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Ignite your power to communicate.

We coach people to make a fundamental shift in the way they understand their own power to communicate.

We help people feel seen and heard so that they can do their best work.

The Spotlight Is On You

When you’re the leader, it’s like there’s a spotlight that follows you everywhere. There’s a subtle yet unmistakable extra focus on what you do and what you say. It’s important to acknowledge the reality of that spotlight. Whether you asked for it, you welcome it, or you dislike it, it’s there. It is disingenuous to …

How to Be a “Better” Listener

Friend and reader Catherine responded to last week’s post: What Kind of Listening Do We Owe Each Other? She said, “Now I’m waiting for the next email on how to be a better listener.” I hope this is that email! I want to start by defining “better listener.” That word “better” seems like it’s clear, …

You Can’t Recapture the Magic

Sometimes you’re in rehearsal, and everything just clicks. The jokes land, the heartstrings are tugged, people are inspired, and you reach a new height of achievement. That rehearsal makes you feel like a freakin’ genius! Here’s the pitfall of that experience, though. It feels so good that you (understandably) want to chase that feeling, so …

What Kind of Listening Do We Owe Each Other?

100% of my clients come to me in order to become better talkers. The particular focus varies–keynote speech, clearer presentations, better storytelling—but what they all have in common is that they want to change something about the way they talk. The longer I do this work, the more I think that there needs to be …

A Place to Think and a Place to Do

I started going to a new gym recently, and the coach I was working with yesterday did something I’ve never seen before (but that I am absolutely going to steal for my own coaching.) We were working on a technical part of a weightlifting movement, one that I really struggle with. He said: “Okay, when …

Are You Ready for a Dress Rehearsal?

A dress rehearsal marks the final opportunity for actors to rehearse a play before an audience arrives. It runs exactly like a performance: all the costumes (the “dress” part of the phrase), lights, props, sound, set and other production elements are present. No one stops or calls for a line. It starts when the curtain …

Subvert Expectations This Year

Most of us do the many of the same things in the same way every day. We take the same route to the grocery store, we have the same routine in the shower, we turn to the same meals for dinner. Routine is helpful—it lessens the number of decisions we need to make every day. …

Just Do the Next Thing

In this season of plans and resolutions, it’s enticing to think big. Run a marathon! Write a novel! Clean out and transform the whole house! These are all great goals, but for most people I know, it’s tough to figure out what to do once you’ve decided on a plan. It’s so tough, in fact, …

Introversion Doesn’t Equal Shyness

I’ve noticed lately that it’s common for people to use the word “introverted” to mean “shy,” and “extroverted” to mean “friendly.” This was underscored in a recent conversation with a friend who said, “When I’m with people, I’m totally engaged. I’m tuned in. But I’m an introvert, so it drains me. I have to recharge …

Simply Doing the Thing Isn’t a Replacement for Practice

Many good public speakers speak so often that it can seem redundant to practice. If you’re addressing groups large and small a couple times a week, doesn’t that become its own practice? Not really. The value of true practice—working through a piece methodically, being videoed, getting knowledgable feedback, trying sections over and over until the …

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