A marketer was explaining how to prepare a presentation for potential clients. At least, that was what he intended to explain. What I heard was: “Create your b*tch deck.” Later, he advised the audience to: “Deliver your b*tches confidently.” He meant “pitch deck” and “deliver your pitches.” These pronunciation mistakes completely distracted me from what he was saying. This illustrates a serious communication problem. Once listeners hear an unexpected word, especially one like that, they stop...
27 days ago • 1 min read
I recently launched a new YouTube channel created specifically for international professionals and leaders who want to communicate in English with greater clarity, confidence, and authority. The channel focuses on the pronunciation and delivery skills that matter in professional settings, including meetings, presentations, interviews, client conversations, and leadership communication. My latest video is: Stop Sounding Robotic: Do This Instead Many international professionals try to pronounce...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, I’m excited to share that my brand new YouTube channel is now live. This channel is designed specifically for international professionals and leaders who want to speak English with more clarity, confidence, and authority in leadership, client, and team settings. The newest video is available now: You Don’t Need an American Accent to Be Clear In this free video, I explain the 8 clarity essentials that help your English sound clear and professional in any accent. Watch the video...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Update on my British accent experiment — and an honest one. I’ve been practicing British sounds and intonation daily. Last week I decided it was time to test it out in the real world. Here’s how that went: The pub — I tried basic greetings and ordering food. I felt awkward and was second-guessing every word as it came out. I don’t think I fooled anyone. The bus — I asked the driver about a stop using my best British pronunciation. He didn’t understand me at all. (To be fair, I was asking...
3 months ago • 3 min read
I’m currently spending a month in England, and something happened a few days ago that reminded me exactly what my clients go through every single day. The moment I open my mouth, people know I’m American. And being “found out” like that before I’ve even finished a sentence creates this invisible wall. I can feel it. People’s attention shifts slightly. They’ve already filed me under “American,” complete with whatever associations come along with that, and it made me wonder: are they fully...
3 months ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, Do people sometimes ask you to repeat yourself? You suspect it’s your accent, but you’re not exactly sure what the problem is. In many cases, it’s how you’re stressing the words. In English, word stress is fundamental. If you emphasize the wrong part of a word, your listener’s brain may not even register the word. That’s why incorrect stress often leads to confusion, blank looks, or frequent requests to repeat yourself. I’d like to invite you to a free, live 60-minute webinar where...
7 months ago • 1 min read
Happy Holidays! I hope you're enjoying the magic of the season and observing special traditions with family and friends. I've been enjoying some of my yearly favorites. I saw a performance of the Nutcracker, participated in two Christmas ships parades, went to an ugly sweater party and a cookie exchange. I've also been listening to my favorite Classic Christmas playlists for most of December. 🤶Christmas Songs I love Christmas songs, especially the classic songs I grew up with—the ones from...
8 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, I’m excited to share that I’m planning a new Word Stress course beginning in early January 2026. If people regularly: -- ask you to repeat yourself -- hesitate before responding -- look unsure after you speak there’s a good chance word stress is getting in the way of your clarity. 👉 Click here to join the waitlist Word stress is one of the most crucial aspects of spoken English. Each word has a stress pattern, and when stress falls on the wrong syllable, listeners often don’t...
8 months ago • 1 min read
Hi there, If you’ve ever worked on improving your accent and felt like your progress stalled, you’re not alone. Many motivated learners practice consistently but still don’t get the results they want — and it’s usually not for the reasons they think. I just published a new blog post that breaks down the 8 essential elements of a successful accent reduction plan. But more importantly, it highlights two hidden keys that almost no one realizes they’re missing… yet those two pieces are often the...
8 months ago • 1 min read