Transformational Listening in Two Minutes
Everyone is moving fast. Calendars stack up. Slacks and emails keep coming. In that pace, people start speaking in summaries. We trade real conversation for quick updates and hope the volume breaks through. It does not. When stakes are high, what changes outcomes is not more information. It is the moment you make someone feel […]
Surface Messages vs. Human Connection
We live in a world where everyone is communicating, yet very few are actually connecting. Your inbox fills by the minute. Feeds refresh before you finish a sentence. Meetings stack so tightly that the only room left for nuance is the walk from one call to the next. In that rush, it is easy to […]
Breaking Through the Surface: Why Real Connection Beats Noise
We live in a world of constant communication. Emails, DMs, updates, and notifications flood in by the minute. Leaders push out slide decks. Teams share quick progress notes. Advisors send polished follow-ups. The pace is relentless. And yet, with all this communication, people feel more disconnected than ever. The problem isn’t effort. It’s depth. Most […]
Struggle-Driven Stories: Why the Middle Is What Moves People
We live in a world obsessed with the before-and-after. Leaders highlight the starting point and the results. Companies showcase the vision and the outcome. Advisors present the problem and the solution. But when you strip a story down to just the setup and the finish line, you remove the part that actually creates connection: the […]
Data Informs, Story Transforms: The Real Driver of Change and Commitment
The Data Deluge In today’s workplace, numbers are everywhere. Dashboards, charts, and KPIs dominate meetings. Every decision is framed in terms of percentages and projections. Data has become the language of credibility, the proof that what we’re saying is valid. But here’s the problem: while data can inform, it rarely inspires. Facts can clarify, but […]
Why Relatability Beats Perfection in Every Story
Why Relatability Beats Perfection in Every Story I’ve spent years watching leaders, teams, and organizations try to influence others through communication. And I’ve noticed something: most people think the way to gain respect and credibility is to project perfection. They polish their messages, highlight their wins, and present themselves as flawless. The intention makes sense. […]
Connection > Communication: Why “Data-Driven” Alone Doesn’t Move People—But Stories Do
We live in a business culture obsessed with being “data-driven.” Numbers, metrics, and dashboards dominate meetings. Don’t get me wrong—data is essential. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: data alone doesn’t move people. Facts can inform, but they rarely inspire. If you want to change minds, spark action, or create real influence, you need something deeper. […]
You’re Talking Too Much—And Listening Too Little: The Silent Barrier to Influence
I’ve been in enough boardrooms, sales calls, and leadership retreats to notice a consistent pattern. People think influence comes from saying more—more data, more slides, more reasons, more words. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: the more we talk, the less we listen. And the less we listen, the less influence we actually have. If you’re […]
Connection > Communication: Why Surface-Level Messages Aren’t Enough
We live in an era of relentless communication. Notifications buzz our phones, emails fill our inboxes, and LinkedIn posts stream past our eyes like ticker tape. Everyone’s “communicating” all the time—but very few are actually connecting. At CI2 Advisors, I’ve seen firsthand how this glut of surface-level messaging leaves people numb. No matter how clever […]
Why People Tune You Out—and How Story Changes That
Why Your Message Isn’t Being Heard These days, people are drowning in communication. From Zoom meetings and email threads to instant messages and AI-generated briefs, the workplace is a flood zone of information. Yet something critical is being lost in the flood: attention. People don’t tune out because they’re lazy—they tune out because nothing about […]