The Speaking Path

People don't remember facts. They remember how something made them feel. In this episode, Rich and Jess sit down with Kathy Boerner — storyteller, educator, and author — to explore what separates a story that lands from one that just fills time. They cover everything from how to source material out of ordinary life, to reading an audience when you can't tell if it's going well, to why the person y...

Most people think great speakers have a gift for words. They don't — they have a gift for listening. In this episode, Rich and Jess break down: why listening is the core performance skill that separates speakers who inform from speakers who connect. the three levels of listening (including the one most speakers skip entirely) the five common listening mistakes that make audiences check out, and ho...

What happens when you take communication skills beyond the room where you learned them? In the final episode of Arc One, Rich and Jess look at where finding your voice can actually lead — in your career, your relationships, and your confidence in everyday life. They spotlight a few people who turned communication skills into extraordinary outcomes, from a self-made entrepreneur to an astronaut who...

Everyone says practice makes perfect, but what exactly are you supposed to practice? In this Episode, Rich and Jess break down the eight things a speaker gets evaluated on, from clarity and vocal variety to eye contact, gestures, reading the room, and picking a topic people actually care about. You'll walk away knowing precisely where to put your reps. Listen now.

Rich and Jess break down exactly what happens inside a Toastmasters meeting; every role, every timed speech, every moment where someone holds up a colored card because you talked too long. They walk through the full structure from gavel to gavel, then share what their own first meetings actually felt like: the nerves, the surprise, and why both of them kept coming back. If you've been curious abou...

Meet your hosts. Rich Walters and Jess Coté weren't born communicators — they got here the hard way. In this first episode, they share where they started, what made them want to get better, and what changed when they actually committed to practicing. If you've ever thought you're not a "natural speaker," this one's for you.