Say It So It Lands:
Speak with Strength in High-Stakes Conversations

A practical workshop on listening, boundaries, and repair

Length: 60 minutes
Format: Online, Live Workshop
Date & Time: Wednesday, March 18, 2026 @ 6:00PM - 7:00PM EST
Price: Free

Reserve Your Seat

---

Words shape how people experience safety, trust, and power.

Research across neuroscience, psychology, and public health shows that language directly affects brain function, stress response, and decision-making. In high-stakes conversations, people often react to perceived threat rather than meaning. Misunderstandings escalate. Boundaries blur. Trust erodes.

This workshop focuses on the practical mechanics of communication under pressure. Participants learn how words activate the nervous system, why intent and impact often diverge, and how past experiences shape what people hear, even when the same words are used. The session draws on evidence-based communication models and the science of hope and resilience to show how listening, preparation, and self-awareness change outcomes.

Rather than teaching scripts or surface-level language tips, this workshop teaches a repeatable method for preparing for conversations, listening for meaning, and responding with clarity and strength. Participants learn how to recognize internal reactions before they derail communication, how to set and hold boundaries without escalation, and how to repair conversations when harm or misunderstanding occurs.

The workshop is designed for women and people navigating power differences, marginalization, or emotionally charged environments. It is skills-based, practical, and immediately applicable across professional, personal, and community settings.

​Participants leave with tools they can use the same day to communicate more clearly, reduce harm, and build trust in conversations that matter. 

Reserve Your Seat

---

Key Takeaways

• Understand how words affect the brain, nervous system, and stress response
  
• Recognize common communication breakdowns in high-pressure situations
  
• Prepare for difficult conversations using a simple pre-conversation framework
  
• Strengthen the ability to listen for meaning, not just phrasing
  
• Increase self-awareness during conversations to reduce misunderstanding
  
• Set and hold boundaries with clarity and confidence
  
• Apply practical repair strategies when communication misses or causes harm

---

Meet Your Workshop Presenter

Sara Orellana, MPH, MS
Certified Executive Educator, Certified Executive Mentor, Wellness and Mental Health Coach

Sara Orellana is the founder and CEO of 3Raptor Consulting and a Certified Executive Educator with more than 18 years of experience supporting leaders, organizations, and communities through complex change. Her work centers on communication, resilience, leadership clarity, and building psychologically safe environments where people can think clearly and act with intention.

​Sara holds a Master of Public Health with a focus on epidemiology, a Master of Science in Social and Community Services, and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. This interdisciplinary background allows her to bridge science, language, and human behavior in practical, accessible ways. She is a Certified Executive Mentor, Wellness Coach, and Mental Health Coach, and has designed and delivered more than 40 leadership and organizational development workshops for executives, boards, nonprofits, and small businesses.

Sara teaches communication as a practical skill that can be learned and strengthened through preparation, listening structure, and repair. Her work focuses on how words shape stress response, decision-making, and trust in high-stakes conversations. She combines structured coaching tools with lived experience to help participants communicate with clarity, set boundaries, and repair misunderstandings quickly.

Sara also hosts The Route to Success podcast, where she facilitates deep conversations with leaders across sectors about communication, resilience, and sustainable leadership.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-c-orellana/
Website: www.3raptorconsulting.com

Interested in more Zschool Leadership Workshops?

Make sure you review the entire series of the Zschool Leadership Workshops. You may find many of them are exactly what you're looking for. If that's the case, our subscription offering is just right for you!

Back to Workshop Schedule