Boston is a hard place to leave. But after 14 years, it was time for a new adventure. So on December 1, I moved myself and my business to Washington, DC.
For years, I had visited DC for work. On each and every visit, I felt more at home and more energized in the nation’s capital. People come to DC to do something, to mobilize people, to affect change. And public speaking is about taking that desire for action and putting it into compelling, persuasive words. Public speaking is about clearing away all the clutter in our minds to arrive at the essence of who we are and what we want to see in the world. I could think of no better place to do that than Washington, DC.
Given my foreign language skills and diplomatic background, I’m working with foreign diplomats based in DC who want to be just as confident giving a speech in English as they are in their native language. I’m also working with Americans and other native English speakers who want their message to connect with an international audience.
Given my experience leading workshops for women at Harvard, I’ll be traveling around the world teaching communication to women as a way to empower them to find their voice and speak up. It’s more than skills training; it’s leadership development.
Those are two particular areas of focus, but I’ll continue to teach many others, from sales pitches to startup presentations to business communication.
It’s been an exciting two weeks in Washington; I look forward to seeing what the coming year brings.
