When they ask me how I knew that my true love is true ...

About me, the short version: I love seeing people reach their dreams. I love helping them do it.

And I can't stand seeing awesome ideas and beautiful brands that could give real value to people's lives failing without good communication practices ... or drowning in junk marketing.

The moral: Life teaches us that nobody can do it all alone. Successful people have figured out that it's essential to set up and practice great communication in every organization and relationship ...

If you want to keep that organization or relationship and make it awesome!

My Story?

I come from small town in the middle of rural California. Not too far back, my father's side had immigrated from Norway. We still keep in touch with our cousins in the "old country".

Meanwhile, in the US, we became a family of readers, talkers, and teachers.

Two uncles were professors of history. Another aunt and uncle taught kids. My dad started teaching in the late 60s, so he was aways giving my younger sister and me kids activities designed to increase our self-awareness!   

So you can see how I grew up with a strong interest in history, language and psychology.

But there's more. 

All my life, I saw my father shouldering the responsibility of being a teacher. He took a job in the poorest county of the state, where he thought he could help kids the most.

In both his personal life and his career, he became a pillar of stability for others.

I deeply admired that. I still do.

Nonetheless ... while growing up, I was very shy.

I couldn't imagine myself having the high level of confidence my dad and older relatives had as teachers ...

Of course, a lot of young people face this same lack of confidence, deep down, whether they can admit it or not.

But, just like so many young people, I masked my insecurities with sarcasm, pretending not to care.

The truth is, I didn't believe in myself enough to believe that other people could believe in me!

Deep down, I didn't think that anybody would care what I had to say.

So, after barely a nibble at the teaching profession, instead I decided to venture out into the world of business.

I actually thought it might be easier talking about products than learning how to better teach the subjects I cared about!

Strange idea, isn't it?

In fact, I believe the complete opposite nowadays.

But hindsight is 20/20. A person with less experience can't make decisions the same way as a person with more experience. 

Sometimes, though, it all works out ...

Here's what happened.

I did the opposite of what make me comfortable. I challenged myself by putting myself in a position where I had to talk to people.

I became a salesman in insurance and securities, and eventually in real estate.

And to my surprise, all of that was extremely interesting ...

But it sure wasn't easier, as you can guess!

Challenging myself in this way had opened a door. I became more aware of the struggles other people were going through too.

Then I was in for an even bigger surprise ... 

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It was while in sales, while I was struggling to overcome my fears (so I could pay the bills!), that a realization came to me that changed everything:

Salesmanship is a form of teaching.

Helping my clients make informed decisions, solving their problems to get them what they really needed and adding value to their lives, was akin to what my family did in classrooms.

This realization broadened my perspective — managers, too, are teachers, guiding their teams to success.

Leadership, by setting an example, is also teaching.

As I advanced to managerial roles myself, I faced my lack of confidence head-on. I discovered that teaching is also a profound learning experience. 

But I noticed how so many others in leadership struggled with communication, just as I had.

They each had so much insight and experience ... but couldn't make their visions into a reality that was efficient for their organization. 

It was tragic, really, considering how hard they tried.

This observation led me to another conclusion. In time, it became my mission:

Improving communication could unlock the potential of countless individuals and organizations.

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This was proved to me after I was invited to teach Business Communication in various MBA programs at an AACSB-accredited business school in Thailand.

I also served as personal secretary to a senior officer of the Royal Thai Navy, assisting with reorganization of the national maritime security communications center (Thai-MECC) and the improvement of regional cooperation against crimes at sea such as piracy.

Of course, it was incredible diving into another culture, teaching, learning the language and how to do business in another land ...

It was hard at times, too, and I had to learn that the true meaning of confidence is how you deal with life's problems.

In other words, this experience offered a wealth of communication lessons.

For over 20 years, I've taught 1000s of entrepreneurs and managers, learning firsthand what obstacles they faced and what strategies worked, and what they really needed in their businesses.

We see, time and time again, in our rapidly changing and challenging world of supply, demand, and serious competition — the necessity for a holistic approach to communication. 

• We need communication systems that help us coordinate consistently in all areas of our lives.

• We  need the communication skills to make people feel valued when they're engaged with us and our systems.

• We need communication that helps us do things together better.  

As human beings, we can't feel secure in situations that leave our communications up to the inspiration, convenience, or mood of the moment — and security is one of our most basic needs.

Even if you're an online solo-entrepreneur, you need structures and standards to create that sense of security for yourself and for everyone you deal with. 

Trying to do it all without good skills and systems, day after day, prevents you from consistently turning a beautiful concept into the right message in the right medium.

That's a loss to us all. 

The best idea in the universe is worthless if no one finds out about it.

But lasting success in a business isn't only about reaching more customers.

The relationship doesn't end after we make the sale. Like a honeymoon, that's just the beginning! 

After the sale, without systems and skills in customer service and partner relations: miscommunication can derail even our most effective solutions.

It is just as the old-school masters of business have taught us for ages: good communication builds trust that strengthens relationships, communities, and organizations.

In this journey, my consulting philosophy crystalized:

"An organization can only be as good as its communication."

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Now, I'm dedicated to helping leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals harness the power of effective communication. 

I've worked with individuals and teams from around the globe, in 100s of companies, across a range of industries. 

Everything I do is focused to help you to develop and share the talent, experience and expertise you have, with your community and with the great world outside!

Previously, I was proud to say that my clients all came to me through direct personal referrals.

But with today's technology, I’m even more excited to offer my communication skills and systems training to a much wider audience.

Improving communication is a win-win for everyone.

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