Send us Fan Mail

A year ago AI could do impressive things that didn't really move the needle for your brand. That changed fast, and this conversation is about what it can actually do for you now.

I brought two people onto my Substack Live who use this stuff daily, not theoretically. John Aspinall spent two decades on the e-commerce and agency side and now teaches AI to brand owners. Ganesh Ariyur has led global technology transformation for over twenty years, bridging the business and IT sides of it. We got into what shifted, what's hype, and what we each actually run.

The line that stuck with me from this one: the shift isn't AI telling you what to do, it's AI doing it for you. Plenty of people are sitting on information they know they should act on and simply have no time. That gap is where this gets interesting.

In this episode:
(05:00) What changed in 12 months, and what actually moves the needle now
(10:00) You don't have to be a coder, you have to know how to connect things
(20:00) The misconception that AI replaces writers, and why it doesn't
(25:00) Training AI on your real voice, and why your experience is the part that can't be faked
(30:00) The four big levers for growing on Substack
(40:00) Why your files and folder foundations decide how far you can go
(50:00) Going from chat to projects to co-working to code, and what changed for me

Come do this with us: TLB Club is my membership community for small business owners growing their brand, business, and their AI and systems game. Details at thoughtleadershipbranding.club, and more from me at bobbyumar.substack.com.

The Power of Connection is conversations on leadership, storytelling, and staying human in a noisy world, from Bobby Umar: 5x TEDx speaker, Inc Magazine Top 100 Leadership Speaker, and 2x LinkedIn Top Voice.

The Power of Connection is hosted by Bobby Umar, 5x TEDx speaker and Inc Magazine Top 100 Leadership Speaker. For weekly insights on personal branding and thought leadership, join his newsletter: https://bobbyumar.substack.com

Send us Fan Mail

I've delivered a thousand keynotes and workshops across four continents, and I'll be honest about what pushed me to build this model: I've sat in audiences watching genuinely terrible talks given by people getting paid very well to give them.

So this is what I actually do. It comes out of a module I taught in my old speaker mastermind, and here I walk through it live, slide by slide, using a real talk I gave for a recreation association in British Columbia.

The formula in one line: personal stories, plus data, plus case studies, plus an action plan they can actually use. But the rule that sits above all of it is the one nobody wants to hear, because it isn't a technique. Know your audience. It decides everything else.

In this episode:
(00:15) A thousand keynotes, and why so many well-paid talks are still bad
(02:05) I ask the room: what's the number one rule?
(03:10) The answer is know your audience, and that means the organizer too
(03:50) Stop opening with "thanks for having me," and what to do instead
(04:25) You get five minutes to win the crowd
(05:50) Why I build in an interactive activity whenever there's room for one
(07:45) Ask them their challenges, then put their own words back in your content
(08:55) The formula: stories, data, case studies, action plan
(11:15) The real goal of a keynote is to change how people think
(12:55) The whole model in ninety seconds
(13:30) The Q&A move that sets me apart, and why organizers always say yes

This one was recorded on a weekly TLB Club call, where we share our highs and lows, support each other, and I teach something I've actually used. If you want to be in the room for the next one, it's at thoughtleadershipbranding.club. More from me at bobbyumar.substack.com.

The Power of Connection is conversations on leadership, storytelling, and staying human in a noisy world, from Bobby Umar: 5x TEDx speaker, Inc Magazine Top 100 Leadership Speaker, and 2x LinkedIn Top Voice.

The Power of Connection is hosted by Bobby Umar, 5x TEDx speaker and Inc Magazine Top 100 Leadership Speaker. For weekly insights on personal branding and thought leadership, join his newsletter: https://bobbyumar.substack.com

Send us Fan Mail

You have thousands of stories in you. The problem is nobody ever taught you how to find the one that matters.

This episode is a live session I ran on exactly that: how to locate your real story out of a lifetime of material, and then turn it into a personal video story that actually sounds like you.

I get into my own version of it too. There were years when work felt hollow, my career felt frozen, and my health was somewhere near the bottom of the list. What I landed on is the line I still give people: feeling that way is allowed, staying there isn't.

In this episode:

(01:30) What we're doing today: finding your story, then putting it on video

(04:00) You have thousands of stories, and they all merge into one

(06:30) My own story: lost, stuck, and what I did about it

(09:30) Structure first: building the outline of your story

(12:00) The consequences of transparency, and who you attract

(18:30) Finding the one, two or three top lessons of your life

(21:00) The umbrella brand that covers career, family and health

(24:30) How to storyboard your video, piece by piece

If this one lands, the next step is simple: write down the three lessons of your life that keep showing up. That's where your story starts.

Find more at bobbyumar.substack.com, or connect with me on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/bobbyumar) and share your story.

The Power of Connection is conversations on leadership, storytelling, and staying human in a noisy world, from Bobby Umar: 5x TEDx speaker, Inc Magazine Top 100 Leadership Speaker, and 2x LinkedIn Top Voice.

The Power of Connection is hosted by Bobby Umar, 5x TEDx speaker and Inc Magazine Top 100 Leadership Speaker. For weekly insights on personal branding and thought leadership, join his newsletter: https://bobbyumar.substack.com

Send us Fan Mail

Everyone asks me the same question: "Bobby, how do I actually land a TEDx talk?" So this episode is the full answer, a complete session I taught live on exactly that.

I've delivered five TEDx talks and coached clients from around the world onto that stage, and this is the process behind all of it: why TEDx is the single best authority builder for your brand (hello, branding by association with the most famous stage in the world), the mistake that cost me a ted.com feature, what organizers actually want from you, and the step-by-step path from "I have a story" to "I have a talk."

In this episode:
(02:00) Who this session is for
(05:30) My story: losing my job, my wife's illness, and the reinvention that made me a speaker
(08:30) Why TEDx: authority, reach, and branding by association
(12:15) The copyrighted-image mistake that cost me a ted.com feature
(15:30) The #1 thing people get wrong: the idea
(18:00) The three criteria of thought leadership
(24:30) The mentoring path most people never think of
(30:30) Take your audience on the journey (before AND after the talk)
(33:00) How to research events and find YOUR fit
(36:30) What TEDx organizers actually want
(39:30) The follow-up habits that landed me talk #4
(42:00) My five essentials of thought leadership

Grab my free TEDx Idea Template and more at bobbyumar.substack.com, and if you want help landing your own talk, connect with me on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/bobbyumar). Tag me when you take action, I'll cheer you on.

The Power of Connection is conversations on leadership, storytelling, and staying human in a noisy world, from Bobby Umar: 5x TEDx speaker, Inc Magazine Top 100 Leadership Speaker, and 2x LinkedIn Top Voice.

The Power of Connection is hosted by Bobby Umar, 5x TEDx speaker and Inc Magazine Top 100 Leadership Speaker. For weekly insights on personal branding and thought leadership, join his newsletter: https://bobbyumar.substack.com

Send us Fan Mail

There is no single path to authority. Bobby lays out seven ways to build it, and tells you which one to start with.

Thought leadership is not one-size-fits-all. In this masterclass Bobby walks through the different ways to build authority and how to choose the blend that fits your strengths and goals. The throughline: every strategy comes back to people and relationships.

In this episode:
00:00 Building an audience you actually own
12:00 Positioning as a speaker and founder
19:34 Why relationships drive all growth
31:04 How speaking amplifies everything
42:29 Why signature programs take time
50:31 Why TEDx is the highest-leverage authority move
55:26 Using AI to turn ideas into content
01:03:25 Know your customer's pains and desires

The Power of Connection is hosted by Bobby Umar, 5x TEDx speaker and Inc Magazine Top 100 Leadership Speaker. For weekly insights on personal branding and thought leadership, join his newsletter: https://bobbyumar.substack.com

Send us Fan Mail

Facts inform. Stories move. Here's how to use story to sell, lead, and be remembered.

Stories are the most powerful tool you have to build trust and drive action, and most professionals waste them. Bobby shares how to use storytelling for business and growth: where stories belong, how to structure one that lands, and why the human brain is wired to remember them long after the data is forgotten. Practical and immediately usable.

The Power of Connection is hosted by Bobby Umar, 5x TEDx speaker and Inc Magazine Top 100 Leadership Speaker. For weekly insights on personal branding and thought leadership, join his newsletter: https://bobbyumar.substack.com

Send us Fan Mail

The moment you let people see the real you is the moment they start to trust you.

The show opens where Bobby's whole philosophy begins: vulnerability. In this short, honest session he unpacks why the polished version of you keeps people at a distance, and why the willingness to be seen is what actually builds trust, connection, and influence. A tight, powerful start to the show.

The Power of Connection is hosted by Bobby Umar, 5x TEDx speaker and Inc Magazine Top 100 Leadership Speaker. For weekly insights on personal branding and thought leadership, join his newsletter: https://bobbyumar.substack.com