinar this Sunday May 5 … Read more

Hey!   This Sunday, May 5, I’ll be on a live webinar with my friend Scott Perry, awesome host and coach of the Creative on Purpose platform.  I’ll be talking about how we coach people to connect to their power to communicate, and we’ll also have some time for questions.   Scott has generously opened … Read more

A weight lifter is taught how to fail.   When a lifter is underneath a heavy barbell and she’s not going to be able to finish the lift, she bails. She gets her body out of the way of the weight that is about to fall, and she knows how to do it safely, for … Read more

You’ve been told to slow down.   Many people are given the feedback that they speak too quickly. To do this, actually slow your rate of speech. Imagine yourself walking at a natural pace for you, when you have a destination but you’re not in a hurry. There’s a speed that feels right for you; … Read more