Teach the Geek: Public Speaking and Communication Skills for Technical Professionals

In this solo episode, I talk about the genesis of Teach the Geek, starting from my days working as an engineer to where Teach the Geek is today, working with organizations to help their technical staff communicate more effectively with non-technical audiences. __ TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com) Working with technical professionals so they can present more effectively, especially in front...

Sig Muller - The World's Best Sig Muller, founder of Be the World’s Best, offers keynote speaking, executive coaching and team workshops to help people find their focus, remove barriers, and spark their greatness. I’m curious to learn how his Engineering background shaped his career path, what made him decide to found Be the World’s Best, and everything in between. To get in touch with Sig, vi...

Michelle Doerr - Wildlife Biologist and Ecopsychologist Michelle Doerr is president of Anavah Consulting. With a background as a wildlife biologist and experience in ecopsychology, she designs workshops and coaching that foster healing, growth, and a culture of thriving. I’m keen to learn more about the motivation to found her consultancy, the works he does with clients, and the ways that speaking...

Derek Crager: The Pocket Mentor Derek Crager is the founder of Practical Ai and creator of Pocket Mentor, a voice-based AI that teaches, troubleshoots, and trains your team through a simple phone call. I’m curious to learn more about the motivation to start Practical AI. From what I’ve learned about Derek so far, like myself, he’s an advocate for effective communication. I’m keen to find out where...

Gabriela Coe: Engineer and Podcaster Gabriela Coe is an engineer, podcaster. Her podcast, Keys to the Future, is about her interviews with STEM professionals to learn more about their STEM journeys. I’m keen to learn more about how she ended up in her current field, why she started her podcast, and how being an effective communicator has worked for her along the way. To get in touch with Gabriela,...

Karen Roth: Innovation and Diversity Advocate Karen Roth is a nationally recognized leader in defense innovation and technology strategy. With deep expertise in STEM, partnership building, and strategic planning, she brings a passion for accelerating innovation and empowering diverse talent in tech. I’m keen to learn more about how she ended up in her current field, how she came to advocating for...

Chaitali Narla: Founder, CTO and Coach Chaitali Narla is a founder, CTO and coach. Speaking with those who leave corporate to start their own thing is always a treat, so I’m keen to learn more about her time in corporate, her motivation to start her own ventures, and the ways speaking has benefited her. To get in touch with Chaitali, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/chaitalinarla. __ TEACH THE GE...

Tania Will Jeppesen: The Prepared Leader Tania Will Jeppesen is the founder of the Prepared Leader, offering consulting and speaking services on leadership development. Because she had an illustrious career in operations. I’m interested to learn more about her motivation to start her company, her previous roles in corporate, and the ways in which speaking has benefited her. To get in touch with Ta...

I made this episode especially for those in HR and TD (talent development) departments. This episode is about why strong communication skills are essential to technical professionals and how HR/TD can play a key role in developing those skills. TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com) Working with technical professionals so they can present more effectively, especially in front of non-technical au...

Lunch & learns can be a great way for technical professionals to practice their speaking skills. Why would they participate in them? Why would others show up to be attendees? In this solo episode, I go over ways to encourage participation in lunch & learns so everyone benefits from them. What do you think? Did I come up with some compelling reasons?__ TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.co...

Shubham Gupta: The Analytical Speaker Shubham Gupta is an analytics and business intelligence leader who, as part of his work, communicates analytics and AI insights to non-technical audiences. He’s worked in a number of industries, including telecom, healthcare, and insurance. I’m curious to learn more about why he chose his field of expertise, and why speaking to non-technical audiences became o...

Marcia Alvarado: The Alvarado Experience Marcia Alvarado is an engineer, speaker, and founder of the Alvarado Experience. She worked as a structural engineer for years and now has her consultancy, working with clients on leadership coaching, marketing strategy, and image consulting. How did an engineer end up doing this type of work? Let’s find out. To get in touch with Marcia, visit https://theal...

Bob Miller - The Memory Expert Ever forget someone’s name right after they say it? You’re not alone—and today we’re talking with memory expert Bob Miller about why that happens and what to do about it. If you’re in a technical field and remembering names or small details isn’t your strong suit, this episode is for you. We’re sharing practical tips to help you connect better—whether you’re at a net...

Chris Whaley: Engineering to HR? Chris Whaley is the founder of Escape to Expand, working with teams on topics like resilience, conflict management, and teamwork. He worked in the HR field for years before founding his consultancy. How did a guy that studied Aerospace and Industrial Engineering end up in HR? I’m keen to find out, as well as learn more about his current work. To get in touch with C...

Dr. Corinna Freitag: the Chemical Coach My guest is Dr. Corinna Freitag. She’s a executive coach, advisor, and speaker who helps chemists and engineers resolve workplace conflict and build professional communication skills. I’m curious to learn more about her public speaking journey as well as how she came to her current work after having worked in industry. To get in touch with Dr. Freitag, visit...

Dr. Lori McDowell: Reimaging Speaking and Training Dr. Lori McDowell is the CEO of Reimagine U Strategies, providing coaching, speaking and training services. I heard her speak on another podcast and wanted to have her as a guest. I’m keen to learn more about how a PhD in Chemical Engineering ended up as a coach. I also want to learn more about her time in corporate America, particularly how being...

Hang Loi: Engineer & Advocate Hang Loi has had quite the career, working in supply chain, manufacturing, and product development. With such a diverse work history, I’m interested to learn more about her journey, especially the ways in which communication has benefited her. So often, as a technical professional, it’s easy to assume that being technical proficient is all you need to focus on, bu...

The Value of Speaker Training for Technical Staff In this episode of the Teach the Geek Podcast, host Neil Thompson explores why organizations should invest in speaker training for their technical staff. He shares a real-life conference experience that highlights the gap in communication between technical professionals and business development teams. Neil breaks down the key elements of an effecti...

Colleen Scholl - Engineering & Lifelong Learner Colleen Scholl is an executive in the architecture, engineering, and environmental services sector. I heard her speak on another podcast, and was keen to have her as a guest on this podcast. I have a bunch of questions for her, including her choice to pursue engineering, her preparation for the work she does now, and employee expectations. I’ll a...

Sairan Aqrawi: Engineer & Business Strategist Sairan Aqrawi is an engineer and business strategist who is passionate about leadership development. I’m keen to find out about her interests in engineering and leadership development, and the ways in which effective communication as a technical person has benefited her work life. To get in touch with Sairan, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/saira...

Ash Hynie: Cooking up Employee Achievements My guest is Ash Hynie. She’s the founder of CountrPT, building a product that will help employees document their achievements. She had a non-traditional path in tech, which I’m interested to learn more about. I’m always keen to learn about the genesis of CountrPT. How does public speaking fit into all of this? That’s a great question, too. To get in touc...

Jen French: The Neurotechnology Guru Jen French is the founder, speaker, and author. She’s the founder of the Neurotech Network, a non-profit that provides educational resources for the neurotechnology sector. She’s also a skilled speaker in the areas of technology, health, disability, and medical devices. I’m interested to learn more about her interest in neurotechnology, the origins of her speak...

Salvatore Manzi: The STEM Whisperer Salvatore Manzi is a communication coach who has spent the last 20 years coaching leaders in STEM and other analytical fields. He’s especially skilled at help technical professionals bridge the gap between technical expertise and storytelling. I’m interested to learn about how he came to the work he does, what technical professionals can do to improve their publ...

Reuben Swartz, What's a CRM? My guest is Reuben Swartz. He’s the founder of Mimiran CRM, built for solo consultants to help them with client relationship management. He’s also the host of the Sales for Nerds podcast, interviewing experts to help consultants with their sales skills. Let’s learn more about his decision to start Mimiran, the goals for his podcast, and the ways in which public spe...

Dr. Angelique Adams: Helping Clients Level Up their Leadership Skills Today my guest is Dr. Angelique Adams. She is an engineer and former corporate executive who moved into academia. She’s also author of You’re More than a Diversity Hire: Women in STEM: The 5 Keys to Unlocking your Potential. She also runs Angelique Adams Media Solutions, helping clients level up their leadership skills. Let’s le...