SPEAK LIKE A CEO

In today’s episode, one of Barack Obama’s longest-serving speechwriters reveals the public speaking lessons that will help you become a more confident and compelling communicator and leader. For 8 years, Terry Szuplat worked on hundreds of speeches for President Obama. He served as a special assistant to the president, and from 2013 to 2017 he was the deputy director of the White House Speechwriti...

Have you ever left a conversation doubting whether the other person liked you?   You’re not alone—it’s called the Liking Gap. This week on Speak Like a CEO, Oliver Aust is joined by David Robson, author of the global bestsellers The Laws of Connection, The Expectation Effect, and The Intelligence Trap, and journalist and science writer for the BBC.  David reveals laws of human connection and the p...

When you manage change within a company, the pressure is on. The future of the business may be at stake.  So what do you do when your company’s change programs fall flat?  This week, Oliver Aust is joined by Frank Wolf to discuss the best approaches to leading organizational change and building a strong narrative. Frank Wolf is the co-founder of Staffbase, a leading employee communication platform...

Our world is changing fast. So how do we create something unique that will stand the test of time?  This week, Oliver Aust is joined by Josef Brunner on Speak Like a CEO to discuss what it takes to lead creatively. As the founder and CEO of NutriUnited and a seasoned entrepreneur with two nine-figure exits, Josef shares why authenticity is so important for businesses. We also discussed how buildin...

Why is it so hard for disruptive technologies to be accepted? This week, Oliver is joined by Michael Margolis, author of “Story 10X”, a leading advisor to many of the world’s largest tech companies and one of the world’s preeminent experts in storytelling, to discuss the science of change and the power of narrative.  Change can often feel like an assault on identity, triggering defensive reactions...

Julian Treasure’s TED Talk “How to speak so that people want to listen” has been viewed over 100 million times and is the 6th most popular TED talk of all time.  He shares the four foundations of powerful speaking – easy to memorize thanks to the acronym HAIL – as well as The 7 Deadly Sins of Speaking.  This short clip gives you the do’s and don’t of speaking on steroids by someone who knows how t...

If you are a scientist, engineer or deal with technical topics, this one's for you.  This week Oliver is a guest on Mark Bayer’s When Science Speaks podcast to give you the strategies to create clarity out of complexity.  Mark is one of the world’s preeminent experts on science communication who has helped hundreds of scientists to communicate with impact and clarity.  During the episode, Oliver h...

Many leaders spend their time on the wrong tasks and therefore don’t achieve their goals.  Oliver Aust explains on the Besser Gründen podcast which leadership skills are essential for a company's success. In this episode (in German), expect to learn:   The 3 most essential skills for entrepreneurs and leaders How you can develop and improve these skills most effectively, and How entrepreneurs can...

How do you handle a PR crisis that could jeopardize your business?  This week, Oliver Aust joins Gloria Chou in this episode of “Small Business PR,” to discuss strategies for dealing with PR crises and creating buzz on a budget. Oliver shares his extensive experience in crisis communication and creative PR campaigns. He provides actionable tips for how small businesses can prepare for inevitable c...

How many times has your technical presentation fallen flat?  Or perhaps you have been in the audience and have not understood the subject matter.  This week, Oliver is joined by Mark Bayer who shares his expertise on the art of making complex subjects understandable and engaging. Mark is one of the leading experts in the world on how to translate scientific or technical topics into clear communica...

Public speaking is one of humanity’s worst fears. Yet it is entirely possible that you shift from nervous and uncomfortable to confident and charismatic. In this episode, Oliver shows you how you can become a highly confident speaker and presenter – even if speaking in front of an audience gives you the chills. So how do you stay calm and build confidence? With the BMW method. By focusing on your...

No one wants to be ignored, especially in a job search.  That’s why Oliver joined Loren Greiff on the fantastic “Career Blast in a Half” podcast to help you become unignorable. In this episode, Oliver shares secrets from his bestselling books "Unignorable" and “Message Machine” on communicating like the top 1% of CEOs. The last few years have seen a shift in how we brand ourselves, giving us a new...

Dr. Carmen Simon is a cognitive neuroscientist specializing in how the brain processes and retains information. She teaches at Stanford and just published her excellent new book, "Made You Look”.  In addition to her academic work, Dr Simon helps the likes of GE, McDonalds, HP, JP Morgan, and Google to create messages and presentations that are based on how the brain remembers information and is li...

In this episode, Oliver Aust sits down with J.D. Meier, former Head Innovation Coach of a 3-Trillion-Dollar Company, who shares his communication secrets for unleashing innovation. J.D. spent 25 years at Microsoft where he was head coach for CEO Satya Nadella’s innovation team, driving one of the most exciting corporate turnarounds of the Century that allowed Microsoft to eclipse Apple as the “wor...

How do you communicate in a career transition? How do you handle the emotional rollercoaster when your identity is no longer tied to your job title?  In this episode, host Oliver Aust is joined by experts Loren Greiff and Konstanty Sliwowski to tackle the questions that many of us face at some point in our careers. Loren is the founder of Portfolio Rocket, a platform dedicated to helping executive...

How do you craft simple messages that win big?  That’s the question Ben Guttmann will answer in this episode.  Ben built, ran, and sold an award-winning marketing agency, teaches marketing at the largest business school in the US, and just published an outstanding book called “Simply Put: Why Clear Messages Win―and How to Design Them” A clear and simple message is sticky, convincing, and moves oth...

Are your employees truly engaged and aligned with your company's vision, or are they just "free range" workers wandering aimlessly? In this episode, host Oliver Aust is joined by world-class internal communications expert Monique Zytnik to discuss the critical role of strategic internal communication for leaders and organizations.  Monique shares valuable insights from her new book "Internal Commu...

How do you communicate technical topics to a large audience without losing them? How do you manage anxiety before speaking in public? How do you prepare for potential crises when your product is used in life-or-death situations? In this episode, Oliver Aust interviews Bjoern von Siemens, one of the world’s preeminent experts on improving human health through AI, robotics and automation.  He is fou...

We all sell, and selling is one of the oldest professions. However, selling has changed significantly in recent years, and businesses that don’t adapt get left behind.  To find out what works in sales today, Oliver speaks to Doug C. Brown. Doug is a leading expert on sales and profit growth, the founder of CEO Sales Strategies, host of the CEO Sales Strategies Podcast, and author of several books...

Scott Walker is one of the world’s foremost experts on negotiation.  When hostage situations, kidnappings, or cyber attacks put lives and livelihoods at stake, Scott is the crisis negotiator called in to resolve the chaos.  Having successfully negotiated over 300 high-stakes incidents, Scott shares the field-proven principles from his best-selling book "Order Out of Chaos" - hailed as "A Mastercla...

Can you get PR without hiring an expensive agency? Yes you can.  NYC-based PR strategist and podcaster Gloria Chou is here to demystify PR and the media pitching process for entrepreneurs and small business owners.  Her methods have helped over 10,000 entrepreneurs get seen and have resulted in over 1 billion organic views for small businesses – with no ads budget.  Join as she shares actionable t...

How do you turn rejection into a revolution? Oliver welcomes the legendary Steve Blank – co-creator of the Lean Startup movement and recognized as one of the "Masters of Innovation" by Harvard Business Review.  Steve's bestselling book "The Four Steps to the Epiphany" distinguished startups that search for business models from existing companies that execute them – launching the modern entrepreneu...

In this special moments episode with Eric Partaker, one of the fastest growing creators on LinkedIn, he shares his approach to ideating and creating engaging content that provides value to his audience of over 500,000 followers.  Eric emphasizes the importance of living a multidimensional and holistic life, moving away from the "hustle" mindset and finding balance across health, wealth, and relati...

Do you want to learn the secrets of effective communication? Join Oliver for an insightful conversation with Howie Chan, a renowned branding expert, on "The Healthy Brand" podcast.  In this episode titled "The Secrets of a Master Communicator - How to Speak and Persuade like a CEO," Oliver delves into the art of persuasive communication, dispel three common myths about communication and share the...

Total content overload or 15 hour workweeks – what will AI bring? In this eye-opening conversation, Oliver speaks with Dr. Léa Steinacker, an award-winning social scientist, AI expert, podcaster and bestselling author.  Co-authored with Miriam Meckel, her new book on AI, ”Alles überall auf einmal" became an instant bestseller in Germany.  Léa explains that AI will likely have as much of an impact...