💛 Hey friend,

Quick story. And yes, I'm a little embarrassed about it. 🫠

A while back, I was at dinner with a client. The waitress brought my food, and I suspected it had garlic in it.

Now, I am extremely allergic to garlic and onion (we're talking days of pain) so I flagged it with her, she checked, came back and confirmed: yes, garlic.

And do you know what I effing said?

"I'm so sorry. I don't want to be too difficult. I talked to the chef beforehand, I think there might be another plate back there for me. Would you mind just…"

My client looked at me when the blabbering was over and said: "Why are you doing that?"

I didn't have a good answer.

"Just tell her you're allergic," he said. "You're not being rude. You're being clear."

Lightbulb 💡

There I was – a certified executive coach, a master facilitator, someone who's spent years helping high-powered founders find their voice in the highest-stakes rooms on the planet – and I was sitting there apologizing for having a damn food allergy.

If that can happen to me, it can happen to anyone. And I’d bet it's happening to someone on your team right now. Maybe even you.

Today, we'll talk about how to claim your voice...

Before We Dive In... I want to give a huge heartfelt shoutout to David Sherry, Ellen, and Kristin who helped me make the other night in Austin amazing. A bunch of us grabbed dinner, went to a (hilariously filthy) comedy act, and raised over $1,300 for the Trevor Project. It's an honor to know you all 💛

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Claiming your voice is a practice, not a personality trait.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately — partly because of that dinner, and partly because of what I've been watching happen with my clients as they start using AI in their work.

Recently, I made a new rule.

I now require every single private coaching client to use Wispr Flow in their day-to-day.

No exceptions.

If you're not familiar: Wispr Flow is a voice dictation tool that lets you speak directly into your computer instead of typing. And on the surface, that might sound like a minor productivity hack. A convenience thing.

But it’s so much more than that.

What I've discovered – in my own work, and now watching it happen with clients – is that using your voice out loud, even to a machine, is excellent practice for using your voice with actual human people.

So the rule in my engagements is simple: If you’re going to use Claude or some other AI (and let’s face it, everyone is) you have to stop typing and start talking.

When you're forced to say out loud what you want two things happen:

1. You get better at saying what you want (simple language, with no couching, hedging, or BS), and…
2. You get comfortable clarifying and correcting when the result comes back wrong,

These are the same strengths that make you good at leading others.

And most senior leaders are weak from not getting the reps in to build this muscle.

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What does the data show?

I track everything with my private clients. We measure across categories like ability to speak up and use your voice, closing loops in communication, confidence, and more — all on a 1 to 5 scale, self-reported, every two weeks.

I started working with one client in November. He was already strong — a leader with real skill and real presence. But like a lot of high-performing executives, there were specific areas where he was leaving impact on the table.

His ability to speak up and use his voice? Self-rated at a 3. Closing loops in communication: 1. Confidence: 2.5.

Not terrible numbers. But not where he wanted to be. And not where his team needed him to be.

Part of what we introduced was Wispr Flow with Claude. He started using it daily, and a few months later, here's where he sits: ability to speak up and use his voice is at a 4. Closing loops is at a 3.5 — the highest it's ever been. Confidence: 4.5.

The tool didn't necessarily do that (the practice did). The tool just made the practice unavoidable.

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Bottom line…

I've coached a lot of people who are brilliant at their jobs and still struggle to give feedback in the moment. They'll draft an email three times, or wait until a quarterly review, or soften their language so much that the message disappears.

And I understand why — because even I was apologizing at a restaurant for having an allergy.

We're taught to be palatable, agreeable, and to leave enough ambiguity that no one can be upset with us.

But these AI tools are providing a practice room that, ironically, can make you better at interacting with other people.

You can’t hurt Claude’s feelings, so you get reps in at speaking clearly, repeating, and clarifying until you get exactly what you want.

The more my client practiced saying out loud what he actually needed – even if the face on the other end was just an AI – the more he could do it with his team. The more natural it felt to close loops in the moment instead of letting things drift. And the more confident he became in his own communication.

The chef didn't think less of me for asking for what I needed. Neither will your team.

💛 Angela

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Before you go...

Coffee + Brunch + Beach Walk (hell ya) On Sunday, May 3rd, I'm hosting a thoughtful get-together in LA as part of the 2026 Joy Tour. We'll start at a café on the west side, take a late-morning stroll on the beach, through the place where I built and sold my first company, and end at one of my favorite brunch spots in Venice. There's no ticket needed. Simply make a donation of your choice to the Trevor Project, hit reply here, and let me know. I'll send you the full itinerary and see you there! 💛