“It is critical that our digital impression is a good one, reflecting your personal leadership brand and your corporate brand,” says Karin Reed. Is your digital impression a good one? In this episode, Karin delves into the importance of creating a strong digital impression and maintaining a compelling virtual presence. She shares insights from her TV journalism career, illustrating how appearance and presentation impact audience perception.

Karin emphasizes that a good digital impression isn’t about vanity but about respect for the audience and distraction-free communication. She offers practical tips, covering essentials like background setup, lighting, audio quality, and camera positioning. Karin highlights the importance of an uncluttered background, proper lighting to allow the audience to read your facial expressions, clear audio, and eye-level camera placement. Additionally, she addresses the challenges of maintaining a strong digital presence while working from various locations, offering a bonus video on her website for finding the best lighting in any space.

This episode can be a comprehensive guide to improving your digital impression and virtual presence, with actionable tips for professional communication. Tune in to Speaker Dynamics for Karin’s expert advice on making a strong digital impression.

Quotes

• “First impressions matter. They matter a lot. And oftentimes, that first impression is delivered digitally. With us showing up so often via webcam, it is critical that our digital impression that we are giving off is a good one, that it’s a good reflection of your personal leadership brand and a good reflection of your corporate brand.” (00:00 | Karin Reed)
• “Be aware that people are more tolerant of poor video quality than they are of poor audio quality. So if there is a place to invest your time and energy in improving, it would be in your audio.” (09:33 | Karin Reed)
• “We’ve talked about your background, we’ve talked about your lighting, we’ve talked about your audio, we’ve talked about your camera position. All of this is critical for you to ensure that your digital impression that you’re giving across is a good one, because you want to make sure that it is a great reflection of your personal leadership brand and that you have presence in the virtual room.” (18:04 | Karin Reed)

Links

Connect with Karin Reed:

Website: www.speakerdynamics.com

Speaker Dynamics University: https://university.speakerdynamics.com/

Speaker Dynamics on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakerdynamics/

Karin Reed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-reed/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” asks Karin Reed. She argues this question is just as relevant for adults as it is for children, leading to a discussion about balancing immediate productivity with strategic, long-term goals. In this episode, Karin talks with Wall Street Journal bestselling author Dorie Clark about the critical practice of long-term thinking in a society fixated on immediate results.

Dorie, known for her work in the Harvard Business Review and Forbes, shares insights from her book, “The Long Game.” She highlights the struggle of finding time for strategic thinking in our busy lives and emphasizes the importance of structural changes for sustained success.

Dorie provides practical advice for leaders to foster a long-term mindset despite short-term pressures and introduces the concept of “optimizing for interesting”—pursuing meaningful activities that lead to fulfillment and success. Her personal anecdotes illustrate how small, consistent steps yield significant outcomes. She also discusses how to effectively communicate strategic visions, balancing humility with necessary self-promotion. Her straightforward approach helps listeners share achievements without boasting.

Dorie’s advice emphasizes the power of small, consistent steps and pursuing meaningful activities to achieve long-term success. Tune in to gain invaluable insights from Dorie Clark and learn how to develop a strategic mindset and optimize your path to fulfillment and achievement!

Quotes

• “I’m always interested in questions about how people make meaning in their lives. And it seems like in our modern society, there’s really kind of two pat answers that, in the discourse, are often viewed as diametrically opposed… You optimize for money or for meaning. And I actually think that there’s a useful third way that we can be thinking about, which is optimizing for interesting. (08:29 | Dorie Clark)
• “If you’re optimizing for money, a lot of times, we know, culturally, people can be quite unhappy. Money gets you to a certain place, but it doesn’t get you to the finish line. It is necessary but not sufficient. But if you’re optimizing for interesting, you’re choosing things that are genuinely meaningful and cool to you.” (09:18 | Dorie Clark)
• “It’s important to remind people: It’s not that whenever you were pursuing whatever goal it was, or career it was, you weren’t just sitting eating bonbons. You actually did things. You met people, you made connections, you learned skills. And many of those skills and many of those connections are probably transferable. It also means that you see the world in a slightly different way, which sometimes can be extremely helpful.” (25:13 | Dorie Clark)
• “One thing that I want to encourage people to think about—and this is a concept that I share in the long game—is that, ultimately, if we’re all sort of suffering under the yoke of being pulled in too many directions, having too many things to do, we have to recognize that, inevitably, there are going to be times and there are going to be moments when that is necessary. About short term results, sometimes you gotta just make it happen. But it’s also true that if we want to be smart about long-term thinking, we can’t always be doing that.” (27:44 | Dorie Clark)

Links

Connect with Dorie Clark:

https://www.dorieclark.com/thelonggame

Connect with Karin Reed:

Website: www.speakerdynamics.com

Speaker Dynamics University: https://university.speakerdynamics.com/

Speaker Dynamics on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakerdynamics/

Karin Reed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-reed/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

What we say and how we say it matters, whether we are speaking over the airwaves or in front of the boardroom. In this episode, Karin Reed shares how the lessons she learned as an award-winning broadcast journalist shape her approach to her work today in the business world—lessons that you can apply in your role as well. Whether she is pointing out potential pitfalls or highlighting how you can communicate to inspire, this episode offers a series of lightbulb moments that you can put into practice.

Karin’s top five lessons are:

1. Technology is fickle. Always have a backup plan when dealing with technology.
2. Butterflies can be a good thing. Nervous energy can enhance performance.
3. People move people. Focus on personal stories to create strong emotional connections.
4. There can be unexpected blessings. Embrace the unexpected rewards that come from your work.
5. There can be unexpected consequences. Deliver news with empathy, understanding its impact on others.

By applying these lessons, listeners can become more empathetic leaders and communicators, adept at creating meaningful connections in every interaction. Let’s take these lessons to heart, recognizing the influence our words can have in shaping our relationships and environments.

Quotes

• “There can be unexpected consequences of your message. I share this with you because I think it was valuable for me to learn it in my career as a reporter, and perhaps it’ll be valuable for all of you who are listening in your sphere of influence.” (12:19 | Karin Reed)

• “That was a hugely impactful day for me as a reporter because I realized these aren’t just stories. These aren’t just messages that we are delivering in a vacuum. All of the things that we say, whether you’re a reporter, whether you’re a leader delivering a tough message to your team, that has a direct impact on the people you’re delivering it to. And it made me a much more empathetic reporter after that day.” (13:33 | Karin Reed)
• “If you are hearing this message, and you are a leader, and you are charged with delivering some difficult news, always keep in mind that what you say impacts people. And you want to keep that in mind so whenever you deliver it, you can deliver it with empathy and you can be that empathetic leader. So, I wanted to share these lessons with you because hopefully you will find that they resonate in your world in some way.” (14:13 | Karin Reed)

Links

Connect with Karin Reed:

Website: www.speakerdynamics.com

Speaker Dynamics University: https://university.speakerdynamics.com/

Speaker Dynamics on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakerdynamics/

Karin Reed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-reed/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“If you want to be remarkable, you seek to make a difference,” says renowned author and chief evangelist Guy Kawasaki. In this episode, Karin Reed sits down with one of her professional heroes to delve into the essence of his latest book, “Think Remarkable.”

Kawasaki shares his innovative approach to writing, using AI tools like ChatGPT and Quillbot to enhance his process without compromising quality. His reflections on concise communication and authenticity in leadership offer valuable takeaways for engaging today’s audiences, particularly Gen Z.

The discussion also touches on his time at Apple and the inspiration behind the book’s title, a nod to the iconic “Think Different” campaign. Through themes of growth, grit, and grace, Kawasaki draws from interviews with over 200 remarkable individuals, sharing profound insights and memorable anecdotes from figures like Jane Goodall and Margaret Atwood.

Kawasaki’s career advice emphasizes the importance of reliability and embracing often overlooked tasks to become indispensable. Tune in to gain invaluable insights from Guy Kawasaki and learn how to transform your life and make the world a little (or a lot) better!

Quotes

• “Some writers are suspicious or maybe they are jealous or maybe they are hostile to AI. That’s not the case for me at all. I believe my responsibility to the reader is to produce the best book I can. And whether that means using LLMs or not, is not the point. The point is to get the best book.” (05:59 | Guy Kawasaki)
• “My concept is that if you want to be remarkable, the way you do that is you make a difference. You make the world a better place… When you make a difference, then the natural outcome is people will think you are remarkable.” (17:48 | Guy Kawasaki)
• “You don’t catch 100% of the waves that you don’t turn and paddle for. So at some point, if you want to make a difference, you just have to turn and burn. In other words, you have to turn and start paddling and you have to actually do something as opposed to thinking about doing something (25:59 | Guy Kawasaki)
• “We spend too much time making the right decision. What we should do is make the decision right.” (26:19 | Guy Kawasaki)

Links

Connect with Guy Kawasaki:

Order the book: https://amzn.to/4ckKsQE

TR landing page: https://guykawasaki.com/books/think-remarkable/

Guy's podcast: https://guykawasaki.com/remarkable-people/

Connect with Karin Reed:

Website: www.speakerdynamics.com

Speaker Dynamics University: https://university.speakerdynamics.com/

Speaker Dynamics on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakerdynamics/

Karin Reed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-reed/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“Body language can be tricky when you are presenting. Sometimes, you just don't know what to do with yourself, but your body is always speaking,” says Karin Reed. “How do you ensure that your body is saying what you want it to?” she asks. In this episode, Karin explains the critical role of body language during presentations. She opens with a common dilemma faced by speakers—what to do with their hands—and shares insights from her coaching experiences. She challenges the advice of keeping hands at one’s sides, advocating instead for natural gestures that complement and reinforce the speaker’s message.

Karin emphasizes the importance of not overthinking gestures, noting that focusing on the presentation content will naturally lead to appropriate hand movements. She discusses how forced or unnatural gestures can distract the audience and detract from the message.

Discussing the use of space, Karin provides actionable advice on adapting gestures for different settings—from virtual presentations, where the camera frames the speaker, to larger, in-person stages. She explains how strategic movement can be used effectively to transition between topics, while recommending that speakers remain still during the delivery of critical points to emphasize their importance.

Karin also addresses how to interact with presentation slides effectively. She advises against the distracting use of laser pointers and suggests ways to integrate slides seamlessly into a presentation, ensuring they support rather than overshadow the spoken content.

Quotes

• “You should not be thinking about what you’re doing with your hands. You should be thinking about what you’re saying because if you are thinking about your message, guess what? Your body is going to respond the way it's supposed to do in a supportive sort of way. Your gestures should be natural. They should not be contrived. They should not be planned out.” (02:16 | Karin Reed)
• “Allow yourself to be loose enough to gesture, to allow yourself to be supportive in your body language of what is coming out of your mouth. If you hold yourself stiff, it’s going to have an all over detrimental impact on the way you communicate because we communicate not just with our voice, not just with our words, we communicate with our entire bodies. And if you try to muzzle any aspect of that, it’s going to make you overall a less authentic communicator and then a less effective communicator as a whole.” (04:48 | Karin Reed)
• “The key to gesturing whenever you are presenting, whether it be on camera or off, is to allow yourself to do it. Allow yourself to gesture the way you would naturally, and that’s going to come across best for you and also be supportive of your verbal.” (05:29 | Karin Reed)

Links

Connect with Karin Reed:

Website: www.speakerdynamics.com

Speaker Dynamics University: https://university.speakerdynamics.com/

Speaker Dynamics on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakerdynamics/

Karin Reed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-reed/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“Storytelling with statistics is not difficult, but it is demanding,” says JD Schramm. The distinguished speaker, author, and educator, who has taught at top institutions like Stanford and Columbia, sits down with Karin Reed to tackle a critical challenge in leadership: presenting complex data without succumbing to the dreaded “Death by PowerPoint.”

Leaders often fall into common pitfalls when presenting data, such as focusing too much on the message they want to deliver rather than what the audience needs to hear. JD points out the importance of simplifying presentations and avoiding last-minute changes that can overwhelm the speaker. He advocates for using storytelling to make data more relatable and engaging, emphasizing the need to understand the data thoroughly before crafting a narrative around it.

Karin and JD explore various techniques to improve slide design, such as reducing unnecessary complexity and using clear, concise headlines. JD offers practical tips on making data visually appealing and easy to understand, such as preferring bar charts over pie charts for clearer comparisons. He also addresses the strategic use of animations and the importance of visually guiding the audience through the data.

This episode provides advice on how leaders can identify and craft their stories, beginning with understanding the audience’s needs and the desired outcomes of the presentation. JD stresses the significance of thorough preparation, likening the process to an iceberg where much of the work remains unseen but is crucial for a successful presentation.

Quotes

• “One of the most persuasive elements is authenticity. If a leader can authentically represent their passion, their proposal, their vision, or their ideas, that oftentimes can be as effective or more effective than polished presentation skills. And that’s why I believe it is something that’s available to everyone.” (02:12 | JD Schramm)
• “What gets in the way of many leaders in their own mind is they’re so focused on the message they want to deliver that they don’t slow down to think about what’s the message this group needs to hear.” (03:46 | JD Schramm)
• “Once you understand the data, then you have to take that data and make it understandable to the rest of us in a very short amount of time. And that's where the storytelling adds huge value.” (05:48 | JD Schramm)
• “If we think of the analogy of the iceberg, 90% of it is underwater and only 10% shows up above the water surface. Well, when we think of preparing for a major presentation that’s going to have data stories inside of it, it’s going to have slides inside of it. The work that you do to get ready for the slides that you do show, that’s all below the surface. Those are the slides that are in the appendix. Those are the jokes I didn’t tell. Those are the elements that just didn’t fit in when they said your 10 minutes is now 5 minutes. But the iceberg that shows up above the surface, that’s what the audience sees. That’s what they ideally hear, see, and remember, and they take action on.” (13:40 | JD Schramm)
• “Storytelling with statistics is not difficult, but it is demanding. So what you ultimately will come up with may have taken you several meetings with your team or several rehearsals with your coach. And when you finally get it, you go, ‘That's all they need?’ But it’s the journey you need to go on to get that data story in a way that’s accessible to your team, to your audience, and actionable by them. So it’s not difficult, but it is demanding because you have to keep thinking, what’s the question under the question? What’s the action I want to see them take?” (25:34 | JD Schramm)

Links

Connect with JD Schramm:

Subscribe to JD's free newsletter, communication matters at https://jdschramm.substack.com/

Explore his books and other services at https://jdschramm.com/

Connect with Karin Reed:

Website: www.speakerdynamics.com

Speaker Dynamics University: https://university.speakerdynamics.com/

Speaker Dynamics on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakerdynamics/

Karin Reed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-reed/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

"Being a fantastic speaker doesn't necessarily mean your audience will remember what you say," Karin Reed explains as she emphasizes the importance of structured communication to ensure the audience not only enjoys the presentation but also retains the key messages.

Karin shares an anecdote from a conference where a renowned, technically proficient keynote speaker delivered a polished but ultimately forgettable presentation. This serves to underline her primary point: the necessity of creating content that truly resonates and provides tangible value.

To help speakers enhance message retention, Karin introduces her “content framework” based on the “rule of three.” This method builds on the concept that people best understand and remember information when it is presented in simple, patterned groups of three. Given that audiences generally remember only a fraction of what they hear, distilling and organizing key messages using this structure is vital.

Listeners will discover how to apply the rule of three by formulating a core message and supporting it with three distinct points. Karin provides variations of this framework for different contexts, such as pitching an idea or navigating change, and she encourages listeners to adapt these techniques to their personal speaking style.

The episode also covers effective strategies for starting and ending talks. Karin suggests beginning with an “unexpected open” to captivate the audience immediately and concluding with an "emotional close" that leaves a strong, lasting impression and motivates action. Practical tips for implementing these techniques are provided throughout the discussion.

Quotes

• “Your job is to deliver a message that's valuable and ensure that it is understood by your audience. You want to focus on the audience and their needs, not on how much you are entertaining them.” (04:44 | Karin Reed)
• “Are they understanding what you're saying? Are they getting it? Are you leaving them with something that is valuable?” (05:17 | Karin Reed)
• “It's really important that you simplify your message. Why? Because people are terrible listeners. All of us are really bad listeners. In fact, research indicates that right after we've had a conversation with somebody, right afterwards, we remember only half of what was said to us. We want them to remember the key takeaways.” (06:29 | Karin Reed)
• “If your goal is to have them take action, ask yourself, ‘What can I say to them that will make them say yes?’ Sometimes that means pulling the right emotional trigger—the thing that's going to motivate them to agree with what you are wanting them to do. Think about your audience, think about what they care about, and then make sure that your final words are playing to that emotional trigger. Make it relevant to them. Perhaps even consider using a ‘what's in it for me’ statement, because they'll certainly care about that. And then plan it out in advance because you want to finish strong. You don't want to finish with a whimper. (24:55 | Karin Reed)

Links

Connect with Karin Reed:

Website: www.speakerdynamics.com

Speaker Dynamics University: https://university.speakerdynamics.com/

Speaker Dynamics on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakerdynamics/

Karin Reed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-reed/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Jenn Chase, CMO at SAS, trades the ice rink for the boardroom as she opens up to Karin Reed on the Speaker Dynamics podcast about her unique path to leadership. Their discussion dives into the critical connection between leadership and communication, shedding light on how a leader’s message resonates within the confines of their team and echoes throughout the broader business landscape.

Jenn talks about SAS's leading role in data and AI, stressing the key role communication plays in linking the company's past achievements with its current projects and future goals. She discusses her twin responsibilities: boosting morale among her team and defining the company's image to the outside world.

Reflecting on her time as a competitive figure skater, Jenn explains how lessons in performance, practice, and handling feedback have shaped her approach to communication. She highlights that thorough preparation for presentations is her strategy against feeling like an imposter.

In their conversation, Karin and Jenn touch on the challenge of breaking down complex ideas for diverse audiences and ensuring messages are accessible and engaging across different cultures. Jenn talks about the importance of feedback in creating an environment where honest critique is valued and used to improve communication skills.

The episode is particularly insightful for leaders who are reluctant to step into the spotlight. Jenn encourages them to see speaking opportunities as chances to share their unique insights and stories. She points out that being well-prepared is key to speaking confidently and effectively, offering practical advice for anyone looking to leave a mark through their communication.

Quotes

• "Preparation is an antidote to imposter syndrome." (06:28 | Jenn Chase)
• "To lead is to communicate. You can't take those two things apart. If you're going to be a leader, you have to be prepared to communicate." (08:33 | Jenn Chase)
• "The higher up you get, the more information is curated before it gets to you. And people might be afraid to give you feedback. And so I have worked really hard to cultivate an environment where people are comfortable giving me feedback." (18:18 | Jenn Chase)
• "You have to remember as a leader, whether you're a leader today or aspiring to be a leader, you have a perspective and people want to hear it. So you can make a difference by communicating and sharing your perspective." (23:10 | Jenn Chase)
• "Success is where preparation and opportunity meet, and you can create both of those. And you have to prepare." (24:34 | Jenn Chase)

Links

Connect with Jenn Chase:

Website: sas.com

Connect with Karin Reed:

Website: www.speakerdynamics.com

Speaker Dynamics University: https://university.speakerdynamics.com/

Speaker Dynamics on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakerdynamics/

Karin Reed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-reed/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm