In Goop Health: LA,
Confident Communication Workshop
Review by Jenni Avins
Full, Original article can be found by clicking here
HOST YOUR OWN $1,000 GOOP-STYLE HEALTH RETREAT FOR ALMOST FREE by Jenni Avins
I spent last Saturday at “In Goop Health,” the wellness conference hosted by Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop empire.
This was the third year I’ve attended the Los Angeles event, and it was the best yet. The conference seems to be moving away from woo-woo wellness-Coachella and toward a useful series of seminars and workshops. Sure, there were still ladies pulling down their leggings for B12 shots and I attended two sessions with intuitive mediums—it’s Goop, after all—but I got some practical takeaways too.
Argue effectively by finding your “true north”
I sat in a “confident communication” workshop with two trial lawyers, Courtney Rowley and Teresa Bowen Hatch. Rowley opened the session by saying, “we sue the shit out of insurance companies all the time” and adding that they only get paid if they win. (She was wearing a gold Rolex.) Here is an exercise that left me feeling empowered and another woman crying behind her sunglasses—I think in a good way.
First, buddy up. (This will work best if you only read/do one of the three steps at a time. I can’t stop you from cheating and looking ahead; just know I’d be disappointed.) Now think of a tough conversation that you’ve been avoiding or struggling with—maybe it’s with your partner, a boss, or a loved one:
1. Have your buddy set a timer for one minute and 20 seconds, and describe the situation.
2. Have your buddy set a timer for 30 seconds, and describe the situation.
3. Describe the situation in a single word.
Bam! I found this to be very profound, and like I said, at least one person cried. Afterward, Hatch said that distilling a situation down to a single word can give you a “true north” when it comes to a tough conversation. It leaves room for discussion, spontaneity, even tears, but you know where you’re headed and the single thing that you need to communicate. (My one word was “unrecognized,” but we can unpack that another day.)
