The Speechwriter's Room

Kat Kane stops by The Speechwriter's Room to talk about her background in cable news, writing for a principal with possibly the busiest speaking schedule on the planet, and how she helps clients maintain their authenticity behind the podium. Plus, while Kat is new to the Knicks bandwagon, she expertly details what made NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani's speech at the Knicks championship parade so memorabl...

Communications pro and Taylor Swift scholar Seth Nelson visits The Speechwriter's Room to share lessons that speechwriters and speakers can learn from Taylor Swift, including how to create a moment, knowing your audience, and using vulnerability strategically. Read Seth Nelson's original piece of writing on this topic here: https://www.frontwoodstrategies.com/our-work/taylor Seth is the communicat...

For Ezra Zwaeli, poetry not only informs how he writes speeches, but how he approaches life. He joins The Speechwriter's Room for a discussion on what it's like to perform slam poetry, how to make wonky policies relatable in speeches, and how to foster creativity in a hectic work environment. Ezra is the former director of speechwriting for Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. In the conversation, Ezra descr...

In celebration of the Class of 2026, Mary takes a look back on commencement addresses from U.S. leaders that set the country on a new path.  President Lyndon B. Johnson unveiled his plans for “The Great Society” in commencement remarks at the University of Michigan . After 9/11, President George W. Bush spoke at the United States Military Academy where he pressed his case for pre-emptive strikes i...

In this episode, Mary shares outtakes of her interviews with speechwriters Ashley Mitchell, Ken Sofer, and Felicia Salazar, all of which center on storytelling. Ashley Mitchell describes one of the most important aspects of telling a story. The full version of President Barack Obama's campaign speech that Ashley references is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MjccRjErQw Ken Sofer of New Colos...

It turns out that musical theater can be a training ground for speechwriting techniques. In this episode, Mary explores the ways that musicals make emotional appeals, showcase character, and hit the final note -- all of which directly apply to the best speeches. To learn more about Mary Robbins, visit https://www.storiedcommunications.com/

This episode of The Speechwriter's Room features Hartley Voss, the chief speechwriter for the Democratic staff of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Before Hartley embarked on his path in speechwriting, he had built a career in Hollywood, writing on television shows like Mad Men and Orange is the New Black. Hartley and Mary talk about the similarities between the working environments of...

In a made-up award show, The Speechwriter's Room presents the 2026 Acceptance Speech Awards. Mary discusses the techniques that make the winners' remarks notable - from storytelling to making a call to action specific. For best use of a literary device, the award goes to Stephen Colbert at the Golden Globes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gncZJZS68zE Best Call to Action in an acceptance speech go...

Ken Sofer, the founder of New Colossus Advisors and former policy advisor and former speechwriter to the President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, discusses the speechwriting process, how to drop into a speaker's voice, and the partnership between a speechwriter and the principal. Ken takes us behind the scenes of crafting a speech for IRC President and CEO David Miliband in 2019 (...

What do infomercials and persuasive speeches have in common? In this episode, Mary explores the structure called Monroe's Motivated Sequence that can be found in persuasive speeches across history and in classic infomercials - from the Snuggie to the Miracle Blade. To learn more about Mary Robbins, visit storiedcommunications.com .

Today in The Speechwriter’s Room, Felicia Salazar talks about what it’s like to write history-making speeches in the White House for President Biden. Felicia worked with the President on his remarks to issue an apology for the United States’ forced Native American boarding school policy. With storytelling and cultivating connection in her speech drafts, Felicia has also been an aide to the former...

In this episode of The Speechwriter's Room, Mary gets inspired from pep talks in sports movies and television shows. From values-driven messaging to issuing a call to action, these coaches have lots to show us about crafting any kind of persuasive speech.

Ashley Mitchell joins The Speechwriter’s Room for a conversation about the power of speeches in times of crisis, pulling from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s recent remarks at a press conference shortly after Renee Good was killed by an ICE agent on January 7, 2026. The two speechwriters talk about what speakers and leaders need to remember for crisis communications, including how to connect to an...

In advance of this year's MLK Day, Mary highlights the stories behind two of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches, starting with how gospel singer Mahalia Jackson influenced the iconic "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington and Clarence B. Jones' account of how the speechwriting process unfolded the night before the March. Then, Mary discusses how Dr. King used the tools of persuasion...

In this episode, Mary Robbins talks about what speechwriters can learn from joke writers. She shares clips from some of her favorite comedians and the techniques their punchlines share with speechwriting, like the primacy-recency effect, the rule of three, and callbacks. Mary cites research on callbacks from Duke University, which can be found here: https://www.fuqua.duke.edu/duke-fuqua-insights/h...

Two speechwriting legends join The Speechwriter’s Room on this episode. In addition to authoring The Political Speechwriter’s Companion , Bob Lehrman and Eric Schnure both wrote for former-Vice President Al Gore in the White House and have penned remarks for dozens more elected leaders, celebrities, and business executives. They talk about writing conversationally and quickly, how the term “howdah...

Mary Robbins has been a speechwriter for 15 years, crafting remarks and narratives for leaders from the business world to the White House. Now, she's sharing some of what she's learned and inviting some of the best speechwriters in the business to discuss the techniques and quirky aspects of the speechwriting profession. Join us in The Speechwriter's Room. To learn more about Mary Robbins, visit s...