Conversations That Count

David Shaft
  • 5.0(2개의 평가)
  • 관리

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. 3일 전

    Why This CEO Signs His Emails 'Just Vinnie' | Vinnie Forese

    The President and CEO of a 25 year education technology company signs every single email the same way: 'Vinnie.' No title, no last name, no signature block, so people assume he is junior staff until they find out he runs the company. In this Conversations That Count vault episode, David Shaft sits down with Vinnie Forese, President & CEO of Link-Systems International, on what communication and leadership look like from the top: leading by trust instead of micromanaging, working ON the business instead of IN it, why tutoring is empathy and connection that AI cannot replace, and how a growth mindset turns 'I am not good at math' into 'I have not been taught math well yet.' It closes with the story behind the 'Just Vinnie' signature and why staying approachable is a deliberate choice. Chapters0:00 Welcome and meet Vinnie Forese1:27 First generation college students7:06 A conversation that counted12:23 Leading by trust, not micromanaging15:35 The bottleneck boss and the conductor19:25 Leader versus manager21:56 Will AI replace tutors?25:10 Growth mindset and math anxiety28:42 What AI cannot do35:10 Empathy and patience over answers38:22 National and international partnerships44:17 Why he signs his emails 'Just Vinnie' Connect with Vinnie ForeseLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/vinnieforeseLink-Systems International: link-systems.com Connect with CTCWebsite: ctcpodcast.mediaApple Podcasts: Apple PodcastsSpotify: SpotifyLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/david-shaft

    Why This CEO Signs His Emails 'Just Vinnie' | Vinnie Forese

  2. 7월 23일

    Rock Bottom Has an Expiration Date

    Rock bottom is not permanent. It has an expiration date, and most people never stop to check when it runs out. In this solo session, David Shaft makes a freeing case: you cannot always choose when you hit rock bottom, but with the right action you get to decide when it ends. Leaning on the old line this too shall pass and the reminder that you carry a 100 percent survival rate for everything you have already survived, he lands it with a ham. Leave it in the freezer and rock bottom keeps forever. Take it out, put it in the sun, and that expiration date moves up fast. Try this: the next time you are at the bottom, say this too shall pass out loud, then take one action today that moves your expiration date up instead of sitting in it. CHAPTERS0:00 Rock bottom has an expiration date0:31 This too shall pass1:12 Your 100 percent survival rate1:31 Drawing the rock2:07 What goes down has to come back up2:54 Nothing stays at the bottom forever3:38 You decide when it expires4:20 The freezer versus the sun4:53 The ham analogy6:39 Try this, move your expiration date up7:09 Close, this too shall pass Get the free Communication Playbook: https://ctcpodcast.media/free-playbook CONNECT WITH CTC:Website: https://ctcpodcast.mediaApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/conversations-that-count-a31f16a6-3131-4c8f-982f-19d52407e8eb/id1890348796Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3J6lZ10GvK07qCv3aQxnkRLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/david-shaft ALSO FROM DAVID SHAFT (voice):Gildenmyth: https://gildenmyth.comThe Sleeping Almanac: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSleepingAlmanacKingdoms at Dusk: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTCouRuuI30LEwUdKIaOE5w Follow Conversations That Count on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. (00:00) - Rock bottom has an expiration date (00:31) - This too shall pass (01:12) - Your 100 percent survival rate (01:31) - Drawing the rock (02:07) - What goes down has to come back up (02:54) - Nothing stays at the bottom forever (03:38) - You decide when it expires (04:20) - The freezer versus the sun (04:53) - The ham analogy (06:39) - Try this, move your expiration date up (07:09) - Close, this too shall pass

    Rock Bottom Has an Expiration Date

  3. 7월 21일

    Every choice is a trade. The real skill is knowing what you are paying, and being okay with the price.

    Everything you do has an opportunity cost. Every choice means you are paying something to get something else, and most people never stop to notice what they are giving up. In this solo session, David Shaft shares the question a mentor used to cut through his venting about business: how do you make it to the gym every day? That flipped his whole frame into what would I do with that time anyway, and straight into opportunity cost. Gym or couch. Free time or money. Marriage or a little isolation. He walks through why every choice is a trade, why the cost is often only paid in the moment, and why the real skill is knowing exactly what you are paying and being okay with the price. Try this: the next time you are dreading something, name the alternative out loud. Ask what you would actually do with that time anyway, and decide if you are okay with the trade. CHAPTERS0:00 Everything has an opportunity cost0:09 What would you do anyway?0:53 The gym question that changed it1:48 Every choice is a trade2:16 Gym or couch, pick one3:38 Free time or money4:13 Marriage, and the cost of a choice5:44 The cost is only paid in the moment6:50 Nothing is free, know what you are paying7:41 Close Get the free Communication Playbook: https://ctcpodcast.media/free-playbook CONNECT WITH CTC:Website: https://ctcpodcast.mediaApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/conversations-that-count-a31f16a6-3131-4c8f-982f-19d52407e8eb/id1890348796Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3J6lZ10GvK07qCv3aQxnkRLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/david-shaft ALSO FROM DAVID SHAFT (voice):Gildenmyth: https://gildenmyth.comThe Sleeping Almanac: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSleepingAlmanacKingdoms at Dusk: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTCouRuuI30LEwUdKIaOE5w Follow Conversations That Count on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. (00:00) - Everything has an opportunity cost (00:09) - What would you do anyway? (00:53) - The gym question that changed it (01:48) - Every choice is a trade (02:16) - Gym or couch, pick one (03:38) - Free time or money (04:13) - Marriage, and the cost of a choice (05:44) - The cost is only paid in the moment (06:50) - Nothing is free, know what you are paying (07:41) - Close

    Every choice is a trade. The real skill is knowing what you are paying, and being okay with the price.

  4. 7월 16일

    Wisdom is a great gift, but it always comes at a price. What Solomon and Odin paid, and what it means for you.

    Wisdom is a great gift, but it often comes at a great price. Nothing is really free, and the cost is usually a piece of yourself. In this solo session, David Shaft makes the case that wisdom is earned through trials, not handed over. He walks through two stories: Solomon, who asked God for wisdom and then had to prove it in the judgment of the two mothers, and Odin, the Norse king of gods, who traded an eye at Mimir's Well for one sip of wisdom and hung nine days on the tree of Yggdrasil to earn it. The wisest never complain about the price. They pay it, and they come out stronger. Try this: the next time a hard lesson costs you something, name what it cost, then name what it taught you. Pay the price on purpose instead of resenting it. CHAPTERS0:00 The price of wisdom, nothing is free0:22 Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived1:15 The two mothers and one baby2:42 Wisdom is not the same as intelligence3:05 My other show, The Sleeping Almanac, and Odin4:12 Odin trades an eye at Mimir's Well5:27 To truly see, he gave up his sight6:11 The wise never complain about the price7:49 Nine days on the tree of Yggdrasil9:35 Magic, runes, and the birth of language9:55 Try this, embrace the trial Get the free Communication Playbook: https://ctcpodcast.media/free-playbook CONNECT WITH CTC:Website: https://ctcpodcast.mediaApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/conversations-that-count-a31f16a6-3131-4c8f-982f-19d52407e8eb/id1890348796Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3J6lZ10GvK07qCv3aQxnkRLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/david-shaft ALSO FROM DAVID SHAFT (voice):Gildenmyth: https://gildenmyth.comThe Sleeping Almanac: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSleepingAlmanacKingdoms at Dusk: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTCouRuuI30LEwUdKIaOE5w Follow Conversations That Count on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. (00:00) - The price of wisdom, nothing is free (00:22) - Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived (01:15) - The two mothers and one baby (02:42) - Wisdom is not the same as intelligence (03:05) - My other show, The Sleeping Almanac, and Odin (04:12) - Odin trades an eye at Mimir's Well (05:27) - To truly see, he gave up his sight (06:11) - The wise never complain about the price (07:49) - Nine days on the tree of Yggdrasil (09:35) - Magic, runes, and the birth of language (09:55) - Try this, embrace the trial

    Wisdom is a great gift, but it always comes at a price. What Solomon and Odin paid, and what it means for you.

  5. 7월 14일

    Emotional Intelligence: Turn Your Emotions Into Money

    Emotion and money are not opposites. This episode is about the skill almost no one is taught: how to feel your emotions and then direct them. In this solo session, David Shaft makes the case that emotion and money run hand in hand. Drawing on years of closing deals, a hostage negotiator's view of what a great negotiation feels like, and what goes wrong when feelings run loose, David lays out how emotional regulation becomes trust, value, referrals, and money, for the people you serve and for you. Try this: next time a decision has you emotional, name the feeling out loud, then ask one question, where do I want to point this energy? Direct it instead of spilling it. CHAPTERS0:00 Why emotion and money are not opposites2:15 It is never just business3:23 Emotion and money run hand in hand3:54 When I felt the most, I made the most6:06 Direct your emotions, do not spill them8:28 The partners who make you feel something10:47 Control them, then aim them12:09 The close Get the free Communication Playbook: https://ctcpodcast.media/free-playbook CONNECT WITH CTC:Website: https://ctcpodcast.mediaApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/conversations-that-count-a31f16a6-3131-4c8f-982f-19d52407e8eb/id1890348796Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3J6lZ10GvK07qCv3aQxnkRLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/david-shaft ALSO FROM DAVID SHAFT (voice):Gildenmyth: https://gildenmyth.comThe Sleeping Almanac: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSleepingAlmanacKingdoms at Dusk: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTCouRuuI30LEwUdKIaOE5w Follow Conversations That Count on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. (00:00) - Why emotion and money are not opposites (02:15) - It is never just business (03:23) - Emotion and money run hand in hand (03:54) - When I felt the most, I made the most (06:06) - Direct your emotions, do not spill them (08:28) - The partners who make you feel something (10:47) - Control them, then aim them (12:09) - The close

    Emotional Intelligence: Turn Your Emotions Into Money

  6. 7월 9일

    This Found You Because You Keep Asking Why

    You spent your whole life proving why me. This episode is the moment you stop proving and start believing why not me, the confidence you already earned. In this short solo session, David Shaft breaks down the tug of war between the part of you that needs to earn its seat and the part that already knows it belongs, and why those two halves were never meant to fight. With a nod to Lil Durk on treating the mic like therapy and Steve Harvey on your 100 percent survival rate, it is an honest reset on self belief, confidence, and mindset. Try this: next time you catch yourself asking why me, name three things you have already survived or accomplished, then let them answer why not me. CHAPTERS0:00 Hook0:10 Treat the mic like therapy1:06 Why me versus why not me2:24 Does it have to be one or the other3:08 Let your wins feed the belief4:59 It was never a versus match6:06 Your 100 percent survival rate6:51 It was always just you Get the free Communication Playbook: https://ctcpodcast.media/free-playbook CONNECT WITH CTC:Website: https://ctcpodcast.mediaApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/conversations-that-count-a31f16a6-3131-4c8f-982f-19d52407e8eb/id1890348796Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3J6lZ10GvK07qCv3aQxnkRLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/david-shaft ALSO FROM DAVID SHAFT (voice):Gildenmyth: https://gildenmyth.comThe Sleeping Almanac: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSleepingAlmanacKingdoms at Dusk: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTCouRuuI30LEwUdKIaOE5w Follow Conversations That Count on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. (00:00) - Why not me, the confidence you already earned (00:10) - Treat the mic like therapy (01:06) - Why me versus why not me (02:24) - Does it have to be one or the other (03:08) - Let your wins feed the belief (04:59) - It was never a versus match (06:06) - Your 100 percent survival rate (06:51) - It was always just you

    This Found You Because You Keep Asking Why

  7. 6월 23일

    The Crooked Line to Success, with Elliot Kallen

    Elliot Kallen has started businesses from scratch his entire life, and he is candid about the part nobody romanticizes: the cash crunches, the failures, the bloody nose, and the hardest loss a parent can carry. In this conversation, Elliot makes the case that the path to anything worth building is a crooked line, that vision is what carries you past failure, and that the real goal is to fall in love with the work itself. He shares the three voices that still drive him, the mentor question he asks every day, the spray paint fortune his father walked away from, and the story of A Brighter Day, the teen mental health charity he founded after the loss of his son Jake. Elliot is the author of the number one Amazon bestseller Driven, founder of Prosperity Financial Group, and President of A Brighter Day. What we cover: Why every founder's line is crooked, not straightThe mentor question: are you doing everything you can think of doing all the timeGut versus brain, and how to tell which to followVision as the thing that carries you past failureFalling in love with the game, not the moneyA Brighter Day, turning loss into a mission that reaches thousands of families a monthKeeping a team aligned with a vision that keeps changingA Brighter Day: abrighterday.info Need to talk? Text BRIGHTER to 741741. Connect with Elliot Kallen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliotkallen/ Follow Conversations That Count and never miss an episode. Grab the free communication playbook at ctcpodcast.media/free-playbook. Outside the mic: I also built RecoveryMRR, a tool that helps subscription businesses automatically recover failed Stripe payments. If that is your world, check it out at recoverymrr.comChapter markers (locked from the finished 38:16 master) 00:00 Cold open 00:43 Welcome and intro 01:10 Meet Elliot Kallen, author of Driven 02:00 Why every entrepreneur's line is crooked 03:30 A conversation that counted, his parents' voices 08:24 Gut vs brain, the spray paint that got away 10:34 Elliot and the Untouchables 13:04 Vision is what overpowers failure 17:44 Fall in love with the game, not the money 20:25 A Brighter Day, turning loss into legacy 30:16 Keeping your team aligned, the chariot horses 33:30 Recap and close (00:00) - Cold open (00:43) - Welcome and intro (01:10) - Meet Elliot Kallen, author of Driven (02:00) - Why every entrepreneur's line is crooked (03:30) - A conversation that counted, his parents' voices (08:24) - Gut vs brain, the spray paint that got away (10:34) - Elliot and the Untouchables (13:04) - Vision is what overpowers failure (17:44) - Fall in love with the game, not the money (20:25) - A Brighter Day, turning loss into legacy (30:16) - Keeping your team aligned, the chariot horses (33:30) - Recap and close

    The Crooked Line to Success, with Elliot Kallen

  8. 6월 16일

    Pull Back To Push Up: Mentorship and Leadership With Ken Daniel

    My disadvantage was actually my advantage. That's the line Ken Daniel used to become the youngest digital marketing manager in Stellantis history. This is the story behind it. I sat down with Ken Daniel, Digital Marketing Manager for the Mid Atlantic region at Stellantis, to talk about mentorship, leadership, and the framework he uses to keep giving back to the community that built him. Ken is a Detroit native, Cass Tech grad, University of Michigan Ross School of Business alum, and currently sits on the board of Transforming Youths into Adults (TYIA) in Baltimore. The conversation centers on the two mentors who told him to follow his passion, the Connecticut dealer test that taught him "I don't know" is a leadership move, and the pull back to push up philosophy that drives everything he does. In this episode you will learn: Why "I don't know" is the most powerful 3 word leadership move you can make in any roomThe pull back to push up mentorship philosophy, why every interaction should be mutually beneficialDon't chase the dollar, chase the passion, the line every young professional needs to hearPlus the two mentor conversation that reframed Ken's entire career trajectory at 23, why the Wagoneer Preakness setup at 2am taught him about going into the weeds with your team, the Transforming Youths into Adults nonprofit model that prepares foster youth to buy their first home by 25, the six jobs in college that built the skillset Ken uses at Stellantis today, and the fail forward calculus story that turned an E grade into a career pivot. Support Transforming Youths into Adults. The Baltimore nonprofit prepares foster youth aging out of the system to become first time homeowners by age 25. Learn more or donate at TYIA.org. Get the free Communication Playbook: https://ctcpodcast.media/free-playbook Outside the mic: I also built RecoveryMRR, a tool that helps subscription businesses automatically recover failed Stripe payments. If that is your world, check it out at recoverymrr.comCONNECT WITH CTC:Website: https://ctcpodcast.mediaApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conversations-that-count/id1890348796Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3J6lZ10GvK07qCv3aQxnkRLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/davidshaftLinktree: https://linktr.ee/davidshaft FOLLOW KEN DANIEL:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethldanieljr/ Follow Conversations That Count on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. (00:00) - Hook (00:24) - Welcome and intro (00:45) - Meet Ken Daniel, the youngest digital marketing manager in Stellantis history (02:41) - The two mentors who said follow your passion (04:54) - Disadvantage as advantage, the Connecticut Chrysler story (07:31) - The dealer trust moment, "I don't know" as a leadership move (12:53) - Pull back to push up, the mentorship philosophy (15:41) - Wagoneer at the Preakness, getting in the weeds (19:25) - Transforming Youths into Adults, the foster care nonprofit (22:28) - From Skillman Foundation to Detroit Public Schools, the nonprofit roots (26:44) - How adults make friends without resources (28:46) - Six jobs in college, building the skillset before you need it (30:15) - Don't chase the dollar, chase the passion (33:37) - Fail forward, the calculus story (37:12) - Failure is a pivot, the C grade reframe (44:37) - Where to find Ken and TYIA (45:51) - Close

    Pull Back To Push Up: Mentorship and Leadership With Ken Daniel
모두 보기(51개)

평가 및 리뷰

5
최고 5점
2개의 평가

소개

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.

정보

  • 제작진
    David Shaft
  • 방송 연도
    2026년
  • 에피소드
    51
  • 등급
    무삭제판
  • 저작권
    © 2026 David Shaft
  • 웹사이트 보기
    Conversations That Count