In this episode of the Ideas on Stage podcast we spoke with Patricia Ryan Madson.
Patricia Ryan Madson is a world authority on improvising in everyday life. She is the author of IMPROV WISDOM: Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up. Her book has been translated into nine languages.
Patricia is a professor Emerita from Stanford University where she taught since 1977. In their Drama Department she served as the head of the undergraduate acting program and developed the improvisation program. In 1998 she was the winner of the Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel Award for Outstanding Innovation in Undergraduate Education at Stanford.
She is a frequent speaker for business and educational groups. Her corporate clients have included: IDEO, Google, Gap Inc.’s Executive Leadership Team, The Lucille and David Packard Foundation, the Banff Centre for Leadership, Sun Microsystems Japan Division, Apple Computers, Adobe Systems, and Price Waterhouse.
In this episode, we talked about how the principles of improvisation can help you become a more engaging presenter, and communicate with greater authenticity and impact.
What You'll Learn:
- How to balance preparation with being fully present
- How improvisation can make you a better speaker – even if you fear public speaking
- Why performance anxiety is really about self-focus – and how shifting your attention can help
- How to handle mistakes during a presentation
- A simple way to start using improv today to improve your communication skills instantly
We hope you enjoy it!
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Patricia Ryan Madson:
Book: Improv Wisdom: Don't Prepare, Just Show Up
Website: www.improvwisdom.com
Blog: www.improvwisdom.blogspot.com
Email: improvwisdom@gmail.com
Recommended books:
Constructive Living by David K. Reynolds
Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre by Keith Johnstone
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IDEAS ON STAGE RESOURCES
Books: ‘Confident Presenter’ (https://www.ideasonstage.com/resources/confident-presenter-book/) and ‘Business Presentation Revolution’ (https://www.ideasonstage.com/business-presentation-revolution/book/)
The Confident Presenter Scorecard: https://ideasonstage.com/score
Free Web Class: https://www.ideasonstage.com/uk/masterclass
Free Mini-Course: https://bit.ly/confident-presenter-mini-course
In this episode of the Ideas on Stage podcast we spoke with Susan Payton.
Susan is a story strategist, copywriter, messaging geek, coach, consultant and author of The Business of Stories.
Released in March 2022, Susan’s book quickly became a UK and US #1 bestseller on Amazon in several business categories, including Marketing and Sales – knocking Dragon’s Den & Diary of a CEO star Stephen Bartlett off the top spot! It also got to #1 on Amazon again when the audiobook version was released and was a finalist in the Business Book Awards 2023.In this episode we talked about all things business storytelling.
What You'll Learn:- The power of storytelling and why it's essential for business success- Why your personal story is more inspiring than you might think- The importance of clear language over fancy words- How to overcome the fear of sharing your voice and telling your story- Why every story you tell needs a clear call to action to be effective
We hope you enjoy it!———————Links:- Susan’s website: https://thebusinessofstories.com/- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanpaytonuk/- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SusanPaytonUK
Recommended books:- The Business of Stories by Susan Payton- Building a SoryBrand by Donald Miller- Soundtracks by Jon Acuff- Superfans by Pat Flynn———————
IDEAS ON STAGE RESOURCESWant to inspire your audience, increase your influence, and make a bigger impact?- Read ‘Confident Presenter’ (https://www.ideasonstage.com/resources/confident-presenter-book/) and ‘Business Presentation Revolution’ (https://www.ideasonstage.com/business-presentation-revolution/book/)- To make the most of the books, take the Confident Presenter Scorecard to assess you presentation skills in less than 3 minutes, for free: https://ideasonstage.com/score- Attend the next Ideas on Stage web class: https://www.ideasonstage.com/uk/masterclass #IdeasOnStagePodcast #Storytelling #StorytellingForBusiness #TheBusinessOfStories
In this episode of the Ideas on Stage podcast we spoke with Julian Treasure. Julian Treasure is a top-rated international speaker and award-winning author on the power of sound and the skills of speaking and listening for both individuals and organisations. Julian’s five TED talks have been viewed more than 150 million times; one of them is the sixth most-viewed of all time. He is founder of international audio branding consultancy The Sound Agency, pioneering the use of innovative biophilic soundscapes in retail and hospitality spaces. In this episode we talked about how to speak and be heard. What You'll Learn:
- The critical skills we’re not teaching our kids and why they matter for their future success.
- How to use vocal variety, warm-ups, and breathing techniques to improve your public speaking.
- How to speak effectively by knowing the listening you’re speaking into.
- The unexpected advantage of feeling nervous and how to calm those nerves.
- Avoid common mistakes like monotony or ending sentences as questions to keep your audience fully engaged. We hope you enjoy it! ———————
Links:
- Website:
- LinkedIn:
- Substack:
- TED Talk ‘How to speak so that people want to listen’:
- Upcoming book, Sound Affects (25 March 2025):
Recommended books:
- The Mysticism of Sound and Music by Hazrat Inayat Khan
- The Great Animal Orchestra by Bernie Krause
- Nada Brahma - the World is Sound by Joachim E. Berendt
- In Pursuit of Silence by George Prochnik
- A Book Of Silence by Sara Maitland
- TED Talks by Chris Anderson ——————— IDEAS ON STAGE RESOURCES Want to inspire your audience, increase your influence, and make a bigger impact? - Read ‘Confident Presenter’
and ‘Business Presentation Revolution’
- To make the most of the books, take the Confident Presenter Scorecard to assess you presentation skills in less than 3 minutes, for free:
- Attend the next Ideas on Stage web class:
#IdeasOnStagePodcast #PublicSpeaking #CommunicationSkills #LeadershipCommunication #VocalImpact