Effective communication is at the heart of so many successful projects, relationships, and endeavors. Given its magical ability to make things happen, we thought it would be helpful to bring some of the best communicators we know together to share their stories and insights around how they developed their ability to communicate effectively.
Katie Sanders
Communication has always been hard for me. When I was young I didn’t know I was autistic. People called me shy and I also had trouble speaking by tripping over my words due to my dyslexia. I mustered along and did ok in English classes but often repeated myself. It wasn’t until many years in the workforce, and then starting my own business, that I hired a copywriter to translate my ideas into beautifully crafted newsletters and blog posts. She did amazingly well and I suddenly felt heard. When I transitioned back to writing on my own, I finally found my own voice. It didn’t have to be beautifully crafted to get my ideas across, but I learned how to identify my circular thinking within my writing and edit it down. Read more>>
Andrew Golden
I developed my communication skills by genuinely caring how deeply I was connecting with people. God works through people, and the better you can connect with people through genuine and effective communication, the more opportunities you will have to serve and have people serve you. Read more>>
Michael Valoppi
What a great question, as this was not a path that came easily. As a small child in a very toxic home, silence was a refuge, and speaking was often punished, either verbally or physically. Later in life, I discovered that I was bordering on the autism spectrum (Asperger’s Syndrome), which explained why I was quiet around most people I encountered. Once I trusted that a person was not a threat, I would allow myself to open up to them. I remember a moment when I had injured my back and had to go to the hospital. One thing that has always stayed with me was hearing my aunt (I was 19 at the time) tell the admissions nurse, “Ask him very specific questions if you want him to answer you.” Read more>>
Rev. Derek W. White
My communication ability has grown and evolved over the years through observation, experience, and intentional practice. I started developing this skill by watching television and analyzing the techniques used by actors and voice actors. I noticed that the most engaging performers often used consistent methods to connect with their audience. I began mimicking these techniques, learning to adapt them to my communication style. Read more>>
Simone Ravenda
Being in showbusiness since i was 16 built into my personality and identity some particular abilities.
Comunication is my big passion, infact my job as mentalist, magician and mind reader, is built because of this love for comunication and being always around a lot of people increased this ability and made me the guy i’am today.
I’am also a professional coach in NLP, i work for big corporates developing and performing in their events with my mentalism shows which are built up for motivating the team, and also i work for their conventions teaching them NLP and comunication Read more>>
Dr Natasha Ramzan
As an immigrant eldest daughter, I’ve always carried the weight of my family’s sacrifices on my shoulders. My parents left everything behind to give us a better life, and I knew I couldn’t let their struggles go to waste. This responsibility fueled my ability to take risks because I believed that by taking bold steps toward my dreams, I was honoring their sacrifices. Read more>>
Samantha Elder
After working in corporate healthcare for a while and then having a baby, it came down to prioritizing what was now the most important to me. All I wanted to be in life was a mom and working 40 hours a week with no flexibility to reduce my hours or my commute was not prioritizing being a mom to my newborn. I love being and SLP but I wanted to be able to spend all of the moments necessary with my baby in addition to following my passions in the speech world. Once my priorities became clear, I resigned from my job and took on the risk of opening a private practice and built it from the ground up. I would do it over and over everyday if necessary! Read more>>
Ivy Sbaiti
I’ve always considered myself to be naturally risk-averse and highly analytical—sometimes to the point of analysis paralysis. But over time, I’ve developed a framework for evaluating risks that has helped me move forward with confidence. For me, it’s all about viewing opportunities through the lens of the worst-case scenario. I ask myself: What’s the worst thing that could happen if I pursue this? How much could I lose? Read more>>
Keenan King
Growing up on Chicago’s southside in a predominantly black working class neighborhood I saw. Read more>>
Tess Kazenoff
I had just finished my first semester of college when I reached my breaking point.
Over the past months, which I’d spent at a university in California, my mental health had plummeted. Back home in New Jersey for winter break, I finally felt like I could breathe a bit again — but I’d also had a scary realization. I needed to drop out of school. Read more>>
Andi Gibson
I’m not quite sure that risk taking is a skill I ever knew I was developing. I’ve been told many times in my life that I am fearless. It has always been said with reverence so I have always taken it as a compliment, but I truly believe it to be a survival skill. I was raised an only child to an alcoholic single parent in a household where tensions were always high, so anxiety and stress became close friends of mine. I learned at a young age I simply couldn’t cower to them, I had to grow along side them. That upbringing shaped me into a woman who takes the bull by the horns and handles business regardless of whatever else may be going on because that’s how I was raised. I don’t think I ever saw that as “developing the ability to take risks”, but I think the outcome ended up being just that. Read more>>
Arjun Singh
Risk-taking has been an integral part of my journey, shaped by my upbringing, personal values, and professional experiences. Growing up in Delhi in a Sikh family rooted in business, I learned early on that calculated risks are not only necessary but essential for growth. My parents instilled in me a sense of resilience, adaptability, and self-belief, teaching me that stepping into the unknown is often the path to achieving something extraordinary. These lessons were further reinforced by the values of perseverance, community, and service inherent in my Sikh heritage, which gave me the confidence to pursue my passions even when the odds were uncertain. Read more>>
Nigel Metal
from watching my mother, who went through many struggles. She never gave up on herself and taught me that anytime you you create an opportunity for yourself, that risk , is part of the game . However, if you believe in yourself and what you’re doing, than risk turns into antispatory excitement and fear melts away. Her favorite saying was ” I can , I will. Read more>>
Josh Vogel
For me, taking the right kinds of risks is about feedback and honesty. When you take a risk, it means you put yourself in a situation where you don’t really know the outcome. You are vulnerable and you just put a big bet on yourself. If you win, awesome, the bet pays off and you gain some confidence. If the bet doesn’t work out then you get some good feedback on what you need to do to adjust your course and try again. Read more>>
Jaina Cipriano
I struggle with global anxiety and sometimes, normal daily tasks can overwhelm me. Personal growth can feel slow, so I use my creative practice to push myself towards fearlessness. I write about things that scare me, willing myself to be as honest and vulnerable as possible. I put myself in front of the camera, work to let down my walls and allow myself to be really seen. Read more>>
Josh Vogel
For me, taking the right kinds of risks is about feedback and honesty. When you take a risk, it means you put yourself in a situation where you don’t really know the outcome. You are vulnerable and you just put a big bet on yourself. If you win, awesome, the bet pays off and you gain some confidence. If the bet doesn’t work out then you get some good feedback on what you need to do to adjust your course and try again. Read more>>
