Mumble Rap is a Genre, Not a Presentation Style: How to Speak Clearly and Stop Overthinking
Do your words ever blur together into one giant run-on sentence when the nerves kick in? Or maybe you just have a natural tendency to speak with a tight jaw, barely moving your lips? It seems like a minor, harmless habit. But the consequences of not moving your mouth enough when you speak are actually […]
The Communication Skills We Used to Pick Up Along the Way Aren’t So Automatic Anymore
A recent Business Insider article caught my attention. Employers are increasingly asking colleges to do more to prepare Gen Z graduates for the workplace—not just technically, but socially and communicatively. They’re talking about things like how to start a conversation, when to make eye contact, how to use pauses, how to navigate workplace interactions, how […]
The Real Reason You “Forget” What You Practiced
Last week, a client looked at me with complete frustration and said, “I swear I could do this yesterday. Then I got into my meeting and everything disappeared.” It’s a common experience. You speak faster. Your voice tightens. You forget to pause. Old patterns return. It feels like you’ve lost everything you learned. But you […]
The Best Plans Are The Ones You Throw Out
Or Rain, Gold Ultrasuede and Letting Go of the Plan I just had a big birthday party up in Great Barrington, MA. Yes, thank you. My boyfriend and I had built the whole thing around the backyard. We rented tables and chairs, bought special lighting to string up, and I even ordered a Cornhole set. […]
Autism, Visibility, and What We Choose to Value
It’s no longer called Autism Awareness Month. It’s now Autism Acceptance Month. That alone says a lot about how the conversation is evolving. Why does this matter? Because what we pay attention to shapes what becomes visible. And what becomes visible has a way of changing systems—slowly, unevenly, but meaningfully. When I was in graduate […]
The Secret to Making a Good Speech Great?
Sing It to Speak Better Sing it! Now hear me out—I’m not suggesting you serenade your department with last quarter’s earnings. But singing your speech can be a surprisingly effective way to improve your vocal delivery. Connect Words with Breath When you sing, your words ride on a continuous stream of air. This strengthens your […]
Why Changing the Way You Speak Feels Scary
We all know the phrase “finding your voice.”Every time I ask ChatGPT for a title, it suggests that one. I’ve told it at least five times to knock it off. Still, the overused phrase points to something real. Changing the way you speak can feel scary. Not just technically—psychologically. It disrupts identity. It makes you […]
When Experience Speaks… But Confidence Wavers
There’s a kind of professional discomfort that doesn’t get talked about much. It hits people who are capable, experienced, and respected—yet suddenly find themselves in repeated high-stakes conversations: interviews, panels, senior-level meetings. Moments where everything feels compressed into short windows of evaluation. On paper, nothing’s missing. But in the body and voice, something shifts. People […]
Take a Thought for a Walk: How Belief Transforms Your Voice, Energy, and Presence
A simple shift in thought can transform the way you see yourself and how others perceive you.
Moving Your Mouth More Does More Than Just Improve Clarity
“Move your mouth and enunciate.” I can still hear my mother saying that to my brother at thirteen. His mumbled words drove us crazy—but it turns out, that little advice is about more than being understood. She, and the rest of us, were tired of asking him to repeat himself. His mumbled speech—part teenage self-consciousness, […]