The Blog / Archive

For several years, I sent out a blog to readers a few times a week. These posts gave pointers about how to practice, shared relevant stories, and provided a way for people to connect with my coaching approach.

In 2022, I wrote my book, Before You Say Anything, which brought many of these ideas together in one place. The blog posts have continued to resonate with clients and readers, and they're useful as a quick reminder, so I'm including them here!

The Accidental Text

This morning, I woke up thinking about an old friend. In fact, I had dreamed that I ran into her and her wonderful family, and I was so happy to see her. “Right,” I thought, “this is a sign that you need to text her.” I had actually been meaning to text her for the past couple of weeks, since the Hamas attacks on October 7. She is Jewish, and her posts on social media about this terrible time have been moving and thought-provoking. I wanted her to know I’d been thinking of her and to thank her for what … Read more

Giving up your secret rules

This week’s posts may seem familiar! I am working on some new ones, but a huge amount of travel has meant they’re not quite ready so I have pulled a few from the archives.Thanks for your patience! We have rules, each of us, that govern our behavior. I’m not talking about laws, or policies, or even societal mores. I’m talking about our individual, internal rules that we’ve adopted over time, gathered from many sources. These rules tell us they will help us feel secure, they will keep us safe. An analogy my daughter shared with me is this: Imagine two … Read more

Play to your strengths (and appreciate other people’s!)

This week’s posts may seem familiar! I am working on some new ones, but a huge amount of travel has meant they’re not quite ready so I have pulled a few from the archives. Thanks for your patience! I have mentioned my patient husband Charlie in these posts before. He is thoughtful, methodical, and detail-oriented. This is frequently important, but it really came into play recently when we decided to paint two rooms in our house. Charlie’s attention to detail means he’s great at lots of home repair and maintenance tasks. My strengths…well, let’s just say that my strengths lie … Read more

Communication Isn’t a Soft Skill

I’m rethinking what this blog might be. I love writing for you, and I’m curious about what you find interesting and useful. Monday’s and Wednesday’s posts were new ones, and today’s is a rerun. If you have ideas about what you’d like to see in this space, please drop me an email! What does it mean when we categorize some skills as “soft”?  The phrase “soft skills” implies something we can do without. When push comes to shove, we can overlook a lack of one of these “extras” because this person’s CV tells us they can “get the job done.” … Read more

Even the Weeds Bring Hummingbirds

I’m rethinking what this blog might be. I love writing for you, and I’m curious about what you find interesting and useful. Today’s and Wednesday’s posts are new ones, and Friday’s post will be a rerun. If you have ideas about what you’d like to see in this space, please drop me an email! There’s a huge stand of jewelweed right outside my office window. I googled “jewelweed” to make sure that’s what it is, and the headline of the first article I found was this: “How to Grow and Care for Jewelweed.” This made me laugh, because we have … Read more

Unions and Labor and Labor Day

I’m rethinking what this blog might be. I love writing for you, and I’m curious about what you find interesting and useful. Today’s post is a new one, though I am still reposting old favorites for the rest of this week. If you have ideas about what you’d like to see in this space, please drop me an email! Labor Day is more than a three-day weekend. Like most Americans, I usually think of Labor Day as the unofficial end of summer, the time when the days start to get a little shorter and you can feel a little fall … Read more

Just Start.

I’m taking a sabbatical from writing new blog posts. You’ll be seeing some re-runs and old favorites for the next little while. You can always write me back with suggestions or ideas just by responding to this email! A good friend and I have been saying this to each other lately—“just start.”  There are a ton of quotable quotes with this idea at their core— The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. (Lao Tzu) The secret of getting ahead is getting started. (Twain) The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. (Disney) … Read more

I’m Taking a Little Break

Hi all!  I’m going to take a sabbatical from writing the blog. I’ll be rerunning some older posts for the next few weeks, so if you feel like you’re reading something you’ve read before, you probably have! If you’re so inclined, I’d love to hear from you. What would you like more of from this blog? What questions or thoughts do you have about intentional communication, storytelling, or public speaking? I hope you’re having a delightful summer. Talk to you soon! —Angie 

Talk to Strangers

Last week I was on my way to the airport in a cab, and the driver and I fell into a conversation. He is from Pakistan and has lived in New York for 22 years; we figured out that we had overlapped living there by about six months. We talked about our kids, and he told me how tough the pandemic was on cab drivers and construction. He asked what the traffic is like where I live. He told me what it feels like to belong to two countries. After he dropped me off, I started thinking about other conversations … Read more

Taking Direction

When an actor auditions for a role in a play, one thing the director wants to discover is how well they take direction. This can mean various things to different directors, but for me, “taking direction” means: Can this person see a different perspective? Can they approach this moment with curiosity? Can they put the work they’ve already done aside to try something new? Can they execute even when they don’t completely agree? Most importantly, can we build enough trust together so that we can experiment, and find what truly works? Happily, taking direction isn’t just for actors. We can … Read more

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Angie Flynn-McIver coaches senior leaders and keynote speakers to communicate with clarity, impact, and self-awareness. Her background in professional theatre directing gives her work a distinctive edge: she understands performance and what it takes to hold a room. She is the author of Before You Say Anything, co-founder of the award-winning North Carolina Stage Company, and holds both a PCC credential from the International Coaching Federation and an M.S. in Organizational Development and Leadership.

AFM Leadership Communication

Angie Flynn-McIver Leadership Communication

Located in Asheville, North Carolina
Serving clients worldwide

© 2026 Angie Flynn-McIver, Photography by Emily Sepik, Website by The Fiery Well