Being a leader is like being a parent…it is a monumental task. Whether you are leading entire organizations, small groups, or just one other person, the responsibility you have is immeasurable. You could literally be the one person that guides another to the next step on their career path. As a leader, you have the ability to inspire others, shape their lives, and teach them invaluable skills that will serve them for life. You have probably heard the saying “with great power comes great responsibility” and nowhere is that truer than in a leadership role.

When awarded a leadership position, there are usually many pre-requisites and responsibilities that are lined out for us. “Communicate well” isn’t always listed in the job description, but it should be. And, even if “great communication skills” is listed in the job requirements, that is such a broad and undefined level of skill that it’s hard to know if your skills meet the...

Love languages are all the rage these days. There is even a free quiz you can take to determine your love language! The great thing about the love languages is that they are rooted in research and psychology, so there is a scientific basis behind the why and how of them!

I’ve done some reading on the love languages and even taken that free quiz a couple of times and something I’ve noticed is that love isn’t the only emotion that has various “languages”.

It’s Thanksgiving week in the US. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Not because of the origins of the holiday but because it is the ONE week of the year where my kids and I all have 4 days off to relax and enjoy each other’s company. My husband has to work so we don’t see him too much (in case you’re wondering ).

No one has any activities or obligations, and we get to enjoy our own traditions of getting a Christmas tree on Black Friday, cooking our special Thanksgiving meal...

Welcome back! I am continuing my discussion of perfection and the twisted effects it has on us. For something that doesn’t exist, it sure does create a lot of doubt and fear in us. I’m on a mission to change that and to help leaders, professionals, and business owners just like you to overcome those doubts and fears so you can design and live the life you desire.

If this is your first time here, welcome! Here at Talk-O Tuesday I take my observations, experiences, and thoughts about the world, use them to create some kind of valuable lesson, and then I share them with you. There is usually some component of communication involved (I mean, I do run a COMMUNICATION coaching business…) but there is also a large component that is based on mindset shifts and reframing how we view things.

The way we communicate is directly influenced by our mindset and beliefs about ourselves. (Don’t believe me? Book a call and let’s chat! )

Anyway, the last few weeks I have...

Last week I had the opportunity to speak on a subject that truly lights me up. Yes, I get fired up about communication and helping you find your voice and clarify your message, but I also get lit up by talking about the fear of failure and how it can stop us dead in our tracks. The topic of my speech was perfection paralysis, and I am so excited to share some insight from it with you over the next couple of weeks!

Let’s talk about perfection for a minute. Perfection is a made-up notion that is completely unattainable. Ideals of perfection are subjective rather than objective. This means that there is no black and white way to measure it. Since there is no way to measure it, there is no way to attain it.

As a subjective ideal, your notions of perfection are influenced by your own feelings, principles, experiences, biases, culture, values, and personality. But how can you define perfection? Is it simply the absence of mistakes? Whose metrics are used to measure whether mistakes...

Let me tell you a hard truth: no matter how hard you try, you will never be perfect. Nothing you do will ever be perfect…and now that you know that, you can get busy taking action and changing your life!
Admitting and accepting that you will never attain perfection is an important step in your business, your career, and your life. When you worry too much about doing things perfectly, one of two things happens: you do the thing, but you don’t meet your expectations (which are usually unrealistic in the first place) or you completely avoid doing the thing so that you don’t have to deal with the potential disappointment in yourself or judgment from others.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
Perfection does not exist. I want you push it right on out of your mind and focus instead on progress, on striving for excellence instead of perfection. When you focus on progress, on EXCELLence (the act of excelling…aka: getting better at something), you will see...

Conflict is part of business. No matter how hard you work to provide a good experience for every customer you work with, you will inevitably have someone, at some point that is unhappy with you. As a business owner, it is critical to develop a thick skin and solid communication strategy for dealing with unhappy clients. Remember, communication is the bridge between the conflict and the resolution and can truly make or break you in these situations!

Last week I traveled with my family from Oregon to Utah. We flew on Delta Airlines (as we always do…first-class seats for the win – thank you SkyMiles!!) and all was as it should be until it was time to take off…and we were still parked at the gate. Now, to the untrained or inattentive ear, all was well, and we were just getting settled in for the short flight. But, to an avid observer such as myself, I could tell something was going on.

Since we were in the front row of the airplane, we could hear the flight...

There is no doubt that the art of communication has changed (quite drastically) over the last century. From telegrams to telephones, to emails, text messages, and video chat, the means of communicating look very different than they did a hundred years ago (or more).

Continuous developments in technology have made the process of communication faster, easier, and more convenient than ever. It is awesome that I can “attend” a meeting in Utah when I am in Oregon or “meet” with clients in England or Canada who enroll in my coaching program. Would I prefer to travel and meet people face to face? Absolutely! But I love that I can meet people virtually when in-person meetings are not feasible or cost effective!

However, all this virtual connection, for all it has brought to the table, has also caused us to forget how to connect and communicate in person. Don’t believe me? The next time you find yourself in a restaurant, look around the dining area and see how...

I’m sure you have heard the saying “knowledge is power”. It certainly is. Knowing things and being able to use them in the right ways is perhaps the ultimate power that one can attain. The best thing is that there is enough knowledge-power for everyone!

Today I want to share a little bit of knowledge with you about the power of words. Words are your greatest asset as a business owner (and they are free!!). Words have the power to build people up, create momentum, and motivate change. They are your most basic element, strongest catalyst, and versatile tool you have in your communication arsenal. The best part is that you have endless capacity for adding words to your toolbox, increasing your ability to create powerful messages that will resonate with those whom you wish to reach.

The ultimate goal of any business communication is to earn the loyalty of your customers. You want to attract and retain loyal paying clients who will trust you to provide a specific...

Chances are good you have heard the phrase “find your why” at least once or twice. It is something mentors say when reminding us to get back to why we do or want to do something. Some people call it your motivation, your reason, or your purpose. Whatever you call it, your “why” is a very important part of your life.

We all have different “whys” in our lives. Some of us are motivated by money, some by freedom, time, love, material possessions, or fame. It doesn’t really matter what it is, what matters is that it is (or should be) at the center of your behavior to reach whatever it is you desire.

Today I want to talk about the “why” behind communication. Humans communicate for a variety of reasons and in a variety of ways. We also communicate differently based on the stage of life we are in. Babies are limited in their ability to communicate verbally so they cry when they need something. It is simple; If they are...

Let’s talk about mindset. I know, I know, coaches everywhere talk about and focus on mindset…and for good reason. Most of the things we struggle with can be boiled down to how we think about them.

I worked with a fitness and nutrition coach several years ago and rarely did we discuss the specifics of the weekly meal plan or why a certain exercise should or should not be done. I’d guess that about 90% of our time together was spent discussing my thoughts around body image, weight loss, the psychology of cravings, etc. The focus was on my mindset around being healthy and committing to my weight loss and fitness goals.

Communication is all about mindset. Mindset is often influenced by fear – fear of the unknown, the unfamiliar, and the unforeseeable. When I coach a client about their communication, it isn’t all talk about grammar, vocabulary, and spelling. While those things are super important (and I am totally up for geeking out over them), they are a...