Why am I, Amanda Allard-Schuster (PhD), so passionate about connection and communication? It is because at an early age I was unable to have healthy relationships and interactions with those around me. This was a result of me watching my mother be falsely accused and incarcerated when I was young. At that time, I didn't realize how monumental this life event would be for my life...and career.

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During my mother's incarceration, and the years that followed, I struggled to connect with those around me. It wasn't until I went to college and began studying interpersonal relationships that I gained skills to help me enhance how I connect and communicate with those around me in both personal and professional settings. 

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That is what motivated me to continue my education and obtain my Masters and Doctorate from Michigan State University. There I studied interpersonal communication with a focus on supportive communication and gossip in close relationships. This ultimately led me to having the opportunity to become a TEDxMSU speaker. 

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Now, through 1-on-1 coaching, ongoing consulting, workshops, and speaking engagements I am on a mission to help individuals and teams gain the skills to assist in connecting and communicating effectively both internally and externally.