A few weeks ago, I blogged about the lost art of listening, specifically about the power of the pause, and its ability to create better conversations.

While my original intention was to encourage better connections with people, I found myself embracing the pause in a different way.

The power of the pause helped me change my mind.

I’m here to talk about discourse.

No, I’m not talking about witty zingers to Uncle Jerry’s lame one-sided political memes. Although I have complete faith in your ability to roast him, of course.

I’m talking about real discourse.

Actually, I’m here to talk about the “listening” part of discourse. Reflective Listening, that is.

How did I become Judi 411?

In short, I could be standing in Times Square in a a panda suit on New Year's Eve, and someone would choose me from the cast of thousands and ask for directions to Central Park.

While many clients approach me to write their business story from scratch, some of my favorite projects involve copyediting or polishing prose to make a story shine. For instance, there's Deborah Knight, Transformation and Manifestation Expert, whom I had the pleasure of meeting at a women's networking group in May.

There's been a lot of buzz lately about the question "Can I pick your brain?" as a (veiled) request for free consulting. I can relate; as a writer and researcher, my instinct is to answer questions and follow up with resources. However, I've come to realize that my most valuable resource is my time, and honoring these requests prevents me from building my business. I'm also giving away my knowledge for free!