Christaan Mader hosts Out to Lunch at Tsunami Sushi in downtown Lafayette

Most of us spend a good portion of our lives looking for the right words. The ones that explain who we are. What we believe. What we’re here for. Some people find them early. Others take a longer route — through careers that almost fit, through places that challenge everything they thought they knew, through questions that don’t resolve so much as deepen. My guests today have both built businesses around helping people find their voice.

For Sarah Mary Toce-Donlan, that voice often comes from above.

Sarah Mary Toce-Donlan, public speaker with an inspirational spiritual-driven message for people in business. “We think we’re seeking answers but answers actually lead to more questions. I think what we’re really searching for is a deeper understanding.”

Sarah Mary works in communications at UL Lafayette and is building a business as a professional speaker. She offers speaking engagements, retreats, workshops, and leadership development . Her presentations weave together theology, philosophy, psychology, and leadership principles.

Sarah Mary grew up in Lafayette, and an internship with Homeland Security during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill led her to an early career in nonprofit work and disaster management. She later earned a Master of Divinity from Boston College — and that move to Massachusetts was a turning point. She describes the experience as one that broke her mind open, that challenged her worldview and deepened her understanding of faith and humanity.

After years in nonprofit work and communications, she came back to her calling as a public speaker. Her clients include Catholic school teacher retreats, corporate leadership trainings, church lecture series, and continuing education workshops for educators.

Having a strong voice is pretty important if you want to be a good writer. We talk about it all the time in my newsroom. Voice communicates everything, and it’s just as essential on the page as it is from the stage. If you’re an author looking to develop a strong voice, you might need the services of a good editor like my guest Keondria Frances.

Keondria is owner operator of The Assembly Literary, a brand that houses her services as an editor-for-hire for independent authors.

Keondria Frances, Founder of The Assembly Literary, a full service consultancy and agency for writers who need helping honing their message. Keondria’s philosophy is, “You have everything in you. I’m just here to pull it out. I’m here to ask the thought-provoking questions.”

Independent authors carry a particular burden: they are the publisher, the marketer, and the writer, all at once. Keondria tries to lighten that load.She offers manuscript evaluation, copy and line editing, proofreading, coaching sessions, and digital resources — including character development outlines she created after noticing how many authors struggled to build believable, relatable characters. Her editing philosophy centers on one principle: improve the manuscript without losing the writer’s voice — an approach that blends African American Vernacular English with traditional grammar standards when it serves the story.

Keondria works with two to three clients a month, most of them repeat authors. About 95 percent are self-published. She’s now expanding — adding a proofreader to her team, and planning to launch her own publishing company by end of year. Her first project will be her own novel.

Keondria Frances, Sarah Mary Toce-Donlan, Christiaan Mader, Out to Lunch at Tsunami Sushi

Out to Lunch Acadiana was recorded live over lunch at Tsunami Sushi in downtown Lafayette. Photos by Astor Morgan.