The Presentation Podcast

Episode #249, In this podcast episode, Troy, Nolan, and Sandy explore how AI is reshaping presentation design today. The conversation revolves around the two key spaces where AI operates: thinking (e.g. outlining, structuring) and design (e.g. visuals, layouts). While all three agree AI enhances efficiency, they also agree AI is not set to replace human storytelling, editorial judgment, and contex...

Episode #248, As the world of graphic design continues to expand, the boundaries between traditional design disciplines and presentation design are blurring. And Creative Pro Week, a premier design conference brings together designers, creatives, and presentation experts. This episode Troy has a behind-the-scenes conversation with Nolan Haims hearing about his upcoming CreativePro Week talks, the...

Episode 247: Unlock the power of PowerPoint in ways you may not have imagined. In this episode, Troy, Sandy, and Nolan are joined by Amanda Dalton, a seasoned graphic designer turned presentation and instructional design expert, to explore how PowerPoint can be a central tool for presentation design, video creation, and instructional storytelling.   In today's ever-evolving world of digital commun...

Episode #246 - New episode of The Presentation Podcast now available! In this episode, Troy, Sandy, and Nolan discuss the value and challenges of PowerPoint templates. They agree that well-built templates save time, make brand consistency easier, and improve efficiency. But everyone also agrees PowerPoint templates are frequently misused, broken, or ignored. While AI tools can generate content and...

In episode 245 of The Presentation Podcast, Troy and Lori Chollar of TLC Creative Services give us access to their team's design process by pulling back the curtain of a completed partnership pitch deck project. This project got them thinking about how we all approach presentation design. Everything starts before a single slide is designed with understanding and defining the purpose and type of pr...

In Episode 244 of the Presentation Podcast, hosts Troy, Sandy, and Nolan use a real client slide as a case study to discuss when bullet points hurt rather than help a slide. Join the conversation as they explore how unnecessary bullets clutter slides, disrupt narrative flow, and actually reduce audience retention. Get into design alternatives, and if bullet points are needed in numbered lists, ico...

In episode 243 of the Presentation Podcast, Troy Chollar of TLC Creative Services, has a conversation with certified speaking professional John Chen. They discuss the immense amount of unseen effort behind every presentation. The conversation focuses on John's eight-minute keynote at a Canadian Association of Professional Speakers event, and the 100+ hours of preparation, collaboration with coache...

In episode 241 of the Presentation Podcast we talk with Lori Chollar, CEO of TLC Creative Services, Inc. We get a behind-the-scenes look at Lori's experience presenting at CreativePro's Presentation Design Conference.   Lori shares insights into the process of being asked to present, preparing her session content, and the conference experience. On the presentation side, we talk about the technical...

Episode #240 - In this latest episode of The Presentation Podcast, our hosts, Troy Chollar of TLC Creative, Sandy Johnson, and Nolan Haimes are joined by Boris Hristov, founder of the Present to Succeed conference.   Listen in as they discuss the unique dual-location format for 2026 (taking place in both London and Sofia!). Boris shares insights on speaker selection, branding, and their high produ...

In episode 239 of The Presentation Podcast, hosts Troy, Sandy, and Nolan share a behind-the-scenes look at their daily lives as professional presentation designers. They talk about how a good amount of their work happens outside PowerPoint, from project management, client communication, travel logistics, and their go-to tech tools for not only presentation design, but running a design agency. Join...

Episode #238 - The latest episode of The Presentation Podcast brings together hosts Troy, Sandy, and Nolan with special guest John Polk—author, workshop leader, and consultant—to discuss his new book, Presentation Pitfalls: Ten Traps Business Professionals Fall Into and How to Avoid Them , which he c o-authored with Justin Hunsaker. This episode is a goldmine for anyone who wants to elevate their...

Episode #236, Hey there, your friendly host with Holiday Cheer from The Presentation Podcast! As we wrap up another fantastic year, I wanted to share some highlights from our latest episode, "The Ultimate Holiday Mashup: Snow, Gadgets, PPT Add-ins, Books and Wish Lists!" This festive episode is packed with tech recommendations, book suggestions, and some heartfelt reflections from myself and amazi...

Episode #234, Drawing from years of experience, this episode has 25 things NOT to do in PowerPoint. Design things, template setup things, presenting things. This is literally decades of experience - and frustration - as Troy, Nolan and Sandy break down 25 common PowerPoint pitfalls with their top tips, expert recommendations and actionable advice to help everyone avoid these all-too-common PowerPo...

Episode #234 - This latest episode of The Presentation Podcast is hosted by Troy and Lori Chollar of TLC Creative Services! They offer expert insights into PowerPoint templates. Clarify what defines a true template (versus a set of slides), discuss the technical and design elements that ensure consistency and branding during a presentation, and highlight common pitfalls and misconceptions. Their c...

In episode 233 of The Presentation Podcast the hosts talk about deploying PowerPoint templates across an organization can be a nightmare. They are joined by guests Jamie Garroch and Hannah Harper of BrightCarbon to discuss "Brandin" - a PowerPoint add-in that centralizes templates, assets, and brand resources for easy access and management in a seamless interface all within PowerPoint. Jamie and H...

Episode #232; It is October, and Halloween, and scary things happen. For The Presentation Podcast, it is a perfect time to gather a group of presentation design experts and hear presentation stories that are funny, terrifying, or something that quote, "should not be done in PowerPoint". Join Troy and Lori of TLC Creative Services as they talk with a group of our presentation colleagues. You get to...

Episode #231, I am excited to dive into the evolving world of AI with David Fortin on our latest episode! Yes, overall we are in an awkward phase of AI adoption. David and I focus primarily on how Microsoft Copilot is reshaping the landscape of workflows with so many elements now able to be connected; Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams meetings and file. We also talk about creating better AI prompt...

Episode #230 - In this latest episode, hosts Troy, Sandy, and Nolan are joined by Rick Altman, director of The Presentation Summit. They discuss the upcoming Summit (October 19 th -22 nd 2025), its array of guest speakers and engaging sessions. Rick shares behind-the-scenes insights and announces a special $75 registration discount, exclusively for The Presentation Podcast listeners. Listeners can...

Episode #229, In this episode of The Presentation Podcast, hosts Troy Chollar, Nolan Haims, and Sandy Johnson explore where to learn PowerPoint and slide design. They discuss a wide range of resources, including online tutorials, webinars, training programs, professional organizations, books, webinars, conferences and communities. The overall takeaway, the importance of hands-on experience. The ho...

Episode #228, In this episode of The Presentation Podcast, the hosts are joined by Bethany Auck, founder of SlideRabbit, for a candid and insightful conversation. The group reflect on the past decade of transformation in presentation design. They also talk with Bethany about the journey of building SlideRabbit and its recent acquisition and transition to new ownership. Listen now! Full Episode Sho...

Episode #227 - In this episode of The Presentation Podcast, hosts Troy Chollar, Sandy Johnson, and Nolan Haims chat with guest Jody Wissing – a truly energetic and creative presentation designer! They talk about how everyday experiences, travel, and even advertising inspire presentation design and storytelling. Jody shares her tips for simplifying slides, engaging audiences, and using AI as a crea...

Episode #226, In this episode of "The Presentation Podcast," the hosts, plus guests Julie Terberg and Lori Chollar, dive into the art of typography in PowerPoint slide design. We discuss the differences between fonts and typography, share practical tips for font pairing, and address PowerPoint's limitations compared to professional design software. We also explore sources of design inspiration, ha...

Episode #225. This episode of The Presentation Podcast dives deep into the role of typography in PowerPoint presentations. The hosts discuss font selection, line and paragraph spacing, alignment, visual hierarchy and more. Plenty of practical tips and frustrations of typography formatting within PowerPoint are shared, along with comparing PowerPoint's features to other advanced design and desktop...