Speak by Design

The best leaders do not always make themselves the hero of the story.

They know how to spotlight the team, the customer, the learning, and the impact.

A strong leadership story is not just:

“Here’s what I did.”

It is:

“Here’s what we learned.”

“Here’s what changed.”

“Here’s why it mattered.”

And sometimes the most powerful stories are the ones where the ending is still being written.

At Sharpen & Elevate in Chicago on July 15, we’ll practice how to communicate success stories with more clarity, influence, and executive presence so your ideas land in the room the way they deserve to.

Because leaders who communicate well do more than report information.

They shape perception.

When was the last time you said something in a meeting that made everyone pick their heads up?

Not a status update. Not a project recap.

Something that connected your work to the bigger picture. The market. The competition. The future.

That is the language of leadership. And most people are not using it.

We are bringing leaders to Chicago on July 15 for one day to sharpen exactly this. Sharpen and Elevate. Third year. Better than ever.

Save your spot here: Link in bio

Most communication training does not stick.

Leaders sit through sessions, take notes, and return to work communicating the exact same way.

The training was not the problem.
The approach was.

Here are 10 principles we have used for 25 years to help leaders communicate differently under pressure.

Save this for your next training session.
Share it with your team.

Nervous before a big boardroom presentation?

Try this.

The way you END your presentation controls the entire room.

❌ End on the obstacle → uncontrolled problem-solving
✅ End on the ask or key to success → you lead the room

Know your intention before you walk in and close accordingly.

Save this reminder for your next big meeting.

Struggling to connect with someone new at work?

You're not alone, and it's fixable.

The problem usually isn't chemistry.

It's pressure.

The pressure to agree. To impress. To influence.

Drop all of that. Just focus on connecting.

This clip breaks down exactly what that looks like in practice.

Full episode #9 of the Speak by Design Podcast - link in bio!

CommunicationSkills WorkplaceRelationships ProfessionalGrowth Podcast

New month. Time to look at your presentations with fresh eyes.

Stephanie Bickel breaks down the visual noise that quietly undermines your credibility before you say a word.

Colors, fonts, alignment, grammar. The small stuff is not actually small.

Your idea deserves a presentation that supports it.

The fastest climbers in any organization have one thing in common.

It is not their title. It is not their tenure.

It is their relationships.

Cross-functional. Deep. Wide.

Start inside your own company. Build there first. The results will surprise you.

Speak by Design University is where likeminded professionals come to grow together.

Build the plan. 🌐

You give pep talks more than you think.

To the direct report who's doubting themselves
To the team after a setback
To the vendor who's lost the vision
To the leader who needs to stay the path

The question isn't whether you inspire people.

It's whether you do it well.

Episode 8 of the Speak by Design podcast is your guide to inspirational leadership: how to develop it, walk it, and deliver it when it matters most.

Full episode
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/8-inspire-others/id1724683731?i=1000647833120