keynote · workshop
The Power of Words
How language shapes confidence, identity, and connection.
The words we use on ourselves and each other quietly build — or shrink — what's possible.
As a former Modesto Poet Laureate and an English professor, Sam has spent his life paying attention to words — not as decoration, but as tools. This talk shows how the language we use shapes confidence, identity, and the way we connect.
It's accessible, funny, and grounded in real classroom and community work. Audiences walk away noticing their own language and using it on purpose.
What the room walks away with
- How everyday language shapes identity and confidence
- Small word-swaps that change how people see themselves
- Using precise language to connect instead of impress
- Why naming something honestly is the first step to changing it
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