Speaker Series

TOPIC: The Power of Listening. Many of us want to communicate better but we’re going about it the wrong way. We focus on how we can refine our own messaging rather than understanding others. But speaking is only half the battle. In Ximena Vengoechea’s book, Listen Like You Mean it: Reclaiming the Lost Art of True Connection, Ximena shows us how to build better relationships through the power of listening. During this fireside chat interview, Ximena will demonstrate how listening, like any communication skill, can be improved. With probing questions posed by author and workplace expert Debbie Epstein Henry, Ximena will show us: How to quickly build rapport with strangers; Which questions help people unlock what they need to say; When it's time to throw out the script entirely; and, How to recover from listener's drain. Drawing from her own research sessions, as well as stories and interviews with marriage counselors, life coaches, filmmakers, podcast hosts, and other listening experts, Ximena uncovers how to better listen so that we can all feel heard, connected, and understood in a world that keeps turning up the volume.

GUEST: Ximena Vengoechea is a user researcher, writer, and illustrator. She’s the author of several nonfiction books and journals, including The Life Audit: A Step-By-Step Guide to Discovering Your Goals and Building the Life You Want (2024) and companion,  The Life Audit Journal (2025), as well as Rest Easy: Discover Calm and Abundance through the Radical Power of Rest (2023). Ximena’s book, Listen Like You Mean it: Reclaiming the Lost Art of True Connection, was selected as a Next Big Idea Club finalist in 2021. Her writing has appeared in Inc., The Washington Post, Newsweek, Forbes, and Fast Company, among others. Ximena also writes Letters from Ximena, a newsletter about staying curious, getting creative, and living well. She’s a keynote speaker on topics such as empathetic and inclusive listening, navigating difficult conversations, and preventing burnout.