The Clothes Make the Man …Or Do They? I took my two daughters to Oregon Ballet Theater’s performance of The Nutcracker earlier this month. We dressed up in fancy clothes, had brunch at an upscale restaurant, then headed to the auditorium for their first ever...
Tips for Phone Conversations Did you know that your body language affects your tone of voice? Things like posture, movement, and breathing can all impact how you sound over the phone. When you have an important message to convey or want to increase your...
Lessons Learned from 3 Big Mistakes I’ve Made I’ve had a lot of training and practice in communication. But my best teachers have often been my mistakes. I’ve screwed up many, many times… and those screw-ups have caused me pain. But they have also led to learning some...
Surprise! I hate surprises. Yes, there is such a thing as “pleasant surprises,” like discovering my kids cleaned their room without being told (that WOULD be a surprise!). But in general, I do NOT like surprises. And I don’t just mean the jump-out-of-a-box...
Claiming vs. Violating Space One key ingredient for personal presence, as well as excellent public speaking skills, is the ability to claim space. When you claim space, you expand your awareness beyond your own personal space bubble, fill the area around you with your...
Can You Be Too Authentic? I am a huge proponent of authenticity: Know yourself. Present the truth about yourself to others. Allow the real you to be seen. In fact, earlier this week I posted these very sentiments on social media. But here’s the caveat: Not...
