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. 1d ago

    #217. Montana von Fliss moves millions by finding her “one”

    Montana von Fliss is a master of distillation.  From identifying a singular persona (AKA the “one”) that your talk will reach to honing your “secret sentence”, Montana’s approaches have cemented her as an iconic communication coach, keynote speaker, and maker of a millions-viewed TED Talk. In this episode, Montana joins Mikey to chat about how soft skills pay bills, the power of pretending there’s an audience in an empty Zoom room, and how “Imposter syndrome is just a misalignment with reality”.  We hear about how, in identifying her “one” person in the audience that could be moved by her TED Talk, she really got to the heart of what she was trying to say.  Now, who is your “one”? This is an episode for: speakers and presenters of all levels. What’s in the Spice Cabinet?  Montana’s TED Talk has 44 million views (and counting!) Why not add to that number?  How to Be Confident (even if you’re not) Follow more of Montana’s work: MontanaVonFliss.com LinkedIn Her new YouTube channel! Meet Montana at Story Camp! Get your tickets for November 3-6, Boulder Colorado

    #217. Montana von Fliss moves millions by finding her “one”

  2. Aug 21

    #216. Story Camp ‘26 is almost here. Join the mountain magic.

    You’re invited!! WHO: You! Marketers! Comms leaders! C-suiters! Sales powerhouses! PMMs! Anyone feeling like an “accidental” speaker coach!  WHEN: November 3rd-6th, 2026 WHERE: Boulder, Colorado If you’ve never heard about Story Camp, well, you’re going to. Despite only being in its second annual year as a presentation skills conference, Story Camp is on track to sell out this year.  How??  Story Camp Founder Mikey Mioduski joins, er, his own podcast to discuss the secret sauce behind this retreat unlike any other. You’ll hear WHAT to expect at Story Camp 2026, WHO should come and benefit from it, and WHY he brought this thought bubble to life in the first place. This is an episode for: people invested in their personal and professional storytelling skills AND anyone looking to use that leadership development budget.  What’s in the Spice Cabinet? How to get your hands on Story Camp tix?  Get your whole team onboard here Where you’ll be staying for camp vibes The Colorado Chautauqua The headliners who will be there Will Storr Montana Von Fliss Benjamin Benichou Still need more convincing?  Here’s 75 more reasons from Mikey

    #216. Story Camp ‘26 is almost here. Join the mountain magic.

  3. Aug 13

    #215. How do museums present their stories?

    If you’ve ever felt transported to a different world or time period in a museum, that’s a sign of good exhibition design and curation working together.  After finding an article written by Exhibition Designer Alya James from NYC’s Guggenheim (shoutout Substack!), our Presentation Thinking caps really started lighting up.  From strategic placements for the eye to follow, to lighting and audio/visual components, presentation and exhibition mediums share many narrative-building elements in how something is meant to be experienced. This is not to be confused with museum curation AKA the selection of pieces. Exhibition design tackles the how in which pieces are placed, lit and safeguarded so that the public may interact in a natural flow.  Museum exhibition designers leverage presentation just like we do slideware, experiential marketing, and more! This is an episode for: experiential marketers, art nerds, & museum lovers (and haters! Let us change your mind). What’s in the Spice Cabinet? Read Alya James’ Substack piece that got me digging: The Anatomy of an Exhibition Exhibitions, museums, & art referenced Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are” ABBA Museum Lofotr Viking Museum Chicago Art Institute’s display of Georgia O’Keeffe’s “Sky Above Clouds” Stedelijk Museum: Roy Lichtenstein (Amsterdam) Another cool piece: How to visit a museum

    #215. How do museums present their stories?

  4. Jul 17

    #214. How to speak and stand out at a conference—no matter the environment

    Last month, GhostRanch CEO Allie Wilson and Founder Mikey Mioduski spoke together at the Gartner Marketing Symposium/Xpo outside of Denver, Colorado—and had a blast! A busy exhibition hall where the audience wore headphones to better hear their presentation (think silent disco vibes), this conference setting and co-presenting together made for their most unique experience in presenting thus far.  …Especially because their presentation stage was right in front of a restroom, ha!! They join the pod to debrief and dissect their experience and how expectations won’t always match reality—in good, challenging and funny ways.  This is an episode for: speakers, marketers and anyone that attends annual conferences.  What’s in the Spice Cabinet? Learn more about the Gartner Marketing Symposium  (And see you there next year?)  Relevant reading The Influential Mind - Tali Sharot The Unpersuadables - Will Storr Are you coming to Story Camp?? Tickets on sale now for November 3-6, 2026 in Boulder, Colorado!!

    #214. How to speak and stand out at a conference—no matter the environment

  5. Jul 9

    #213. Presentation Book Club: The Science of Storytelling

    Many have written about the shape of stories, archetypes, what stories do to the brain. But none have connected all these puzzle pieces in such a coherent and useful way as Will Storr’s The Science of Storytelling (2021).  Will guides us section by section, understanding how character-driven stories are more memorable, why the brain tracks for changes constantly, flawed characters are most human and more. For storytellers in both business and creative fields, Will guides every insight with science, interesting studies and universally recognizable examples (ie: Jaws, Frankenstein, The Odyssey).   If, in Will’s own words, “To accept story’s challenge and win is to be a hero”, Will becomes one for storytellers everywhere.  This is an episode for: storytelling and science nerds, anyone writing a book and members of our book club. What’s in the Spice Cabinet?  Get a copy for your own shelf: The Science of Storytelling Learn more about Will Here Check out more of his books! - We’ll be reading A Story Is a Deal next Learn from Will IN PERSON at Story Camp this November!  Registration and details here

    #213. Presentation Book Club: The Science of Storytelling

  6. Jun 18

    #212. Steve Jobs Introduces the iPod 2001—and changes music forever

    Continuing our journey in analyzing every Steve Jobs keynote ever given, Mikey and Molly re-visit the talk that would change the way we consume music forever—the introduction of the iPod in 2001.  Steve utilizes a classic Problem and Solution strategy in showing the various ways which 2001 offered music listening experiences (remember flash drives!?) and which route Apple endeavored to improve upon. For each pain point (memory, portability, etc.), Apple develops a clear and stylish solution.  Most interestingly, he saves the reveal of the device itself until much later than he typically does with product launches.  As the first music listening device of its kind, Steve first compares it to a deck of cards—a universal size and feel most people can understand—before pulling the device out of his pocket.  The rest is music history.  This is an episode for: keynote speakers, C-suite presenters and Apple/tech nerds. What’s in the Spice Cabinet?  Watch Steve’s 2001 introduction of the iPod, and explore Steve’s other keynotes: All About Steve Jobs Other episodes where we’re talking about Steve’s presentation skills: #197 - Damage control at Macworld Boston (1997) #192 - Steve Jobs film (2015) #187 - Steve introduces iMac (1998) #72 - Steve Jobs’ Stanford Commencement Speech (2005) Get your hands on some vintage iPods: On eBay!

    #212. Steve Jobs Introduces the iPod 2001—and changes music forever

  7. Jun 12

    #211. Andrea Pacini is a Timeless Presenter—and you can be too

    When you hear the phrase “timeless presenter”, you might think of MLK, Steve Jobs, Oprah... For us at Presentation Thinking, we’re adding Andrea Pacini to that list.  Andrea Pacini is the head of Ideas on Stage UK and a decorated presentation coach with a slew of cool awards. Having already had a few epic conversations together on the pod, we were excited to hear all about Andrea’s latest book, Timeless Presenter.  This book is not a one-size-fits all framework, nor is it a recipe for success. It’s a bullet journal-like presentation of some of the most core principles in presenting.  From data viz examples that work to research-backed audience psychology to real-life anecdotes, Andrea has put together something truly—all together now—timeless.  This is an episode for: storytellers, presentation designers and speakers of all levels. What’s in the Spice Cabinet?  A couple of ways to get your hands on Andrea’s book, Timeless Presenter: Principles for Making Your Ideas Impossible to Ignore: Purchase here Get a FREE copy here Assess your presentation skills in less than 3 mins:  The Confident Presenter Scorecard Want to take it a step deeper? Sign up for Andrea's web class here What’s next for Andrea Pacini? “I’m thinking about a book for kids—but it has to do with communication. I’m thinking ‘empathy’...It’s just an idea for now.” Recommended speakers to go with Timeless Presenter? Andrea emphasizes that Science Thinkers make for great presenters like: Neil deGrasse Tyson Brian Cox Andrea’s walkout song? Don’t Stop Me Now - Queen When I mention that’s the song he selected in previous episodes, Andrea says “What matters is not what’s new, it’s what lasts.”

    #211. Andrea Pacini is a Timeless Presenter—and you can be too

  8. Jun 4

    #210. TED Talkin’ with Montana Von Fliss: Stand out with a “silent sentence”

    Montana Von Fliss exudes confidence…even if she’s not actually feeling confident. How?  Like any good actress and executive speaker coach, she’s got a secret sauce—or, silent sentence—to share with us Presentation Thinkers.  In her 2025 TED Talk called How to Be Confident (even if you’re not), Montana runs through her tried and true tips for oozing confidence on any stage. Things like pausing for emphasis and employing the Superhero stance may sound like familiar wisdom, but Montana’s “Silent Sentence” is the piece tying all standard presentation advice together.  When utilized strategically, it’s the thing you don’t say out loud that can have the loudest impact. Understand your presentation purpose and craft your own Silent Sentence with Montana. This is an episode for: strategic storytellers and presenters of any kind.  What’s in the Spice Cabinet?  Watch Montana’s TED Talk for yourself How to Be Confident (even if you’re not) 2025 Follow Montana for more of her work MontanaVonFliss.com On LinkedIn! Sign up for Story Camp 2026 StoryCamp.com

    #210. TED Talkin’ with Montana Von Fliss: Stand out with a “silent sentence”
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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
    216
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © GhostRanch Communications
  • Show Website
    Presentation Thinking™

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