What if machines could read us better than people can? Blake Eastman is on a mission to make that a reality – and to ensure it serves humanity, not replaces it.

Blake is the founder of The Nonverbal Group, a former poker pro and psychology professor, and now a pioneering builder at the intersection of human behavior and AI. 

Blake pulls back the curtain on his decades-long obsession with decoding people, from micro-reactions and smiles to power dynamics and unspoken expectations.

He also previews his upcoming book, a science-backed reimagining of How to Win Friends and Influence People. It will break down the underlying psychological forces – like hierarchy, status, and value orientation – that shape how we communicate. His goal? To create a foundational guide for truly understanding human behavior at its most nuanced level.

Blake explains why the popular ideas of “reading people” and “taking baselines” are misleading, and how even experts often misinterpret the subtle signals that govern human connection. 

He dives into the challenge of building machines that can identify social friction, coach people in real-time, and even outperform humans in behavioral prediction – without losing the ethical thread of care and responsibility.

Throughout the episode, you'll learn how AI can supercharge your social intelligence, why most communication advice fails without context, and how to develop the kind of communication range that makes leaders truly effective. 

Blake also shares actionable insight into how anyone – especially those with cross-disciplinary skills – can leverage AI to gain a massive edge in business and life.

Find out more about Blake Eastman: https://www.nonverbalgroup.com/

Make sure you’re subscribed to the Speak Like a CEO newsletter to become a top 1% communicator: https://eoipsocommunications.com/newsletter/

Can you win every pitch? No, but The Pitch Guy’s blueprint gets you close. 

Danny Fontaine aka The Pitch Guy is the author of “Pitch: How to Captivate and Convince Any Audience On The Planet” and host of the Pitch Masters podcast. 

Danny has redefined what it means to pitch an idea, product or business – not as a PowerPoint deck, but as an emotionally charged, strategically choreographed experience that makes people lean in, feel something, and say yes.

He shares his TITAN and Storycoaster frameworks that turn your pitch into a moment they’ll never forget. He unpacks how to tap into emotion before logic, why your audience’s trust matters more than your tech specs, and how to build stories and structures that cut through noise and leave a mark.

You’ll learn how to create “anomalies” that make people sit up, how to pitch even if you're introverted or nervous, and why the best presenters never rely on slides alone. 

Plus, you’ll hear the real story behind the most legendary pitch in British advertising history – and how it still shapes how great ideas are sold today.

This isn’t just about pitching better. It’s about learning how to be heard, how to build trust quickly, and how to turn your audience into champions for your message.

Find out more about Danny Fontaine: https://pitchguy.co.uk/

Make sure you’re subscribed to the Speak Like a CEO newsletter to become a top 1% communicator: https://eoipsocommunications.com/newsletter/

Oliver’s TEDx talk, “AI-Powered Leadership: Why Supercomputers Need Supercommunicators” just dropped. 

It sets the stage for a real talk on what AI means for leaders. 

Oliver and his bestie, serial founder Gerrit McGowan explore how emerging tech is reshaping communication, leadership, and trust, and how leaders can use AI without losing authenticity.  

From voice cloning to deepfakes, from 3D avatars to AI writing assistants to humans leading teams of AI agents – this conversation hits on the future that’s just arrived. 

They explore what leadership looks like when AI can seemingly outthink us in every domain. They examine where humans still have the edge, and how leaders can stay relevant.

Gerrit also reveals how he lost his voice hours before a keynote and created his virtual self overnight to go on stage. 

They talk trust, communication, and how to train AI tools to sound like you. Plus, Oliver shares the 10–80–10 rule for using AI to accelerate your work without outsourcing your voice.

And both wrestle with a critical question: where does the human edge still matter?

This is not a debate on whether AI is coming. It’s a field manual for staying human and relevant.

Oliver’s TEDx talk is live now: https://youtu.be/Va82je55WSU?si=P9DTsBlFBhqCwHcG

Make sure you’re subscribed to the Speak Like a CEO newsletter to become a top 1% communicator: https://eoipsocommunications.com/newsletter/

Oliver’s TEDx talk, “AI-Powered Leadership: Why Supercomputers Need Supercommunicators” just dropped. 

It sets the stage for a real talk on what AI means for leaders. 

Oliver and his bestie, serial founder Gerrit McGowan explore how emerging tech is reshaping communication, leadership, and trust, and how leaders can use AI without losing authenticity.  

From voice cloning to deepfakes, from 3D avatars to AI writing assistants to humans leading teams of AI agents – this conversation hits on the future that’s just arrived. 

They explore what leadership looks like when AI can seemingly outthink us in every domain. They examine where humans still have the edge, and how leaders can stay relevant.

Gerrit also reveals how he lost his voice hours before a keynote and created his virtual self overnight to go on stage. 

They talk trust, communication, and how to train AI tools to sound like you. Plus, Oliver shares the 10–80–10 rule for using AI to accelerate your work without outsourcing your voice.

And both wrestle with a critical question: where does the human edge still matter?

This is not a debate on whether AI is coming. It’s a field manual for staying human and relevant.

Oliver’s TEDx talk is live now:  https://youtu.be/Va82je55WSU?si=tjUI3OmIIs0WvsfV

Make sure you’re subscribed to the Speak Like a CEO newsletter to become a top 1% communicator: https://eoipsocommunications.com/newsletter/

What's the difference between a leader and a manager? Why should we avoid the industrial age-style race to the bottom? 

This week we are sharing a brief moment of Oliver’s conversation with Seth Godin, 21-time best-selling author and one of the leading business thinkers in the world.

Check out episode 263 for the full conversation.

Make sure you’re subscribed to the Speak Like a CEO newsletter to become a top 1% communicator: https://eoipsocommunications.com/newsletter/

If you don’t have a point, everything you say is pointless.

Oliver speaks with Joel Schwartzberg, communication expert and author of “The Language of Leadership” and “Get to the Point” (updated edition out this month).

Let’s face it, there is too much rambling and hot air in business. 

Joel shares concepts such as the “I Believe That” Test and the “XY Test” that help leaders ensure they have a clearly defined point before they speak. 

This is a highly actionable episode about avoiding rambling for good, ditching the performance and instead delivering your message like a real human, and escaping the trap of truisms. 

Find out more about Joel Schwartzberg: https://www.joelschwartzberg.net/

Make sure you’re subscribed to the Speak Like a CEO newsletter to become a top 1% communicator: https://eoipsocommunications.com/newsletter/

Do you want to speak with confidence, inspire your team, and accelerate your career? You can now join the Speak Like a CEO Academy and work with Oliver over the next 90 days to become a top 1% communicator and transform your career.

https://speaklikeaceoacademy.com/

This week Oliver is a guest on the Amplified Leadership podcast hosted by Oliver Degnan. 

They discuss what it truly means to "Speak like a CEO", how to make your story sticky, how to create a compelling vision, how to communicate better as a team, how to build trust, and much more.  

This is a value-packed half an hour with lots of actionable advice! 

Get the 21 Storytelling Structures every leader should know: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/1f04d6ddfc

Find out more about Dr Oliver Degnan: https://www.drdegnan.com/

Make sure you’re subscribed to the Speak Like a CEO newsletter to become a top 1% communicator: https://eoipsocommunications.com/newsletter/

Drowning in Zoom calls and Slack threads? No energy left at the end of the day? Zoom fatigue is real. So is information overload. 

To understand science-backed strategies that get better results from your virtual communication while preserving your energy, Oliver speaks to Andrew Brodsky. 

Andrew is a management professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and the author of "Ping: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication".

They dive deep into the science and strategy behind effective virtual communication. 

If your day is packed with Zoom calls, endless email threads, and Slack pings, this conversation will change how you work. Andrew challenges the myth that in-person is always best and breaks down why smart, intentional virtual communication can actually boost productivity and reduce burnout.

We explore:

• Why video meetings often feel off — and how to fix them
  

• The biggest myths about remote work communication
  

• Eye-opening research on brainstorming, authenticity, and trust in virtual settings
  

• The "PING" framework — a simple method to optimize every digital interaction
  

• What leaders must do to create healthier, more effective remote workplaces
  

Whether you're leading a remote team or just trying to stay sane in a world of nonstop pings, this episode is full of practical insights you can use immediately.

Find out more about Andrew Brodsky: https://abrodsky.com/

Subscribe to the Speak Like a CEO newsletter to become a top 1% communicator: https://eoipsocommunications.com/newsletter/

What if an algorithm could read your personality better than your best friend? 

In this eye-opening episode, Oliver sits down with Dr. Sandra Matz – Columbia Business School professor, computational psychologist, and author of Mindmasters – to explore how our digital footprints reveal far more than we think.

Sandra unpacks how AI tools can accurately infer our Big Five personality traits, mental health, and values using everything from Google searches to smartphone activity. 

Oliver and Sandra discuss the power – and ethical challenges – of data-driven persuasion, including what brands and political campaigns really know about you, and how personalization is reshaping communication, marketing, and even internal business culture.

Drawing on her role in helping uncover the truth behind Cambridge Analytica and her work with leading global brands, Sandra provides a rare, credible look at how psychological targeting works – and where it’s headed next. 

From mental health interventions to personalized internal comms, this conversation goes deep into the future of influence.

Plus: Why personality tests like Myers-Briggs are outdated, how to build high-performing teams using psychology, and Sandra’s #1 piece of communication advice.

Find out more about Sandra Matz: https://sandramatz.com/

Make sure you’re subscribed to the Speak Like a CEO newsletter to become a top 1% communicator: https://eoipsocommunications.com/newsletter/

Do you want to speak with confidence, inspire your team, and accelerate your career? You can now join the Speak Like a CEO Academy and work with Oliver over the next 90 days to become a top 1% communicator and transform your career:https://speaklikeaceoacademy.com/

Leaders who use humor are seen as more confident, competent and get better results – if they do it the right way. 

Andrew Tarvin is the CEO of Humor That Works and author of the book by the same name. 

He shares how leaders can use humor as a serious tool for better results. But it’s not about being haha funny or being a slap-on-the-back kinda boss. 

It’s about bringing lightness to leadership that increases performance, status and – yes – makes work a little more fun. 

Andrew shares compelling insights into why humor is no longer a nice-to-have, but a crucial skill for professionals looking to enhance morale, manage stress, improve communication, and even boost their status.

You will discover the critical difference between humor and comedy in a professional setting, learn practical techniques for incorporating appropriate humor into presentations and daily interactions, and understand how humor enhances your perceived confidence and competence. 

Andrew debunks common myths about humor in the workplace and provides actionable strategies for making work more engaging and, ultimately, more effective. 

Give this episode a listen and let's make work a little less "worky." 

Find out more about Andrew Tarvin https://drewtarvin.com/

Make sure you’re subscribed to the Speak Like a CEO newsletter to become a top 1% communicator: https://eoipsocommunications.com/newsletter/

Do you want to speak with confidence, inspire your team, and accelerate your career? You can now join the Speak Like a CEO Academy and work with Oliver over the next 90 days to become a top 1% communicator and transform your career:https://speaklikeaceoacademy.com/