SPEAK LIKE A CEO
SPEAK LIKE A CEO

SPEAK LIKE A CEO

Oliver Aust, founder of Speak Like a CEO Academy

Overview
Episodes

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Speak Like a CEO is the podcast for ambitious leaders who want to become top 1% communicators - and scale themselves and their businesses by mastering the ultimate leadership skill: communication. Hosted by Oliver Aust - one of the world’s leading voices on leadership communication, bestselling author of Unignorable and Message Machine, and trusted advisor to Fortune 500 leaders, unicorn founders, and government leaders - this show pulls back the curtain on how the world’s most effective communicators think, speak, and lead.

Recent Episodes

How Leaders Get People to Want to Follow Them
JUN 3, 2026
How Leaders Get People to Want to Follow Them
Leadership isn't management. Management tells people what to do; leadership gets them to want to follow. Mark Victor Hansen, co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul, says the difference is a great story. In this episode, he shares the one thing every leader has to sell, how to fight the negativity bias that pulls most leaders under, and why the biggest goals are often the easiest to reach. You'll walk away with a new definition of leadership, success, and legacy. ⏰Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (00:52) Leadership is Storytelling (03:00) Fight Negativity Bias (06:09) Program Your Mind (08:51) Come From the End Result (12:51) Buckminster Fuller (15:53) Storytelling Plus Action (17:48) Talk Prep (21:24) Master Communication Connect with Mark Victor Hansen: https://markvictorhansen.com/ 🎧More Episodes Like This • 316: Surrounded by Idiots w/ Thomas Erikson  https://open.spotify.com/episode/2YFSr9PbPZlFQJAUpebogU • 315: Nir Eyal NYT Best Seller https://open.spotify.com/episode/2YFSr9PbPZlFQJAUpebogU • 308: Confidence on Command https://open.spotify.com/episode/1tTFZKF5RA1gWDZvJzSpl9 🔗LinkedIn Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-aust/ Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markvhansen/ 📩Newsletter Host: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/profile 📚Resources • 21 Storytelling Frameworks: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/21-storytelling-frameworks-with-oliver • Become a Presentation Genius (Free Course): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wJloFeNwBg • Speak Like a CEO Academy: https://www.speaklikeaceo.academy/ 📧 Email: [email protected] 🙌 This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com
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24 MIN
How Leaders Get What They Want Without Winning Arguments
MAY 27, 2026
How Leaders Get What They Want Without Winning Arguments
The science of persuasion has nothing to do with logic. Most people try to "win" with better arguments — and Joshua Bandoch, author of How to Get What You Want, says that's exactly why they fail. In this episode, he shares a three-step framework for moving people to action. He breaks down how to find the real barrier blocking any "yes," craft a story that persuades your audience, and the surprisingly simple test that tells you if your message will actually land. The result: conversations that end in agreement, not arguments. ⏰Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (00:47) What Persuasion Is (01:58) The Persuader's Mindset (04:48) Find Your North Star (05:45) Feelings Over Facts (07:35) Stories That Win (10:14) Build the Story Arc (15:21) Find the Barrier (17:26) Frame It as a Loss (18:38) Persuasion or Manipulation? (19:29) Go Beyond Words (21:24) The Granny Test (24:26) Right or Make a Difference Connect with Joshua Bandoch: https://joshuabandoch.com/ 🎧More Episodes Like This • 316: Surrounded by Idiots w/ Thomas Erikson  https://open.spotify.com/episode/2YFSr9PbPZlFQJAUpebogU • 315: Nir Eyal NYT Best Seller https://open.spotify.com/episode/2YFSr9PbPZlFQJAUpebogU • 308: Confidence on Command https://open.spotify.com/episode/1tTFZKF5RA1gWDZvJzSpl9 🔗LinkedIn Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-aust/ Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-bandoch-02211b167/ 📩Newsletter Host: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/profile 📚Resources • 21 Storytelling Frameworks: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/21-storytelling-frameworks-with-oliver • Become a Presentation Genius (Free Course): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wJloFeNwBg • Speak Like a CEO Academy: https://www.speaklikeaceo.academy/ 📧 Email: [email protected] 🙌 This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com
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25 MIN
The 1% Framework for Clear, Memorable Communication
MAY 20, 2026
The 1% Framework for Clear, Memorable Communication
If your presentation goes well, your audience will forget 90% of what you said. So, the question is: what's the 1% you want them to remember? Andrea Pacini, author of Timeless Presenter, joins Oliver to ensure you become a confident presenter whose message isn’t forgotten by tomorrow.  They unpack why you don't want to start with an agenda or title slide, how to find your 1%, how to work with the brain not against it like most presenters, how you avoid ending up in your audience's spam folder and what the worst thing is you can tell your audience. These principles for memorable communication are the difference between being heard and being remembered. ⏰Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (00:36) Spam Folder (01:33) Start with a Promise (03:10) The 1% That Matters (05:01) The One-Word Pitch (06:24) Don't Fight the Brain (07:26) Weakness Is a Strength (09:12) Clear Is Kind (11:23) Creativity Needs a Cage (13:24) Let Your Message Breathe (14:38) Don't "Use" PowerPoint (16:10) Action Over Reach (18:09) Love Your Audience (20:20) Think Like a Journalist (22:09) The Pause Is the Point (23:56) The Worst Thing You Can Do (25:09) Curiosity Beats Confidence (26:39) Content Fills the Time (28:36) End Before They Want You To Connect with Andrea Pacini: https://www.ideasonstage.com/uk/ 🎧More Episodes Like This • 316: Surrounded by Idiots w/ Thomas Erikson  https://open.spotify.com/episode/2YFSr9PbPZlFQJAUpebogU • 315: Nir Eyal NYT Best Seller https://open.spotify.com/episode/2YFSr9PbPZlFQJAUpebogU • 308: Confidence on Command 🔗LinkedIn Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-aust/ Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/apacini/ 📩Newsletter Host: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/profile 📚Resources • 21 Storytelling Frameworks: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/21-storytelling-frameworks-with-oliver • Become a Presentation Genius (Free Course): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wJloFeNwBg • Speak Like a CEO Academy: https://www.speaklikeaceo.academy/ 📧 Email: [email protected] 🙌 This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique: https://www.podcastboutique.com
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29 MIN
The Secret to Selling Without Trying So Hard
MAY 13, 2026
The Secret to Selling Without Trying So Hard
What if the way you've been going after bigger opportunities is exactly what's making them harder to land? There are two approaches most leaders take, and they both leave opportunities on the table. Mo Bunnell, one of the world’s leading experts on business development and author of Give to Grow, teaches a third strategy that actually wins the work with less effort. This episode breaks down the difference between doing the work and winning the work, and how making this shift changes the way you run meetings, handle pricing, and ask for referrals. ⏰Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (00:32) Doing vs. Winning the Work (04:22) Mistakes That Kill the Pitch (07:37) The IKEA Effect  (10:13) Building Credibility  (15:57) Storytelling (19:27) Pricing Conversations (21:21) Pricing Options (23:55) Raising Prices (27:15) Asking for Referrals (29:17) Closing Meetings with Momentum (32:04) AI as a Thought Partner Learn more in Mo’s free training course: http://givetogrow.info/ Connect with Mo Bunnell: https://bunnellideagroup.com/ 🎧More Episodes Like This • 316: Surrounded by Idiots w/ Thomas Erikson  https://open.spotify.com/episode/2YFSr9PbPZlFQJAUpebogU • 315: Nir Eyal NYT Best Seller https://open.spotify.com/episode/2YFSr9PbPZlFQJAUpebogU • 308: Confidence on Command https://open.spotify.com/episode/1tTFZKF5RA1gWDZvJzSpl9 🔗LinkedIn Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-aust/ Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-mcgowan-7103b/ 📩Newsletter Host: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/profile 📚Resources • 21 Storytelling Frameworks: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/21-storytelling-frameworks-with-oliver • Become a Presentation Genius (Free Course): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wJloFeNwBg • Speak Like a CEO Academy: https://www.speaklikeaceo.academy/ 📧 Email: [email protected] 🙌 This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique: https://www.podcastboutique.com
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37 MIN
Speak Memorably: Why Being “On Message” Isn’t Enough
MAY 6, 2026
Speak Memorably: Why Being “On Message” Isn’t Enough
You’ve been trained to stay on message. The problem? “On message” is forgettable. Bill McGowan, author of Speak, Memorably and founder of Clarity Media Group, has spent 25 years coaching executives on how to be memorable, even working with clients like Kim Kardashian and Cookie Monster. In this episode, he breaks down the difference between speakers people remember and speakers people tune out. From how to open your presentation to the physical and verbal techniques that keep people listening, he shares what actually works and what to avoid. ⏰Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 01:00 Staying on Message 02:15 Be 22x More Memorable 03:30 Keeping Attention 05:09 The 60-Second Rule 08:13 The Three Ps of voice 09:32 Projection and Energy 16:03 Spotting Clichés 18:25 The Magnificent Seven 20:34 What to Do With Your Hands 22:30 Crafting a Memorable Talk 25:01 Kardashians and Cookie Monster 27:33 Reading the Zoom 🎧More Episodes Like This • 316: Surrounded by Idiots w/ Thomas Erikson  https://open.spotify.com/episode/2YFSr9PbPZlFQJAUpebogU?si=u_Dt5fqgRVqzOOoyCJoctA • 315: Nir Eyal NYT Best Seller https://open.spotify.com/episode/2MjPtegbC6wSmLWG6Nqjvy?si=r_en9YaUQFqT5eBBgrN6MA • 308: Confidence on Command https://open.spotify.com/episode/1tTFZKF5RA1gWDZvJzSpl9?si=m32VAVaTQUONT8VVS8qm 🔗LinkedIn Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-aust/ Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-mcgowan-7103b/ 📩Newsletter Host: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/profile 📚Resources • 21 Storytelling Frameworks: https://eo-ipso-comms.kit.com/21-storytelling-frameworks-with-oliver • Become a Presentation Genius (Free Course): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wJloFeNwBg • Speak Like a CEO Academy: https://www.speaklikeaceo.academy/ 📧 Email: [email protected] 🙌 This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com
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30 MIN