Hi, I’m Sarah Mikutel

I’m a communication coach and consultant and an American expat in England. While I love traveling across geographic borders, I live to help introverts tackle anxious mindset barriers so they can become calm, confident speakers.

Anyone can learn to become more engaging. Everyone has a story to tell.

To help you have richer conversations, I recently published Tell Me Everything: 200+ Conversation Starters: A Guided Journal to Strengthen Your Relationships Through Thoughtful Questions. 

Reasons we might make great friends:

• I’ll hop a plane to try a veggie taco I read about in a discarded newspaper on the Tube.

• At 18: Scored my first job in the U.K. scrubbing bathtubs at an inn (I slept in the stable).

• Now: I live in the British beach version of Gilmore Girls, writing, coaching, & podcasting. 

• ❤️ Stoicism and personal development. Enneagram 9, INFP.

• Conversation over cancelation. Yes to diverse perspectives and digging deeper. 
  

Yes, I'm into this. Subscribe me!

Need more info before hitting subscribe? Good, I like curious people like you.

I love sharing ideas that expand my outlook on life and make me a better person. 

Here and on my podcast Citizens of the World, I talk about how to live the good life through Stoicism, communication, and cultural exploration (travel and living abroad). 

My listeners and readers are culturally curious, ‘experiences not things’ kind of people. We know our time on Earth is limited and want to make every moment matter, to connect to something greater. 

We understand that freedom means more than getting on a plane. It’s about shedding unhelpful patterns, developing our character, and becoming the best versions of ourselves.

These ideas energize me and I'm eager to share them with you.

How does Citizens of the World work?

Here is what you can expect as a member of this community:

• Everyone: New public posts on communication, wellbeing, and emotional resilience (Stoicism!) to increase your happiness and improve your relationships. Plus other musings to help your best life (and hopefully entertain you).

• Paid members:  Weekly posts; exclusive content; community access to comments, special offers, and the full archive; events, such as Q&A and workshops; The Introvert Emergency Kit; Mindfulness 101 for Introverts. 

• Citizens of the World Platinum Members: Everything above plus a 45-minute, one-on-one coaching session plus my anti-anxiety course Calm the Chaos.

A lot of writing geared toward introverts focuses on silence and softness. Cradling a warm cup of tea by candlelight before journaling the night away. And that’s great. I’m into those activities. 

But I also know…

A lot of us seek a juicier life. More vibrant and connected and courageous. We want the opportunity to see what we’re made of. To LIVE.

Is this you?

Let’s create a community of people who choose to stretch way out of their comfort zones in order to grow, not just for ourselves but to be part of something bigger.

I am all in on this. Subscribe me!

Other helpful info 

 In case you’re wondering, what even is the Enneagram or Stoicism…

Learn more about the Enneagram, a personality system that explains why we do what we do. 

Learn more about Stoicism, a philosophy rooted in love and kindness (not stifling emotions).

P.S. I’m not an academic. I won’t be diving into Stoic obscurities or analyzing texts. Instead, I’ll share practical wisdom that’s helped me and that I believe will benefit you. I’ll also try to bring some levity to the often serious topic of living with virtue. 

Learn more about me and how I turn shy introverts into calm, confident speakers.

My citizen of the world story

I got the travel itch at 18 when I spent a summer in England’s Lake District working as a waitress/chambermaid. I wanted to stay in Europe forever, but it seemed impossible for Americans. 

Many years later I realized I might be eligible for Italian citizenship due to my Sicilian ancestry. I started the very long application process while living in Brooklyn, New York. But then the woman translating my documents suggested this fast-track secret: move to Italy and apply for citizenship there.

So, on this advice of a stranger I met on the internet, in 2010, I left New York, moved to Italy on my own, and became a citizen within two months thanks to jus sanguinis — the right of blood. 

Since then I have been living and working abroad, traveling around Europe, and forming amazing friendships with fellow citizens of the world.

Values and experiences

I’ve been traveling and living abroad for more than 20 years. It’s not uncommon for people to say, “You don’t seem American.” They mean that as a compliment. 

This is why I believe travel is the most effective form of diplomacy.

Conversation breaks stereotypes. We start seeing each other as human beings rather than caricatures. And when we bring this level of curiosity to our closer relationships, we start treating each other like true partners and allies.

I believe most of the world’s suffering stems from misunderstanding. 

We falsely believe that others think the same way we do and that anytime they irritate us, they’re doing it on purpose. 

Stoicism and the Enneagram have taught me that we’re all interpreting the world through different lenses. We think our version of the story is right until we take off the tinted lenses and start considering other’s perspectives.

As a communication coach, I see how assumptions lead us to fight as well as withdraw. 

But we can all learn to speak more effectively and lead more compassionately by learning practical communication skills, cultivating a Stoic mindset, and being genuinely curious about the world. That’s the purpose of this publication. 

You're speaking to my soul. I'm in!