Before I had the language for it, I was already studying people.

As a painfully shy child, I learned to navigate the world by watching people closely. I noticed the small things - changes in expression, body language, tone of voice, who people were drawn to, who they trusted and followed.

I became fascinated by what people communicated without saying it, and I wanted to understand what made someone feel attracted to another person, what created connection and trust, and why some people seemed able to captivate a room almost effortlessly.

That curiosity followed me into the corporate world where, as a young woman, I worked alongside senior leaders and watched the same patterns play out. The people who had the greatest impact weren't always the smartest or most qualified. They understood people. They could read a room; recognize what others needed and adjust the way they communicated accordingly.

The more I studied human behavior, the more I realized how much information we're constantly giving each other - through our body language, facial expressions, voice, words and behavior.

Learning to recognize those signals changed the way I understood other people, but it also changed the way I showed up myself.

That fascination eventually shaped my career. I went on to further my studies in human behavior and psychology and spent decades coaching leaders and clients to better understand people; communicate with greater confidence and become more intentional about the signals they send.

When I started sharing what I'd learned on social media, the response showed me just how many people were trying to answer the same questions I'd spent years studying.

How can you tell what someone really feels? How do you know when someone is attracted to you? Why do people send mixed signals? What makes someone trust you, remember you or feel drawn to you? And once you understand what you're seeing, how should you respond?

Today, that's what I teach: how to understand human behavior, read people more accurately and use what you learn to attract, captivate, connect and influence.