Videos

Aug. 19, 2025

Levity Matters

By lightening up your communication, you can build serious connections. Humor in communication isn’t all fun and games. According to Alison Wood Brooks and Naomi Bagdonas, levity is one of the most serious tools we have in building successful connections. Wood Brooks and Bagdonas, both teachers, authors, and experts in…

View more
Aug. 19, 2025

Laughing Matters: Levity, Leadership, and Lasting Connection

Humour in communication isn’t all fun and games. According to Alison Wood Brooks and Naomi Bagdonas, levity is one of the most serious tools we have in building successful connections. Wood Brooks and Bagdonas, both teachers, authors, and experts in the field of communication, recognize how crucial levity is to…

View more
Aug. 19, 2025

Day 19 of Back to Basics: Reducing Noise and Biases

Back to Basics Day 19: Reducing Noise and Biases. 💥 What are your favorite takeaways from today's tips?

View more
Aug. 17, 2025

Day 18 of Back to Basics: Managing Conflict

Back to Basics Day 18: Managing Conflict. 🤝 See the situation as a problem to be solved, Matt says.

View more
Aug. 17, 2025

Day 17 of Back to Basics: Take Your Time

Back to Basics Day 17: Take Your Time. ⏳ During certain times, being brief and concise might actually work against you.

View more
Aug. 16, 2025

Day 16 of Back to Basics: Giving Compliments

Back to Basics Day 16: Giving Compliments. 👍 Matt gives a couple tips on how to give effective, positive, and constructive compliments.

View more
Aug. 15, 2025

Day 15 of Back to Basics: Asking For Extensions

Back to Basics Day 15: Asking for Extensions. ⏰ If you're a college student, this video's for you.

View more
Aug. 14, 2025

Day 14 of Back to Basics: The Art of Paraphrasing

Back to Basics Day 14: The Art of Paraphrasing. ✏️ What are some of your best paraphrasing tips?

View more
Aug. 13, 2025

Day 13 of Back to Basics: Incorporating Inflections

Back to Basics Day 13: Incorporating Inflections. 📈 How we use our voice can matter more than you think.

View more
Aug. 12, 2025

Difficult Conversations to Productive Outcomes

Some conversations are uncomfortable, but avoiding them comes with a cost. You want a more successful career, a more fulfilling relationship, a more meaningful life? What if all that’s standing in your way — are the conversations that you’re avoiding? “Most things that we want in life are on the…

View more
Aug. 12, 2025

Day 12 of Back to Basics: Vocal Tips

Back to Basics Day 12: Vocal Tips. 🎤 Matt gives us a couple of vocal tips to make sure we're presenting the best we can.

View more
Aug. 12, 2025

Discussing through Discomfort: Why the Conversations You Avoid Cost You the Most

You want a more successful career, a more fulfilling relationship, a more meaningful life? What if all that’s standing in your way — are the conversations that you’re avoiding? “Most things that we want in life are on the other side of a difficult conversation,” says Jenn Wynn, a professor…

View more
Aug. 11, 2025

Back to Basics Day 11: Translating Your Ideas

Back to Basics Day 11: Translating Your Ideas. ⚡️ The curse of knowledge and passion — this is why it's important to make your ideas more digestible for your audience.

View more
Aug. 10, 2025

Day 10 of Back to Basics: Mirroring

Back to Basics Day 10: Mirroring. 👥 How do you demonstrate caring?

View more
Aug. 9, 2025

Day 9 of Back to Basics: Using Your Voice

Back to Basics Day 9: Using Your Voice. 😲 When you're presenting, be sure to include emotive words.

View more
Aug. 9, 2025

Day 9 of Back to Basics: Using Your Voice

Day 8 of Back to Basics: Using Your Voice. 😲 When you're presenting, be sure to include emotive words.

View more
Aug. 8, 2025

Day 8 of Back to Basics: Introducing Yourself

Day 8 of Back to Basics: Introducing Yourself. ⁉️ Consider starting your presentation introductions with a question, Matt says.

View more
Aug. 7, 2025

Day 7 of Back to Basics: Crafting Conclusions

Day 7 of Back to Basics: Crafting Conclusions. 📌 Matt talks about the "Think, Feel, Do" strategy.

View more
Aug. 7, 2025

221. Don’t Get Lost in Translation: Staying Cool When Every Word Counts

How do you stay clear, calm, and precise when every word counts and there’s no room for error? Staying calm and focused while translating high-stakes conversations in real time isn’t just a language skill — it’s a masterclass in communication under pressure. And for Giampaolo Bianchi (https://www.fastersmarter.io/guests/giampaolo-bianchi/) , simultaneous interpreter…

View more
Aug. 6, 2025

Day 6 of Back to Basics: Communicating During Uncertain Times

Day 6 of Back to Basics: Communicating During Uncertain Times. 🗣️ Words matter.

View more
Aug. 5, 2025

Day 5 of Back to Basics: Building Credibility

Day 5 of Back to Basics: Building Credibility. ✨ Credibility = one of the most precious commodities you have when you communicate.

View more
Aug. 5, 2025

220. Prep Like a Pro: Communication Confidence, Clarity, and Comedy

Master the art of thinking on your feet and turning unpredictability into powerful communication. Being quick on your feet isn’t just a performance skill — it’s a communication necessity. And for Peter Sagal (https://www.fastersmarter.io/guests/peter-d-sagal/) , longtime host of NPR’s Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me, it’s a craft he’s honed over…

View more
Aug. 4, 2025

Six Motivations, One Workplace: Who Are You at Work?

Good communication is about knowing your audience. But if your organization is only focused on knowing your customers, James Root says you're forgetting a whole other cohort: your employees. Root is a senior partner at Bain & Company, Chair of Bain Futures, and author of The Archetype Effect, in which…

View more
Aug. 3, 2025

Back to Basics Day 3: Anxiety Management

Day 3 of Back to Basics: Anxiety Management. 💬 Reframe your presentation as a conversation, not performance.

View more