Conversations That Count

David Shaft

Most professionals spend 80% of their workday communicating — and almost none have a system for getting better at it. Conversations That Count changes that. Hosted by David Shaft — President's Club Banker at Rocket Mortgage, Dale Carnegie graduate, and Detroit storyteller — CTC delivers real conversations with executives, industry leaders, and everyday professionals who break down the communication skills that actually move careers forward. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. Professional multi-camera video production on YouTube. Full audio on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. What you'll learn: • Workplace communication: better meetings, tougher feedback, and difficult conversations that don't blow up relationships • Public speaking and presentations: how to open strong, handle Q&A, and keep any room engaged • Professional networking: small talk that leads somewhere, LinkedIn outreach that gets replies, follow-up that builds real relationships • Storytelling: how to tell your story in 60 seconds and communicate with impact in any room • Leadership communication: negotiation, influence, and the Dale Carnegie principles that still work today CTC is syndicated on the Mission Matters Network and features professionals across automotive, finance, tech, healthcare, and Detroit's growing entrepreneurship scene — because great communication looks different in every industry. Whether you're a mid-career professional chasing a promotion, a manager who needs to run better meetings, or anyone who wants to communicate with more confidence, credibility, and impact — this show was built for you. Free resource: Download the free Communication Playbook — 10 frameworks, scripts, and exercises to help you communicate like a pro. Get it at: https://ctcpodcast.media/free-playbook Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube — and never miss an episode. Stories That Stick. Skills That Scale.

  1. 8 Leadership Communication Frameworks From My First Ever Podcast Guest

    قبل ٤ أيام

    8 Leadership Communication Frameworks From My First Ever Podcast Guest

    Follows the Apple and Spotify discoverability formula: hook in the first 20 words, guest credentials (in this case, Ace from the source episode), 3 keyword-rich bullets, CTA to the Playbook. ```Promotions are policy. First calls are trust. If your team member proposed tomorrow, would they call you first? This is the solo breakdown of 8 leadership communication frameworks I pulled from my vault interview with Ace Charafeddine, founder of Acez Academy. Ace was my first ever guest on Conversations That Count, and the conversation we had that day shaped how I lead a team of 40 today. In this episode you will learn: • How to audit your flow state and rebuild it through the inputs you actually control• The First Call Test: a single leadership communication question that tells you whether your team actually trusts you• Why the give-it-all-away principle is the fastest path to leadership growth Plus the slot machine framework that makes professional development goals impossible to ignore, the four archetypes for making hard leadership decisions, why be whatever they need beats every fixed leadership style, one personal goal plus one professional goal as the integration that makes production stick, and the holistic operator mindset that ties it all together. This episode is paired with my full vault interview with Ace. Listen to that one first if you want to hear the source material, or stay here for the playbook. Try This Tomorrow: pick the framework that made you nod the hardest. Write it on five surfaces by the end of the day. Tell one person on your team. Run it for seven days. Then come find me and tell me which one you picked. Get the free Communication Playbook: https://ctcpodcast.media/free-playbook CONNECT WITH CTC:Website: https://ctcpodcast.mediaApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conversations-that-count/id1891772224Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3J6lZ10GvK07qCv3aQxnkRLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/davidshaftLinktree: https://linktr.ee/davidshaft FOLLOW ACE:Website: https://acezacademy.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-charafeddine-0787264a/Acez Academy on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AcezAcademyAcez Academy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theacezacademy/ Follow Conversations That Count on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode.``` **Keyword density check:**- "communication" appears 4x- "leadership" appears 8x- "professional" appears 1x- "podcast" appears 1x (lower than the vault but the title hits it 1x)- "Conversations That Count" appears 3x- Hits the Apple Podcasts indexing targets cleanly. (00:00) - Hook (00:27) - The vault episode that gave me 8 frameworks (01:13) - Framework 1: The slot machine (02:50) - Framework 2: The flow state audit (04:30) - Framework 3: The four archetypes (06:02) - Framework 4: The first call test (07:28) - Framework 5: Be whatever they need (09:30) - Framework 6: Give it all away (10:53) - Framework 7: One personal plus one professional (13:17) - Framework 8: Everything connects (14:27) - Try This Tomorrow (14:55) - Close

    ١٦ د
  2. How Great Leaders Communicate Care: The First Call Test | Ace Charafeddine

    قبل ٦ أيام

    How Great Leaders Communicate Care: The First Call Test | Ace Charafeddine

    Most professionals spend 80 percent of their workday communicating, and almost none have a system for getting better at it. This is the leadership communication conversation that started Conversations That Count. Ace Charafeddine is the founder of Acez Academy, owner of his own mortgage brokerage, and author of 10 Keys of Leadership. He has trained communication and sales leadership teams across the country. In this conversation you'll learn: - How to audit your flow state and rebuild it through inputs (sleep, food, conversations, environment)- The communication move that earns trust before you have the right to coach- The First Call Test: a simple leadership communication question that tells you whether your team actually trusts you Plus the slot machine framework for making professional development goals impossible to ignore, the four archetypes for making hard leadership decisions, and the unconditional door policy that makes mentees run through walls for you. This is the first ever episode of Conversations That Count, finally pulled from the vault. At the time of the recording Ace was at Rocket Mortgage. He has since launched Acez Academy and his own brokerage. Try This Tomorrow: Ask yourself which of your team members would call you first if they proposed, got a job offer, or had a baby. If you can name three with confidence, you are leading. If you cannot, the gap is your next month of work. Get the free Communication Playbook: https://ctcpodcast.media/free-playbook CONNECT WITH CTC:Website: https://ctcpodcast.mediaApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conversations-that-count/id1891772224Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3J6lZ10GvK07qCv3aQxnkRLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/davidshaftLinktree: https://linktr.ee/davidshaft FOLLOW ACE:Website: https://acezacademy.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-charafeddine-0787264a/Acez Academy on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AcezAcademyAcez Academy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theacezacademy/ Follow Conversations That Count on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. (00:00) - Hook (00:43) - Welcome to the first ever Conversations That Count (01:41) - Ice cream trucks and how Ace's sales career started (05:00) - The conversation that pulled Ace back into flow (11:23) - The slot machine framework (14:06) - One personal goal, one professional goal (16:03) - The 10 Keys of Leadership playbook (20:19) - The Thanksgiving proposal and the First Call Test (24:27) - The four archetypes: warrior, sovereign, lover, magician (30:25) - Inside Acez Academy (32:41) - The A-Woof close

    ٣٥ د
  3. 8 Frameworks From The Power Of No | Candy Shaw

    ٧ مايو

    8 Frameworks From The Power Of No | Candy Shaw

    8 frameworks from my conversation with Candy Shaw — known industry-wide as The Balay Lama, owner of Jamison Shaw Hairdressers in Buckhead Atlanta, founder of the Sunlights professional balayage product line, and NAHA 2025 Educator of the Year. We don't have a labor shortage, we have a talent shortage. The power of no can change your life. Major time with major people, minor time with minor people. This solo recap breaks down the eight tactical takeaways from Tuesday's episode that every working professional can use. Candy's framing isn't just for hairdressers. The lessons here apply to anyone trying to build a career without burning out, anyone who keeps overcommitting, anyone who feels their wellbeing is being treated as the variable that adjusts when work demands more. The thread running through all eight: protect the company, which is you, and choose what you say yes to more carefully than anything else in your life. In this recap:— Why "we don't have a labor shortage, we have a talent shortage" applies to every industry, not just beauty— Why your work should be a first choice career, not an apology, and how embarrassment quietly shrinks the work— The day Candy almost went into a partnership her body warned her about before her head did— Why "no doesn't mean never" and how that reframe protects every yes you've ever given— The two ears and one mouth principle that keeps her inspired across three companies— How to identify a "serotonin sucker" in your network and what to do about them— Why your partner decides your future or your past, in business and in life— Why chasing the dollar guarantees you'll miss it and what to chase instead Try This Tomorrow: Practice saying no this week. One time. Intentionally. Without guilt and without explanation. Notice what changes in the 24 hours after you do it. Watch the full Candy Shaw interview on YouTube: [paste long form URL] Follow Candy Shaw:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebalaylama/Salon: Jamison Shaw Hairdressers, Buckhead, AtlantaProduct line: Sunlights — https://sunlightspro.com CONNECT WITH CTC:Website: https://ctcpodcast.mediaFree Communication Playbook: https://ctcpodcast.media/free-playbookLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/davidshaft New episodes Tuesday and Thursday at 5 AM EST. 58+ conversations on communication, leadership, and professional development. (00:00) - Hook (00:34) - Recap Starts (01:20) - Framework 1 — Talent Shortage, Not Labor Shortage (02:14) - Framework 2 — Stop Apologizing For Your Craft (04:17) - Framework 3 — The Power Of No Can Change Your Life (06:14) - Framework 4 — Two Ears, One Mouth In Direct Proportion (06:47) - Framework 5 — Major Time With Major People (08:22) - Framework 6 — Be Your Own CEO, Protect The Company Which Is You (09:11) - Framework 7 — Choose Your Partners More Carefully Than Anything (11:08) - Framework 8 — Chase What You Love, Not The Dollar (13:06) - Try This Tomorrow

    ١٤ د
  4. The Power Of No With Candy Shaw

    ٥ مايو

    The Power Of No With Candy Shaw

    The power of no can change your life. Candy Shaw, known industry-wide as The Balay Lama, owns Jamison Shaw Hairdressers, a 50 chair salon in Buckhead, Atlanta. She founded The Academy at Jamison Shaw and built Sunlights, the professional balayage product line that became a cult favorite the moment it launched. She's been at the chair 45 years, was named NAHA 2025 Educator of the Year, and her father was the first American to win the Marcel Iron World Championship in 1960. In this conversation we unpack the most underused two-letter word in the English language and why saying it might be the most important skill you ever build. Candy's framing isn't just for hairdressers. The lessons here apply to anyone trying to build a career without burning out. We talk about why the industry has a talent shortage instead of a labor shortage, why most people apologize for what they do instead of owning it, what to do when you have too many tabs open in your brain, why your partner decides your future or your past, and why chasing the dollar guarantees you'll miss it. In this episode:— Why Candy's father Jamison Shaw called himself a "consultant" for years because he was embarrassed to admit he was a hairdresser— The story of him sawing scissors down in his garage to copy a tool he'd seen but couldn't buy— Why she has a talent shortage, not a labor shortage, and why every industry feels this right now— The almost-partnership her body warned her about before her head did— Why "no doesn't mean never" and how that reframe changes everything— The two ears and one mouth principle that keeps her inspired— Why your partner decides your future or your past, in business and in life Try This Tomorrow: Ask yourself what your true passion is. Then commit 10 hours next week to perfecting it. Just 10 hours. Block them on your calendar. Notice what changes. Connect with Candy Shaw:Instagram: (00:00) - Hook (00:55) - Conversation Starts (05:09) - Why We Have A Talent Shortage, Not A Labor Shortage (05:34) - Candy's Story And The Marcel Iron Legacy (06:53) - Stop Apologizing For Your Craft (14:53) - Sleep, Silence, And Closing The Tabs (18:47) - Be Your Own CEO And Protect Your Joy (20:03) - The Power Of No: Candy's Story (25:48) - Two Ears, One Mouth, And The Push Gas Pump Brakes Rule (30:04) - Chase What You Love, Not The Dollar (30:58) - Major Time With Major People (32:20) - Try This Tomorrow

    ٣٧ د

التقييمات والمراجعات

٥
من ٥
‫٢ من التقييمات‬

حول

Most professionals spend 80% of their workday communicating — and almost none have a system for getting better at it. Conversations That Count changes that. Hosted by David Shaft — President's Club Banker at Rocket Mortgage, Dale Carnegie graduate, and Detroit storyteller — CTC delivers real conversations with executives, industry leaders, and everyday professionals who break down the communication skills that actually move careers forward. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. Professional multi-camera video production on YouTube. Full audio on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. What you'll learn: • Workplace communication: better meetings, tougher feedback, and difficult conversations that don't blow up relationships • Public speaking and presentations: how to open strong, handle Q&A, and keep any room engaged • Professional networking: small talk that leads somewhere, LinkedIn outreach that gets replies, follow-up that builds real relationships • Storytelling: how to tell your story in 60 seconds and communicate with impact in any room • Leadership communication: negotiation, influence, and the Dale Carnegie principles that still work today CTC is syndicated on the Mission Matters Network and features professionals across automotive, finance, tech, healthcare, and Detroit's growing entrepreneurship scene — because great communication looks different in every industry. Whether you're a mid-career professional chasing a promotion, a manager who needs to run better meetings, or anyone who wants to communicate with more confidence, credibility, and impact — this show was built for you. Free resource: Download the free Communication Playbook — 10 frameworks, scripts, and exercises to help you communicate like a pro. Get it at: https://ctcpodcast.media/free-playbook Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube — and never miss an episode. Stories That Stick. Skills That Scale.