Real Talk: Practice for Difficult Conversations
Most of us have a conversation we know we need to have.
You keep having the same fight with your partner.
Your parents don’t approve of your career decisions.
Your friend never initiates reaching out.
You disagree with a decision your manager made.
Maybe you don’t know what to say. Maybe you’re afraid of how they’ll respond. Or you’ve tried before and ended up arguing, shutting down, or feeling even further apart.
Real Talk is a place to work on it.
Bring a real conversation from your life. We’ll explore what makes it difficult and practice approaching it with more honesty, clarity, and care.
What to Expect
A little teaching, partner practice, and live coaching, drawing on Nonviolent Communication (NVC), mediation, and conflict-resolution practices. No experience needed.
Come with a conversation you’ve been avoiding. Leave more prepared to have it.
Limited to 10 people.
🤝 How This Works
Come alone or with someone. We'll pair up for partner exercises either way.
Small group. Capped at 10 so everyone gets attention.
Confidential. What's shared here stays here.
Nothing is required. You choose what you bring, how much you share, and whether you volunteer for live coaching. Passing is always fine.
This is a practice space, not therapy. It isn't appropriate for acute crisis, safety concerns, or ongoing abuse. If that's where you are, reach out and I'll point you toward better support.
🕰 Flow / Schedule
6:45 Doors open. Come early if you'd like to settle in without rushing.
7:00–7:10 Arrival + Introductions
7:10–7:15 Opening + Agreements
7:15–7:30 Teaching + Demonstration
7:30–7:55 Partner Practice
7:55–8:20 Live Practice + Coaching (volunteers only)
8:20–8:30 Reflection + Closing
Please arrive by 7:10. We won’t be able to accommodate late arrivals once we begin. If you can't make it in time, let me know and I'll credit your ticket toward a future session.
👥 Facilitator
Shu Liu is a facilitator, mediator, and communication coach who helps people navigate conflict, difficult conversations, and relationships. He has spent the past eight years studying and practicing Nonviolent Communication and has worked with individuals, couples, groups, and cofounders navigating interpersonal challenges.
Before this work, he spent over a decade in engineering leadership, most recently as a VP of Engineering.
🏛 About The Commons
The Commons is a community-based “Fourth Place” for authenticity, self-expression, and connection. By day, it’s a playful coworking space; by night, a vibrant community meeting house.
🚪 Arrival Info
The Commons is at 540 Laguna St, at Hayes & Laguna.
Enter via the stairway under The Commons sign and head downstairs. The Astrology Lounge is to your right.
Doors open at 6:45.
What's Next
Real Talk meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month. The next gatherings are October 6 and October 20.
These skills build through repetition. Come once and take away something you can use. Come back and it starts to change how you navigate difficult conversations.
Want focused help preparing for a specific conversation? Ask Shu about individual coaching.