SPEAK LIKE A CEO

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/

🎧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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• 308: Confidence on Command

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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

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 

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/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

🎧More Episodes Like This

• 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