It's so easy when facing a hurdle to give up and settle for what we’ve got, right? We tell ourselves, “It’s too difficult. I can’t do it. I’m not good enough.” Or we justify our inaction with excuses. And there’s no one to tell us we’re talking rubbish. But how about...
Looking for the Sasuga! Podcast? After over 4 years and 219 episodes, the podcast is on pause.
The good news is you can still enjoy them here: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Below, you’ll find my latest blog posts to help you do brilliant work without sacrificing your personal life – less effort, more impact!
Want to make life easier for yourself? Get inspirational and practical Sasuga! Tips For You delivered to your inbox every week (you can easily unsubscribe any time).
Bring out your demon for more productive meetings
Do you ever disagree with what's being said in a meeting, but stay quiet? You doubt your judgment or simply want to keep the peace? Or perhaps you don't question what your colleagues propose – just happily go along with it? Sadly, this often results in weak decision...
Can you learn presentation skills online?
A few years ago, I laughed at the idea of learning presentation skills online. You have to be in the room to experience it and get feedback, I thought. I seem to have proven myself wrong. This month, 12 people participated in my live webinar on “How to Wow your...
Sasuga! Communications is two years old today!
To celebrate the 2nd anniversary of Sasuga! Communications on May 1, I’m launching a newsletter to share communication tips: Sasuga! Tips For You. You might find Sasuga! Tips For You useful if you - would like to improve your communication skills, especially around...
Sasuga! Presentation Skills course starts May 19 in Tokyo
If you're interested in working with me on presentations, click here. Do you want to improve your presentation skills? Speak with confidence in meetings with colleagues of multiple nationalities? Communicate clearly on global calls? The Sasuga! Presentation Skills...
Let your presentation skills bloom – contact Sasuga! soon
I was surprised and delighted to receive the flowers in the photo from participants who completed the first five-session Sasuga! Presentation Skills Course. What a beautiful reminder of how everyone's confidence and skills bloomed over several weeks. One participant...
What’s your Unique Selling Point and Value Proposition?
Translators and interpreters are often known more for their linguistic flare than their business acumen. They are so focused on doing the work and meeting deadlines that they forget to step back and consider how they market themselves. Yet without a USP and value...
Translator productivity tips from Yuji Akaba
If you’ve been in translation for a few years, you’ve probably heard the same types of translator tips many times, such as specialize in a certain field, use translation memory, and use voice recognition. So it was refreshing to hear tips from productivity expert Yuji...
How to boost your translation skills and quality
Competition is tough for translators these days. The Internet has made it possible for anyone, anywhere, to set up shop as a translator. And machine translation – while still often producing gobbledygook and a good laugh – is becoming a viable option in certain...
How to improve communication skills with Teamcation
We had some extra fun at a Sasuga! Presentation Skills workshop the other day with Teamcation. I first heard of Teamcation when the inventors of the activity – a group of international school girls aged from 11 to 12 – emailed and asked to interview me as a...
Translator tips from localizing Doraemon, Gundam, and more
What a treat to have Matt Alt return as a speaker at the Japan Association of Translators (JAT) Tokyo seminar on Saturday, January 24, after his informative and entertaining “Yokai Attack” presentation in September 2001. Even better, Matt was joined by his business...
Sasuga! Communications nominated for British Business Awards
Having only joined the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan in October, it was quite a surprise and honor to be nominated for the 2014 British Business Awards in not just one, but two categories: New Market Entrant and Entrepreneur of the Year. The award ceremony took...