Step to Success™ Networking Group

I have attended professional networking groups in New York (Manhattan), New Jersey (Elizabeth,Westfield, Jersey City), and Arizona (Tucson, Phoenix).  Most if not all of these groups were not only speed-based but an attending stutterer – me – who needed to speak slower than the established (a.k.a. required) speed-speaking velocity of the round-robin, 60 or 90-second temporal interval each participant was allotted to share their business name and services always seemed to cause a disruption in the rhetorical ebb-and-flow of the meeting despite

speaking fluently.

 

While it is arguable these meetings were lacking empathy and acknowledgment of neurodivergent attendees such as a stutterer (and let’s be honest: as the term “neurodivergent” is relatively new, the term “stuttering” is one of many that is commonly referred to as a “disability” or “challenge”), from the perspective of everyone else but me (literally) the fact that I needed to speak slower and softer than every single other attendee was, to the group, akin to everyone playing their vocal instrument (a.k.a. their speaking voice) proficiently and then – suddenly – one of the orchestra members hit a wrong note (a.k.a. my slower, softer speaking voice that, again, was fluent).

When the norm of a particular structure or framework such as a professional networking group is one of speed-speaking and everyone else is able to keep up…those who can’t are, well, you get the idea.

If the general population insists on maintaining a speed-speaking dynamic their professional networking groups…then we as stutterers need our own.

That is where Words Are Wings® Stutter-Step to Success Professional Networking Group comes in ($300 Annual Membership with an average of 10 meetings per year.)

All stutterers are welcome to join the group whether you’re a Words Are Wings® Stuttering Solutions™ Fluency Flier Academy™ client, a stutterer who stutters openly and proudly without using techniques, or a stutterer participating in a different fluency-shaping program or methodology; the only requirement for membership is that you’re a stutterer looking to promote your business or profession.  Meetings will be held in-person in the Tucson, AZ area or on Zoom for members who are located outside of Tucson or Arizona.  The frequency of meetings will be determined by membership numbers, availability (e.g., due to different time zones), and whether multiple meetings are needed to accommodate all participants.

Words Are Wings® Stutter-Step to Success Professional Networking Group meetings will be slower-paced to accommodate our needs as stutterers with an emphasis on patience and empathy, and the needed amount of time for every stutterer to have their turn.  If you’re a stutterer who stutterers openly or a stutterer using fluency-shaping techniques you will have the time you need.

The goal is to promote our respective businesses, professions, and ourselves within a rhetorical environment that is respectful and accommodating to our speaking needs as stutterers.

The dreaded round-robin dynamic almost every stutterer hates or has been haunted by from their days in school (I know I still am) will occur from time to time (wait for it - here it comes); because the group attendees will all be stutterers appropriate patience, kindness and support will be prevalent during every Words Are Wings® Stutter-Step to Success Professional Networking Group meeting which will, over time, help transition the previously-dreaded round-robin format to something that is not only possible but doable.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Words Are Wings® Stutter-Step to Success Professional Networking Group please contact me today via any of the following:

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Phone: 917-887-4716 (AZ MST 10:00am – 6:00pm for calls,

24/7 for texting)

Email: micelispeech@gmail.com (24/7)
Linked-In: linkedin.com/in/andrew-miceli (24/7)

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(As I answer all correspondences personally, kindly allow one to two business days for a response.)

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