Presentation Thinking™

GhostRanch Communications

Mikey and Molly have been beckoned by the gods to become legendary storytellers — a call impossible to refuse. Join our heroes as they dive deep down the rabbit hole, documenting their findings as they scour all industries and disciplines in search of outside insights, inside outlooks, and, well, anything and everything there is to know about the making (and delivery) of better presentations. This is Presentation Thinking™ Brought to you by www.GhostRanch.com — b2b marketers' partners in Presentation Excellence AND www.StoryCamp.com — A soft skills symposium in Park City, July 23-24, 2025

  1. #209. The virtual presentation help book you’ve been waiting for

    3D AGO

    #209. The virtual presentation help book you’ve been waiting for

    Rick Altman has been around PowerPoint since its inception. As an early adapter of graphics and publishing software and later the founder of the Presentation Summit, Rick’s experience with presentations has amounted to an expert-level body of experience. The latest installment comes with his new book, Crush Your Next Virtual Presentation: A Modern Guide for the Modern Communicator.Seeing a serious lack in the presentation advice space for virtual versions, which only grow each year, Rick has stepped up with an insanely useful guide.  There are visual examples at every turn, technical advice for ways in which to upgrade your camera, and breakdowns of the physicality (and psychology) of virtual spaces—all written with Rick’s witty wry voice, making the book anything but boring.   Zoom webinars and virtual conferences aren’t going away and Rick, as usual, finds himself thriving on the wave of adaptation.  This is an episode for: presenters of all kinds, but especially anyone that has to present virtually. What's in the Spice Cabinet? Get Rick’s book for yourself Crush Your Next Virtual Presentation: A Modern Guide for the Modern CommunicatorAttend the virtual Presentation Summit: Presentation Summit 2026: September 13th-16th Where is Rick getting inspiration right now? Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir Follow Rick: BetterPresenting.com - “That’s my front door” On LinkedIn Rick’s walkout song? Midnight at the Oasis - Maria Muldaur

    54 min
  2. #208. TED Talkin’: Angus Fletcher on the power of plot twists

    APR 20

    #208. TED Talkin’: Angus Fletcher on the power of plot twists

    Angus Fletcher is the ultimate Presentation Thinker.  Currently the Professor of Story Science at Ohio State University’s “Project Narrative”, the world’s leading think-tank for the study of how stories work, Angus started out in neuroscience, realized the brain isn’t data-driven, got into the story science and walked away with a PhD in Literature from Yale. (Phew!) He worked in Hollywood, helped design AI and now writes books and teaches. This varied background provides unique insights into niche perspectives such as the one provided in this 2025 TED Talk, Twist Your Fate: Overcoming Adversity with Your Story. Angus shares that a group of veterans were working through depression and PTSD and it wasn’t until trying journaling that there was a breakthrough.  It wasn’t necessarily the content of this veteran’s particular story, but the plot twists that allowed its author to realize what they were capable of. Angus dives into the science behind this story device and how it can help us in work and life—and, of course, presentations.  This is an episode for: speakers, writers and story nerds of all kinds. What’s in the Spice Cabinet?  Watch Angus’s TED Talk Twist your fate: Overcoming Adversity with your story Follow Angus’s work: His website We’re particularly obsessed with his FAQ page

    31 min
  3. #207. The big value of short films

    APR 10

    #207. The big value of short films

    While the biggest Oscar buzz is reserved for flashy celebs and viral moments, a category usually overshadowed by those little golden statues is “Best Animated Short Film.” Animated shorts provide a masterclass in highly efficient storytelling, interesting visuals and proof that a film's runtime doesn't have to be over 2 hours to win an award (THERE, I said it!!).  Ranging from silly to heavy to wholesome, this year's nominees include incredible Wallace & Gromit-style stop-motion (The Girl Who Cried Pearls) and Domhnall Gleeson's sweet Irish voice narrating a classic 2D hand-drawn style (Retirement Plan).  Filmmaker and Designer Asha Alaji-Sharif joins Molly on this special podcast episode to dissect the storytelling strategies—both visual and structural—employed in these films and what we, as business-minded presentation enthusiasts, can learn from them. This is an episode for: designers and visual strategists, animation fans and anyone that gets inspired by film. What’s in the Spice Cabinet?  The five Oscar-nominated Animated Short Films from 2026 The Girl Who Cried Pearls Retirement Plan Forevergreen Butterfly (Papillon) The Three Sisters (We don’t believe this is anywhere online so we didn’t watch. If you have a link or know where to stream, please reach out!)  Where to follow Asha’s work: On Instagram At the Atlanta Film Festival - she is starring in 500 Seconds To Tell You Her own film, The Four Noble Truths, just won the award for Best Social Impact Documentary at the Atlanta Documentary Film Festival

    32 min
  4. #206. How to inspire students at your Alma Mater

    APR 2

    #206. How to inspire students at your Alma Mater

    What type of presentation podcast would we be if we didn’t discuss the actual presentations that we gave?? We’ve been tracking Mikey’s Road to the TED Talk since the inception of this podcast—and a few weeks ago, he got one step closer.  Invited to speak at his Alma Mater, DePauw University in Indiana, Mikey infused today’s liberal arts pupils with a manifesto keynote in letting your creative pursuits fuel everything else in life.  Inspired by Nike’s tagline story and (of course) Steve Jobs’ quote that says “Creativity is just connecting things”, Mikey shares how he went about putting together this fresh talk, his implementation of Claude as a research partner, and how it all landed with the students in the room.  This is an episode for: emerging speakers and anyone putting together a new talk.   What’s in the Spice Cabinet?  Follow more of Mikey’s writing Via “The Dispatch” on LinkedIn Join us at Story Camp! November 3-6, 2026 in Boulder, CO Mikey’s walkout song (for this particular talk)? Steely Dan - My Old School (Or anything Beastie Boys)

    29 min
  5. #205. Harnessing humor with hilarious copywriter, Lianna Patch

    MAR 27

    #205. Harnessing humor with hilarious copywriter, Lianna Patch

    World’s funniest conversion copywriter Lianna Patch and founder of Punchline Copy joins Presentation Thinking (again!) to revisit our conversation from the early days of the podcast (Episode #39).  We get into what’s changed in the presenting world, what’s constant, and her latest talk called “Stage Presence in a Can.”  We also discuss the ways AI is affecting both copywriting and presenting and how best to leverage it as a tool. If you want to infuse your brand with a more authentic (and funny) voice and bring JOY to corporate culture, start with Lianna’s advice. Sonic signatures, dynamic voice, establishing rapport with the audience—Lianna has tons of real-life experience and really funny anecdotes.  This is an episode for: copywriters, presenters and comedy fans. Find more of Lianna’s funny work PunchlineCopy.com Follow her on LinkedIn Listen to the first time Lianna joined us on Presentation Thinking: Episode #39 Recent comedy faves: “Prodigal Daughter” - Taylor Tomlinson Book and podcast reccos mentioned: Death, Sex & Money (podcast) Bad at Keeping Secrets (podcast) David Nihill - Do you talk funny? (book) Advice for nervous presenters? “Everybody there wants to see you win.” Lianna’s walkout song?  “Anything VULFPECK” - consistent with her answer in Episode #39! The Birdwatcher

    42 min
  6. #204. Book Club: Save the Cat! (Part 2)

    MAR 19

    #204. Book Club: Save the Cat! (Part 2)

    “What can screenwriting teach us about presentations?” That’s the question Mikey and Molly continue to answer in Part 2 of their Book Club style episodes on Blake Snyder's famous Save the Cat! Screenwriting book. In this episode, they break down Snyder’s 15 beats of storytelling and equate each to a “Beat Sheet for Business Storytelling.” A “beat” can be interpreted as a slide or handful of slides that establishes an “emotional change” within a presentation, moving your narrative forward.  Snyder’s storyboarding advice in Chapter 6 and his “immutable laws of screenplay psychics” in Chapter 7 are also very useful for real world presentation applications.  This is an episode for: film nerds, writers, presenters and anyone working with slideware.  What’s in the Spice Cabinet? Read Save the Cat! For yourself: Get the book (on Bookshop.org!) Another screenwriting classic Syd Field’s Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting Check out Blake Snyder’s “Beat Sheets” Beat Sheet Analysis Blake’s Walkout Song? (According to Mikey) Beat It by Michael Jackson Claim your spot for Story Camp 2026 November 3-6 in Boulder, CO

    38 min
  7. #203. Book Club: Save the Cat! (Part 1)

    MAR 12

    #203. Book Club: Save the Cat! (Part 1)

    If you’ve ever been in a film studies class, you might’ve heard of Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat! billed as one of the ultimate guides to screenwriting.  As students of storytelling, Mikey and Molly finally dive into this 2005 guide to see what’s still useful for storyboarding, visual storytelling strategy and how to keep an audience engaged throughout a film or presentation. Now, you may be wondering: “What can screenwriting teach us about presentations?” Since the dawn of cinema, screenwriting has become one of the most effective mediums of storytelling, creating universal classics that are quoted and referenced for years. If even a quarter of PowerPoint presentations had that kind of impact, we wouldn’t have the phrase “Death by PowerPoint.”  Join Part 1 of this Book Club style episode to learn more!  This is an episode for: film nerds, writers, presenters and anyone working with slideware. What’s in the Spice Cabinet?  Read Save the Cat! For yourself:

    39 min
  8. #202. Tell an SKO story with Kaitlyn Hines

    MAR 5

    #202. Tell an SKO story with Kaitlyn Hines

    As SKO (Sales Kickoff) season falls behind us in the calendar year, GhostRanch reflects on the amazing opportunities provided to us by clients to support their large-scale SKO storytelling.  THEMES are a common storytelling device for SKOs because they can help introduce a new product or hone in on an area of focus while still tying into an over-arching brand story.  Such was the case for Associate Creative Director Kaitlyn Hines who helped to create a cool series of themes like mountain climbing and F1 racing for a tech client.  We dig into Kaitlyn’s design process for strategic visual storytelling, as well as show off some slide-specific examples to serve as inspiration for your next presentation!  This is an episode for: slide designers, big conference storytellers and anyone that touches SKO planning.   What’s in the Spice Cabinet?  What tools are you using for inspiration collection these days?  “Pinterest—I use if for my DIY and I use it for my design thinking…it’s just the easiest to stay organized.” Favorite designers or people to follow?  Steven Harrington - fun, creative illustrator. LA-based. Aaron Draplin - “great designer and killer presenter” Walkout song?  The SpongeBob Squarepants Theme Song

    42 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Mikey and Molly have been beckoned by the gods to become legendary storytellers — a call impossible to refuse. Join our heroes as they dive deep down the rabbit hole, documenting their findings as they scour all industries and disciplines in search of outside insights, inside outlooks, and, well, anything and everything there is to know about the making (and delivery) of better presentations. This is Presentation Thinking™ Brought to you by www.GhostRanch.com — b2b marketers' partners in Presentation Excellence AND www.StoryCamp.com — A soft skills symposium in Park City, July 23-24, 2025

Information

  • Creator
    GhostRanch Communications
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    208
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © GhostRanch Communications
  • Show Website
    Presentation Thinking™