The Opposite of Small Talk

In this very special 5-year anniversary show, Danielle and Kristy welocome past podcast guests to the stage to pair off for four mini opposite of small talk conversations: What makes a conversation the opposite of small talk? (Kristy & Danielle) Why is it so difficult to make friends as an adult? (Julie & Linda) What does it mean to be your "authentic self"? (Nicole & Kristy) How can you connect w...

The anticipation of turning the page of the calendar to a new year can also open our minds up to what our future, in this case 2025, can hold.  Today's guest, a professional futurist, encourages us to imagine our futures and not just for ourselves, but also for our communities. Ilana Lipsett, is a participatory futures design strategist, who has professionally worked with cities, real estate devel...

In the latest installment of Coaches Corner, guest coach Todd Karges, a Certified Executive and Leadership Development Coach and host of the LinkedIn Live Broadcast "Coaching Conversation," sits down with Danielle for a discussion on the topic of soft skills – what they are, why they're important, and how best to utilize them.  Guest's Website:  Home | Todd Karges - Coach Work with Danielle : If y...

At this time of year when we are celebrating the holidays with much socializing and networking, this week's guests would likely suggest that, amongst the merriment, we should also be prioritizing self promotion and peer promotion. Alison Fragale, PhD, scholar, author, research psychologist, and award winning professor sits down to discuss how you can demonstrate warmth and competence to become a l...

This is the very true story of the most thankful boss I ever worked for and how it made all the difference to one member of our team.  Thank you for listening.   Work with Kristy: If you're ready to improve workplace communication skills for you or your team, Book a call with Kristy .

Do you ever feel like you're a spectator in your own life – watching things happen rather than getting in the driver's seat and making them happen?  If so, today's guest is encouraging you to become the latter.  Cathy Heller, renowned teacher, podcaster, and author discusses with us how her belief in how each of us has the power to manifest our best life, magical examples she's experienced first h...

In the second installment of, The Opposite of Small Talk's Coaches Corner, a new monthly mini segment, which explores topics through a coach's lens, centers around the topic of group coaching. This week's guest coach, Kerry Dobson, a respected group coaching expert sits down with Danielle for the discussion.  Guest's Website:  JJ Dak Inc. Work with Danielle : If you are ready to start working with...

Contrary to the opening of the 1968 song by Harry Nilson, one is NOT the loneliest number, especially for those who are thriving in single life, like today's guest, Bella DePaulo, PhD, social scientist, psychologist, researcher, and author of "Single at Heart." She suggests that for her and many others, single is arguably the most authentic and fulfilling way to live.  We speak to Dr. DePaulo abou...

In this #askmeanything episode, Kristy answers YOUR questions received in Instagram DMs and from participants of her team training program  Communication Accelerator . Today's episode covers: How to motivate others How to handle a co-worker who is too assertive when you are not assertive Improving accountability Speaking to deliver an idea fully, without overwhelming the other person with too much...

Do you find that the work you do gives you a sense of purpose or that your contributions as an employee are important to a cause bigger than yourself?  This week's guest, Moe Carrick, author, podcast host, and CEO of the workplace culture consultancy, Momentum, Inc. views work as a human need.  Moe brings her wealth of knowledge, and decades of experience in the study of workplace culture to our s...

In this episode of The Opposite of Small Talk, Danielle introduces Coaches Corner's, a new monthly segment, which explores topics through a coaches lense.  The inaugural guest is Julie Hess, author, executive coach, coaching supervisor and educator. Work with Danielle : If you are ready to start working with a life coach or just want to learn more about the impact that coaching can have in your li...

The Opposite of Small Talk Live (October 19th!):  Live Podcast Event — The Opposite of Small Talk Podcast We have reached peak election season in the United States and many of us are feeling the burnout from political discussions (arguments) and want to be able to genuinely connect with people, even those we disagree with. If you are feeling the election fatigue and struggling with what feels like...

LIVE EVENT Oct 19th in BOSTON - LEARN MORE AND REGISTER   According to Bill Gates, "We all need people who will give us feedback. That's how we improve." But what do you wo when you ask for critical feedback and only ever receive praise? In this episode, Kristy shares 3 tips for how to get better feedback.    Follow us on Instagram @theoppositeofsmalltalk  

LIVE EVENT IN BOSTON - OCT 19th - LEARN MORE AND REGISTER As we enter the season of fall, it seems appropriate for us to discuss ghosts, but not the type of "ghosts" most people would think of at Halloween, today's guest helps other authors write their stories as a ghostwriter. Kate Manley, author, coach, ghostwriter, and podcast host, joins us for a discussion on the topic, Writing Your Way Throu...

LIVE EVENT IN BOSTON - OCT 19th -  LEARN MORE AND REGISTER Most of us have experienced a significant amount of high stakes and low stakes negotiation in our personal lives, even when we don't realize it.  Whether it is negotiating the terms of a contract with a client, negotiating bedtime with a child, or negotiating a better deal at the car dealership it can feel daunting.  Today's guest, Fotini...

Ask yourself these questions:  First, what's something in your life, right now, that you've been avoiding or delaying due to fear?  Second question, If you knew you couldn't fail, what would you do?   Today's guest, Collin Henderson, author, Fortune 500 speaker, and highly respected coach, asks his own clients these questions regularly. He joins us on our latest episode, to discuss the topic of Nu...

How many Mondays have you lived, how many Mondays do you have left?  It may be a provocative or even unsettling question for some, but today's guest looks at it more as motivation over morbidity.  We speak to Jodi Wellman, author of the book, "You Only Die Once, How to Make it to the End with No Regrets," on the topic of Making Friends with the Grim Reaper.  She discusses how taking inventory of h...

Most people are familiar with the saying, "actions speak louder than words."  This week's guest explains how your actions, facial expressions, and even the tone of your voice can communicate a lot about you to your colleagues, clients, friends, and acquaintances.  Blake Eastman speaks to us on the topic of Nonverbal Communication and its important role in both professional and personal life.  He e...

As human beings we have many unique ways of communicating with one another including sharing some of our most personal thoughts, which when verbalized or written down can give others a deeper insight into who we are inside.  This week's guest has learned, first-hand, and now teaches others that storytelling can be a powerful tool that each of us possesses, whether we know it yet or not.  Katherine...

It could be argued that at no other time in history has there been more external distractions in the average person's daily life than there are today.  This week's guest Nir Eyal, bestselling author, teacher, consultant, and lecturer, discusses his book, " Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life " as well as the topic of Traction vs. Distraction.  During our discussion N...

To commemorate Juneteenth, we are rebroadcasting an episode that originally aired in December of 2021.   In this episode Danielle and Kristy talk with Janese Murray, a thought leader in the field of diversity and inclusion, about race in the United States. We touch on critical race theory; what it is, what it isn't, and what you can do about it. We talk about why laws are important but not enough,...

The month of June is upon us and with it brings many rites of passage including graduation season.  This episode is especially timely for new grads; anyone who may be looking to make a change in their career path; or even for someone who loves their current job and isn't ashamed to admit it.  This week's guest, Erika Ayers Badan, the first CEO of  Barstool Sports and current CEO of Food52 , as wel...

There are multiple good reasons to be funny at work; it's proven to release stress, it inspires and motivates teams (according to research), and it's well… fun. Listen to this episode to learn about different kinds of humor to start using at work and what to avoid.   WORK JOURNAL : Build a reflection habit that turns every interaction into an opportunity for growth. Find it < >   Do you have a wor...

Have you ever heard the saying, be your own biggest fan?  That type of self confidence and assurance can be attainable according to our latest guest.  In this episode, we discuss the topic of Gravitas: Living a Life of Self Assurance with entrepreneur and author, Lisa Sun.  Lisa shared how we can learn a lot from the self-confidence displayed by 5 year olds; we discuss the eight types of confidenc...

In this episode of The Opposite of Small Talk, Danielle shares her experience of attending an Improv class. She provides ways that improv skills are put to use in real life.