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All Episodes

Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques — 302 episodes

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Title
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296. AMA: Speaking Out, Staying Grounded, and Managing Up

2

295. Culture Club: Communicating Values That Scale

3

294. Ask & You Shall Receive: Questions For Better Negotiations

4

293. 5 Leadership Lessons From Stanford: Me2We 2026

5

292. Headspace Habits: Lessons for Calm, Confident Communication

6

291. Hello, Stranger: Why Curiosity Beats Charisma Every Time

7

290. Quick Thinks: How to Have Better Conversations About Aging

8

289. Better with Age: Why Joy Matters More Than Longevity

9

288. Turn Your Audience into Co-Creators: Lessons from the Tiger Sisters

10

287. Give It a Rest to Do Your Best: The Sleep Habits That Catalyze Your Communication

11

286. Driven to Succeed: Turn Doubt Into Your Competitive Advantage

12

285. Think Inside the Box: How Constraints Spark Creativity and Communication

13

How To Speak Up — When You Don’t Want To | From TED Business

14

284. Hear Me Out: How Understanding Accents—Ours & Others—Improves Communication

15

283. Ask Matt Anything: Authenticity, Anxiety, and Answering Well

16

282. The Language of Luck: Why Fortune Favors Those Who Pay Attention

17

281. Be Clear, Be Concise, Be Remembered: Masters of Scale

18

280. Stay Relevant: Future Proof Your Career in an AI World

19

279. Rethinks: How to Leverage What People Already Want

20

278. How Do You Mean? It’s Not What You Say, It’s How You Say It

21

277. How Small Choices Shape Better Communication

22

276. Dead End Goals: Are Your Ambitions Actually Leading You Toward Meaning?

23

275. Cracking the Code: Learn The Unspoken Rules of Workplace Success

24

274. Choose Connection Over Perfection: Why Happiness Starts with Better Communication

25

273. Quick Thinks: How to Create Messages People Remember

26

272. Say What Sticks: The Neuroscience of Memorable Communication

27

271. Rethinks: The Key to Lasting Behavior Change

28

270. Make Belief: The Mindset Shifts That Make Your Communication Stronger

29

269. Ask Matt Anything: Bring Clarity to Complicated Conversations

30

268. Going Viral: How To Balance Authenticity and Spectacle

31

267. Rethinks: Why Authenticity Leads to Better Communication

32

266. Your Brain Has Too Many Tabs Open: Managing the Voice in Your Head

33

265. Complexity to Connection: Humanizing High-Stakes Communication

34

264. Show Your Receipts: Communicating in a Post-Truth World

35

263. Smart Isn’t the Same as Clear: How to Sharpen Your Ideas

36

262. Own the Room: How Voice, Breath, and Body Work Together

37

261. Meetings With a Point: How to Design For Better Decisions

38

260. From Role To Soul: The Four Ingredients For Mastering Meaning

39

259. Quick Thinks: Task-Focused to People-Focused—A Smarter Way to Communicate

40

258. When Power Talks, People Walk: Why Leaders Don’t Hear What Matters Most

41

257. Move Your Audience: Lessons From MLK You Should Use

42

256. Be Kind: The Most Overlooked Driver of Success

43

255. How Leaders Sound Smart Without Saying Too Much

44

254. Start Fresh: How Framing, Timing, and Talk Can Improve Your Finances

45

253. Top 10: The Best Communication Tips from 2025

46

252. Rethinks: How to Make Complex Ideas Accessible

47

251. How to Stop Performing and Start Communicating with Presence

48

250. How to Navigate Conflict: Tools For Productive Communication

49

249. Quick Thinks: Rituals That Make Teamwork Work

50

248. Better Together: How to Supercharge Your Team’s Productivity

51

247. “Matt”er of Fact: Coaching on Feedback and Q&A

52

246. Shared Wisdom: How Communication Defines Culture and Builds Community

53

244. Community Creates Change: Build Relationships That Actually Matter

54

243. Rethinks: How Lessons from Neuroscience Can Help You Communicate Confidently

55

242. Tech Tools: The Power of Showing, Not Telling

56

241. Team Spirit: How to Make Group Work Work

57

240. Belief It or Not: How to Rewrite the Narratives That Hold You Back

58

239. Tech Tools: How Smarter Scheduling Leads to Stronger Communication

59

238. Ask Matt Anything: Why Listening Might Be Your Most Powerful Skill

60

237. Mistake It Till You Make It: Learn Faster and Fail Smarter

61

236. Tech Tools: Zeroing in on Your Email Communication

62

235. Refine, Reframe, Repeat: Make Your Communication a Slam Dunk

63

234. Need to Know: Lead With Transparency, Character, and Silence

64

233. Tech Tools: Write with Confidence and Impact

65

232. Pause, Don’t Panic: Finding Calm in High-Stakes Moments

66

231. Secret Signals: Why We Rarely Say Exactly What We Mean

67

230. Tech Tools: Use Visuals to Your Advantage

68

229. Rethinks: How to Speak Successfully When You’re Put on the Spot

69

228. Negotiate Your Way to Success: Empathy, Mirroring, and Labeling

70

227. Tech Tools: Move Your Audience By Moving Through Your Presentation

71

226. Reinvent Yourself: Turning Uncertainty Into Opportunity

72

225. Speaking Fluent Internet: How Algorithms Are Changing the Way We Speak

73

224. Make Your Messages Epic: The Evolution of Words and the Stories They Carry

74

223. Laughing Matters: Levity, Leadership, and Lasting Connection

75

222. Discussing Through Discomfort: Why the Conversations You Avoid Cost You the Most

76

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

77

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

78

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

79

218. Teaching Truths & Tactics: Live Lessons From Stanford in Cape Town

80

217. Rethinks: How to Build Deep Connections

81

216. Wired for Words: A Neuroscientist’s Guide to Influence

82

215. The New Media Landscape: Trust, Transparency, and Transformation

83

214. From Crisis to Clarity: Simplicity, Feedback, and the Art of Being Heard

84

213. Rethinks: Building Trusting Relationships Through Communication

85

212. Break It to Make It: Disrupt Your Way to the Perfect Job Fit

86

211. Small Screens, Strong Signals: Mastering Modern Communication

87

210. First Impression to Lasting Impact: Use Status Strategically

88

209. Find Your Fit, Find Your Focus - Catalyze Your Career

89

208. Ambiguity to Action: Tensions and Trade-Offs of Leadership and Communication

90

207. From Conflict to Connection: Having Crucial Conversations that Count

91

206. Crafting Narratives That Motivate: What’s Your Strategy Story?

92

205. Say What Sucks: Catalyzing Organizational Change with AI

93

204. Tough Talks: Turn Tension Into Trust

94

203. No Script, No Problem: Final Secrets to Speaking Under Pressure (Bonus)

95

202. Own Your Brand: How to Communicate with Presence and Impact

96

201. Ballpark to the Boardroom: How Alex Rodriguez Hits a Communication Home Run

97

200. Four Keys for Focused Communication: Live Lessons from Our 200 Episodes

98

199. Blunder Pressure: Mastering In-the-Moment Communication (3 of 3)

99

198. Pause and Effect: Mastering In-the-Moment Communication (2 of 3)

100

197. Prep or Perish: Mastering In-the-Moment Communication (1 of 3)

101

196. Ditch the Dictionary: Communicate Confidently Through Connection

102

195. Q&A on Conflict, Confidence, and Connection: Me2We 2025 Part 2

103

194. Live Lessons in Levity and Leadership: Me2We 2025 Part 1

104

193. Conquer Questions: ADDing Value To Your Answers

105

192. Quick Thinks: How to Supersize Your Stories

106

191. Memorable Messages: Choose Words That Capture Attention and Stay Remembered

107

190. Motivation Matters: How to Leverage What People Already Want

108

189. Numbers Need Narrative: Use Data to Influence and Inspire

109

188. Mind Reading 101: To Know What Your Audience Thinks, Just Ask

110

187. Experimenting, Failing, and Finding Your Job Fit - Catalyze Your Career

111

186. Own Your Impact: How to Communicate Your Personal Power

112

185. Say Less, Mean More: Craft Compelling Communication

113

184. Fit or Quit? Find the Job That is Right For You—Catalyze Your Career

114

183. Rethinks: How Anxiety Can Fuel Better Communication

115

182. Stop Chasing Time and Start Owning It: Communication, Happiness & Wellbeing

116

181. Why Happiness is a Direction, Not a Destination: Communication, Happiness & Wellbeing

117

180. Unlocking Your Future Self: Communication, Happiness & Wellbeing

118

179. Finding Positive in Negative Emotions: Communication, Happiness & Wellbeing

119

178. Navigating Chaos and Uncertainty: The Power of Transparency and Empathy

120

177. Don’t Resolve, Evolve: Top 10 Lessons For 2025

121

176. From Stereotypes to Synergy: Communicating Across Generations

122

Ask Matt Anything (AMA) 1: Trust, Paraphrasing, and Nonverbal Cues

123

175. Mastering Toasts and Tributes: Making Your Words Count

124

174. Fix Meetings: Transform Gatherings Into Meaningful Moments

125

173. Rethinks: Surviving the Holidays

126

Between the Lines: In Storytelling, Simplify to Amplify - Premium Sampler

127

172. Bring Mindfulness to Your Communication

128

171. Advice from Nontraditional Storytellers Part 2

129

170. Advice from Nontraditional Storytellers Part 1

130

169. Don't Be a ZQ: Make Your Conversations Count

131

Launching: Think Fast Talk Smart Premium

132

168. How Story Can Change Everything in Your Career

133

167. Hollywood Lessons For Successful Communication

134

166. Why Relying on Talent Alone Will Fail You

135

165. Building Your Personal Brand Makes a Promise: Are You Keeping It?

136

164. Rethinks: Using "Pre-suasion" to Influence Others

137

163. Is Your Audience Ignoring You? How Authenticity Creates Connection

138

162. Unlock Career Opportunities: How to Make the Right Moves

139

Bonus: How to Manage Speaking Anxiety the Think Faster, Talk Smarter Way

140

161. Do Your Homework: Know What to Say by Knowing Who You’re Talking To

141

160. Rethinks: How to Communicate Your Gameplan

142

159. Earn Your Audience: You Can’t Lead If No One’s Listening

143

158. Hope for Cynics: Building Trusting Relationships through Communication

144

157. Communicating the Future: Defining Where We Want AI to Take Us

145

156. Creative Communication: How Our Design Choices Illustrate Our Values

146

155. Can We Be Candid? How to Communicate Clearly and Directly

147

154. Rethinks: Communicating Better as a Leader

148

153. Listen Up, Leaders: A Record-Setting Coach’s Guide to Communication

149

152. Fix Your Communication: Why It’s About Connection Over Perfection

150

151. Get Hired: How the Right Communication Can Advance Your Career

151

150. Communication Tips from the Classroom and Around the World

152

149. Rethinks: How to Take Risks in Your Communication, Relationships, and Career

153

148. Conviction and Compassion: How to Have Hard Conversations

154

147. Disrupt Yourself: How to Innovate Who You Are and Become Who You Can Be

155

146. Stress Resets: How to Change Your Internal Dialogue to Communicate Better

156

145. Rethinks: The Art of Negotiation, How to Get More of What You Want

157

144. Communicating Through Conflict: How to Get Along with Anyone

158

143. Adopt a VC Mindset: Achieve More by Thinking and Communicating Like a Venture Capitalist

159

142. Power and Persuasion: Live Insights from Stanford Experts

160

141. An Invitation for Innovation: Why Creativity Is Found, Not Forced

161

140. Rethinks: How to Handle a Skeptical Audience

162

139. Lose Yourself: The Secret to Finding Flow and Being Fully Present

163

138. Speak Your Truth: Why Authenticity Leads to Better Communication

164

137. When Words Aren’t Enough: How to Excel at Nonverbal Communication

165

136. The Art of Disagreeing Without Conflict: Navigating the Nuance

166

135. Rethinks: The Personal and Professional Power of Emotional Awareness

167

134. How to Chat with Bots: The Secrets to Getting the Information You Need from AI

168

133. From Good to Super: How Supercommunicators Unlock the Language of Connection

169

132. Lean Into Failure: How to Make Mistakes That Work

170

131. Friction Fixing: How to Use Obstacles to Your Advantage

171

130. Rethinks: How to Maintain a Powerful Presence in Your Communication

172

129. Connect Deeply: How to Communicate So People Feel Seen and Heard

173

128. Four Powerful Principles Pt. 2: Your Questions Answered

174

127. Four Principles of Powerful, Focused Communication Pt. 1

175

126. BONUS Making Meetings Meaningful: When Face-to-Face Meetings Matter

176

Think Fast, Talk Smart: The Podcast (A Sound Bite!)

177

125. Making Meetings Meaningful Pt. 2: Key Ingredients for Effective Meetings

178

124. Making Meetings Meaningful Pt. 1: How to Structure and Organize More Effective Gatherings

179

123. Rethinks: Why Curiosity Is Communication’s Secret Weapon

180

122. How To Be More Confident and Calm in Your Communication: Managing the "ABC’s" of Communication Anxiety

181

121. Building Trust and Connection: How to Lead with Vulnerability

182

120. A Few of Matt’s Favorite Things: 10 Communication Takeaways from 2023's TFTS Episodes

183

119. Rethinks: How to Embrace the Benefits of Stress

184

118. Maximizing your Personal Brand: Communicating Who You Are to Help Get What You Want

185

117. Say It, See It: How to Connect Through Conversation

186

116. Quick Thinks: Don't Sweat the Small Talk

187

115. Rethinks: How We Set and Achieve Goals

188

114. Communication Means Paying Attention: The Four Pillars of Active Listening

189

113. Missing Something? How to Kick FOMO with Conscious Decision-Making

190

112. From Mistakes to "Missed Takes"

191

111. Rethinks: How to Spark Creativity in Your Communication

192

110. Write It Well: How to Craft an Email to Capture Busy Readers

193

109. Simplify! How to Communicate Complex Ideas Simply and Effectively

194

108. All In: How Improv Helps You Show Up and Communicate Well

195

107. Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot

196

106. Rethinks: Using Skills From Improv to Master Your In-The-Moment Communication

197

105. Radical Candor: The Communication Shift That Can Transform Your Career

198

104. How to Change: Building Better Habits and Behaviors (And Getting Out of Your Own Way)

199

103. Simple Is a Superpower: How to Communicate Any Idea to Any Audience

200

102. Create a Presence: How to Communicate in a Way Others Can Feel

201

101. We Belong Together: How Communication Fuels Connection and Community

202

100. Shut Up! How to Communicate Better by Talking Less

203

99. Rethinks: How to Handle Challenging Conversations

204

98. Give It to Me Straight: How to Give Honest, Constructive Feedback

205

97. No Rules, No Trust: How Accountability Shapes Communication

206

96. Rock and Role: How Assigning Gender to Inanimate Objects Influences Us

207

95. The Power of No: How Boundaries Help Us Live More Empowered Lives

208

94. LEADing ideas: Research-Backed Tips and Tools from Four Stanford Professors

209

93. All the Feels: The Personal and Professional Power of Emotional Awareness

210

92. No Regrets: How to Take Risks in Your Communication, Relationships, and Career

211

91. Um, Like, So: How Filler Words Can Create More Connected, Effective Communication

212

90. Rethinks: Brains Love Stories – How Leveraging Neuroscience Can Capture People’s Emotions

213

89. Listen, Listen, Listen: How to Build Deep Connections

214

88. Rethinks: Leading From Home – How to Create the Right Environment for Communication

215

87. Know What You’re Saying: How Communicating Tests Our Understanding

216

86. Building Habits: The Key to Lasting Behavior Change

217

85. Rethinks: Don't Get Lost in Translation

218

84. Quick Thinks: How Others Define Us

219

83. You Need a Manifesto: How to Communicate Your Convictions

220

82. It’s Not About You: Why Effective Communicators Put Others First

221

81. Fact or Fiction? How to Communicate When We Hold Different Beliefs

222

80. Magic Words: Change What You Say to Inspire and Influence Others

223

79. Equity by Design: How Diversity Ignites Creativity

224

78. Three Guiding Principles for Successful Communication

225

77. Quick Thinks: AI Has Entered The Chat – A "Conversation" with ChatGPT

226

76. Change My Mind: Using “Pre-suasion” to Influence Others

227

75. Love & Money: How to Talk About Big Decisions Together

228

74. Rethinks: How Emotion Shapes Our Communication, Decisions, and Experiences

229

73. Listen Up: Why It’s Better to Be Interested Than Interesting

230

72. Quick Thinks: Talk It Out – How to Successfully Negotiate and Resolve Conflict

231

71. Strategy Success: How to Communicate Your Gameplan

232

70. Ideas Fuel Innovation: Why Your First Ideas Aren’t Always the Best

233

69. Feeling Nervous? How Anxiety Can Fuel Better Communication

234

68. Directive vs. Dialogue: Communicating Better as a Leader

235

67. What Is Normal? How Culture Affects Communication Styles

236

66. Rethinks: Lessons from Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman to Help You Hack your Speaking Anxiety

237

65. Ties That Bind: Why Remote and Hybrid Teams Need the Right Connection

238

64. Rethinks: Techniques for Managing Your Reputation

239

63. Cheap Talk: What Economics Has to Say About Communication

240

62. Rethinks: Summer Learning Series, How Humor Can Be a Secret Weapon in Communication

241

61. Courage, Ambiguity, Belonging and Data: How to Design Your Communication for Success

242

60. Communicating Uncertainty: How to Connect With Your Audience, Even When The Answers Aren’t Clear

243

59. From Dreaming to Doing: How We Set and Achieve Goals

244

58. Forgiveness: How the Right Communication Repairs Relationships

245

57. Are You Listening?: How to Stay Open and Curious to Other People’s Ideas

246

56. Lean Messaging: How Simple Messages Really Stick

247

55. Ideas & Empathy: How to Design and Communicate with Others in Mind

248

54. Leadership and Ethics: How to Communicate Your Core Values

249

53. Step Up and Stand Out: How to Create the Right Environment for Communication

250

52. Communicating Our Mistakes: How to Avoid Common Flaws and Make Better Decisions

251

51. We Asked, You Answered: Celebrating our 50th Episode with your Anxiety Management Plans

252

50. Telling Good Stories: How to Use the Elements of Narrative to Keep Listeners Engaged

253

49. Make Numbers Count: How to Communicate Data Effectively

254

48. Speaking Up Without Freaking Out: How to Tackle Communication Anxiety

255

47. Quick Thinks: How to Use Storytelling to Be a Better Founder

256

46. Stay Creative: How to Keep Your Ideas Fresh and Practical

257

45. Recipes From the “Communication Kitchen”: How to Handle Three Common Challenges This Holiday Season

258

44. Act Like a Leader: How Lessons From The Theater Can Help You Step into Power

259

43. Get Psyched: How Time and Situations Shape Our Communication

260

42. Space, Pace, and Grace: How to Handle Challenging Conversations

261

41. Speak like a Founder: How Successful Entrepreneurs Communicate to Their Teams

262

40. Mindset Matters: How to Embrace the Benefits of Stress

263

39. Brains Love Stories: How Leveraging Neuroscience Can Capture People's Emotions

264

38. The New Normal: How Hybrid Work Actually Works

265

37. Be Better: How Communication Catalyzes Business Transformation

266

36. Perfecting Teamwork: Building High-Performing Teams By Encouraging Learning

267

35. Leading From The Hot Seat: How To Communicate Under Pressure

268

34. How We Gain — Or Give Away — Authority While Speaking

269

33. Hacking your Speaking Anxiety: How Lessons from Neuroscience Can Help You Communicate Confidently.

270

32. Speech That Empowers: How to Encourage Growth and Resilience in a Younger Audience

271

31. Quick Thinks: How to Shine Online and Excel at Virtual Communication

272

30. Dissolve Disagreements: How Communication Impacts Conflict

273

29. Question Everything: Why Curiosity Is Communication’s Secret Weapon

274

28. Building Strong Relationships: How to Effectively Communicate in Your Professional and Personal Life

275

27. Psychology Trumps Technology: How to Be a Better Communicator on Social Media

276

26. Writing to Win: How to Quickly Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged

277

25. Quick Thinks: All Effective Communication Must Start With This

278

24. Feelings First: How Emotion Shapes Our Communication, Decisions, and Experiences

279

23. Look Within: How to Lead with Self Awareness and Vulnerability

280

22. Under Pressure: How to Communicate Clearly and Timely During a Crisis

281

21. Words Matter: How to Make Your Communication Inclusive

282

20. Question Your Questions: How to Spark Creativity in Your Communication

283

19. Showing Your Smile From Behind a Mask: How Culture and Emotion Impact Communication

284

18. Managing in the Moment: How to Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable

285

17. Think Fast: You Asked, We Answered

286

16. Quick Thinks: How to Craft Your Body Language When Confronting Objections

287

15. The Art of Negotiation: How to Get More of What You Want

288

14. Be Better At Work: How to Communicate Better With Coworkers and Employees

289

13. Make ’Em Laugh: How to Use Humor as a Secret Weapon in Your Communication

290

12. It's Not What You Say, It’s How You Say It: How To Communicate Power

291

11. The Science of Influence: How to Persuade Others And Hold Their Attention

292

10. High-Stakes Communication: How to Manage Anxiety When Speaking in Front of Others

293

9. Quick Thinks: How Being Present-Oriented Improves Communication

294

8. Don't Get Lost in Translation: How Non-Native Speakers Can Communicate With Confidence

295

7. Quick Thinks: Use This Framework to Speak up in Virtual Meetings

296

6. Quick Thinks: Communicating and Leading Virtually

297

5. From Monologue to Dialogue: How to Handle a Skeptical Audience

298

4. The Journey to Mastery: How Self Reflection Can Improve Communication

299

3. When Knowing Too Much Can Hurt Your Communication: How to Make Complex Ideas Accessible

300

2. Communicating Our Multiple Selves: How to Effectively Manage Your Reputation

301

1. Speaking Without a Net: How to Master Impromptu Communication

302

Introducing Think Fast, Talk Smart: The Podcast