Presentation Thinking™

GhostRanch Communications
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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. #207. The big value of short films

    -20 H

    #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
  2. #206. How to inspire students at your Alma Mater

    2 AVR.

    #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
  3. #205. Harnessing humor with hilarious copywriter, Lianna Patch

    27 MARS

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

    19 MARS

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

    12 MARS

    #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
  6. #202. Tell an SKO story with Kaitlyn Hines

    5 MARS

    #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
  7. #201. TED Talkin’: How framing is used in the science of storytelling

    26 FÉVR.

    #201. TED Talkin’: How framing is used in the science of storytelling

    Dr. Nat Kendall-Taylor is a psychological anthropologist—meaning, he studies the way that culture influences how we think. One such concept in his field of expertise is called “framing”: how variations in the way that we present information can lead people to drastically different outcomes and behaviors.  In the business world, we might know this as strategic messaging. Who are we talking to? How are we appealing to them? What will move them to act? The science behind this is useful for communicating as humans, storytelling and crafting messages we want to be effective. Although this is a TED Talk from 2018, understanding how to successfully frame and work through implicit biases may be more relevant than ever!  This is an episode for: narrative strategists, speakers and anyone that wants their message to land effectively. What’s in the Spice Cabinet?  Watch Dr. Nat's TED Talk: How words change minds: the science of storytelling (2018)See how framing is used in Dr. Nat's work: FrameWorks Institute

    24 min
  8. #200. Transform your presentation into a performance with Carmen Sederino

    19 FÉVR.

    #200. Transform your presentation into a performance with Carmen Sederino

    Carmen Sederino is here to help you figure out what to do with your hands onstage.  Carmen may have been a shy kid, but through theater and performing she grew to love the stage. After excelling in a career as a Brand Manager for years, Carmen found herself as the point person that supported whoever would be giving the next presentation.  An “a-ha” moment arrived in Carmen realizing how valuable her set of skills is for keynoters, thus, founding her own business, Illuminated Story.  Whether it’s big picture execution like lighting design and blocking movement across the stage, or more micro presence tools such as integrating voice control, Carmen’s niche background supports high stakes presentations come to life.    Molly and Carmen dive into her story, her process and how to transform any presentation into something that can move people.  This is an episode for: keynote speakers both experienced and new, plus, anyone that is afraid of being onstage. What’s in the Spice Cabinet? Find more of Carmen’s work Illuminated Story - hire her!  LinkedIn Tune into Carmen’s new podcast Beyond the Keynote Biggest source of inspiration? “It’s live theater. I love going to the theater and just looking at what’s possible. Music concerts as well…that is a production. Imagine if business conferences could start taking on that type of model and how much more exciting and interesting it could be.”  Fave books, podcasts or people to follow? Carmine Gallo - The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs Robert Iger - The Ride of a Lifetime Fave TED Talk? Sheryl Sandberg’s “Why we have too few women leaders” Carmen’s walkout song?  “Fame” from the movie/musical by Irene Cara

    48 min
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À propos

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

Informations

  • Création
    GhostRanch Communications
  • Années d’activité
    2020 - 2026
  • Épisodes
    206
  • Classification
    Tous publics
  • Copyright
    © GhostRanch Communications
  • Site web de l’émission
    Presentation Thinking™