Founder of The Elephant Method. I help non-native English-speaking professionals overcome the Freeze and communicate with confidence in high-stakes environments. Nine years. 40+ countries. 10,000+ sessions. Host of The Elephant Method Podcast.
By Lisa Courtney | The Elephant Method® Today was one of those days that sneaks up on you. Nothing dramatic. No big announcement. Just a quiet series of moments where something clicked — and by the end of it, I realized I had learned something that I genuinely believe will stay with
What a failed presentation taught me about connection, courage, and the power of being real. By Lisa — The Elephant Method I want to tell you about the worst presentation I ever gave — and why it changed everything I thought I knew about communicating under pressure. I was standing in front
The Real Struggle of Communication By Lisa Courtney | The Elephant Method A client came to me recently with a problem that many professionals know all too well. He is a senior software engineer — sharp, prepared, and experienced. He walked into a meeting with a clear goal: present a proposal to
Finding My People in the Back Seat of an Uber In just one week, I have met people from Vietnam, Morocco, Iran, Cuba, Wales, Korea, Israel, Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay, and Bolivia. Growing up in rural Oregon, my world was small. I knew very little of other cultures; I don’t
By Lisa Courtney | The Elephant Method I have spent a decade watching non-native English-speaking professionals walk into high-stakes rooms and freeze. Not because they lack intelligence, but because the room was built to exclude them. The exchange I watched in the Oval Office between the U.S.
There is a particular kind of exhaustion that comes from not being heard. This month, I found myself living that exhaustion in real time. I had booked a short-term rental through Airbnb — a place that was supposed to be a clean, comfortable base while I settled into a new
One morning, I woke up sopping wet. The phone had rung, and I got up in a panic. As I walked down the hallway, I ran into the wall and saw little white sparkles swirling around my mind. When I got to the living room, I found my husband of
The Door I was in the middle of a session with a client when an alarm went off on his phone. I knew he was in the middle of a war zone, so I asked him, “Do you need to go?” He glanced at his phone and said, "Don&
I have watched people's lives change because of English. Not because they became someone different. Not because they gave up their culture, their identity, or their mother tongue. But because they picked up a tool — and used it. English is that tool. And like any good tool, it
Why Big Words are Blocking Your Path At a recent writing session, I realized BIG words are like elephants. They are undeniably impressive. They are strong, and they command attention. But if you park an elephant in the middle of a narrow road, nobody can get by. Your ideas can
executive communication
After 8 years abroad, I thought I was coming home. Instead, I found a system that felt designed to exploit me.
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