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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.

What If You Need Kindergartners to Care About Your Presentation?

A client and I were working on her presentation. As often happens, as soon as she started to “present,” her personality flattened out, her voice contracted to a monotone, and her eye contact vanished. The content she was delivering was good, but it was hard for me to know what was important and what wasn’t, …

Proper Buzzer Technique

When people are preparing to go on certain game shows, they practice “buzzing in.” On shows like Jeopardy!, proper buzzer technique can be the difference between winning and never getting to answer a question. In order to compete, you have to be able to hit the buzzer the instant you think you might possibly have …

The Squirrel and the Birdfeeder

I’m watching an intriguing saga unfold out of my office window. I have recently gotten really fascinated by the birds in our back yard, and over the weekend I hung a feeder from a tree branch right outside my window. I can see the tree and feeder right over my laptop screen.  The feeder itself …

Back to Basics

Recently I’ve been thinking about what it means to “go back to the basics.”  The basics, the fundamentals, the building blocks—those elements of skill and craft that you have to master before you can move on to something harder. Typically, once you have moved on, you don’t look back. You don’t revisit the alphabet in …

Uncanny Valley Is Disappointed in You

My daughter Nora is working as a host at a local restaurant this summer. Recently she told me about a strange phenomenon she’s noticed when she answers the phone. Often, the caller will be Google Assistant. The potential diner uses Google Assistant to find out whether there’s a wait time. So far, so good. This …

Be Nicer to Yourself

I was having a coaching session with a new client last week, and he related that about 50% of the time when he has to give a work presentation, he dreads it. It always goes fine, but from the moment he finds out about it, he wishes it were over. I asked, “What do you …

But What Are They Listening For?

I was talking with a good friend recently who was dealing with a professional dispute. The issues at hand were complex, and she and I were discussing her next steps. She shared a draft of her notes with me, the thoughts she was marshaling for her next conversation with them. It included, in addition to …

You’re (Still) Not Special

I’ve written about this topic before, but I’ve been thinking about it lately in a new way.  My kids can tell you the three things I hope I have really instilled in them as their mother, three lessons that will serve them throughout their lives. Here they are: 1) Never get a haircut you can’t …

Say Nothing

Here’s a lesson I keep having to learn: Lots of times, what I need to say is nothing. I am learning to ask: what do I want to accomplish by saying this? See where my true intention is. If the candid answer is something along the lines of “I want to show how wrong he …

The Authenticity Trap

I have a thoughtful, interesting client who wants to show up with more authenticity in his interactions at work. His boss says she also wants him to communicate with more of his “authentic self.” It seems rational that only the person doing the communicating can really determine either yes, this is the real me, or …

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