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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.

A Book for the Holidays?

You may remember that I wrote a book this year. 🙂 As you’re thinking about what to get for those last few people on your list, can I nominate “Before You Say Anything: How to Have Better Conversations, Love Public Speaking, and Finally Know What to Do with Your Hands”? I’m hearing from readers that …

Building Your Bench

Most of us don’t coach high-performing sports teams. In fact, I don’t know a single head coach. But I do know that coaches need starters, and they also need players who can come in off the bench to play when the starters need to rest, are injured, or don’t have the right skillset for the …

Please Tell Me What We’re Talking About

Do you ever have the experience of being sure you told someone an important something, but they don’t remember it? Or maybe you’re on other side of the exchange, with a friend or loved one insisting they mentioned a specific crucial topic to you, but you have no recollection of it? I have been noticing …

Show Me the End of Your Talk and I’ll Tell You How Long You Worked on It

The segment of a speech or presentation that gets the least attention from the speaker when they are preparing is …the closing. This makes sense! The speaker has created material and practiced it, massaged their turns of phrase and designed gorgeous slides, for 98% of the presentation. They have great points! They are telling stories! …

Long On-Ramps Are Only Good for the Interstate

The majority of presenters kind of sneak up on their content. They have what I call a long on-ramp. They thank people, introduce themselves, give some context around what they’ll be talking about, then finally get around to what everybody came to hear. By now, several minutes have gone by, and the presenter has wasted …

Don’t Tell Me That You’re Standing Between Me and Lunch

You may have seen a speaker or someone at a conference say this, or you may have even said it yourself. “Well, I know I’m the only thing between you all and lunch, but I promise this will be worth it!” Or “…so I better get started.” Or some other version of this seemingly light-hearted …

I Hate Being Blindsided in a Meeting!

It’s one thing to prepare for a speech or a presentation. The environment is controlled, and there are only so many variables we have to consider. But what about when we’re in a meeting or a discussion, and something unexpected happens? Our idea is shot down, our expertise is questioned, or our leadership is challenged? …

The Real Reason You Should Slow Down and Pause

There is a trend in recent years toward more informal, conversational presentations. For the most part, I like it. Knowing that you, as the speaker, can create an atmosphere that feels more like a dialogue with the audience helps people show up confidently and soothes nerves.  But too often, speakers take this informality a step …

What Do You Need to Break in Order to Begin?

A few years ago, the theater that my husband Charlie and I founded, NC Stage Company, needed a facelift. Our lobby wasn’t really working for us, audiences entered the theatre down a long narrow hallway, and things were just looking a little dingy. The staff made a plan. Paint chips! New furniture! We can have …

What on Earth Is There to Be Thankful For?

Gratitude practices and journals have been taking off in recent years, for good reason. Taking a little time to focus on what’s going well, what we appreciate about our lives and each other, can reframe and elevate our experience and even our mental health.  For many reasons, some productive and some less so, most of …

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