
Hosted by Rob Jolles · EN

Have you ever been told the golden rule of presentations is to “Tell ‘em what you’re gonna tell ‘em, tell ‘em, then tell ‘em what you told ‘em”? It sounds solid, and it can work... but it’s been riding on its reputation since high school speech class. What if that model, in its simplicity, has been holding your presentations back? What if what you really need is a better blueprint for engaging your audience, keeping their attention, and sticking the landing? In this quick, five-minute Pocket Sized Pep Talk, I’ll take that old-school model, shake it up, and show you what truly separates forgettable presentations from the ones that win trust, drive action, and leave a lasting impression.

In this Pocket Sized Pep Talks, you'll learn:Why avoiding discomfort does more damage than the truth ever could.How to deliver tough messages with empathy, not ego.The mindset shift that turns hard talks into moments of leadership.The particular moment or conversation that inspired Mahesh to write this book.The title is bold — How to Deliver Bad News and Get Away with It. Mahesh explains why “getting away with it” was part of this title and content.Delivering bad news is part of a manager’s job, not a failure. Mahesh discusses how leaders shift their mindset to see these moments as opportunities rather than setbacks.How detecting early warning signs before bad news becomes unavoidable is critical, and what some of those warning signs would be.If you left with just one thing, what one idea to walk away with and implement would be.The impact Stephen King’s storytelling had on Manesh's writing style. To learn more about this guest:GUEST EMAIL mahesh.gkumar@gmail.comGUEST WEBSITE: maheshguruswamy.comSOCIAL MEDIA: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maheshguruswamy/https://x.com/mahesh_gkumarhttps://maheshguruswamy.substack.com/

Have you ever worked with someone who, when asked what they actually do, gives you a vague, jargon-filled answer that leaves you more confused than when you started? I went out for a relaxing dinner with my wife, and all I wanted was a familiar, satisfying beer. What I got instead was a long list of cryptically named IPAs and a server who couldn’t explain a single one of them. That’s when it hit me: we’re not just talking about beer; we’re talking about branding, clarity, and how we present ourselves or our products. In this quick, five-minute Pocket Sized Pep Talk, I’ll share what a confusing beer list can teach us about how not to sell, and why mystery may be fun in fiction but dangerous in business.

It seems that although we are often asked to think outside the box, the reality is, we rarely do. Well, a small bank in Florida sure does, and in this Pocket Sized Pep Talk you'll not only learn how, it will inspire you to get out of the box as well!