SPEAK LIKE A CEO

You’ve been trained to stay on message. The problem? “On message” is forgettable.

Bill McGowan, author of Speak, Memorably and founder of Clarity Media Group, has spent 25 years coaching executives on how to be memorable, even working with clients like Kim Kardashian and Cookie Monster.

In this episode, he breaks down the difference between speakers people remember and speakers people tune out. From how to open your presentation to the physical and verbal techniques that keep people listening, he shares what actually works and what to avoid.

⏰Timestamps

00:00 Introduction

01:00 Staying on Message

02:15 Be 22x More Memorable

03:30 Keeping Attention

05:09 The 60-Second Rule

08:13 The Three Ps of voice

09:32 Projection and Energy

16:03 Spotting Clichés

18:25 The Magnificent Seven

20:34 What to Do With Your Hands

22:30 Crafting a Memorable Talk

25:01 Kardashians and Cookie Monster

27:33 Reading the Zoom

🎧More Episodes Like This

• 316: Surrounded by Idiots w/ Thomas Erikson 

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• 315: Nir Eyal NYT Best Seller
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🔗LinkedIn

Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-aust/

Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-mcgowan-7103b/

📩Newsletter

Host: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/profile

📚Resources

• 21 Storytelling Frameworks: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/21-storytelling-frameworks-with-oliver

• Become a Presentation Genius (Free Course): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wJloFeNwBg

• Speak Like a CEO Academy: https://www.speaklikeaceo.academy/

📧 Email: [email protected]

🙌 This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com

Most leaders think their idea will win on merit. It won't.

Even NASA could not get funding for a $100 million mission to measure air pollution from space. Not because of the science, but because not enough people believed in it.

In this episode, NASA's former Chief Story Architect Paul Propster shares the persuasive framework NASA now uses to win funding for their missions. You'll learn the four-point structure they use to plan their pitches, the simple test Pixar taught them for vetting ideas, and the single insight that will get review boards rooting for your idea instead of picking it apart.

⏰Timestamps

(00:00) Introduction

(01:21) Winning a $100M

(04:30) Story Architecting

(06:06) NASA’s Credible Messengers

(08:58) What Pixar Taught NASA

(12:52) 6-Sentence Story Template

(14:17) Artemis Moon Program

(16:29) Storytelling Through Failure

(19:05) Story Architect Circle

(23:22) Teaching Authenticity

(29:52) Paul’s Best Advice

🎧More Episodes Like This

• 316:Surrounded by Idiots w/ Thomas Erikson 

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2YFSr9PbPZlFQJAUpebogU?si=u_Dt5fqgRVqzOOoyCJoctA

• 315: Nir Eyal NYT Best Seller
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2MjPtegbC6wSmLWG6Nqjvy?si=r_en9YaUQFqT5eBBgrN6MA

• 308: Confidence on Command

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1tTFZKF5RA1gWDZvJzSpl9?si=m32VAVaTQUONT8VVS8qm

🔗LinkedIn

Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-aust/

Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-propster/

📩Newsletter

Host: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/profile

📚Resources

• 21 Storytelling Frameworks: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/21-storytelling-frameworks-with-oliver

• Become a Presentation Genius (Free Course): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wJloFeNwBg

• Speak Like a CEO Academy: https://www.speaklikeaceo.academy/

📧 Email: [email protected]

🙌 This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com

💡 This episode’s supervising editor was Chelsea B. Olsen https://chelseabolsen.com

Every platform eventually turns on the brands that built on it. The leaders winning now aren't begging algorithms for reach – they're owning their audience directly.

Tyler Denk is doing exactly that. As CEO of beehiiv, he's built a $500K newsletter in five hours a week while running a $30M business with 110 employees across 15 countries. Before that, he was employee number two at famed newsletter Morning Brew, which sold for $75 million. 

He joins Oliver to unpack why storytelling is now your most important business asset, why your social following may be worth less than you think, and how the best leaders today are the ones who know how to communicate, not just manage. 

Learn why owning your audience is the most important move leaders can make right now.

⏰Timestamps

(00:00) Introduction 

(00:58) Why platforms are unreliable now 

(02:23) Power of Newsletters

(07:31) Why Storytelling is Key

(10:16) Founding beehiiv

(13:48) Leading Remote 110 Team 

(19:39) Creator & CEO Hybrid

(21:59) Customer Acquisition in AI Age

(25:02) Own Distribution 

(29:14) Transparency as a Superpower

(32:10) LinkedIn strategy and building a brand as CEO

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• 316:Surrounded by Idiots w/ Thomas Erikson 

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2YFSr9PbPZlFQJAUpebogU?si=87e4724578bf4d51

• 315: Nir Eyal NYT Best Seller
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2MjPtegbC6wSmLWG6Nqjvy?si=79801e1f275d4973

• 308: Confidence on Command

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1tTFZKF5RA1gWDZvJzSpl9?si=40659e79a0964e07

🔗LinkedIn

Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-aust/

Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-denk/

📩Newsletter

Host: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/profile

Guest: http://mail.bigdeskenergy.com/ 

📚Resources

• 21 Storytelling Frameworks: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/21-storytelling-frameworks-with-oliver

• Become a Presentation Genius (Free Course): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wJloFeNwBg

• Speak Like a CEO Academy: https://www.speaklikeaceo.academy/

📧 Email: [email protected]

🙌 This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com

💡 This episode’s supervising editor was Chelsea B. Olsen https://chelseabolsen.com

Most leaders avoid AI entirely or let it do all their work. Both are destroying their credibility.

In this episode, Oliver sits down with Allison Shapira, Harvard lecturer and author of AI for the Authentic Leader, to discuss why AI is actually making so many leaders worse communicators and leaders. She shares her frameworks and insights on how to write with AI without losing your voice, let it help with your biggest problems, and handle tough conversations.

You’ll learn what it really means to be authentic in an AI word, how the AI Authenticity Loop can help you maintain trust, , and how to get started using AI the right way.

Topics discussed:

Introduction (00:00)

How to use AI strategically (00:40)

The AI authenticity loop (03:35)

The definition of true authenticity - and where AI fits in (06:24)

How to protect trust while using AI (08:52)

When and how to use AI for difficult conversations (10:14)

Will AI make middle management redundant? (16:31)

What leaders are getting wrong about AI (18:41)

Three steps to start using AI as a leader (25:37)

How to overcome resistance and get your team on board (27:19)

Get access to Allison’s custom AI:
https://allisonshapira.com/ai

Grab a copy of Allison’s book, AI for the Authentic Leader:
https://allisonshapira.com/books/

Get the Presentation Planner Oliver uses with elite communicators: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/presentation-planner

Want to work with Oliver and become a top 1% communicator? Join the Speak Like a CEO Academy! https://www.speaklikeaceo.academy/

This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com

Meetings, emails, conversations – the reason they all break down is the same: we get the first minute wrong.

Chris Fenning, author of The First Minute, literally wrote the book on how to get that first minute right. His frameworks are simple, but they fix the problems most leaders deal with every single day.

In this episode, you'll learn how to lead better meetings, write emails that actually get answered, and communicate your point before people tune out.

Topics discussed:

Introduction (00:00)

3 questions you must answer in the first minute - and why it matters (00:37)

The science behind the first minute (05:22)

The GPS framework for getting results (07:36)

How to recover when conversations go wrong (11:00)

The TPO framework for better meetings (12:38)

How to change communication culture in organizations (14:46)

When to replace a meeting with something else (18:34)

Who to include (and not include) in meetings (21:08)

Should you use AI to write your emails? (23:17)

How to set communication preferences within your organization (28:27)

How to structure emails that get replies (31:02)

The 10-second habit for clearer communication (34:59)
Where niceties belong in an email (36:15)

Connect with Chris Fenning:
https://chrisfenning.com/

Connect with Oliver:

 https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-aust/

Get the Presentation Planner Oliver uses with elite communicators: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/presentation-planner

Want to work with Oliver and become a top 1% communicator? Join the Speak Like a CEO Academy:https://www.speaklikeaceo.academy/

This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com