I overthink so you don’t have to.
The Red Thread® Newsletter
Stories, examples, images, and data you can use to help bring your ideas and messages to life.
The best ideas aren’t found — they’re built. Get a weekly dose of strategies, studies, and stories — direct to your inbox from me — to help you make your ideas strong enough to build change on.
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The Freenoter Podcast
There are lots of resources out there on how to become a paid speaker or keynoter, but what if you speak to build your business, as a FREEnoter? Each week, join me and Tom Webster as we cover all the angles of how to profit from speaking for free. If you are looking to grow your business from the stage--without "selling from the stage," this is the show for you. We will cover EVERY aspect of building your business through speaking, and even share a different craft cocktail recipe every week, just because. Subscribe now!
How to start a presentation your audience wants to keep listening to
Let’s say you sit down to read a new mystery novel. You crack open the cover, flip to the first page, and just as you’re about to read the first line, your (soon-to-be-former) friend comes over and says, “The butler did it.” GAH. Why does that drive us nuts? And more importantly, why does it […]
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How to Match Your Topic to Your Goals: “Idea Ikigai” – EP079
Look for the Overlap The best topic for you is at the intersection of 4 things, and the concept of Ikigai can help. To figure this out for yourself, you can do an “Idea Ikigai” with four sheets of paper. On the first sheet write, “What I Want.” List the things that you want this […]
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Why a Truth Lies at the Heart of Your Idea – EP078
From Idea Statement to Truth We’re renaming a piece of the Red Thread because the truth is it isn’t working like it should. It can be easy to get mixed up between the idea behind your message or pitch and the Idea Statement that comprises a part of its Red Thread. Ultimately, the Red Thread […]
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How to handle negative feedback
Do you remember your first negative performance review? I do. I was 10. I was hot off a victory at the King’s Grant Elementary School Holiday Door Decorating Contest. Our winning door had a fully functioning fake fireplace, replete with mantle and stockings. It was, to say the least, a thing of beauty. And it was all […]
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How to Make Sure Your Target Audience Hears Your Message – EP077
The Universal Paradox of Messaging The narrower your focus with your message, the broader your reach with your target audience. If that sounds counterintuitive to you, you’re not alone. However, this is often referred to as the universal paradox of messaging. The most effective messages feel like they were made just for you. Unfortunately, most […]
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The 3 Beliefs That Precede Change – EP076
And How to Edit Your Message There are 3 beliefs that your audience needs to have in order to make a change. First, that it’s possible to achieve the goal they want with the change you’re recommending. Second, that it’s possible for them. And third, they need to believe that it’s worth it. Be aware […]
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Who’s the hero of your story? Not you.
Ignaz Semmelweis had solved a mystery. And it drove him insane. It’s 1847, and Semmelweis is a doctor at a teaching hospital in Vienna, Austria. The hospital has two maternity wards – one for training doctors, one for training midwives. To keep patient levels even, the wards admit women on alternate days. But the levels […]
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How Do You Clarify and Simplify Your Big Idea? – EP075
The Power of “Only” When you’re trying to clarify and simplify your big idea, the word “only” is extremely important. You need to make sure your audience gets only what they need in order to act. To do that, focus on the action that you’re looking for. Keep in mind that understanding isn’t an action— […]
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The Key to Effective Technical Communication – EP074
Seeing Things From a Different Perspective Effective technical communication is tricky because we suffer from the “Curse of Knowledge.” We don’t remember what it’s like to be unfamiliar with all the jargon in our industry. It’s difficult to imagine what it’s like to not know something that we know. As a result, we end up […]
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How to be authentic
Let’s clear something up: authenticity is not something you choose to be. Or not be. Authenticity is a state. Whatever you are, you are. Whether angel or asshole (forgive my French), you are authentically that. So that’s not the problem. No, when people want you to “be authentic,” they want you (or your business — it applies […]
Read More The Red Thread® Newsletter
Stories, examples, images, and data you can use to help bring your ideas and messages to life.
The best ideas aren’t found — they’re built. Get a weekly dose of strategies, studies, and stories — direct to your inbox from me — to help you make your ideas strong enough to build change on.
Please enter your name.
Please enter a valid email address.
Thanks for subscribing! Please check your email for further instructions.
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