You’re in danger.

That was my first thought when Suze, the HR Business Partner at a mid-sized healthcare org, told me she was about to run a mediation—solo—in one hour.

As the organization's fractional Ombuds, I gave her a crash course: how to open the conversation, how to stay neutral, how to invite dialogue without taking over. She listened. She tried.

But when the session started, Suze defaulted to her HR role. She ran it like a meeting. No ground rules. No clear boundaries. One loud voice took over—and the situation escalated. What began as a workplace disagreement turned into a formal harassment claim.

It didn’t have to go that way.

What Suze needed wasn’t more theory. She needed **practice**.

That’s why I created Talkola, a virtual gym for difficult conversations.
A place where people who manage conflict (managers, mediators, Ombuds, HR leaders, and small business owners) can:

* Try hard conversations out loud
* Get feedback on how they *sound*
* Build confidence, clarity, and calm under pressure

Because here’s the truth: most conflict training ends before the work begins.

Talkola fills that gap—with emotional realism and repeatable reps.

I’m so glad you joined the waitlist. Over the next few weeks, I’ll share sneak peeks, early access invites, and some behind-the-scenes stories from the field.

In the meantime, one question:
What kind of conversation do you wish you could do over?  Think about it; I'll ask you again soon.