Leadership isn't management. Management tells people what to do; leadership gets them to want to follow. Mark Victor Hansen, co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul, says the difference is a great story.

In this episode, he shares the one thing every leader has to sell, how to fight the negativity bias that pulls most leaders under, and why the biggest goals are often the easiest to reach.

You'll walk away with a new definition of leadership, success, and legacy.

⏰Timestamps

(00:00) Introduction

(00:52) Leadership is Storytelling

(03:00) Fight Negativity Bias

(06:09) Program Your Mind

(08:51) Come From the End Result

(12:51) Buckminster Fuller

(15:53) Storytelling Plus Action

(17:48) Talk Prep

(21:24) Master Communication

Connect with Mark Victor Hansen:

https://markvictorhansen.com/

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• 315: Nir Eyal NYT Best Seller
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2YFSr9PbPZlFQJAUpebogU
• 308: Confidence on Command

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1tTFZKF5RA1gWDZvJzSpl9

🔗LinkedIn

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

Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markvhansen/

📩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

The science of persuasion has nothing to do with logic. Most people try to "win" with better arguments — and Joshua Bandoch, author of How to Get What You Want, says that's exactly why they fail.

In this episode, he shares a three-step framework for moving people to action. He breaks down how to find the real barrier blocking any "yes," craft a story that persuades your audience, and the surprisingly simple test that tells you if your message will actually land.

The result: conversations that end in agreement, not arguments.

⏰Timestamps

(00:00) Introduction

(00:47) What Persuasion Is

(01:58) The Persuader's Mindset

(04:48) Find Your North Star

(05:45) Feelings Over Facts

(07:35) Stories That Win

(10:14) Build the Story Arc

(15:21) Find the Barrier

(17:26) Frame It as a Loss

(18:38) Persuasion or Manipulation?

(19:29) Go Beyond Words

(21:24) The Granny Test

(24:26) Right or Make a Difference

Connect with Joshua Bandoch:

https://joshuabandoch.com/

🎧More Episodes Like This

• 316: Surrounded by Idiots w/ Thomas Erikson 

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2YFSr9PbPZlFQJAUpebogU
• 315: Nir Eyal NYT Best Seller
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2YFSr9PbPZlFQJAUpebogU
• 308: Confidence on Command

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1tTFZKF5RA1gWDZvJzSpl9

🔗LinkedIn

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

Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-bandoch-02211b167/

📩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

If your presentation goes well, your audience will forget 90% of what you said. So, the question is: what's the 1% you want them to remember?

Andrea Pacini, author of Timeless Presenter, joins Oliver to ensure you become a confident presenter whose message isn’t forgotten by tomorrow. 

They unpack why you don't want to start with an agenda or title slide, how to find your 1%, how to work with the brain not against it like most presenters, how you avoid ending up in your audience's spam folder and what the worst thing is you can tell your audience.

These principles for memorable communication are the difference between being heard and being remembered.

⏰Timestamps

(00:00) Introduction

(00:36) Spam Folder

(01:33) Start with a Promise

(03:10) The 1% That Matters

(05:01) The One-Word Pitch

(06:24) Don't Fight the Brain

(07:26) Weakness Is a Strength

(09:12) Clear Is Kind

(11:23) Creativity Needs a Cage

(13:24) Let Your Message Breathe

(14:38) Don't "Use" PowerPoint

(16:10) Action Over Reach

(18:09) Love Your Audience

(20:20) Think Like a Journalist

(22:09) The Pause Is the Point

(23:56) The Worst Thing You Can Do

(25:09) Curiosity Beats Confidence

(26:39) Content Fills the Time

(28:36) End Before They Want You To

Connect with Andrea Pacini:

https://www.ideasonstage.com/uk/

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• 316: Surrounded by Idiots w/ Thomas Erikson 

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2YFSr9PbPZlFQJAUpebogU
• 315: Nir Eyal NYT Best Seller
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2YFSr9PbPZlFQJAUpebogU
• 308: Confidence on Command

🔗LinkedIn

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

Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/apacini/

📩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

What if the way you've been going after bigger opportunities is exactly what's making them harder to land? There are two approaches most leaders take, and they both leave opportunities on the table.

Mo Bunnell, one of the world’s leading experts on business development and author of Give to Grow, teaches a third strategy that actually wins the work with less effort.

This episode breaks down the difference between doing the work and winning the work, and how making this shift changes the way you run meetings, handle pricing, and ask for referrals.

⏰Timestamps

(00:00) Introduction

(00:32) Doing vs. Winning the Work

(04:22) Mistakes That Kill the Pitch

(07:37) The IKEA Effect 

(10:13) Building Credibility 

(15:57) Storytelling

(19:27) Pricing Conversations

(21:21) Pricing Options

(23:55) Raising Prices

(27:15) Asking for Referrals

(29:17) Closing Meetings with Momentum

(32:04) AI as a Thought Partner

Learn more in Mo’s free training course:

http://givetogrow.info/

Connect with Mo Bunnell:

https://bunnellideagroup.com/

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• 316: Surrounded by Idiots w/ Thomas Erikson 

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2YFSr9PbPZlFQJAUpebogU
• 315: Nir Eyal NYT Best Seller
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2YFSr9PbPZlFQJAUpebogU
• 308: Confidence on Command

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1tTFZKF5RA1gWDZvJzSpl9

🔗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

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

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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

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🔗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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🔗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

Boards are now asking one question about every CEO candidate: are they coachable?

Scott Osman and Jacquelyn Lane, leaders of 100 Coaches, pull back the curtain on how elite coaching actually works: what makes someone coachable, what questions to ask, why coaching (almost) always justifies the price tag, and how long it takes to see results.

In this episode, they share why the best leaders are coachable and how you can build that skill yourself – plus, the one question every leader should ask themselves if they want to make a bigger impact.

Topics discussed:

Introduction (00:00)

Who actually needs a coach? (00:47)

Why coachability has become a CEO-level skill (01:51)

The origin story of 100 Coaches (04:54)

How to find the right coach for you (07:18)

The most common areas people need coaching (10:56)

How long does coaching take to work? (11:59)

How coaches use feedback to reveal your blind spots (13:30)

Should you suggest coaching to your boss? (18:39)

The leadership habits that silently undermine you (20:11)

Should a leader also be a coach? (22:18)

The openness framework: how to become more coachable (24:36)

Will AI replace executive coaches? (30:51)

Scott and Jacquelyn’s best communication advice (33:47)

Learn more about 100 Coaches:
http://100coaches.com/

Grab Scott Osman and Jacquelyn Lane’s book:
https://becomingcoachable.com/

Subscribe to Scott’s newsletter on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/best-insights-from-100-coaches-6613518216260050944/

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 and sign up for the FREE webinar! https://www.speaklikeaceo.academy/

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

Get the Presentation Planner: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/presentation-planner

Most leaders spend hours preparing presentations that get mediocre results. They stare at PowerPoint, fill slides with bullet points, and still struggle to connect with their audience.

This comprehensive course reveals the exact system Oliver uses with CEOs and founders to cut preparation time in half while doubling impact. You'll learn the three-step framework elite communicators use to plan, practice, and present with confidence.

Whether you're pitching to investors, presenting to your board, or leading your team, this course will transform how you communicate. You'll discover how to structure any presentation in minutes, craft messages that stick, and deliver with the confidence of a top 1% presenter.

Topics discussed:

The objective: becoming a top 1% presenter (00:00)

Why presentations matter for leaders (02:15)

The three P framework: plan, practice, present (05:30)

Seven deadly sins of presenting and how to avoid them (08:45)

How to make the audience care: the 90% test (14:20)

Choosing the right structure for any presentation (19:35)

Crafting simple, effective messages that move people (25:10)

The killer opening line and ending with impact (31:45)

Why storytelling beats facts and logic (37:20)

Creating slides that support your message (43:15)

Handling questions, interruptions, and objections with grace (49:30)

Body language: posture, hands, and facial expressions (54:40)

Voice mastery: the five Ps of vocal variety (61:25)

Eliminating filler words and embracing the pause (67:10)

The BMW method: staying calm and confident under pressure (72:35)

Bringing energy and passion to every presentation (78:50)

Your action plan: joining the top 1% (83:15)

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