Unmuted at Work: Accent Bias, Belonging, and What We Think We Hear

In this episode of The Coaching Studio, I sit down with Heather Hansen to talk about something most of us don’t notice until it’s right in our face: how quickly we decide what someone “knows” or how competent they are, based on how they sound.

Heather shares her path into linguistics, starting with being a talker as a kid, competitive speech and debate, then studying language and society, and eventually building Global Speech Academy in Singapore. You can hear the through-line: she’s been tracking the power dynamics of English as a bridge language for a long time, who gets listened to, who gets dismissed, and what it costs people to constantly translate themselves into “acceptable.”

We dig into her book Unmuted and the framework behind it, because the ability to speak up is not just about confidence. Heather breaks it into three overlapping parts: conscious communication (reading the room, culture, timing), confident communication (skills and self-trust), and connected communication (belonging and psychological safety). When one piece is missing, people get too loud, go quiet, or start self-editing until they disappear.

Then we go deeper into accent bias, and Heather doesn’t sugarcoat it. “Perfect English” isn’t how global business actually works, and a lot of what we treat as “professional” is just power and familiarity dressed up as standards. She shares the real tension she lives with in her work: helping individuals succeed inside a biased system while also trying to change how the system listens.

We also talk about what this means for coaches and leaders. Heather points out that we’re listening to layers, pace, pitch, emphasis, tone, and then we assign meaning fast, often without realizing it. And in global workplaces, misunderstandings happen all the time because people assume understanding instead of checking for it. Her practical takeaway is simple and strong: don’t ask “Do you understand?” Ask people to reflect back what they’re taking away and what they’ll do next.

Finally, we touch on what’s coming fast: real-time translation and “accent translation” tech. Heather’s take is nuanced, yes, it can reduce harm and open access, but it also raises real questions about identity, inequality, and the cultural misunderstandings that don’t disappear just because everyone sounds the same in an earbud.

This was one of those conversations that changes how you listen the next time you’re in a meeting, on a Zoom call, or coaching someone who doesn’t sound like you. And it ends with a book recommendation I loved, and a big question about what we hope people remember about us when we’re gone.

Season 5

Host: Lyssa deHart, LICSW, MCC, BCC
Let's Connect on LinkedIn
Website Lyssa deHart

Producer: Michele Logan

Video Editor: Sebastian Crespo

Social Media: Lizana Guillen

Music: Frolic by Harrison Amer

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Scaling the Human Center: Tim Harrison on AI and the Future of Coaching

On this episode of the Coaching Studio, Tim Harrison, founder and CEO of the Coaching Innovation Lab, joins Lyssa deHart to explore what AI is changing in coaching, and what still requires a human being. Tim shares his path from Division I basketball into coaching and psychology, shaped by an early experience of being coached during a major identity shift. That origin story informs his focus on widening access to meaningful developmental support.

A core thread is scale without losing the human center. Tim describes building EPOG Academy and running into the practical limits of time and cost, then discovering how quickly AI could expand access when used thoughtfully. He argues that for many people the real comparison is not “AI vs. a human coach,” it’s “some support vs. none,” and he’s candid about the disruption that creates for the profession.

The conversation turns practical: how coaches can use AI without getting diluted. Tim shares what research suggests about AI’s “compression effect,” why authenticity matters (people want your voice, not generic polish), and why hybrid models are likely. He offers two frameworks coaches can apply immediately: his “Four A’s of Innovation” (automation, augmentation, amplification, adaptation) and a “Model T” mindset, rethinking the work rather than just bolting AI onto old workflows. The episode closes with Tim’s spoken word piece, “Final Slumber,” a reflection on mortality, meaning, and choosing a life that’s lived on purpose.

Season 5

Host: Lyssa deHart, LICSW, MCC, BCC
Let's Connect on LinkedIn
Website Lyssa deHart

Producer: Michele Logan

Video Editor: Sebastian Crespo

Social Media: Lizana Guillen

Music: Frolic by Harrison Amer

Subscribe, Rate, & Follow on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

In this episode, I sit down with Professor Jonathan Passmore for a grounded conversation about coaching as a profession, how it has evolved, and what it takes to do it well in the real world. We start with his path: the early roles, the consulting years, and the move into academia, all shaped by a consistent interest in what actually supports human change, not just what sounds good in theory.

From there we look at the way coaching has shifted over the last two decades. It’s no longer an executive perk tucked inside leadership development. It’s increasingly used at scale inside organizations navigating strategy shifts, mergers, and technology change. Jonathan offers a clear view of what has improved, what has gotten diluted, and why the coaching relationship still matters when everything is moving fast.

We also spend time on the craft: what coaches need to notice, what gets missed when coaching becomes overly procedural, and why presence includes more than good questions. We talk about the role of the body in sense-making, and the importance of humor, not as performance, but as relational timing that builds trust.

AI comes in as one part of the bigger picture. We touch on what it can offer, where it falls short, and why ethics, governance, and discernment matter if coaching is going to expand responsibly. We close with a personal reflection: how this work has shaped Jonathan over time, and what he’s still practicing, especially the ongoing discipline of listening well.

Season 5

Host: Lyssa deHart, LICSW, MCC, BCC
Let's Connect on LinkedIn
Website Lyssa deHart

Producer: Michele Logan

Video Editor: Sebastian Crespo

Social Media: Lizana Guillen

Music: Frolic by Harrison Amer

Subscribe, Rate, & Follow on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.