Sam and I first met several years ago at a conference where we were both sipping coffee at the pool and struck up an inspiring conversation. As is usually the case, we hit it off right away!

With decades of experience and numerous bestselling books under her belt, including "Talking on Eggshells" and "Tongue Fu!", Sam is an in-demand keynote speaker and pitch coach.

Her wisdom and insights on communication are truly unparalleled in the field.

In our in-depth discussion, Sam opened up about how her childhood shaped her conflict-avoidant mindset:

"I grew up in the Cold War, and my dad was emotionally distant, and my mom was emotionally wounded. And they did not fight. However, they also didn't talk to each other."

Later in her life, a toxic relationship taught Sam how being overly compassionate can backfire:

"My strengths, taken to an extreme, become my Achilles’ heel. Because we’re supposed to be compassionate, we’re supposed to be kind and it’s how we roll. And yet if we continue to be kind to people who are toxic or who are cruel to us, rewarded behavior gets repeated."

After these experiences, Sam learned to become an "informed innocent" - aware of darkness but not defined by it.

She now helps others communicate with integrity.