Ep. 279: Say it Well: Lessons Learned in the Obama White House

In this episode, Stephen Donnelly and former Obama speechwriter Terry Szuplat have a wide-ranging discussion on everything from Obama’s journey in public speaking, to Trump’s latest inaugural address, to Rev. Mariann Budde’s controversial sermon, and the influence of AI in speechwriting. And of course, they chat about Terry’s new book, Say It Well: Find Your Voice, Speak Your Mind, Inspire Any Audience. In Say it Well, Terry opens up about his own struggles with public speaking, and lays out a practical guide for those looking to find their own voice for a better world. Click here to purchase your copy. We’re also giving away two copies! Listen in for details. CHAPTERS 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:02:03 - Meet Terry 00:03:22 - The Washington D.C. Plane Collision 00:14:31 - Why are We Afraid of Public Speaking? 00:22:27 - Obama’s Challenges in Public Speaking 00:28:52 - Beware the Demagogue 00:35:49 - Style versus Substance 00:45:41 - Rev. Mariann Bubbe 00:48:55 - Chat GPT 00:51:28 - Obama’s Hurdle in Public Speaking 00:53:48 - Vulnerability in Public Speaking 00:57:59 - Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! 01:01:26 - Speeches in Pop Culture 01:03:06:22 - Wrap Up The presenting sponsor of the Socially Democratic podcast is Dunn Street. For more information on how Dunn Street can help you organise to build winning campaigns in your community, business or organisation, and make the world a better place, look us up at: dunnstreet.com.au Support the show Socially Democratic is an opinion-based political and campaign podcast that facilitates discussion on a range of topical issues. The opinions of guests are not an endorsement and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff at Dunn Street and Socially Democratic. Access ad-free episodes and send in questions by joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SociallyDemocratic If you like the show, rate and review us on your favourite podcast app. Follow Us on Socials: Facebook (https://tr.ee/9jGIOy) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sociallydemocratic) LinkedIn (https://tr.ee/YxyYJh) X (https://x.com/SocialDemPod) YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@DunnStreet) The presenting sponsor of the Socially Democratic podcast is Dunn Street. For more information on how Dunn Street can help you organise to build winning campaigns in your community, business or organisation, and make the world a better place, look us up at: dunnstreet.com.au