Varga & Associates

Name: Varga & Associates
Address: Chicago, IL, 60640, US
Telephone: +17739897348

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Varga & Associates

The better you communicate, the better your results. We can help.

Whether you are a CEO communicating a vision, a sales professional presenting a new product, a business launching a brand or an executive facing the media – you are communicating a message. We help you define, deliver and market that message through Communication Training, Leadership Development, Facilitation & Experience Design and Vision Engagement.

02/24/2026

Alysa Liu’s lesson on performance anxiety

I remember it like it was yesterday: one of my first major conferences, a room full of potential clients, and me backstage trying to steady my breathing. I had prepared — thoroughly — yet I was still as nervous as a long‑tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, as my grandmother would say. I tried mantras, deep breaths, focusing on the audience instead of myself. None of it worked. Mid‑speech, my mind simply went blank.

In my scramble to be “perfect,” I lost my train of thought and fumbled for what felt like an eternity before I finally found my way back. It was mortifying, and it rattled my confidence — but it also taught me something important.

I was reminded of that moment when I watched Alysa Liu’s gold‑medal performance at this year’s Winter Olympics. Liu retired at sixteen because she didn’t want to become, in her own words, “a sulky, overtrained arthritic with the emotional disposition of burnt toast." For more: https://vargacom.com/alysa-lius-lesson-on-performance-anxiety/

02/18/2026

The Wisdom of the Little Wave

A coaching client of mine recently opened up about his crippling fear of losing his job of three years at his current employer. He envisioned himself summoned to a meeting with his boss, who would extol his virtues as an asset to the team, but who would also inform him that he was being let go because of factors beyond his control. The thought of breaking the news to others made him grimace, and he worried about how difficult it would be to find a new job he enjoyed just as much. He was rattled.

Either the impending catastrophe or its aftermath is something that we have all experienced. Now it’s on full display at the Winter Olympics, but in a different arena. Athletes who have worked so hard to compete often suffer devastating defeats because they lose confidence or take a wrong step, which destroys their dreams.

What is the best way to deal with the emotions that come with the prospect of an unfavorable outcome or to bounce back from a devastating setback?

A fable often attributed to spiritual master Ram Dass came to mind for me as a result of this. The story is as follows: On the ocean’s surface, you can see two waves, one somewhat larger than the other. Suddenly, the larger wave starts to cry and grow quite distressed. The smaller wave inquires about the problem. The larger wave says, “You don’t want to know.” The little wave demands, “What is it?” to clarify. I don’t think so; it’s awful. You would be miserable if you knew the truth, just like I do. ” The little wave keeps going. At last, the massive wave provides an explanation: “You can’t see it, but I can see that, not too far from here, all of the waves are crashing on the shore.” Our disappearance is imminent. The small wave says, “I can make you happy with just six words, but you have to listen very carefully to them.” What does the little wave know that the huge wave doesn’t? Regardless, he is in a state of desperate denial. Finally, after much ridicule and skepticism, the larger wave begs the smaller one to tell him. So, the little wave continues, “You’re not a wave; you’re water.”

A sign of both strength and vulnerability, the wave can be seen as a metaphor for the ever-shifting nature of existence. Water doesn’t “die” when it forms a wave; rather, it transforms into something else, possibly serving a new function, but it is still water. Whatever we do (skier, marketing director, ice skater, coach, etc.) is secondary to how we show up to meet the challenges life presents. Recognizing that as individuals, we are a part of a greater whole, and our ultimate impact is determined by how we navigate what life has thrown our way.

02/06/2026

Are your conversations as productive as you'd like them to be?

Recently, my colleague and I encountered an obstacle—disagreement—while discussing the direction of a project we were co-creating. She had a vision of the direction she thought we should go in, and I had mine. I think it surprised both of us, as we are usually in sync. Because we couldn’t immediately resolve the tension we were experiencing, we decided to cool off and come back to it later. I admit to overthinking our conversation and preparing my response, including the points I wanted to make.

Jefferson Fisher's new and practical book, The Next Conversation, came to my aid. On page 46 I saw this graphic that illuminated how important it is for any conversation to have goals and to strive for having something to learn rather than something to prove. For more: https://lnkd.in/gHgmmm-w

01/06/2026

I grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. While it wasn’t exactly the holler, nearly everyone outside my family had what you’d call a “southern accent.” My dad, a Kentucky native, had little discernible accent due to his career in sales and frequent business travel. My mother, on the other hand, was from New York, so her accent was distinctly East Coast. While others referred to our city as “Loo-uh-vul,” we pronounced it “Louisville”—you get the picture. For all these reasons, The Atlantic article titled “The Last Days of the Southern Drawl” caught my attention. https://tinyurl.com/Last-Day-of-the-Southern-Drawl

As I entered the fields of broadcasting and public speaking, I became determined to eliminate any trace of an accent. I believed that sounding “neutral” was the key to success.

But then, I had an epiphany. For more: https://vargacom.com/can-an-accent-help-or-hurt-your-presentation/

12/16/2025

What a year it has been. This year has caused many of us to struggle to maintain focus and equilibrium. Discord on a global and local scale, armed conflict, and political instability have rocked us. Despite everything, there is a human imperative to keep going and search for ideas on how to thrive during troubled times.
I traveled to Finland this month with friends, and one of the primary reasons I chose to visit Finland was because of its reputation as the world's happiest country—an acknowledgement it's received for the past eight years running, according to the World Happiness Report. I was eager to immerse myself in the culture and uncover their unique formula for happiness.
Some of the reasons Finland has been so successful at achieving 'happiness' include its stable economy, high levels of social support, minimal levels of corruption, and excellent governance, among other factors. And while there, I discovered something that didn’t appear in any formal survey results: SISU. "Sisu" is a magical (and, to be honest, a little bit undefinable) word in Finnish culture; sisu can mean a mix of bravery, strength, determination, grit, and persistence in the face of adversity. One Finn remarked to me, “It’s not as though we are all merely wandering within a happiness bubble, completely untroubled.” Instead, we’re all about making the most of what we’ve got instead of wishing for what could be or what’s missing.” It's a chill kind of happiness, and sisu plays a significant role in that.
For more, go to https://lnkd.in/g-NXfKuX.

11/12/2025

Art and communication share a vital trait—they are most impactful when the energy flows both ways, making the experience interactive and reciprocal. In communication, we use phrases like “back and forth,” “give and take,” and “serve and return.” Similarly, artists seek to meet this need by creating spaces and works that invite active interpretation, participation, and feedback, turning the audience into co-creators of the artistic process.

Yoko Ono’s “Music of the Mind” exhibit at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art reminded me of this. Ono has spent seven decades forging an art form rooted in a unique combination of language, art, and participation—a style that still resonates in 2025 and will beyond. As I walked through the exhibit, I noticed that nearly every work demanded audience participation. For more, visit:

https://vargacom.com/what-yoko-ono-reminded-me-of/

09/04/2025

If we are lucky, we’ve got a few besties and some close ties with family. I am discovering another powerful but often overlooked connection: loose ties.

In Hali Lee’s new book “The Big We,” she talks about the power of “loose ties.” Her book, which focuses on philanthropic giving circles, discusses how forming kinship and being in community with one another helps us all become better citizens. It’s much easier to care about a community when you feel part of it. Loose ties can help us connect with each other.

She describes loose ties as those casual, infrequent, fleeting connections that might happen between neighbors or with a barista, yoga classmate, or another dog owner you meet in the park. To read on: https://vargacom.com/loose-ties-lead-to-unexpected-benefits/

08/22/2025

When I conduct workshops, I allow participants to follow along and make notes in their digital copy of the class' workbook on their laptop. AND admittedly, I often wonder: Are they multitasking? Responding to an email?
Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel's (renowned physician and medical ethics and health policy professor at the University of Pennsylvania) recent essay drives home the message that "students" are negatively impacted when technology is within their reach. He points to a few fascinating studies and his classroom experience that reveal the cause and effect of technology in any learning environment. One conclusion: “The mere presence of one’s smartphone reduces available cognitive capacity, even when it is not in use.” Translation: Smartphones don’t make us smarter.

Another cool tidbit: Students who were required to take class notes by hand retained significantly more information than students who used computers.

And there's this: Students performed worst on tests when phones were on desks, next worst when they were placed in bags or pockets, and best when they were stored in another room.

This research is likely not surprising to you, but it is an important reminder for any of us who are committed to ensuring what we are teaching and communicating is getting through.

https://lnkd.in/g_hpCJXV

07/15/2025

Are you IMPRESSIONABLE?

When I was young, I would sometimes hear people describe me as “impressionable”—another way, I think, of saying I was gullible. I would get caught up in someone’s story and buy in enthusiastically.

I’ve been thinking about the concept of being impressionable lately. In the strictest sense, to be impressionable means to be easily influenced or affected by other people’s opinions, ideas, or emotions.

Being “impressionable” often carries a negative connotation, suggesting susceptibility to manipulation or a lack of independent thought. Having said that, there are actually many hidden benefits: https://vargacom.com/are-you-impressionable/

06/29/2025

They never asked about me.

Recently, a friend called me immediately after a first date with someone she had met online. Her date recap went like this: “We spent 90 minutes at a café, indulging in appetizers and drinks, but here’s the kicker: he talked non-stop the entire time! Not once did he ask about me or my life,” she exclaimed. “By the end, I felt drained – and I hadn’t even said much! No way is there going to be a second date!”

Sound familiar? It’s a complaint I hear all too often from people eager to forge genuine connections. This scenario can unfold anywhere – on a first date, during a job interview, while collaborating on a work project, or even while chatting with a neighbor. The lack of curiosity and engagement from one party underscores a fundamental issue in interpersonal communication.

For more visit: https://lnkd.in/g-3D2y2d

06/18/2025

When I was in my mid-20’s I took a job as a Flight Attendant for American Airlines. I had already had opportunities to manage two model and talent agencies, but I was restless and wanting to explore the world so when a colleague in management with AA suggested I give it a shot, I said yes. I spent 10 years in that role.
Have you ever had a job you appreciated and yet you were a little embarrassed by it? While flying, I was also quietly building a communications consultancy. My clients were corporate executives, and I feared that admitting I served drinks at 35,000 feet would undermine my credibility. I wasn’t far off...for more:
https://lnkd.in/g8HRf2kk

06/05/2025

The lessons of Sunny and Gizmo. Embracing Growth and Support.
On Monday, June 2, Sunny took her first flight at just 90 days old. Meanwhile, her sister, Gizmo, who is 86 days old, has yet to leave the nest. Watching these eaglets has been nothing short of fascinating as they’ve gained confidence, practicing with their impressive 5-foot wingspan. I observed as they teetered on branches, perched 145 feet up in a Jeffrey pine tree, gazing out at the vast landscape below. When Sunny finally took that leap, it was awe-inspiring. In that moment, Gizmo was left alone, seemingly searching for her sister. For the lessons of Sunny and Gizmo - visit:

https://vargacom.com/lessons-from-sunny-and-gizmo-embracing-growth-and-support/

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