Summer in the Maritimes (where I live) is beautiful but brief, so I try to get out for a swim in the ocean every chance I get. And when I say “swim”, I mean leaping awkwardly through icy waves in my stretched-out orange and black bikini before my toes go numb.

And, when you’re not twenty anymore, just showing up on a beach in a bikini can be enough to freeze the blood a little. HELLO, world, here I am. Unretouched. Unfiltered. And incredibly Imperfect.  #wokeuplikethis

Weirdly, showing up online to share my business is a LOT like busting out my bikini for beach season.

I live on the rocky east coast of Canada, so I spend a lot of time navigating between culture on this side and that side of the Atlantic. This mostly comes down to where I shove my “u’s” (yes, I spell colour and neighbour that way), but today I stumbled over my own assumptions thinking about something basic: conversation. 

Basically, I wanted to write an article about “banter”, because I think a little light-hearted joshing can help break the ice when you’re in awkward meetings (like a job interview). Here in North America, “banter” usually means a friendly, playful exchange in a “witty or teasing manner”.  

Press conferences are tough. I can testify that it’s HARD to deliver any message (let alone a coherent one) in front of a wall of twitchy television cameras. But last week Serena Williams proved her GOAT (greatest-of-all-time for all you non-millennials out there) status by delivering a one sentence volley that effortlessly made headlines. 

First of all...Serena was speaking right after a hard-fought loss in the Wimbledon finals (WHY do we insist on interviewing athletes right after they compete? Lord, just give them a bubble bath and let them binge watch Game of Thrones, for god’s sakes). But even though she must have been freaking exhausted, Serena tackled each question like a pro.