Karl Lillrud is an entrepreneur and keynote speaker from Stockholm, Sweden. He inspires and educates on subjects related to Internet-based businesses. Being an entrepreneur for 21 years and growing with experience every day, Karl loves sharing his experience and the many tools and workarounds he developed to force forward in complex situations. He has delivered 2 TEDx talks and has written the book “Hacking Your Destiny.”
Karl’s TEDx talks

Karl has delivered 2 TEDx talks: How to do the impossible (TEDxKedgeBS, 2018) and Training Your Subconscious Mind for Entrepreneurial Success (TEDxPiotrkowskaStreet, 2019). One more is coming in 2020.
Hacking Your Destiny
The book started with complex questions Karl thought all the time. One day he wrote down all these questions. Then he realized he had the answers already. In the book he wrote a process for everybody to use, so you can convert the book’s questions into your own questions and find your answers.
How to become a better speaker

* Know your topic. That will make you confident, the audience will trust you and your energy will enthuse them.
* Don’t worry about anybody telling you’re wrong. That will almost never happen. Too many people are worried about it.
* Be yourself, don’t read from a script or teleprompter.

Related: Growing Your Business Through Speaking
Favorite quotation
“Find your new horizon. Find out that there are no new horizons, only endless possibilities.” — Karl Lillrud
Recommended book
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

Routine to Shine
Do one new thing every day, learn one new thing every day.
Links
KarlLillrud.com

P.S. If you liked this episode, you might enjoy subscribing to our mailing list. Also,

149. Karl Lillrud: How Speakers Do the Impossible

Education

Training

Language Courses

Higher Education

K-12

Educational Technology

Business

Investing

Careers

Management & Marketing

Business News

Shopping

Self-Improvement


Gautam Hazari is a mobile identity guru, technology enthusiast, AI expert and futurist & is the CTO of Sekura.id, the global leader in mobile identity services. He is a thought leader for digital identity, advocating solving the identity crisis in the digital world and speaking on making the digital world a safer place. Gautam is also a TEDx speaker.
Who is a CTO?
A Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is someone who humanizes technology by linking technology with various aspects of a business and people’s lives. A CTO needs to make technology invisible but show its benefits to the board of directors, customers, society, investors.  
When a CTO has to communicate
The situations in which a CTO has to communicate can be summarized as the 4Ts: Technology (explain technology to every type of audience), Teams (give direction to diverse teams with their own language, own agenda), Translation (depending on the context, emphasize the tone of your voice), Trust (communicate beyond words).
CTO communication mastery
Every CTO should master three communication skills:

* Adaptability. Know your audience and based on that, adapt your stories, your metaphors.
* Believe what you say. Gautam once heard after a talk from a non-technical person “I don’t know what you were talking about but I saw your passion, so this has to be something very important, something I should know”
* Consciousness. You must answer to the questions What? So what? Why now? that every audience has in their mind. There must be a call to action.

Difference between CEOs vs CTOs communication skills
The CEO and CTO are partners but they have a different focus in communication. This is illustrated with the Five Ws: Why, What, How, When, Who. The focus is different on each executive.
“Why, What” is more for the CEO
“How, When, Who” is more for the CTO
Related: How Techies Can Succeed in Any Media Interview 

Favorite quotation
“Technology should either be beautiful, or it should be invisible.” — Steve Jobs
Recommended books
 Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences   by Nancy Duarte. Steve Jobs </a...

205. Gautam Hazari: CTO Communication Mastery

Paul Logue hails from near Glasgow in Scotland and boasts a 25-year career as a professional bass guitarist in a heavy rock band alongside a career in IT. He spent 21 years at IBM with half of that dedicated to Travel & Expense Management Software. Paul moved to Emburse five years ago and rose from the first Solutions Consultant in the UK to leading the International Team as Director of Solutions Consulting. He is also known as The Pre-Sales Rockstar.
The way to became a presales rockstar
A musician at heart, Paul chased his musical dreams in his early twenties while working a bank job. His father, however, pushed him towards a stable IT career which led him to IBM. Despite starting a family and rising in IT, music remained a constant passion as he played gigs on weekends. His most successful band, Eden’s Curse, emerged alongside fatherhood, but the realization that music couldn’t fully support his family led him to prioritize his flourishing IT career. Although his band continued for another 15 years, he ultimately focused on IT, becoming a top sales presentation performer.
Mastering the rock musician skills
Rock musicians aren’t inherently distinct from other performers. Musicians, actors, dancers, or even athletes, share key skills. These skills are built through dedication, refining their craft in private before ever reaching a stage. Paul highlights the importance of practice using Lady Gaga as an example. Stage presence, the ability to captivate an audience, is another shared skill that develops through experience. Finally, improvisation is also crucial for performers, Paul concludes by emphasizing the importance of authenticity, bringing your whole self to the table, even if it includes a passion for music.
The rock musician model for presenters
As a rock musician, Paul emphasizes the importance of practice and preparation. Here are the key points:

* Practice makes perfect: Just like musicians rehearse their songs countless times, presenters and salespeople should thoroughly prepare their material. This ensures a smooth delivery and allows for audience engagement.
* Eye contact is crucial: Connecting with the audience through eye contact is essential for both performers and presenters. It builds rapport and helps gauge audience reaction.
* Learn from improvisation: The ability to adapt on the fly is valuable. Just as a musician might have to adjust their performance based on audience response,

204. Paul Logue: Demos Are Like Rock Concerts

Sally Z is an award-winning speaker, author, coach and expert on the art of bravery because she knows personally what being brave requires. Sally’s mission is to empower people to move from the sidelines to the spotlight – at work, on stage, and in life – and unleash the power of #showupanyway. Sally has spoken in front of thousands of people – coached hundreds of leaders – and empowered countless ‘moving moments’ in that powerful connection between speaker and audience. Sally is also the host of This Moved Me, a top 2% podcast about the art of public speaking, best-selling author of the book Speaking Story, and producer & host of the beloved Permission Slip Conference.
 
Persuasion and Emotions
In this wonderful and amusing interview Sally Z exposed different points related to persuasion, emotions and the power of storytelling, from which we can highlight the following:

* What persuasion is and why do people often confuse it with manipulation.
* Why storytelling is the best and most underrated tool for persuasion.
* Sally explained her personal approach to storytelling, in which a story comes first: Moment, Meaning, and Move.
* Sally shared with us some recent examples of the effective use of storytelling. From the speakers Sally has seen recently, she was impressed with Jade Simmons‘ storytelling onstage.
* Finally, she shared an advanced tactic for improving your storytelling: the use of dialogue in telling stories.

Related: Danja Bauer and Sally Z Fireside chat: How to Structure Your Talk
 
Favorite quotation
“Great stories happen to those who can tell them.” — Ira Glass
 
Recommended book
10X growth is easier than going for 2X  by Dan Sullivan, Dr. Benjamin Hardy
 
Routine to Shine
Sally recommends a routine called “Walk and Talk“. This technique is a powerful rehearsal stage for content development. By walking and talking, it helps you unlock new ideas, making it effective for clarifying your thoughts and generating insights early in the content creation process. It’s a recommended tool for both speakers and self-content development.
Links
<a href="https://bemoved.

203. Sally Z: Persuasion and Emotions

Dr. Elena Paweta is an executive communication coach, speaker, TEDx organizer and university professor. As a professor at SGH Warsaw School of Economics, she specializes in international business, startup development and entrepreneurship. Dr Elena has been organizing TEDx conferences for the last 10 years. She has hosted the IDEAS+LEADERS podcast for over 3 years.
Greg Gazin, a.k.a “The Gadget Guy / Gadget Greg,” is a syndicated veteran Tech Columnist, speaker, author, podcaster and Distinguished Toastmaster. Since 2006 he’s produced the award-winning ToastCaster: Communication & Leadership Learning Lab, and co-hosts the Official Toastmasters Podcast. He’s also authored, Corey OutSMARTS the Butterflies, helping readers 8-80 learn the secrets of building confidence, leadership & communication skills.
What Makes a Great Podcast Host
In this fabulous fireside chat, Elena and Greg talked about:
• Who inspired them to become a podcast host. Some podcasters who inspired our guests were Roy Coughlan, Denise Duffield-Thomas, Amy Porterfield, Matt Abrahams, and surprise surprise: Oscar Santolalla himself. Thank you my friends!
• What are the top skills that will make you a great podcast host. Listening carefully to the guests was at the top, and changing your script on the fly was among the other skills that make a great podcast host.
• Finally, our guests shared some underrated skills or aspects that every new podcast host should master in order to succeed.
Related: Heather Flanagan and Greg Gazin fireside chat: How to give a tech talk successfully

Our guests’ links
https://elenapaweta.com
https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/ideas-leaders/id1531433083
https://www.toastmasterspodcast.com/posts/index.

202. Elena Paweta and Greg Gazin fireside chat: What Makes a Great Podcast Host





Karen Eber is an author, international leadership consultant and keynote speaker. Her TED talk, “How your brain responds to stories – and why they’re crucial for leaders”, continues to be the source of inspiration for millions. As the CEO and Chief Storyteller of Eber Leadership Group, Karen helps companies build leaders, teams, and culture one story at a time. She is a guest lecturer at universities including the London School of Business, Stanford, and MIT. Now she’s the author of the book THE PERFECT STORY. How to Tell Stories that Inform, Influence, and Inspire.

Amplify your Impact with Storytelling

In this informative and practical interview, Karen shares with us her insights into the transformative power of storytelling, its scientific fundamentals, common pitfalls to avoid, and practical advice for effective storytelling. We’ll hear:

* Her journey from a corporate career at companies like General Electric to becoming a consultant, speaker, and author.
* The Science of Storytelling, Karen contrasts traditional models like Joseph Campbell’s with recent scientific insights and how the brain processes information emotionally.
* Two common mistakes in storytelling.
* Why aspiring storytellers must tell stories regularly, emphasizing that the more stories one tells, the better they become, and share practical advice and tips for individuals looking to enhance their storytelling skills.

 

Related: Leon Conrad and Emily Edgeley Fireside chat on Storytelling
 

Favorite quotation

“Stories are the basic unit of understanding.” — A doctor from Doctors Without Borders.

Recommended book

A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life by Brian Grazer & Charles Fishman

Routine to Shine

Every week spend some time curating a list of stories. Make sure to think about things you’ve experienced, meetings you’ve attended, questions you’ve been asked, documentaries you’ve watched and add it to your list of ideas.

Links
Karen’s website
Book: The Perfect ...

149. Karl Lillrud: How Speakers Do the Impossible

Download our free app to listen on your phone