MEET MIMI

I am  the author of What Is Your One Sentence?: How to Be Heard in the Age of Short Attention Spans (Penguin Random House), I teach at Harvard University and own a communications consulting business. I show clients how to identify and best communicate their messages. People often know details of their messages, yet have a hard time seeing the main points, which is what audiences need. Many clients also fear public speaking. I coach them, in person or on Zoom, as they practice speeches and presentations. In a supportive – and fun! – atmosphere, I offer positive feedback on what they do well, plus suggest how to improve. We also do exercises to enhance their voices. Because I have been fortunate to conduct communications and media trainings overseas for the U.S. State Department and, in my courses, to teach talented students from around the world, I also offer clients ideas on how best to communicate in other nations.

How did you get started?

As a middle school English teacher, I learned that to keep 13- and 14-year-olds engaged you must make classes interesting. A message is all about your audience. I soon began writing for magazines and newspapers, where I also learned to focus on my audience. An editor saw one of my movie reviews and asked if I wanted to teach journalism at Boston College. I said OK, although I had never taken a journalism course and was only a little older than the students. I obtained my master’s degree in journalism, landed a teaching job at Harvard, thought, I better get my Ph.D., so did – much pain! – then conducted State Department trainings and wrote a communications book.

Passions + Hobbies

Play golf, act in local plays, curl at the Belfast Curling Center, swim, relax with friends and family, travel, play board games, and try out new adventures!

Fun Fact: The only time I skied in the Alps – in Chamonix, France – I got lost and thought the Saint Bernards would find me in June when the snow melted.

Why do you use Union + Co?

I’m writing a new book about creativity and innovation, plus love the Union + Co space and people.