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Episodes
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Host
Blog
Tools
This podcast can help you become an effective and efficient communicator in an age of information overload. Enjoy (just saying)!
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Latest Podcast
Episode 6 – Owning a message that’s important
March 14, 2017
11 min
Some important insights on making the story your own versus sharing a half-hearted rendition.
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Episode 5 – Why people struggle to get to the point
March 7, 2017
10 min
If you don’t know what your weaknesses are, you’ll never be able to conquer them.
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Episode 4 – Hoping vs. knowing your point got across?
February 28, 2017
10 min
In this week’s episode, I discuss how people often confuse hoping for understanding with actually knowing if their message was received. I provide three key
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Episode 3 – Does a moment of anger make you rant and repeat?
February 23, 2017
10 min
Losing your temper is one the fastest tickets to becoming longwinded and a recipe for hurting your reputation.
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Episode 2 – Pitching a bright idea
February 16, 2017
10 min
Getting overly enthusiastic can actually shine too much light on your new idea and blind people.
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Episode 1 – Job interviews: no time for an interrogation
February 9, 2017
10 min
Nobody loves going on a job interview. So, turning them into a confident and comfortable conversation will set you apart.
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EPISODES
Ep. 357 – How I prepare for a podcast
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Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Episode 25 – The BRIEF Lab Annual Report
December 28, 2017
10 min
Episode 24 – An argument against persuasion (and for civil discourse)
December 18, 2017
15 min
Episode 23 – Senseless note taking
December 12, 2017
14 min
Episode 22 – Conversation highjacking
December 4, 2017
11 min
Episode 21 – Is there power in repetition?
November 27, 2017
13 min
Episode 20 – Bite your tongue
November 20, 2017
13 min
Episode 19 – Avoiding an audience double standard
November 13, 2017
11 min
Episode 18 – Why is listening so hard?
November 6, 2017
15 min
Episode 17 – Quiet time
October 27, 2017
13 min
Episode 16 – Getting some people to talk more (not less)
October 23, 2017
13 min
Episode 15 – Confident leaders don’t get it
October 17, 2017
13 min
Episode 14 – The uncomfortable allure of a crucible story
October 9, 2017
14 min
Episode 13 – Leaders we all love deliver precise praise
October 2, 2017
12 min
Episode 12 – Knowing if a meeting should’ve been an e-mail
September 25, 2017
11 min
Episode 11 – Bearing the heavy burden of delivering bad news
September 19, 2017
14 min
Episode 10 – Signs your team is not on the same page
April 11, 2017
15 min
Episode 9 – Concise writers are ruthless redactors
April 1, 2017
15 min
Episode 8 – Great messages are as simple as 1-2-3
March 28, 2017
15 min
Episode 7 – Tesla’s not-so-secret strategy
March 21, 2017
15 min
Episode 6 – Owning a message that’s important
March 14, 2017
11 min
Episode 5 – Why people struggle to get to the point
March 7, 2017
10 min
Episode 4 – Hoping vs. knowing your point got across?
February 28, 2017
10 min
Episode 3 – Does a moment of anger make you rant and repeat?
February 23, 2017
10 min
Episode 2 – Pitching a bright idea
February 16, 2017
10 min
Episode 1 – Job interviews: no time for an interrogation
February 9, 2017
10 min
Episode 70 – Meeting agenda design
December 31, 2018
11 min
Episode 69 – Hitting mute more often in your life
December 17, 2018
17 min
Episode 68 – Why do AAR’s frequently fail?
December 10, 2018
14 min
Episode 67 – Talking yourself through adversity
December 3, 2018
13 min
Episode 66 – What’s an insight and why do they matter?
November 26, 2018
13 min
Episode 65 – Sabotaging your organization from within
November 19, 2018
11 min
Episode 64 – More like tennis, less like golf
November 12, 2018
10 min
Episode 63 – Asking much better questions
November 5, 2018
14 min
Episode 62 – I couldn’t articulate the strategy
October 29, 2018
12 min
Episode 61 – The failure of open floor plans
October 22, 2018
14 min
Episode 60 – Time to say goodbye
October 15, 2018
10 min
Episode 59 – It takes a hurricane to get people to talk
October 8, 2018
11 min
Episode 58 – Perception management: facts and feelings
October 1, 2018
14 min
Episode 57 – Is “time posting” a word?
September 24, 2018
9 min
Episode 56 – Aim small, miss small
September 17, 2018
11 min
Episode 55 – What to do with my hands?
September 3, 2018
10 min
Episode 54 – Tune into AM 101
August 27, 2018
15 min
Episode 53 – Motivational speeches might help the other team
August 20, 2018
16 min
Episode 52 – Tune into FM 101
August 13, 2018
14 min
Episode 51 – Hating the gift of feedback
August 6, 2018
12 min
Episode 50 – The Uber talk test
July 30, 2018
13 min
Episode 49 – Saying no
July 23, 2018
14 min
Episode 48 – Curbing a culture of meetings
July 16, 2018
15 min
Episode 47 – Did that conversation ruin me?
July 9, 2018
14 min
Episode 46 – Working to get fired or hired
June 25, 2018
9 min
Episode 45 – My father’s three favorite phrases
June 17, 2018
9 min
Episode 44 – Unpacking your e-mails
June 11, 2018
13 min
Episode 43 – Smartphone bans coming
June 4, 2018
14 min
Episode 42 – Not valuing a volunteer
May 29, 2018
14 min
Episode 41 – A good story breaks a tie
May 21, 2018
14 min
Episode 40 – Warning: explicit messages
May 14, 2018
12 min
Episode 39 – Pitfalls of progress reports
April 30, 2018
14 min
Episode 38 – Hey, listen to why it’s so difficult
April 23, 2018
13 min
Episode 37 – The single most important thing
April 16, 2018
12 min
Episode 36 – Ready, player one
April 9, 2018
14 min
Episode 35 – The dread of silence
April 2, 2018
12 min
Episode 34 – The minister for loneliness
March 20, 2018
13 min
Episode 33 – Focus, people!
March 13, 2018
12 min
Episode 32 – When words become worthless
March 8, 2018
11 min
Episode 31 – An info-junkie crack house (Brain Basics Part II)
February 26, 2018
15 min
Episode 30 – Penguins on an Iceberg (Brain Basics Part I)
February 20, 2018
14 min
Episode 29 – Go to sleep
January 30, 2018
15 min
Episode 28 – Are smartphones addictive brain candy for kids?
January 22, 2018
15 min
Episode 27 – Training people to ignore a safety briefing
January 15, 2018
14 min
Episode 26 – Stay tuned. Fans aren’t really.
January 9, 2018
13 min
Episode 122 – Be my guest: Microsoft’s Jim Lee with Charley Thornton
December 30, 2019
18 min
Episode 121 – You need a nap, not another app
December 23, 2019
12 min
Episode 120 – Putting up with old people’s stories (ok, boomer!)
December 16, 2019
13 min
Episode 119 – Managing tough (and great) conversations
December 9, 2019
12 min
Call Back Episode – Focus, people!
December 2, 2019
15 min
Call Back Episode – It’s a good time to say thanks
November 25, 2019
10 min
Call Back Episode – Why do AAR’s frequently fail?
November 18, 2019
14 min
Episode 115 – Noise filters: media consumption
November 11, 2019
14 min
Episode 114 – Talk-to-talk temptation
November 4, 2019
14 min
Episode 113 – Recommended Reading: The flood is coming
October 28, 2019
12 min
Episode 112 – Does that resonate with you?
October 21, 2019
12 min
Episode 111 – The basics of trimming
October 14, 2019
10 min
Episode 110 – Interviews to transition to your next reality
October 7, 2019
14 min
Episode 109 – Is multitasking a mistake or management skill?
September 30, 2019
11 min
Episode 108 – Present listening and preaching to the choir
September 23, 2019
9 min
Episode 107 – The connection between comedy and clarity
September 16, 2019
15 min
Episode 106 – Providing senior leaders communication counsel
September 9, 2019
13 min
Episode 105 – Quiet Time: the sweetest sounds
September 2, 2019
15 min
Episode 104 – The rhythm of repetition
August 26, 2019
11 min
Episode 103 – Why 1-on-1’s are mutually painful
August 19, 2019
13 min
Episode 102 – Building a better elevator speech
August 12, 2019
12 min
Sounding off on “NOISE”
August 7, 2019
15 min
Episode 100 – Questions & Answers (Q&A)
July 29, 2019
13 min
Episode 99 – Practical presentation principles
July 22, 2019
12 min
Episode 98 – Batching
July 15, 2019
10 min
Episode 97 – Make a recommendation
July 8, 2019
10 min
Episode 96 – Irrelevant
July 1, 2019
12 min
Episode 95 – Forced to focus
June 24, 2019
14 min
Episode 94 – Enduring a culture of long and confusing
June 17, 2019
12 min
Episode 93 – The promise of prognosticators
June 10, 2019
13 min
Episode 92 – Has TED jumped the shark?
June 3, 2019
11 min
Episode 91 – How to find your voice
May 27, 2019
11 min
Episode 90 – Do introverts have the advantage?
May 20, 2019
12 min
Episode 89 – When you just don’t care
May 13, 2019
11 min
Episode 88 – Communicating when you’re on edge
May 6, 2019
11 min
Episode 87 – Nodding loops: real or imagined?
April 29, 2019
12 min
Episode 86 – How you show up
April 22, 2019
10 min
Episode 85 – Micro-preparation
April 15, 2019
12 min
Episode 84 – Napoleon Dynamite
April 8, 2019
9 min
Episode 83 – More senseless note taking
April 1, 2019
12 min
Episode 82 – Being deliberate
March 25, 2019
9 min
Episode 81 – Clarifying communication preferences, part 1
March 18, 2019
11 min
Episode 80 – The illusion of immediacy
March 11, 2019
13 min
Episode 79 – Empty the trash
March 4, 2019
7 min
Episode 78 – The single biggest writing mistake
February 25, 2019
12 min
Episode 77 – Many meanings of the word brief
February 18, 2019
11 min
Episode 76 – Why performance reviews crush morale
February 11, 2019
11 min
Episode 75 – A lazy man’s load
February 4, 2019
10 min
Episode 74 – The loss of civil discourse
January 28, 2019
12 min
Episode 73 – Why commander’s intent drives subordinates crazy
January 21, 2019
11 min
Episode 72 – Preparing for chance conversations
January 14, 2019
11 min
Episode 71 – It’s a good time to say thanks
January 7, 2019
10 min
Episode 173– The Daily Scan (Looking back and ahead)
December 28, 2020
16 min
Episode 172 – FAQ: How to discourage multitasking in meetings
December 22, 2020
13 min
Episode 171– The Lineup
December 14, 2020
13 min
Episode 170 – The uneasiness of great meeting facilitation
December 7, 2020
15 min
Call Back Episode – It’s a good time to say thanks
November 30, 2020
10 min
Episode 169- Be my guest: John Borta, meeting facilitation expert
November 23, 2020
33 min
Episode 168– Losing trust forever
November 16, 2020
13 min
Episode 167– Take 5 Quiet Cards
November 9, 2020
14 min
Call Back Episode – Being deliberate
November 2, 2020
9 min
Episode 166– The critical role of tone
October 26, 2020
13 min
Episode 165– Creating momentum after a meeting
October 21, 2020
14 min
Call Back Episode – The Uber talk test
October 13, 2020
13 min
Episode 164– My Apple Watch surprise
October 5, 2020
14 min
Episode 163– Overcoming your fear of public speaking
September 28, 2020
14 min
Episode 162– WIFM (what’s in it for me?)
September 21, 2020
12 min
Episode 161– A significant emotional event
September 14, 2020
11 min
Episode 160– A better way to prepare
September 7, 2020
12 min
Call Back Episode – Tesla’s not-so-secret strategy
September 1, 2020
15 min
Episode 159– Crafting a clear problem statement
August 24, 2020
14 min
Call Back Episode – Talking yourself through adversity
August 17, 2020
13 min
Episode 158– Simple vs. complicated
August 10, 2020
14 min
Episode 157– Too busy for people?
August 3, 2020
14 min
Episode 156– Creating a culture of brevity
July 28, 2020
14 min
Episode 155 – Being afraid to communicate
July 20, 2020
14 min
Episode 154– Simply pointless
July 13, 2020
13 min
Episode 153 – Best of: Curbing a culture of meetings & Meeting agenda design
July 6, 2020
28 min
Episode 152 – Resisting the most common communication impulse
June 29, 2020
12 min
Call Back Episode – Saying no
June 22, 2020
14 min
Episode 150 – The struggle to find time to read
June 15, 2020
14 min
Episode 149 – Best of: Facts and feelings & Loss of civil discourse
June 13, 2020
29 min
Episode 148 – Is PowerPoint really to blame?
June 8, 2020
15 min
Episode 147 – New rules in a remote world
June 1, 2020
13 min
Episode 146 – Terrible writers need some help
May 25, 2020
10 min
Episode 145 – Admitting we were wrong
May 18, 2020
10 min
Episode 144 – Four false assumptions to avoid
May 11, 2020
13 min
Episode 143 – Defining what “virtual” really means now
May 4, 2020
12 min
Episode 142 – VTC’s and me: seeing is believing
April 27, 2020
14 min
Episode 141 – That was too brief
April 20, 2020
12 min
Episode 140 – Best of: Why is listening so hard & Asking better questions
April 18, 2020
30 min
Episode 139 – The essential qualities of great communicators
April 13, 2020
14 min
Episode 138 – Forcing the world to pause
April 6, 2020
12 min
Episode 137 – Saying no, not now
March 30, 2020
11 min
Episode 136 – Best of: Minister of loneliness & it takes a hurricane to get people to talk
March 28, 2020
25 min
Episode 135 – Unified messaging that heals fracture and division
March 23, 2020
18 min
Episode 134 – Best of: Limiting your media consumption & the promise of prognosticators
March 21, 2020
29 min
Episode 133 – Managing noise in a time of crisis
March 18, 2020
13 min
Episode 132 – That might be the wrong word
March 9, 2020
10 min
Episode 131 – Storytelling as a valuable tool for teaching
March 2, 2020
13 min
Episode 130 – Creating momentum before a meeting
February 24, 2020
14 min
Episode 129 – A semi-silent retreat debrief
February 17, 2020
12 min
Episode 128 – Giving into message fatigue
February 13, 2020
11 min
Episode 127 – Voicing a frustration
February 3, 2020
14 min
Episode 126 – NOISE Filter: Our 1st and last thought of the day
January 27, 2020
12 min
Call Back Episode – Quiet time
January 20, 2020
13 min
Call Back Episode – Tune into AM 101
January 13, 2020
15 min
Call Back Episode – Tune into FM 101
January 6, 2020
14 min
Ep. 218 – Year in review
December 27, 2021
14 min
Ep. 217 – What’s in a name?
December 20, 2021
14 min
Ep. 216 – Entrepreneurial lessons
December 13, 2021
14 min
Ep. 215 – Silent meeting starts
December 6, 2021
13 min
Call Back Episode – Empty the trash
November 29, 2021
7 min
Ep. 214 – Thanksgiving: notes of gratitude
November 22, 2021
14 min
Ep. 213 – The Quiet Workplace (an essay)
November 14, 2021
15 min
Ep. 212 – Wrap it up
November 8, 2021
12 min
Ep. 211 – Interesting or essential?
November 1, 2021
14 min
Ep. 210 – Scattered
October 25, 2021
14 min
Ep. 209 – Tech timeouts
October 18, 2021
14 min
Ep. 208 – Talk isn’t cheap
October 11, 2021
13 min
Ep. 207 – Writing a solid e-mail, part 2
October 5, 2021
11 min
Ep. 206 – Writing a solid e-mail, part 1
September 27, 2021
14 min
Ep. 205 – Misunderstandings, pt. 3
September 20, 2021
15 min
Call Back EP – Take 5 Quiet Cards
September 13, 2021
15 min
Ep. 204 – Misunderstandings, pt. 2
September 8, 2021
13 min
Ep. 203 – Misunderstandings
August 30, 2021
13 min
Ep. 202 – Leaving the complaining club
August 23, 2021
13 min
Episode 201 – Creating a better, SMART BRIEF resolution
August 16, 2021
14 min
Episode 200 – A time to celebrate
August 10, 2021
14 min
Call Back Episode – Enduring a culture of long and confusing
August 2, 2021
12 min
Call Back Episode – Quiet Time: the sweetest sounds
July 27, 2021
15 min
Call Back Episode – Hitting mute more often in your life
July 19, 2021
17 min
Call Back Episode – Defining what “virtual” really means now
July 12, 2021
12 min
Call Back Episode – VTC’s and me: seeing is believing
July 5, 2021
14 min
Episode 199 – FAQ: How do I build the discipline of brevity on my own?
June 28, 2021
13 min
Episode 198– BRIEF Meeting Prep Cards
June 21, 2021
14 min
Episode 197 – By my guest: Cameron Cruse, R.Riveter Co-Founder
June 14, 2021
17 min
Episode 196 – Just three words
June 7, 2021
12 min
Episode 195 – FAQ: Sharing the BRIEF method
May 31, 2021
18 min
Episode 194 – I’ve Gotta Pee
May 24, 2021
13 min
Episode 193 – Be my guest: Hellene Garcia (Neat) on post-pandemic communication
May 17, 2021
26 min
Episode 192 – A primer on “Primer” (my new podcast)
May 10, 2021
8 min
Episode 191 – FAQ: Managing your mindset
May 3, 2021
20 min
Episode 190 – Speak up, or shut up
April 26, 2021
11 min
Episode 189 – Be My Guest – Malachy Walsh Interview
April 19, 2021
48 min
Episode 188 – DRAFT Cards
April 12, 2021
15 min
Episode 187 – FAQ: Understanding your audience
April 5, 2021
15 min
Episode 186 – A distorted view
March 29, 2021
12 min
Episode 185 – Be my guest: Dr. Hans Breiter, Professor of Psychiatry
March 22, 2021
30 min
Episode 184 – Getting to no faster
March 15, 2021
11 min
Episode 183 – FAQ: Being brief on the spot, away from work
March 8, 2021
14 min
Episode 182 – Stepping away for a minute (from digital devices)
March 1, 2021
14 min
Episode 181 – The big moment
February 22, 2021
13 min
Episode 180 – FAQ: Better headlines build a bridge
February 15, 2021
16 min
Episode 179 – Daily headlines: 1st and last thought of the day
February 8, 2021
13 min
Episode 178 – Be my guest: Aaron Weber, Comedian
February 1, 2021
27 min
Episode 177 – The morass of time management
January 25, 2021
12 min
Episode 176 – FAQ: Tackling the issue of quiet time
January 18, 2021
21 min
Episode 175– Phone calls
January 11, 2021
12 min
Episode 174 – Be my guest: Simon Bureau on culture and communications
January 4, 2021
23 min
Call back Episode – Ep 208 – Talk isn’t cheap
April 3, 2023
13 min
Ep. 267 – A year in review and one ahead
January 2, 2023
11 min
Ep. 266 – Why am I waiting for an empowered conversation?
December 26, 2022
14 min
Ep. 265 – How do you know if you’re clear and concise?
December 19, 2022
15 min
Ep. 264 – Finding my quiet space
December 12, 2022
14 min
Ep. 263 – Meetings redesigned and redefined
December 5, 2022
15 min
Ep. 262 – The ABC’s of Acronyms
November 28, 2022
14 min
Call back Episode – Episode 214 Thanksgiving: notes of gratitude
November 21, 2022
14 min
Ep. 261 – Pardon the interruption
November 14, 2022
14 min
Ep. 260 – An unforgettable Oscar speech comes full circle
November 7, 2022
14 min
Ep. 259 – Speaking up (vs. saying nothing)
October 31, 2022
14 min
Ep. 258 – The disquiet of quiet quitters
October 24, 2022
15 min
Ep. 257 – When your bland point needs sharpening
October 17, 2022
14 min
Ep. 256 – BRIEF Map Basics
October 10, 2022
15 min
Ep. 255 – To text or not to text?
October 3, 2022
15 min
Ep. 254 – How to frame a solid program overview
September 26, 2022
15 min
Ep. 253 – So what do you do?
September 19, 2022
14 min
Ep. 252 – Why I do what I do
September 12, 2022
13 min
Ep. 251 – Writing quips & tips
September 5, 2022
15 min
Ep. 250 – Give me a sign (do not disturb)
August 29, 2022
14 min
Ep. 249 – One minute of quiet, please!
August 22, 2022
15 min
Ep. 248 – One vs many (things to think, say and do)
August 15, 2022
15 min
Ep. 247 – HBR article review: overcoming collaboration overkill
August 8, 2022
15 min
Ep. 246 – Should I or shouldn’t you?
August 1, 2022
14 min
Ep. 245 – When your answers aren’t good enough
July 25, 2022
14 min
Ep. 244 – Afraid of writing
July 18, 2022
15 min
Ep. 243 – When is more enough?
July 11, 2022
12 min
Ep. 242 – The minimum definition of success
July 4, 2022
14 min
Ep. 241 – Feeling obligated to always be available
June 27, 2022
14 min
Ep. 240 – Why people make bad decisions
June 20, 2022
15 min
Call back Episode – NOISE Filter: Our 1st and last thought of the day
June 13, 2022
12 min
Ep. 239 – Mental theft
June 6, 2022
15 min
Ep. 238 – Quiet Works: new mission and motto
May 29, 2022
15 min
Ep. 237 – Simple presentation practices
May 23, 2022
15 min
Ep. 236 – Six comments to avoid
May 16, 2022
15 min
Ep. 235 – Is brevity a better way to influence?
May 9, 2022
15 min
Ep. 234 – Noise management: No screens needed
May 2, 2022
15 min
Ep. 233 – Stuck in a bad conversation
April 25, 2022
13 min
Ep. 232 – What if your boss isn’t brief?
April 18, 2022
15 min
Ep. 231 – Making the most with offsite meetings
April 11, 2022
15 min
Ep. 230 – Permission to pause
April 4, 2022
15 min
Ep. 229 – Meeting attendee bill of rights
March 28, 2022
12 min
Ep. 228 – Resisting the temptation to check your smartphone
March 21, 2022
15 min
Ep. 227 – Clarity at work (in times of crisis, chaos and change)
March 14, 2022
14 min
Call back Episode – Providing senior leaders communication counsel
March 7, 2022
13 min
Call Back EP – Why 1-on-1’s are mutually painful
February 28, 2022
14 min
Ep. 226 – Giving a good talk
February 21, 2022
14 min
Ep. 225 – How much thinking do you do?
February 14, 2022
14 min
Ep. 224 – Lessons in transition (part 3)
February 7, 2022
12 min
Ep. 223 – Lessons in transition (part 2)
January 31, 2022
15 min
Ep. 222 – Lessons in transition (part 1)
January 24, 2022
13 min
Ep. 221 – How does that feel?
January 17, 2022
14 min
Ep. 220 – Breaking bad teaching (part 2)
January 10, 2022
13 min
Ep. 219 – Breaking bad teaching (part 1)
January 3, 2022
15 min