More Substance

Mark Di-Toro

💡 Reputation, influence & how the world actually works. Why do some people suffer scandal after scandal while others remain untouched? What do successful people do well? More Substance pulls apart the psychology behind history's biggest public moments - and turns it into something you can actually use. Each episode takes a reputation-defining situation, reveals the strategy behind it, and delivers a verdict: Spin or Substance? Hosted by Mark Di-Toro, who's spent nearly 20 years working with leading global brands and some of the worlds most impressive people. So, hit follow and let's go..

  1. 26 May

    #22 - Why Explaining Yourself Makes People Trust You Less

    The person who explains the least usually wins. Here's the psychology behind why. Join Mark Di-Toro as he unpacks why over-explanation is one of the most damaging things you can do to your own credibility — and how one man destroyed his entire public life by saying too much. Why every extra sentence makes you less believableHow Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor talked himself into oblivion in 58 minutes live on the BBCWhy brevity signals confidence — and confidence signals trustThe one thing anyone in a high-stakes conversation needs to understandThe instinct to explain more feels like thoroughness. It isn't. And once you hear this, you'll never over-explain again. Less spin. More Substance.

    15 min

  2. 5 May

    #21 - What is the Forgiveness Window?

    The window between a mistake and your verdict is smaller than you think - and most people miss it. Join Mark Di-Toro as he uncovers why timing beats sincerity every time — and what happens when the clock runs out. How Adidas turned the right decision into a PR issue by waiting three weeksHow CrowdStrike crashed the entire internet — and somehow survivedWhy silence is never neutral — it's a verdict being written without youThe three zones that decide your fate: too early, the window, too lateMiss the window and it doesn't matter how good your apology is — the story's already been written without you. Less spin. More Substance.

    18 min

  3. 14 Apr

    #20 - Why You Don't Want Overnight Success

    What if the thing you've been working towards finally arrives - and that's exactly when everything falls apart? Peloton didn't fail because of fraud, incompetence, or bad people making stupid decisions. They failed because success arrived faster than their ability to handle it. Revenue doubled. The stock rocketed. The CEO told staff it would hit a thousand dollars a share. Two years later it had fallen 95 per cent. Thousands of jobs gone. A £400 million factory scrapped before a single product left it. Then there's Dong Nguyen - a developer in Hanoi who built a game in three days, watched it become the number one app in the world, and then switched it off. When he was making $50,000 a day. Why would anyone do that? Because he understood something Peloton didn't. In this episode, Mark Di-Toro unpacks the psychology of why rapid success warps judgement, distorts risk, and turns rational people into reckless ones - and what it means for anyone building something they actually want to last. Less spin. More Substance.

    19 min

  4. 24 Mar

    #19 - Why Some People Get Away With Everything

    Why does Jeremy Clarkson punch someone and land a £160 million TV deal? Why does Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary say what he wants and sees profits go up? This episode is about the invisible force that decides who gets forgiven and who gets finished. It's not charm. It's not connections. It's not even timing. It's a gap. And most people have no idea it exists — let alone that theirs is showing. Reputation strategist Mark Di-Toro pulls apart the psychology behind why some people seem to operate by different rules entirely. The answer is more uncomfortable than you'd expect - because it applies to you too. More Substance. Less spin.

    19 min

  5. 10 Feb

    #18 - Are You Too Visible? The Psychology of Overexposure

    Think more visibility equals more influence? Think again. In this episode, Mark Di-Toro breaks down the hidden costs of overexposure - why goodwill depletes faster than you realise, and what happens when people start seeing your performance instead of what you are really about. You'll learn: Why the inverted-U curve means "more" eventually becomes "less"How every appearance withdraws from your goodwill accountThe warning signs you're crossing the lineWhy quality beats quantity every single timeHow strategic absence protects your mystique and builds lasting influenceIf you've ever felt like you're working harder but getting less return, this one's for you.

    15 min

  6. 27 Jan

    #17 - The impact of a bad apology. ft Elen DeGeneres

    The Anatomy of a Non-Apology In 2020, BuzzFeed published allegations of a toxic workplace on the show. Ellen had to respond. The internal memo: "Obviously, something changed... I am disappointed to learn..." Her on-air apology: "Things happened here... I take responsibility." But the words didn't quite land... 🎯 The question: Why did her apologies make things worse? The psychology: When we detect insincerity, it doesn't just fail to persuade us - it actually strengthens our negative beliefs. Plus: Image Repair Theory and the paradox of control. The lesson: Specificity is credibility. "I'm sorry if" vs "I'm sorry I" makes all the difference. The verdict: Would a genuine apology upfront have changed everything? #EllenDeGeneres #Apology #ReputationManagement #CrisisComms #PR #Psychology #Leadership #Accountability #Communication #ReputationRewrite

    20 min

  7. 14 Jan

    #16 - Sir David Beckham: The rise, the fall & how to build the best comeback

    From Hated to Hero: The Best Sporting Comeback in History? Saint-Étienne, 1998. One red card. One petulant kick. Overnight, David Beckham went from England's golden boy to public enemy number one. But Beckham didn't quit. He showed up. Week after week. Taking the abuse. Playing. In November 2025, he received a knighthood from the King... 🎯 The question: Would Beckham be the legend he is today without that fall? The psychology: The Scapegoat Effect, the Pratfall Effect, and why showing up matters more than perfection. The verdict: Rewrite or No-Rewrite? 🎙 Reputation Rewrite - Hosted by Mark Di-Toro #DavidBeckham #ReputationManagement #Comeback #SportsHistory #WorldCup #Football #Psychology #PR #PersonalBranding #Leadership #Resilience #ReputationRewrite

    19 min

  8. 09/12/2025

    #15 - The World's Greatest Scapegoat Story? ft Yoko Ono

    Yoko Ono: blamed in part for breaking up The Beatles. Vilified for years. There's just one problem - none of it was true. This episode examines one of history's most brutal character assassinations: how misogyny and fan obsession turned a pioneering avant-garde artist into a cultural villain. How the British press created a myth. We explore the psychology of scapegoating, why certain people become lightning rods for collective anger, and what Yoko's story teaches us about surviving when the world has decided you're the villain. Featuring: Scapegoating Theory, the Halo Effect, and why historical distance allows for redemption. The Verdict: Rewrite or No-Rewrite? #ReputationRewrite #YokoOno #TheBeatles #PopCulture #ReputationManagement

    16 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

💡 Reputation, influence & how the world actually works. Why do some people suffer scandal after scandal while others remain untouched? What do successful people do well? More Substance pulls apart the psychology behind history's biggest public moments - and turns it into something you can actually use. Each episode takes a reputation-defining situation, reveals the strategy behind it, and delivers a verdict: Spin or Substance? Hosted by Mark Di-Toro, who's spent nearly 20 years working with leading global brands and some of the worlds most impressive people. So, hit follow and let's go..

Information

  • Creator
    Mark Di-Toro
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Mark Di-Toro
  • Show Website
    More Substance