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I realized the power of presenting in front of an audience many years ago. I was the PTA president at the small school my children attended. Part of my volunteer role included collaborating with the school administration and parents as well as lead the board activities. A big part of the role was motivating parents to act in support of school fundraisers. As I stood on the small stage, in front of about 100 pairs of eyes, I had that aha moment. Along with the power I had for those few minutes, I recognized the need to respect my audience and be clear about my goals. This led me to Toastmasters, an organization focused on building leadership and presentation skills. For over a decade, I showed up for the Friday “Happy Hour” to support my fellow Toastmasters and work on my own skills. I realized that while I do love the sound of my voice, my audience does not enjoy hearing ah’s, um’s, so so’s, and tongue clicks. Thanks to the role of Ah Counter, I quickly became aware of those crutches and learned to exhale and pause instead. When I hear a “professional” speaker now and they are using these crutches, I get so distracted and judgey! The first speech is called the Ice Breaker. Up to 6 minutes to talk about a subject we all know well—ourselves! The Pathway progresses through different components of speaking including purpose and vocal variety. To complete the Pathway, a Toastmaster also participates in other roles including serving as Toastmaster of the Day, basically the meeting facilitator. I took a hiatus from Toastmasters for almost 15 years. One of the reasons I left my original club was due to no longer getting feedback or support to help me grow. Evaluations are another component of the Toastmaster experience. For every speech, there is an Evaluator listening to provide feedback. Feedback includes what the speaker did well, how they met the goals of the project, and constructive feedback to help the speaker improve. When I stopped getting constructive feedback from my Happy Hour club, I no longer felt motivated to continue attending. Toastmasters provides clear guidance on how to provide effective feedback through the Evaluator role. And keeping in mind that we all have different reasons for being a Toastmaster, we do a disservice to our colleagues when we don’t take time to overcome our own issues with giving and receiving feedback. We grow when we are faced with adversity. We feel appreciated when we connect with our audience and hear that we attained the goal of the speech. It’s a balance to evaluate another. We want to encourage as well as foster growth. I am once again a Toastmaster, and it is a new era. “That’s not how we used to do it” is often on the tip of my tongue! The pandemic changed the organization, which had been resistant to any form of virtual identity. My preference is a live, in-person meeting. However, my weakness shows when I am speaking virtually. My challenges include connecting with the audience, being aware that there IS an audience I am speaking to and finding my speaker identity virtually. Since so much of life is now done virtually, I am grateful for this challenge. Feedback that I often receive (in and out of Toastmasters) is that I tend to rush my words and get off track when I get nervous. Yep. Toastmasters has a low bar for entry. Essentially $10/month plus the club dues. The commitment is for 6 months at a time. And most clubs offer both hybrid and virtual meeting options. I encourage anyone seeking to build their skills in leadership, become more confident, or even just to meet and learn from a diversity of people, to check out Toastmasters. www.toastmasters.org 
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Why a Communication Strategist Is a Valuable Partner Somehow, somewhere, I became the professional that people call on their worst days. When communication has broken down into something that feels more like combat than collaboration. When the thought of sitting across from a colleague feels impossible. When a supervisor is exhausted—feeling like they’re being knocked over again and again by the same relentless wave. This is where a Communication Strategist steps in. Humans are complex, diverse, and emotional. Misunderstandings happen. Feelings get hurt. And organizational systems—often unintentionally—create the perfect conditions for conflict between employees, teams, and leadership. Organizations already rely on specialized partners:
But when communication breaks down and conflict escalates… who do you call? Too often, organizations expect employees to “figure it out,” managers to step in (even if they’re conflict-averse), or HR to absorb the issue simply because it involves people. But does that truly resolve the underlying problem? A Communication Strategist fills this gap. Think of it as your “secret sauce”—a trusted, on-call partner dedicated to addressing communication challenges before they escalate into costly, morale-draining conflicts. Imagine the impact of:
With one call, you have access to a professional who can de-escalate tension, coach for clarity, and guide people toward real solutions. A Communication Strategist is not just reactive—it’s a proactive investment in the health of your organization. It’s confidential, accessible, and designed to keep your people focused on what matters most: your mission. Ready to add a powerful partner to your organization? Visit www.adrgroupnw.com to learn more about monthly Communication Strategist packages—and give your team the support they need to communicate, collaborate, and perform at their best. www.adrgroupnw.com/on-call-communication-strategist.html  Okay. I admit it. I am obsessed. I am finding any excuse to watch FIFA matches. Watching the world come together through the beautiful game is inspiring, exciting, and at times gravity-defying. The athleticism is extraordinary, but beyond the goals and highlight reels, these matches have me thinking about something much bigger than soccer. As I have watched match after match, three observations keep coming to mind. Diversity on Display One of the things FIFA has reminded me of is how much countries continue to evolve. While some nations still have populations that appear more ethnically homogeneous, many others reflect centuries of migration, colonization, and globalization. I was watching France versus Senegal and found myself reflecting on how difficult it would be to identify many players' national teams without their uniforms. Countries like France, Belgium, Germany, England, and the United States are increasingly represented by athletes from a wide range of racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. The modern football pitch is a visual reminder that national identity and ethnic identity are not the same thing. Nations evolve. People move. Cultures blend. And teams often reflect that reality. The American Team Watching the United States Men's National Team fills me with pride. What I see on the pitch looks a lot like the communities I encounter in my community and travels across America. Different races. Different family histories. Different cultural influences. Yet all wearing the same jersey. We are, and always have been, a nation shaped by immigration. Unless your roots trace back to Indigenous peoples such as the Navajo, Apache, Chumash, or countless other Native nations, your family story likely includes someone who made the difficult decision to leave one place and build a life somewhere else. Those journeys were not always easy. Many immigrants arrived seeking opportunity, safety, freedom, or a better future for their families. They often encountered challenges, discrimination, and sacrifice along the way. Yet generation after generation, they continued building lives and communities that helped shape the country we know today. When I watch our players compete, I see pieces of those stories. Some benefited from circumstances that helped open doors. Others overcame tremendous obstacles to reach the highest level of their sport. Together, they represent a uniquely American story. Borders and Belonging FIFA has also reminded me that nations themselves are human constructs. The natural world does not recognize the lines we draw on maps. Rivers flow across borders. Birds migrate without passports. Whales do not stop at immigration checkpoints as they travel between feeding and calving grounds. For much of human history, people were nomadic. They followed food sources, weather patterns, trade routes, and opportunities. Movement is not new. Migration is part of the human story. My own ancestors made the decision to leave everything familiar and migrate to America several generations ago. That decision could not have been easy. They left family, traditions, language, and the comfort of home in pursuit of something they hoped would be better. Even today, moving can be difficult. Many people spend their lives close to where they were raised because familiarity provides comfort, stability, and connection to family. Choosing to leave all of that behind—especially when it means leaving your country—is rarely a decision made lightly. Yet those choices continue to shape nations around the world. What Makes Us American? Being an American is complicated. There is no single race, ethnicity, religion, food, family tradition, or even English dialect that defines what it means to be American. We are simply too diverse for that. What binds us together is not that we all look alike, worship alike, vote alike, or even agree with one another. What binds us together is a shared commitment to a set of ideals expressed in our founding documents and continually refined by each generation. Were those documents perfect? Of course not. They were written by imperfect people living in a very different time. Yet they established principles that created space for growth, debate, and progress. America was always more of an idea than a finished product. And perhaps that is why I find so much meaning in watching our national team compete. When I watch the U.S. Men's National Team, I don't see one race, one religion, one culture, or one story. I see America as it actually exists—diverse, complicated, imperfect, and still striving toward an ideal. Maybe that's why I can't stop watching. Yes, the matches are entertaining. The skill is extraordinary. The drama keeps me glued to the screen. But what really has my attention is seeing the world reflected back at me. I see nations competing fiercely while demonstrating what is possible when people from different backgrounds unite around a shared purpose. I see diversity not as a threat to national identity, but as part of its evolution. And I see a simple game reminding us that before we are citizens of any nation, we are all members of the human race. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think there's another match starting.  What is one thing that consistently brings diverse groups of people together? A place where strangers gather, cheer, groan, celebrate, and commiserate as one. A place where people proudly wear the same colors to show unity and loyalty. A place where belonging feels natural and safe. If you haven’t already guessed, I’m talking about sports. The topic came up recently while spending time with friends. A shared love for the same team was discovered, and before long they were discussing statistics, favorite players, and memorable games. What began as a casual conversation quickly deepened their connection. What is it about sports that can unite complete strangers? It feels almost magical. You might assume neighbors would naturally find common ground. After all, they share fences, streets, and communities. Out of all the places they could have chosen to live, they ended up in the same neighborhood. Yet many neighbors never really get to know one another. We often treat the people living next door the same way we treat the person sitting beside us on an airplane—we politely pretend they aren’t there. Sports, however, seem to break through those barriers. According to HuffPost Sports, “Sports help us build strong relationships and foster a sense of unity. Throughout history, we have seen how sports can transcend cultural and geographical boundaries, creating connections that might not have been possible otherwise.” There is a lot of truth in that statement. Sports bring together people from different races, religions, cultures, and backgrounds. Successful teams are built on a common goal, requiring individuals to work together despite their differences in pursuit of victory. For spectators, sports can also break down cultural barriers. International competitions allow fans to celebrate their own teams while learning about the countries and cultures of their competitors. In the process, sports help foster a sense of global community. Sports also teach respect and sportsmanship. Athletes are expected to respect opponents, officials, coaches, and the game itself. Some athletes even use their platforms to advocate for social justice and lend their voices to those who may not otherwise be heard. Soccer is my sports jam. As a season ticket holder for the Portland Thorns, I like to arrive well before kickoff. It gives me an opportunity to witness the community engagement and sportsmanship that often happen before and after the match. Players greet one another, shake hands, and occasionally exchange jerseys—a tradition seen more often in international competition. At the conclusion of the game, they once again acknowledge their opponents, thank the referees, and then walk around the field expressing appreciation to the fans. That always feels like a magical moment to me. Children who participate in organized sports experience lessons in teamwork, respect, diversity, and sportsmanship from an early age. Imagine what our communities might look like if we continued to nurture those same values off the field. I believe we share far more in common than we sometimes realize. Building connections with neighbors, co-workers, and community members takes a little effort, but the rewards can be significant. Not every shared value can be displayed on a jersey, hat, or sports flag displayed in front of a home. Sometimes discovering common ground begins with a simple introduction, a genuine conversation, or an act of curiosity. The magic of sports reminds us that connection is possible. Perhaps if we approached one another with the same openness we bring to cheering for our favorite teams, we might discover a little more shared humanity—and maybe even a little magic. #portlandthorns  I was thinking recently about the slang words that were popular when I was growing up. As a Gen Xer, I still use some of them: totally, dude, bummer, sick, and dope. It got me wondering about today's slang. Based on a quick Google search, there are quite a few options. Maybe I'm showing my age, but I feel like I need to provide a definition every time I use one. Here are a few examples: Period (or periodt) is used to emphasize that something is final—discussion over, end of story. Chopped bluntly describes something that looks bad. The ick refers to a sudden feeling of disgust or loss of attraction toward someone. And the infamous 6–7 seems to communicate a feeling of being just okay—not quite good, not quite bad. There are many more, and some seem especially connected to how we communicate through social media and texting rather than through everyday conversation. In fact, how do you say periodt out loud? American culture also has regional slang that depends on where you live. Growing up in Southern California, "that's live" was popular in my social circle. Live meant good, exciting, or awesome. In Hawaii, there is pidgin, along with the use of guys as a familiar, non-gendered way to address a group of people. In the South, you might hear y'all. In Pennsylvania, someone may refer to a jawn, while in Hawaii you might hear da kine. Both essentially stand in for "that thing" when the exact word escapes you. The use of slang and regional language can sometimes create communication breakdowns—or even conflict. I remember a family member from Hawaii sharing that a complaint was filed against them after they addressed a mixed-gender restaurant staff in Oregon as "guys." Would y'all have been better received? Hard to know. When I hear something unfamiliar, I try to stay curious and seek more information. That becomes especially important when we feel offended, excluded, or misunderstood. Assuming negative intent without fully understanding the context can create problems where none were intended. The words matter. But so does our willingness to understand what others mean by them. Humans have always created their own versions of language and meaning. Looking at slang across the decades is like examining a linguistic mosaic—each generation leaving behind clues about its values, experiences, humor, and culture. Feels pretty rad to me.  |
Sunny Sassaman
Sharing experiences and insights of reflection and communication strategies. Archives
June 2026
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