Speak Human Studios

Announcing a new venture: Speak Human Studios! Speak Human is a life design studio. We use creative and strategic design tools to help people envision, find focus, and step into lives of intention. We create personalized experiences for self-led growth and transformation. We serve professionals, entrepreneurs, artists and all those seeking foundational alignment to purpose. Through 1:1 coaching, workshops, and team-building retreats our community finds actionable guidance for stepping into life's challenges with clarity and courage. Speak Human represents an evolution of my work as a designer. In my career, I've learned that design, at its core, is about envisioning better futures and taking creative steps towards actualization. The work I’ve found most nourishing is when design helps people find their way forward, through change and into growth. But this doesn’t always happen. In working with organizations I've noticed a kind of paradox: while leaders look to design to deliver organizational change, at the individual level, many of these professionals feel powerless and stuck in their personal circumstances. And this is no wonder. Global pandemic, layoffs, burnout, toxic work settings, and so many systemic inequities lead workers to a seemingly permanent state of anxious freeze. The future appears risky and uncertain; change is scary; motivation is low. So much of the inertia I see in organizations is in fact a reflection of where individuals are in their own lives: stuck in place without a vision for the future. I am saddened by this collective state. And sadness, our psyche’s water-bearer, asks “what needs to be released?” The answer I find is to release the fantasy of a purpose-led community. It feels heavy to say this, but it’s just not where we are today. In letting go and stepping into the way things truly are, I feel lighter. The other question from sadness is “what needs to be rejuvenated?” The answer I see here is to deepen my own commitment to supporting people through change and growth, something for which I see so much need. Here, I see a life-affirming invitation to refocus my work towards individuals and their personal growth. (Thank you sadness!) And so, authentically coming into this simple realization—that truly significant change starts with the individual—is at the heart of the Speak Human mission: to empower people with tools for creative action and help them step into intentional change. This really is the beginning of a new chapter. I look forward to sharing more as I continue to learn and build this practice. My long-standing interest in design’s potential for societal healing will continue to be a cornerstone. With it, I am eager to develop and share new reflections on workplace culture, gender, coaching as a discipline, and other topics related to personal growth. If something in this post resonated with you, please reach out! Cheers to new beginnings, With spirit and compassion, Misha