Why They Resonate

WATCH THE KEYNOTE BREAKDOWN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M5GgsisFUc&t=385s In his new keynote opener, Robert Rose has a few golden threads worth pulling. In this interview, we watch a recent performance and pull those threads, stitching a new structure for this opener to really connect. (Hint: it's all about the bookends!) Plus, the worst we've ever bombed, favorite interactions with AV t...

The other day, my cousin shared a quick but scary story about a friend. It's become my favorite example of how experts so often want to help others but only end up hurting their cause. If we want to create real change, we can't make this mistake ourselves. EPISODE CREDITS: This episode sponsored by Wistia . Hosted and produced by me, Jay Acunzo. Music from Embleton . *** CONNECT WITH ME: Subscribe...

There's a big difference between asking for audience engagement and ensuring a crowd feels engaged. The first usually annoys people, but the second is mandatory to succeed as a speaker. In this episode, I analyze one of the most engaging keynote openers I've had the pleasure of watching in awhile. It brings people on a short journey, removes objections from their minds, and takes them outside thei...

It's a metaphor, calm down. But this is the missing link between someone with expertise and ideas, and someone who actually develops, owns, and grows a business around an ownable, bookable idea. EPISODE CREDITS: This episode sponsored by Wistia . Hosted and produced by me, Jay Acunzo. Music from Embleton . *** CONNECT WITH ME: Subscribe to my newsletter to turn inspiration into action. Subscribe t...

Amanda Natividad joins the show to rework the opener of her keynote with Jay. It's extremely data-heavy and leads to a lot of "throat-clearing" by Amanda, which she notices rewatching it. Making things harder, she was introduced onto the stage in a strange way, presenting her with a tricky decision: acknowledge it or push ahead? Amanda is the author of the book, Zero Click Marketing: How to Build...

This conversation blew my mind, and I found so much clarity talking my friend Jeremy Enns (founder of the Podcast Marketing Academy) as he helped rework my show's strategy so it better serves others and my business at the same time. You’ll hear a BIG realization about 30 or so minutes into our chat, plus get an inside look at the strategy, my creative execution, and how the show connects to other...

I'm writing my next book! In this episode, I lay out all the details for why I'm taking a risk, where the book fits in the market, and just how much of a delusional project this might be. Then, listen to the empathy statement—a kind of prologue or "starter dough" writing which sets the tone and answers the question, "Why should I care?" Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter for book updates, exclu...

In this episode, Seth Godin takes us into how he thinks about storytelling and the intersection of strategy and story, and then we hear him dissect one of his go-to stories.  Plus, Seth and I trade stories in the back half of the episode—business storytelling nerdery on full display. Seth is a world-renowned author, speaker, and thought leader who has written more than 20 bestsellers, including Pu...

The man, the myth, and the legend Andrew Davis appeared in the first-ever episode of the show. We're running it back today, so you can hear how a master operates and thinks. Andrew Davis is a bestselling author and internationally acclaimed keynote speaker. Before building and selling a thriving digital marketing agency, Andrew produced for NBC’s Today Show, worked for The Muppets in New York and...

Here's how to turn Why They Resonate into Why YOU Resonate. Plus, a rant in two parts about the troubled relationship between thought leaders with big followings and AI. You see, they've all taken unpaid jobs working for other people. They just don't seem to notice yet. EPISODE CREDITS: Written and produced by me, Jay Acunzo. For more, subscribe to my newsletter→ Music by Embleton ( Instagram - Fa...

How Stories Happen is now Why They Resonate . Here's why and what to expect next. Plus, learn the single Italian word which says so much about our creative work — and why it's the driving force behind the show's rebrand and revival. EPISODE CREDITS: Written and produced by me, Jay Acunzo. For more, subscribe to my newsletter→ Music by Embleton ( Instagram - Facebook ). *** ABOUT ME, JAY ACUNZO I'm...

I've been through the ringer these past few years and come out the other side with something special. It's time for a transparent look inside my business.  *** To get regular advice, frameworks, and stories helping you communicate with greater clarity and resonance, subscribe to my newsletter→ PS: As mentioned in previous episodes, please expect a name change and cover art change for the show soon...

I can't believe people can do THAT. I can't believe people can DO that. I can't believe PEOPLE can do that. *** To get regular advice, frameworks, and stories helping you communicate with greater clarity and resonance, subscribe to my newsletter→ PS: As mentioned in previous episodes, please expect a name change and cover art change for the show soon. Can't wait for things to come! *** ABOUT ME, J...

I'm sharing the full story in this episode. It's time to take stuff like this more seriously. To get regular advice, frameworks, and stories helping you communicate with greater clarity and resonance, subscribe to my newsletter→ PS: As mentioned in the episode, please expect a name change and cover art change for the show soon. Can't wait for things to come! *** ABOUT ME, JAY ACUNZO I work with en...

When you want to make speaking a real revenue engine, the temptation is to invest in a couple of incorrect things. In this episode, I set the record straight for what actually works to drive results as a keynote speaker, so you can focus on the right things, in the right order, for the right results. This is Part 2, to be paired with my last episode, "The last great advantage." To get more ideas l...

Thanks to the ubiquity of AI, this is the last great advantage. To get more ideas like this, subscribe to my newsletter→ PS: As mentioned in the episode, please expect a name change and cover art change for the show soon. Can't wait for things to come! *** ABOUT ME, JAY ACUNZO I work with entrepreneurs, execs, and teams on the journey from competent to resonant. To do that, I help transform your t...

The way we write pitches is broken compared to what actually works, all because of one nuanced but critical reality: We're good at describing our talks. We're bad at describing why they'd BOOK US TO SPEAK. But isn't that the point? In this short episode, you'll learn how to re-think your pitches and write better session descriptions to pitch event planners. It'll also be useful for pitching podcas...

There is a very big difference between having a good idea and actually owning it publicly. In this episode, a means to re-think your approach to crafting and publishing your content, no matter the channel or medium. The goal is to both clarify your thinking to yourself and build an audience of passionate fans along the way. Subscribe to my newsletter→ *** ABOUT ME, JAY ACUNZO I work with entrepren...

It's been a good long while since I've had a good long rant.  *Cracks knuckles.*  Let us begin. Join the next cohort of Design My Signature Talk (starts Feb. 23, 2026)→ Subscribe to my newsletter→ *** ABOUT ME, JAY ACUNZO I work with entrepreneurs, execs, and teams on the journey from competent to resonant. To do that, I help transform your thinking into clear, captivating ideas, speeches, and IP....

When you give a presentation of any kind, you don't actually have a captive audience. YOU need to captivate. This is a story structure that can both captivate your audience AND deliver the message or lesson they most need (and you need to distribute to do your job). As mentioned, there are just a few spaces left in the next cohort of my public speaking accelerator. Grab yours here: Join the next c...

Go inside inside my public speaking accelerator, Design My Signature Talk, with this clip from our final group call. Watch the full video of this episode→ Join the next cohort of Design My Signature Talk (starts Feb. 23, 2026)→ In this episode, hear Brian Piper deliver his brand new signature story as a reliable opener of his brand new signature talk that we developed in the cohort. He used this m...

If you want to book more and better speaking opportunities, this is the episode for you. I take a closer look at the process most speakers miss, not because they haven't had any success selling their offerings, but precisely because they have. Speaking works in the opposite way to almost everything else. It's an inverted commercial model. We need to embrace this fact and invest our time, energy, a...

There’s this THING that happens to a public speaker and storyteller that feels addicting. It happens after you’ve internalized your content and put in the reps. You’re no longer consciously thinking about what to say next or how to say it. Instead, you can just walk up on stage, or fire up the camera, or switch on the mic, and just BE. Few speakers and storytellers have achieved that level of inte...

The more experienced and accomplished my guests are, the more they tend to care deeply about the little things. They're the ones who could "wing it" and actually get away with it, and yet, they don't. In their speeches, stories, messages, and everywhere they show up, they focus on the tiny details that make their words resonate. My guest in this episode is the perfect picture of this phenomenon. I...

When you’re an expert in something, it’s tempting to assume the role of your communication is to deliver something in an academic way. Instruct, advise, and teach. Sometimes, this devolves into shoving a wall of smarts *at* the world. But you need to translate what you know into language that causes others to care. That's something today's guest embraced 10 years ago, and the combination of his id...