Tamsen Webster shares how to structure messages around people’s existing beliefs—so your ideas resonate, stick, and create change that lasts.

Margaret Andrews shares the MYLO framework to help leaders grow with purpose, confidence, and clarity at every career stage.

Shawn Lemon shares how to eliminate friction, reduce file chaos, and streamline your digital life.

Dr. Harry Cohen shares how to bring out the best in others by radiating warmth and positivity in every interaction.

Charles Duhigg explains how to communicate better by matching your message to facts, feelings, or values

Pat Flynn shares how to escape inspiration overload and take focused, timely action through the principles of lean learning.

Alan Gannett shows how creativity isn’t a gift, but a skill you can cultivate by balancing novelty and familiarity.

Michael Long explains how to understand and tame dopamine—helping you focus, create, and live with more intention.

Ingrid Jensen shares a step-by-step approach to letting go of clutter, building simple habits, and resetting your home and mindset for a more intentional life.

Bill McGowan, author of Speak Memorably: The Art of Captivating an Audience, shares practical ways to make your ideas stick—on stage, on Zoom, and in any high-stakes moment. We get into dynamic delivery, smarter structure, and memorable language devices you can use immediately. In this conversation, we discuss:Dial it up (a bit): Why what feels “over the top” on video usually plays just right.Story over stats: Using Francis Ford Coppola’s “three best things” idea to craft stronger openings and closings.Primacy & recency: Designing beginnings and endings people actually remember (and skipping the dreaded agenda slide).Cliffhangers > previews: Start with something engaging—don’t promise you’ll be engaging later.Slow beats filler: How pacing reduces “uh/you know” and helps you choose better words.Slides with a point: Lead each slide with a clear statement of value; know your closing line before you advance.Be your own brutal editor: Cut 25% from emails and presentations to boost clarity and punch.Levity, not jokes: Use a light touch to build trust and retention; avoid risky stand-up and overdone self-deprecation.Seven memorable devices (highlights): Analogy/metaphor, “creative labels” (e.g., the “toothbrush test”), mirror pairs, original definitions, simple equations/ratios, and smart cliché twists (“survival of the quickest”).Links & resources:Book: Speak Memorably: The Art of Captivating an Audience — Bill McGowanConnect with Bill on LinkedIn Connect with Erik:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This Podcast is Powered By:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Descript⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Descript 101⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Castmagic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ecamm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Podpage⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rodecaster Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Top Productivity Books List⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Make sure to grab Shortcasts from Beyond The To-Do List by Blinkist. A Shortcast is a 7-10 min version of a podcast where you get the core takeaways.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Paul Kirby shares how to combine your passions into a purposeful vision using the FUSE framework.

Zorana Pringle reveals how creativity is a process of ongoing decisions and how motivation, attention, risk, and structure help you turn ideas into real action.

Jeffrey and Jamie Downs share how small, daily actions done consistently can build confidence, identity, and long-term change.

James Kimmel reveals how revenge functions like an addiction in the brain and forgiveness can restore our productivity, peace, and purpose.

Eliana Goldstein shares how to gain clarity, build confidence, and make intentional shifts in your career.

John Jantsch shares how literary wisdom can help us cultivate resilience, perspective, and perseverance in both business and life.

Kendall Berg explains how to stop being overlooked at work by mastering the real rules of career success—relationships, visibility, and self-advocacy.

Camilla Kring shares how aligning with your biological rhythms can lead to healthier habits, better leadership, and more inclusive workplaces.

Jonathan Levi shares how visual mnemonics, speed reading, and memory palaces can help you train your brain for better focus, recall, and learning.

In this Shortcast edition, Mamie Kanfer Stewart, co-author of Momentum: Creating Effective, Engaging and Enjoyable Meetings, explains why meetings are one of the biggest productivity drains—and how to fix them. From clarifying desired outcomes to optimizing who’s in the room, Mamie shares practical, people-focused strategies to make meetings more effective, purposeful, and energizing. In this Shortcast, we explore: Start With the Outcome: Don’t ask, “What’s the purpose of the meeting?” Ask, “What do we want to achieve?” This mindset shift transforms how meetings are planned and executed. Alternatives to Meeting: Mamie highlights when meetings aren’t needed—and how tools like email or asynchronous comments can often deliver the same outcome with less time. Before, During, and After: She outlines a full meeting workflow—from designing the agenda around outcomes, to assigning timekeepers and capturing key decisions and next steps. Fixing Meeting FOMO: We dive into how a culture of over-inviting people to meetings can waste time and lead to disengagement—and what to do instead. Reframing Meetings as Real Work: When done right, meetings are collaborative work, not interruptions. Mamie encourages giving them the same intentionality as solo tasks. Mamie’s insights help shift meetings from draining distractions to meaningful, productive moments that move work forward. Find more Shortcasts like this one on Blinkist here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.