Talk, Unleashed

Some topics just like to stick around. Pausing. Silence. The power that comes from taking … a … breath. This week, the power of the pause (but that’s always PAWS for me). How do dogs stay in the moment and what can we learn from that and how does communication shift? In a world where what passes for radical honesty usually means someone is just letting things fly outta their pie-hole without much...

This week another meander into a concept that everyone seems  to “get” and plenty of people talk about. But for some reason, most folks have their heads shoved squarely up their a$$ when it comes to what it *actually* means. The power of silence. Silence is the most informative, instructive and valuable place when it comes to making decisions and finding paths to resolution. In the dumpster fire t...

Last week I talked about how context is bullsh*t . Since there’s so much shit around these days, figured taking on the ridiculous premise of “brutal honesty” would be next. Put simply, #brutalhonesty is a load of horsesh*t.  The word brutal literally means savage, violent and destructive. So by association anyone who would be “brutal” with honesty? Yeah they’re probably kind of an a$$hole. Or at l...

Amazing how words and concepts get hijacked and bastardized. Because OF COURSE communication has a level of context to it. Saying “I love you” for example in one setting (like to a friend) has an entirely different meaning when looking into the eyes of someone you’re dating. (The latter sometimes even giving rise to a sense of nausea if if the first time you’re saying it.) BUT - to imply that some...

If you were a tree, what kind would you be? It’s one of the oldest urban legend interview stories. It’s said that Barbara Walters famously asked that of Katharine Hepburn. Turns out the actual interview didn’t go that way, but Hepburn DID note that she’d lived her life as an Oak tree. What on earth does that have to do with communication?  Everything. It has to do with the balance between being st...

This is about cookies.  Bet you saw the title and thought this was about something else.  Sorry to disappoint, but this is about cookies. Also it’s about complacency. It’s about what happens when you get so “comfortable” with a skillset you’ve “mastered” you take your foot off the gas. Stop pushing yourself. Stop reaching for excellence. During holiday season many people shift into neutral, lulled...

Kicking off a New Year felt like this particular topic was apt. Getting back on the horse. Starting again. Most skills we develop require some level of practical application or practice to maintain. Learning an instrument as a kid doesn’t mean you’ll be able to just play it later if you don’t keep up with practice. Other things may be a bit rusty but with a bit of focus, the old skills come back....

Going shopping during holiday season can be a bit like a full contact sport. Which is precisely why it’s my favorite time of year to go shopping. It’s when the best and most powerful lessons about human behavior and communication are writ large. This year was no different, and this time around - courtesy of a high-traffic Target Superstore - the lessons are all about home. And that’s where we go t...

Mother Nature sure has a way about her. Damn smart, really. Not that this should be new information, I guess, but there’s something remarkably powerful when she lands messages that are relevant for every aspect of life. In this week’s episode - lessons from nature that relate deeply to heat of conversation and how to cool it down.  In a world where what passes for radical honesty usually means som...

There’s something romantic about an old school map - those things made out of paper folks used to use to navigate from one spot to another. Technology made these obsolete. Navigation built into cars or on your cell phone - plug in your destination and GPS does the rest. It’ll even immediately re-route if the system detects traffic or issues. Far more efficient and convenient … but there is a cost....

Those who don’t remember the past are condemned to repeat it.  I always found that statement to be dark. It also can sometimes create a whole new problem. Spending time saturated in the past not only doesn’t prevent things from happening again, it almost guarantees that you’ll attract precisely that which you’re paying attention to.  That creates something of a bind. If we ignore the past, it happ...

Making it work. Getting it done. Powering through the problem. This way of thinking has its value AND it’s also a colossal contributor to the mess that is our world. After all, if someone doesn’t speak a language, talking more slowly and loudly in that language to them, doesn’t work. If you hit an obstacle, backing up and running at it harder MIGHT get you through - but at what cost? In this week’...

Well, I can confirm it’s true. Bears DO sh*t in the woods. I know because I came across a very very very very very fresh pile of bear scat during a hike. The good news - I didn’t step in it. The better news,  though incredibly fresh (and likely meaning the bear wasn’t far off), I didn’t actually meet the bear. The even better news - the whole experience was a great lesson in responsibility, accoun...

Advertising is a funny thing. Words and phrases become identified with a brand based on artful and consistent use. “Just do it”. “We love to fly and it shows.” “Where’s the Beef?”  What happens when words feel weaponized? What happens when words that appear to be celebratory or positive have a darker meaning? What happens when words are used to splinter and divide?  What happens? Just turn on the...

The word ritual has a lot of weight to it. Its main definition designates it as being about religious ceremony. Pretty sure that’s where my resistance to it comes from. Truth is, though, that ritual doesn’t have to be heavy, or religious. Ritual, having some sort of consistent process or practice, can be a source of comfort, solace and a beautiful way to connect with others. In this week’s episode...

COME ON CATHY LIGHTEN UP! That started out as a CAPS LOCK error, but seemed pretty apropos to keep. So I did, because that was very much on my mind in putting together this week’s episode. How to come from a lighter place in times that feel so darn dark? That’s the key, though, in compassionate communication. So in this week’s episode, an attempt to find not so much levity as a way forward and how...

The last weeks have been trying times for anyone with a pulse. Feelings from fury to fear. People from all walks of life letting fly with words of fury and over-amplified emotion or remaining silent, feeling they have nothing they can say. When someone’s work IS communication that presents an interesting situation. How to enter the conversation and create an upward spiral, a productive direction?...

No sooner were we back from hiatus with an episode on minding my own business, boundaries and respect of space , when the world seemed to go even further sideways into hatred. And so, rather than trying to make sense and speak about it, this week - for OUR 100TH EPISODE - it felt appropriate to repeat one of our most powerful episodes — An interview with Transformational Leader, Coach, Mentor and...

WELCOME BACK listeners! After a delicious summer hiatus, Cathy is back with a new season of Talk, Unleashed and kicking off with thoughts that percolated from a recent trip to New York City. The thing that came up? Mind your own @#(*&$ business - and how that, and statements like it, masquerade as “being honest”.  Here’s the thing - it’s not honest. It’s a defense mechanism. Get outta my space...

Being at a loss for words is a rarity for our host. So when she found herself at loose ends for what to talk about this week, suddenly the loss of words became pausing and being still, and in the stillness, the liminal space of a season change, this week’s topic emerged.  In a world where what passes for radical honesty usually means someone is just letting things fly outta their pie-hole without...

If clothes make the man (and woman) I wonder what that says about folks who have a penchant for provocative t-shirts. I’ve always been a fan of such things, and over the years have had quite a few shirts and some hats that did just that. What I didn’t expect was that wearing one such shirt in a Wal-Mart in the middle of Virginia would spark a conversation about respect, authenticity and strength....

How do you find ease, flow and comfort in life, go with the flow AND at the same time have some sort of structure, order and plans? If you’re like me the latter can sometimes get in the way, but without it nothing gets done. Thus the conundrum. What I came to and found in this week’s #unleashedtalk is that the key to bringing the two together is based entirely in the language I use - to myself. Th...

Bold. Fierce. Wise. Just a few of the words that come to mind when thinking about Dr. Judith Rich . Deeply involved in transformational leadership for nearly 50 years as a coach, trainer and mentor, Dr. Rich also is author of the best-selling book “Beyond the Box: Lean Out, Break Free, Rise Up” . In her book, and related podcast “The New Beyond” , Facebook Group and all her teachings, Dr. Rich doe...

Conscious communication. Seems that it should be a no brainer, right? I mean, words coming out of your mouth have to come from somewhere. Thing is, we live in a such a numb world that more often than not words not only have lost their meaning, in many cases they have lost their way. Don’t worry, this isn’t a gloom and doom episode, it’s actually hopefully; because in this week’s episode of #TalkUn...

The magic of metaphors. It’s a graceful way to relate, land a message and connect. We all have our favorites, areas that map to our lives. For me the magic trio is ice hockey, dogs, and music (specifically classical and jazz). Since hockey season is now formally over (another hearty HUZZAH for the Vegas Golden Knights on their Stanley Cup Championship), internet algorithms have shifted and are fee...