Breaking Bad Communication

Be honest. Did your stomach just tighten a little? Those five innocent words can send even the most confident among us straight into defense mode. But what if feedback isn’t something to fear? What if it’s the information we need to stop guessing and finally hit the target? In this episode of Breaking Bad Communication , we’re taking the fear, fluff, and foolishness out of feedback and getting cle...

Your Next Best Move Might Be Hiding in the Feedback Feedback is everywhere, in what others tell us, what we notice about ourselves, and even in the emotions that show up along the way. But hearing it and knowing what to do with it are two very different things. In this episode, Avital Miller and I explore what happens when we get curious, ask better questions, and use feedback as information inste...

Your Inner Voice Is Showing The way you talk to yourself shapes how you show up, speak up, and step into what’s next. So what happens when doubt, overthinking, and uncertainty start running the conversation? Maybe it’s time to stop questioning whether everything around you will hold and start trusting the one thing you can control, you.

Trust Me? Yeah, That’s Not Up to You. You can have the title, the experience, the best intentions, and all the right words, and still leave people wondering if they can count on you. Because trust isn’t built by what you believe about yourself. It’s built by what other people experience from you. And sometimes, the smallest behaviors are sending a much bigger message than you realize. If you want...

What if one of the most powerful strategies for growing your business has less to do with what you say and more to do with how well you listen? In this episode of Breaking Bad Communication , Cathy sits down with business coach and entrepreneur Kami Guildner for a conversation about asking better questions, truly understanding the people you serve, and using what you learn to make smarter business...

Think You Can Spot a Liar? Think Again. We’ve been taught to look for the obvious signs, avoiding eye contact, fidgeting, nervous behavior, or a story that just feels a little off. But research shows that many of the things we associate with lying aren’t reliable indicators at all. In this episode of Breaking Bad Communication, we unpack what the science actually says about detecting deception and...

Think you can spot a liar? You may want to think again. We’ve been taught to look for the obvious signs, avoiding eye contact, fidgeting, nervous behavior, or a story that just feels a little off. But research shows that many of the things we associate with lying aren’t reliable indicators at all. In this episode of Breaking Bad Communication , we unpack what the science actually says about detect...

The Swiss Cheese Effect: Infertility, Energy, and Becoming Whole Again What if the difficult experiences, negative self-talk, grief, and words of others leave little holes in us, until we start feeling a lot like Swiss cheese? In this episode, Reiki Master Krista Igoe shares her Swiss cheese analogy and how energy work can support people navigating infertility, miscarriage, and loss. We also tackl...

What I Heard Wasn't What You Said: Have you ever walked away from a conversation thinking, "That’s not what I meant" or "That’s not what I heard at all"? In this episode, we explore one of the biggest challenges in communication: the gap between what is said, what is meant, and what is actually heard. Through a real-life conversation that almost went sideways, you'll learn why misunderstandings ha...

What happened to manners? After a recent trip to London, I couldn’t help but notice how often people said please, thank you, and treated others with simple respect, and honestly, it made me realize how much we’ve lost that in everyday communication here in the US. In this episode, we talk about why manners still matter, how respectful communication builds trust and connection, and what research sa...

Your Future Has a Friend Group - Your future is being shaped by the people around you, the conversations you normalize, and the energy you allow into your life. In this episode, we talk about why your environment matters more than you think, how communication patterns like negativity, gossip, ambition, and accountability transfer between people, and why growth often changes relationships. Not ever...

Have you ever sat in a meeting, conversation, or relationship knowing you had a thought to share, but convinced yourself it probably wasn’t smart enough, important enough, or valuable enough to say out loud? In this episode, we talk about the courage it takes to use your voice before you fully believe in it. You’ll learn why so many people stay quiet, how confidence is actually built through contr...

Rambling doesn’t mean you lack intelligence, it often means your brain is overloaded and your thoughts need structure. In this episode, you’ll learn The Bookend Method™ , a simple communication framework that helps you organize your thoughts, speak with more clarity, and make your message easier to follow. If you want to sound more confident in meetings, conversations, presentations, or difficult...

Have you ever been told you’re too loud, too emotional, too much? In this episode, I talk about the hidden cost of shrinking yourself to make other people comfortable, and why so many of us learned to stay quiet long before we ever found our voice. I share a deeply personal story about silence, self-trust, and the moment I realized other people’s discomfort was never my responsibility to carry. Yo...

In this episode, I sit down with Cathy Domsch of Keystone Collective for a powerful conversation on leadership, team alignment, and the mindset shifts that actually drive productivity. We dig into what it really takes to get everyone on the same page, why mindset is often the root of procrastination, and how leaders can create clarity that moves people into action. If you’ve ever felt stuck, watch...

Everyone wants to be a great leader, but most are asking the wrong questions. In this episode, I answer what it really takes to be seen, heard, and followed. It’s not about title or authority, it’s about how you choose to show up every single day. If you want people to listen and follow, this is your starting point. Want to talk leadership - let's go! Want questions to ask to develop as a leader -...

Sales doesn’t improve when you memorize better lines. It improves when you become more curious. In this episode, I sit down with Bethany George from The Follow Up Boss to talk about why the best sales conversations happen when you skip the script and start asking better questions. Curiosity becomes your superpower, helping you understand what people really need. Because when you slow down, get cur...

Building Your Communication Toolkit Communication isn’t just one skill, it’s a toolkit. In this episode, I sit down with expert Meg Bucaro to share practical tools that help you navigate conversations with more clarity and confidence. One powerful takeaway? Learning to focus on facts, not just feelings, so conversations stay productive instead of emotional. JUICY! If you want to strengthen how you...

Communication isn’t just something you do. It’s currency. And it sets the standard for every relationship in your life, your marriage, your kids, your team, your friendships, even how you date. In this episode, I challenge you to stop just talking and start paying attention. Because it’s not just the words you use. It’s your tone. Your pace. Your pauses. Your breath. Your posture. Your energy. And...

Stop the Venting Spiral: How Good Listeners Set Better Boundaries Being a good listener is a powerful leadership - until everyone starts venting to you and you’re left carrying conversations that aren’t yours to fix. If people trust you, confide in you, and unload on you, this episode is for you. In this conversation, I break down why strong listeners often become go-to leaders—and how that same s...

Bridging the Gap: Why What You Say Isn’t What They Hear Most communication doesn’t fail because people don’t talk enough—it fails because what’s said isn’t what’s heard. And that gap? That’s where confusion, frustration, and conflict live. In this episode, I break down the three real steps to communication: what’s said, what’s heard, and how to intentionally bridge the gap between the two. Because...

We break down what really builds the know, like, and trust factor, why relatability matters more than perfection, and how to talk about yourself with clarity using a simple framework: who you are, what you do, and the outcome you create. If you want to show up confidently, be remembered, and actually connect with the right people, this conversation is for you. Kate's website:   https://standingout...

Infertility and loss is one of those conversations most people avoid because they’re afraid of saying the wrong thing. So we stay quiet, change the subject, or offer well-meaning words that miss the mark. And that silence? It hurts more than we realize. In this episode, I’m breaking that pattern. I share my own journey on infertility and loss. I talk openly about why this topic is so hard to discu...

So many people hold back from sharing their story because they think it’s not big enough, dramatic enough, or powerful enough. But here’s the truth: connection doesn’t come from the extraordinary—it comes from the honest. In this episode, I sit down with Nick Demos to talk about the real power of telling your true story—not to impress, but to connect. We explore how it’s often the common, everyday...

In this episode, I sit down with Ruth Kent, an expert who’s built her career on one powerful choice: being part of the solution, not the problem. Drawing from her work in dialogue, facilitation, and conflict transformation, Ruth shares how shifting from reacting to observing and witnessing disagreements can completely change the outcome. This conversation is a reminder that how you show up matters...