Donal Panko

I’m Donal, and in 2019 I joined the family business. I was a part-time file clerk, terrified of even answering the phones.

At my previous job, I worked the radio at a drive-through — customers would often ask about my accent or where I was from. The answer was simple enough, though it triggered puzzled looks and follow-up questions…

I’m from Saskatoon.

How could I explain without embarrassing myself or the customer? I couldn’t reasonably say that I had been diagnosed with Childhood Apraxia of Speech at two — that growing up, I couldn’t articulate speech sounds, which meant the disheartening reality of being misunderstood and teased.

I worked with a speech pathologist until I was twelve, who taught me how to produce sounds accurately, and somewhat consistently. After years of therapy, misunderstandings of my words became infrequent — though the residual “accent” never quite went away.

However, comprehending words isn’t the same as understanding stories. The effort to form the words I wanted to express sometimes resulted in feelings of isolation, frustration, and doubt about my ability to communicate.

Sharing authentically can be incredibly uncomfortable, which is why you need a safe space. I found that as I opened up, it became easier to be compassionate myself, and gave the grace to others to share themselves.

With the work we do at Panko Collaborative Law, I sincerely hope you find this a safe space to share your story and communicate what is extraordinarily challenging to communicate.

Donal Panko is the Chief Marketing Officer of Panko Collaborative Law. His role has evolved from receptionist to real estate paralegal. In 2023, Donal joined the leadership team and took on the marketing of the firm. At Panko, we believe in the power of relationships and the power of stories. Better Endings. Stronger Beginnings.