Resources
& Articles
It’s the Speech, Not the Speaker: Why some talks live on (and others fade fast)
"Hi! I'm listening to one of my regular real estate podcasts, and one of the guys said his top take away from the Forward Event in Vegas was you and what you shared 😮" That's the DM that came through Instagram, from my step-cousin I haven't spoken to in probably a decade.
Condensing vs. Clarifying: How Long Should Your Message Be?
In this week's article, let's figure out when and where to focus on brevity, clarity, or both.
3 Creative Ways To Leverage Your Core Message
In this week's article, we explore what a core message is, how it works, and I'll offer three creative ways to use it in your marketing, to quickly connect with prospects, collaborators, and even your own team.
How to Confidently Nail Any Interview (Without the Questions)
You’re about to be interviewed on a podcast. You know the general topic you'll be asked about, but you have no idea what questions will be thrown your way. Oh, and you only have eight minutes. Plus, it won't be edited.
In this week's article I'm breaking down how I used our Core Messaging system to be totally prepared without any rehearsing, and delivered a knockout interview.
How To Get Paid More Without Changing Your Work
I’m scrolling through my feed when I see it again: another 'professional' venting about clients expecting top-quality work for pennies—or worse, for free.
“Why don’t clients value our work?!” the post reads. “It’s like they think I should be grateful for exposure! I’ve spent years perfecting my craft, and they still ask me to work for next to nothing!”
I shake my head and start to scroll by, but I just can't let it go. This problem is SO easily solved, and it starts by asking yourself a simple question:
"Is there anyone else in my market doing similar work and getting paid more?"
How to Create the Conditions for Lasting Change (with Tamsen Webster)
Last week I had the incredible honor of sitting down for a livestream Q&A with my friend Tamsen Webster to discuss her latest book, Say What They Can't Unhear.
Tamsen is the idea strategist for the legacy conference TEDxCambridge, now TEDxNewEngland. She is also the author of modern classic Find Your Red Thread, and affectionately known to us in the industry as "The Idea Whisperer."
In this article I'm recapping some of the biggest insights from our conversation about how to create lasting change.
How To Thoughtfully Respond To Public Disagreement
Can we agree that "thought leadership" has lost a bit of its cache? It's also rather confusing. What IS thought leadership? I don't know, but I know all true thought leaders do three things: Make assertions, make judgments, and make predictions.
The problem? When I give this advice to my clients they often feel anxious. And when I inquire, they tell me the anxiety comes from a fear of being wrong... but that’s not it. The real fear? It’s the fear of being disagreed with. Publicly.
And that's totally understandable. Disagreement can feel like an attack on your credibility, your authority, or even your identity.
But here’s the thing: there's no leadership without disagreement.
How to Strengthen Your Brand with a Core Emotion
Learn how powerful branding works by pairing a core message with a core emotion. This article explores how intentional messaging creates emotional connections, using a personal anecdote to illustrate the impact of consistent, emotionally-driven communication that leaves a lasting impression on your audience.
Why Paradigm Shifts are More Important Than Solutions
Imagine you tell me you're tired of sitting in traffic every day on the way to work and I immediately try to sell you on signing up for my new proprietary mindfulness app.
What would you do? Probably ignore me.
Why? Because in your mind, the problem is traffic—not your attitude.
It's not until I help you shift your perspective from thinking the problem is purely about time spent in traffic to understanding that it's really about how you manage stress and find peace in unavoidable situations, that my solution starts to make sense.
Why Frameworks are Better Than Tactics
What do an activist duo, a financial expert, and a magician have in common? Their recent TEDx talks, while wildly different in execution, were all built on the same powerful framework. In this week's article we explore how reaching for frameworks instead of tactics can elevate your communication and drive impactful change, no matter your message.
If you've ever sat down to a blank page before writing a speech, presentation, email, blog, or social media post, this article is for you.
How To Make Your Audience Put Away Their Phones
In this week's article we're going to learn why audiences tune out, take out their phones, or close your video - and how to instantly (and easily) engage them instead.
No matter what kind of presentation you're giving - a keynote speech, workshop, or TED-style talk - there's one constant: if the audience isn't engaged, the presentation will fail.
Distracted, bored audiences don't learn and they definitely don't take action.
If they don't take action, your ideas will not spread.
What Going Gluten-Free Taught Me About Messaging
In a world filled with endless choices and constant noise, clarity is a gift - to both you and your audience. Just like those gluten-free signs helped me navigate my new dietary restrictions, clear messaging can help your customers navigate their needs quickly so they can confidently make decisions. It's easy to assume that what is obvious to us is obvious to everyone else. But the reality is, our customers are juggling numerous priorities, just like I was juggling my grocery trip with a fussy toddler.
The One-Page Keynote:
How to Design a Speech That Always Works, No Charisma Required by Brian Miller
#1 Bestseller
US • UK • Canada • Australia
“The One-Page Keynote deserves a place on your desk, not on your shelf.”
Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE
past President, National Speakers Association; author of Deliver Unforgettable Presentations
