In this episode of Found in Interpretation, we welcome Sharon Neumann Solow — ASL interpreter, trainer, author, and pioneering figure in sign language interpreting with over 60 years of experience.Sharon began interpreting at 15, pulled out of high school to work at a university doctoral program — with no formal training and no roadmap. What followed was a career spent building the profession from the ground up: becoming one of the first professional ASL interpreters, then one of the first trainers, and eventually a multi-award-winning educator with a legal interpreting specialist certificate and an Emmy-nominated PBS appearance to her name.In this episode, we cover:How Sharon got started at 15 as a CODA (child of deaf adults) with no training and no precedentThe history of ASL and its roots in French Sign Language (LSF), via Laurent Clerc and the founding of Gallaudet UniversityWhy ASL and British Sign Language are mutually unintelligible despite sharing a spoken languageIconic vs. abstract signs — and what sign languages around the world have in commonThe fake interpreter at Nelson Mandela's funeral — and what it did for the certification debateHow signed and spoken language interpretation compare: simultaneous vs. consecutive, team intervals, physical fatigueThe silo between signed and spoken language interpreting agencies — and why it's a missed opportunitySharon's new book, Powerful Interpreting: Build Your Skills in Five Steps (2025) — 40 years in the making, and relevant to all interpreters, not just ASLCareer opportunities for multilingual interpreters (trilingual ASL/English/Mexican Sign Language, International Sign, and more)How remote work and COVID changed everything — and why closed captioning is not a replacement for interpretersThe book: Powerful Interpreting: Build Your Skills in 5 Steps by Sharon Neumann Solow, available here: https://www.aslinterpreting.com/ic_store/powerful-interpreting-build-your-skills-in-5-steps/

In this special listener-requested episode of Found in Interpretation, Alain and Brian break down the top 10 reasons why event organizers and clients should send documents to their interpreters as early as possible — and why "confidentiality" is not a valid excuse.Topics covered:- How interpreters use agendas and PowerPoints to prepare- Why glossary-building depends on client documents- The particular challenge of scripted speeches read at high speed- Confidentiality and the interpreter's code of ethics- Why interpreters are part of your event team- The truth about AI speech translation accuracy (spoiler: ~46% average)Whether you're an event planner, a client, or an interpreter looking for talking points to share with clients, this episode gives you the full picture.🎙️ Found in Interpretation is co-hosted by Alain Breton and Brian Bickford.👍 Like, share & subscribe — and send us your topic suggestions!#ConferenceInterpreting #Interpretation #EventPlanning #LanguageAccess #Interpreters #FoundInInterpretation #Translation

What does a decade as a hospital interpreter in Georgia and New York have to do with sending microphones to speakers in Lima? More than you'd think.In this episode, Alain and Brian sit down with Laura Holcomb — interpreter, trainer, and founder of String and Can — whose winding path through healthcare interpreting, a Glendon master's degree completed from a coffee farm in rural Brazil, and the chaos of early remote platforms eventually made her one of the most practically-minded voices on remote interpreting tech working today.They cover a lot of ground: why good sound is a non-negotiable professional standard and not a nice-to-have, the case for sending microphones to your speakers before an event (and who pays for them), the open-back headphone debate, the chain of custody problem in hybrid and institutional settings, acoustic shock and what interpreters can actually do about it, and whether video back channels are an asset or a distraction in the remote booth.Laura also shares an honest reflection on what it's like to enter the conference interpreting field as a trainer before having a solid interpreting runway of your own — and why, looking back, that shaped her career in ways she didn't expect.Topics covered:Healthcare vs. conference interpreting: two worlds that rarely meetBreaking into a market as an outsider (and why Brazil was harder than expected)Building a small, quality-focused remote interpreting businessMicrophone logistics: why Laura sends them, how she prices for it, and what she asks about portsOpen-back vs. on-ear headphones for long interpreting daysEthernet, second screens, printers: the remote interpreter's minimum viable setupAcoustic shock: peaks, prolonged exposure, and the limits of decibel limitersVideo back channels: useful booth simulation or cognitive overload?When to fire a client over sound conditionsGuest: Laura Holcomb — interpreter, trainer, and founder of String and CanFound in Interpretation is a bilingual podcast about conference interpretation, hosted by Alain R. Breton and Brian Bickford.Like, share, and subscribe to help us keep finding great guests.