Danny McDermott has a master's in biomedical engineering and a day job as an engineer. He just explained why that is the exact reason his music career is going to work, and why anyone listening can do the same thing.

In this episode, David Shaft sits down with Danny McDermott, a singer songwriter from the Chicago area who is building a music career using the same discipline, systems thinking, and long-term vision that got him through an engineering program.

What you will learn:

Why balance is not standing still. It is walking a tightrope. And how to communicate that to yourself when life feels unstable.

The 4-thing framework Danny uses to build a music career that anyone can replicate: music, legal, branding, marketing.

How having a day job gives you the power to say no, and why that is a communication superpower.

The Michael Jackson rule about inspiration, and why Prince was the threat that kept him writing.

Why Harrison Ford was a carpenter before Han Solo, and what that means for your creative timeline.

How to define your dream concretely and communicate what success actually looks like.

The Harrison Ford carpenter story and why sticking around long enough is the strategy nobody talks about.

The Rick Rubin insight on starters vs finishers and how it changes the way you approach any creative work.

Try This Tomorrow: Two steps. First, define your dream concretely. What specifically is it? Second, define what success looks like for that dream. What does it entail, what does the math look like? Write it down.

Free Communication Playbook: https://ctcpodcast.media/free-playbook

Follow Conversations That Count on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday at 5 AM EST.

Website: https://ctcpodcast.media LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/davidshaft

Dom Lewis taught himself to flip on concrete at four years old. He trained for twelve years before he ever stepped inside a gym. One sentence from a stranger changed his entire trajectory. Here are eight communication frameworks from his story.

In this solo summary episode, David Shaft breaks down eight communication lessons from his conversation with Dom Lewis (@domitrick), a self-taught gymnast and content creator who went from a trailer park in Michigan to reaching millions of people worldwide.

What you will learn:

Why you might be one sentence away from changing someone's life and how to make that sentence count.

The self-taught coaching advantage that formally trained experts cannot replicate.

How Dom handles hate comments with emotional intelligence instead of defensiveness.

Why he does not call his audience "fans" and what that reveals about authentic digital communication.

The difference between credibility from doing and credibility from talking.

How community starts in person before it ever scales online.

Why flying from New Orleans to Michigan every month communicates more than any caption ever could.

What happens when you stop being afraid of something you have never actually tried.

Try This Tomorrow: Do something physical you have always wanted to try this week. Find a local class or club. It does not have to be gymnastics. Just move your body in a way that scares you a little.

Free Communication Playbook: https://ctcpodcast.media/free-playbook

Follow Conversations That Count on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday at 5 AM EST.

Website: https://ctcpodcast.media LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/davidshaft

Dom Lewis started flipping on concrete and grass at four years old. He taught himself for twelve years before he ever stepped inside a gym. Now millions of people watch him do skills no one else in the world has done, and one sentence from a stranger changed everything.

In this episode, David Shaft sits down with Dom Lewis (@domitrick) at All American Flames Gymnastics in Michigan to talk about resilience, authenticity, self-taught mastery, and the communication moves that took him from a trailer park to a global platform.

What you will learn:

Why being self-taught gave Dom a coaching advantage that formally trained athletes do not have.

The one sentence from John Rothberg that shifted Dom from impacting hundreds to reaching millions.

How Dom handles hate comments with emotional intelligence instead of defensiveness.

Why he does not call his audience "fans" and what that says about how he communicates online.

The difference between credibility from doing and credibility from talking.

How community starts in person and scales digitally.

Why Dom flies from New Orleans to Michigan every month and what that commitment communicates.

Try This Tomorrow: Do something physical you have always wanted to try this week. Find a local class or club. It does not have to be gymnastics. Just move your body in a way that scares you a little.

Free Communication Playbook: https://ctcpodcast.media/free-playbook

Follow Conversations That Count on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday at 5 AM EST.

Website: https://ctcpodcast.media LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/davidshaft

Three companies walked into a room that should have been a competition. They walked out with one product that changed how families travel with their pets, stay connected on the road, and never lose a day of vacation to a broken part.

In this episode, David Shaft sits down with Mark Fecker (CEO of Robo) and Steven Loving (Core Wireless) at Auto Tech 2025 in Novi, Michigan to unpack the communication strategy behind Winnebago Connect.

What you will learn:

Why listening before you design prevents the most expensive communication mistake in product development.

The Google and Nest footprint strategy and how it applies to every professional relationship you build.

How vulnerability became a leadership tool when field testing failures hit.

The Tuckman model (forming, storming, norming, performing) and why real teams never skip the storm.

Why 60 to 70 percent of RV owners travel with pets and how that insight became a flagship feature.

The communication move that turned three competitors into one team.

Try This Tomorrow: Sit in your client’s seat for three to four hours this week. Picture your perfect customer. What is their day actually like? What would you build for them if you stopped thinking about your product first?

Free Communication Playbook: https://ctcpodcast.media/free-playbook

Follow Conversations That Count on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday at 5 AM EST.

Website: https://ctcpodcast.media

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/davidshaft

In this episode of Conversations That Count, David Shaft sits down with Mark Fecker, CEO of Robo, and Steven Loving, Core Wireless, to discuss the Winnebago Connect partnership and what it takes to build trust across companies.

Mark and Steven share the story behind how Robo and Core Wireless came together to create a groundbreaking solution for the RV industry. They dive deep into the communication strategies that made this partnership successful, the importance of putting the customer first, and how authentic leadership creates stronger business relationships.

Key highlights include: — The power of vulnerability in executive communication — How to navigate partnerships with different company cultures — Real customer stories that shaped the product development — The communication moves that turned a bold vision into reality — Building teams that embrace both collaboration and individual accountability

Perfect for leaders, entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in how great communication creates great partnerships.

Try This Tomorrow: Identify one cross-company partnership opportunity in your world and have a real conversation about what you both need to succeed together.

Subscribe to Conversations That Count on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube for new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.
Free Communication Playbook — 10 frameworks and scripts to communicate like a pro: https://ctcpodcast.media/free-playbook

What if the most powerful communication skill you have is simply showing up for someone when it matters most? Sandy Johnson, the actress who brought Judith Meyers to life in John Carpenter's Halloween, proves exactly that.

Sandy Johnson has been a fixture in horror culture since 1978 and never stopped working. She is currently filming multiple independent projects including Para Dolia, The Executioner, Black Sheep, and the upcoming Halloween Shark, all while juggling conventions, fan appearances, and working with an acting coach to sharpen her craft. In this episode, recorded live at GalaxyCon Nightmare Weekend in Chicago, Sandy sits down with David Shaft to talk about the mentors who shaped her, the advice she would give her younger self, and the two-hour phone call that reminded her why communication is the most human thing we do.

In this conversation, you will learn:

How Sandy finds coaches and mentors through organic connection rather than formal searches, and why that approach builds the deepest professional relationships

Why the willingness to be vulnerable in a conversation is not a weakness but the most powerful communication move you can make

How a single two-hour phone call with a grieving fan reminded Sandy that showing up fully in a conversation is the greatest gift you can give another person

Follow Sandy Johnson: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unicornsandyj/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Sandy-Johnson-Actress-61572085745072/ Website: https://www.unicornsandyj.com

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bWAR-6hQHnM Website: https://ctcpodcast.media

Conversations That Count is a communication skills podcast hosted by David Shaft. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. Follow on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube for conversations that help you communicate with more clarity, confidence, and impact.

Grab the free Communication Playbook: https://ctcpodcast.media/free-playbook

This communication skills podcast exists for one reason: to help you close the gap between what you mean and what people actually hear.

Conversations That Count is hosted by David Shaft, a Presidents Club Banker, director, and Detroit native who has spent years studying what separates the professionals who get overlooked from the ones who command every room they walk into. The answer is always communication. Every Tuesday and Thursday, David sits down with artists, entrepreneurs, executives, and culture makers to examine the one move that changed everything for them.

Whether you are a founder building a brand on Woodward, an executive leading a team through change, or a creative who needs the world to finally pay attention, this show gives you something actionable every single episode.

What you will get from Conversations That Count:

Real conversations with real leaders about how they communicate their value, their vision, and their story

Tactical takeaways at the end of every episode called the Try This Tomorrow challenge, so you can apply what you learn immediately

A front row seat to the communication strategies behind some of the most compelling careers and businesses being built today

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/RjdJ9pyguA0 Website: https://ctcpodcast.media

New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. Follow on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

Grab the free Communication Playbook: https://ctcpodcast.media/free-playbook

Nappi Devi lives five minutes from the stage and still showed up like he was headlining a national tour. That energy is exactly why Detroit keeps pulling him back in.

Nappi Devi is a Detroit based artist, performer, and creative who just dropped a new single and music video called "Ight Bet!" with an EP on the way. He works with producers, musicians, and videographers all across the city because keeping the local creative ecosystem alive is part of how he builds.

In this special Indie Fest segment of Conversations That Count, David catches up with Nappi Devi right before his live set to talk about how he ended up on the bill, what it means to stay rooted in your city while growing your craft, and why connecting with people in your community is the most underrated career development move an artist or professional can make.

What you'll learn in this episode:

Why networking through genuine relationships, not cold outreach, is how Nappi Devi keeps landing stages and building creative partnerships across Detroit

How he balances new releases with live performance strategy, dropping a single the same day he performs to keep momentum going

The power of staying local and investing in your city's talent instead of chasing opportunities somewhere else, and how that approach keeps opening doors

Connect with Nappi Devi: Instagram: https://instagram.com/nappidevi Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/nappidevi Facebook: https://facebook.com/NAPPIdevi Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/nappi-devi/1475305936 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/61BB3hPh8PHMagEw1pftW4

Stream "Ight Bet!" on all platforms now. EP dropping October 10th.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8TRphgQBp34 Visit: https://ctcpodcast.media

New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Follow on Spotify so you never miss an episode.

Free Communication Playbook, 10 frameworks and scripts to communicate like a pro: https://conversations-that-count.kit.com/e7fa86a708

Gene Belcher grew up in an alleyway in Binghamton, New York with a family of 10 and believed he would be dead by 30. Instead, he wrote a novel that is now in Detroit Public Schools, Detroit libraries, and earning five star reviews on Amazon.

Gene Belcher, writing under the pen name JL James, is the author of "The Other Side of Color: Prejudice Is Not Always an Outside Affair," a novel exploring prejudice within the same ethnicity through the eyes of a light skinned boy named Frankie navigating two worlds. Gene is also a songwriter, businessman, and lifelong storyteller whose work has been recognized by Governor Whitmer and embraced by academia across Michigan.

In this episode of Conversations That Count, David sits down with Gene to hear the full story behind the book, the music, and the philosophy that drives a man who turned a burning story in his belly into a published body of work while holding down a day job for decades.

What you'll learn in this episode:

The hedgehog concept for career fulfillment: find your skill, love what you do, and make money at it, and why most professionals are missing at least one of those three

How Gene went from shoveling snow and shining shoes to self publishing a novel, and the sales and communication skills that made it possible

Why the most powerful stories come from your own personal "alleyway" and how telling them authentically can open doors you never expected

Get the book: "The Other Side of Color" by JL James on Amazon and Barnes and Noble Watch "Soft Pillows" music video: YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn under JL James

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ConversationsThatCount-CTC Visit: https://ctcpodcast.media

New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Follow on Spotify so you never miss an episode.

Free Communication Playbook, 10 frameworks and scripts to communicate like a pro: https://conversations-that-count.kit.com/e7fa86a708

Three women walk onto a music video set and end up having the most honest conversation about dating, money, cheating, and what they actually want from men that most people are too afraid to say out loud.

Savanna is a model and recording artist whose new single "Girls Just Wanna Have Fund$" was the spark for this conversation. Hailey is studying Health and Human Services at the University of Michigan Dearborn. Adrianna owns HTV Ipsy, a custom clothing and esthetics business in downtown Detroit. Together, they hold nothing back.

In this episode of Conversations That Count, David sits down with all three right after filming Savanna's music video to talk about why women are outpacing men in education and careers, what that means for modern relationships, and why the standards conversation is really a communication skills conversation disguised as a dating debate.

What you'll learn in this episode:

Why the way you communicate your value in a relationship mirrors exactly how you communicate your value at work, and how raising your standards in one raises the bar in the other

The real reasons men and women cheat, broken down honestly from three very different female perspectives, and what it reveals about insecurity, scarcity, and emotional intelligence

How to stop settling by writing down the 10 traits you want in a partner and becoming those things yourself first

Connect with the guests: Savanna: https://instagram.com/iamsavannas Hailey: https://instagram.com/haileyalamo Adrianna: https://instagram.com/follow_adrianna Stream "Girls Just Wanna Have Fund$" on all platforms now.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/TBZaFC7oVh0 Visit: https://ctcpodcast.media

New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Follow on Spotify so you never miss an episode.

Free Communication Playbook, 10 frameworks and scripts to communicate like a pro: https://conversations-that-count.kit.com/e7fa86a708