Description Today and for the next few weeks, we are taking a step back and trying something new. If you’ve been listening to this podcast you know that I often ask my guests to share stories from their worst talk or their first talk. It’s been a really fun question to ask. And today I want to share the three lessons I learned from one of my WORST FIRST talks - like many have shared my first big talk was one of my worst talks - so I’m combining the two! Also looking back, like many have shared i...
Jan 19, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Description This week we are doing something a little bit different! When I interviewed Br. Sam Gunn, from the Brotherhood of Hope, last week, we got into a great conversation about his answer to my question: “Why be a Brother and Not a Priest?” And in classic Brother Sam fashion he turned it right back around on me. I think what we discuss in these 10-12 min are a really important part of the full beautiful picture of what Catholicism presents to the world. So, if you have ever wondered “why wo...
Jan 12, 2023•15 min
Description Do you have ‘canned’ talks? Like talks that you give over and over to different audiences? I know I do. In fact, that talk that I mentioned just a minute ago “Everyday Apostles” is probably the single talk I’ve given the most. In my conversation with Brother Sam Gunn of the Brotherhood of Hope, he challenged me and all of us to not just pull the same concepts out of “back pocket.” but to approach each new time you give that talk for what it is: new day, new event and most importantly...
Jan 05, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Description What motivates you to speak to Catholic audiences? Is it part of a job? A calling or gifting? Would you do it for free? Do it for fun? In today’s episode my guest, Connor Flanagan, asks me straight up: Do I write talks for fun? And after stammering a bit, and being caught off guard I realized he was onto something. Do I love the craft, the art and science of sharing about Jesus, do I love the people I am speaking to - Is SPEAKING to CATHOLIC AUDIENCES simply a means to an end (a payc...
Dec 29, 2022•51 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Description Where does my authority as a speaker come from? Experience? Education? Certainly those influence my ability to speak confidently and accurately about my subject matter. But is there something deeper - something embedded into the very fabric of who I am as a son or daughter of God and my unique sphere of influence? Well, in my conversation today with Jason Simon, zero punches were pulled. And he goes right for the jugular, to use one of his phrases from the podcast, on this really imp...
Dec 22, 2022•44 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Description When I set out to do this podcast, one of the questions I was really eager to answer was: How do the strongest communicators PRACTICE their talks? And honestly except for a few different ideas here and there - it seems like people mostly don’t practice talks from start to finish. And there are a lot of reasons for that - they often give the same talk over and over, they practice particular bits of their talks, they practice the opener and closer, but improvise a bit more based on a s...
Dec 15, 2022•52 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Description Christianity could’ve been about making a trip to outer space to search out, grope in the dark, and hope to find a God who loves us - far away from our actual lives, but in reality - the truth is - God came right to us - right into the actual mess of our lives. And this is where we pick up today with the inimitable Chris Padgett. We talk about all sorts of things, but a theme emerges throughout. In the speaker and in the audience - BE WHO YOU ARE - drop our false pretenses, get real ...
Dec 08, 2022•1 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Description It says in John 4:32 that Jesus’ food and drink is to “do the will of the one who sent me.” The one who sent him was God the Father. In my lifetime in Catholic speaking and teaching, there’s always been less of an emphasis on the first person of the trinity, God the Father. Jesus has had the spotlight, and occasionally you hear people preach and teach on the HS, especially if you are in charismatic circles, like I am. But have you noticed, though, in the last handful of years that’s ...
Dec 01, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Description What does preaching look like in it’s simplest form? I’d say if you boil it all down, it’s just two things - a person with a bible, but not just a person reading from the scriptures, but someone with the bible open having dug deep into the words, coming up for air, and sharing what they’ve discovered, uncovering it’s meaning, inspiration, and the application of the divine words to our lives. This beautiful gift has to flow from a living relationship with God - the one who gave us the...
Nov 24, 2022•44 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Description I’ve given hundreds of talks to college students and by and large I feel like I know what makes them tick. I’m confident, I’m able to be myself and I have a lot to share with them as so much happened and changed in my life during those years. But if you just dial back the clock four years on those audiences - from 18-22 yrs/old to 14-18 years old - it’s a whole different story. It’s a really difficult challenge - especially week in and week out - speaking to teenagers. And I think if...
Nov 17, 2022•53 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Description One of the most repeated phrases we’ve heard on this podcast is “Know Your Audience” and while that admonition is really important to keep in mind, is it possible to not just “Know Your Audience”, but to “Know Every Audience?” My guest today, Chris Hurtubise, thinks so and I think he might be right! I won’t give it away, because I want you to check out the episode, but I’ll give you a hint - there’s this acronym that’s been floating around in Catholic circles over the last couple of ...
Nov 10, 2022•47 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Description You know the verses about love in 1 Corinthians Ch. 13? It’s the reading that you always hear at weddings. St. Paul starts by saying, “...if I don’t have love I am a resounding gong and a clanging cymbal.” 1 Cor 13:1b People speaking to Catholic audiences have a similar bar to hit - do we have love in our heart for the people God allows us to speak to? And if we don't, how can we gain that love for them? In my conversation with Julianne Stanz, a world-class Catechist, she shares how ...
Nov 03, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Description When it comes to giving Catholic talks, where does “humor” fit in? Is it just a matter of telling jokes you found on the internet or do you have to be a naturally funny person to do it right? Well, it turns out - it’s not about jokes and you don’t have to be a budding stand up comic to make humor work. In my incredible conversation with Michael Hoffman, a 30 year + professional speaker, trainer, and leader we jumped right away into this topic - about humor - and it’s necessary role i...
Oct 27, 2022•57 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Description Does the name of Jesus roll easily off your tongue? My guess is - if you are a Christian you might say ‘sure’, but take notice over the next week how many times you say the Name of Jesus. There’s power in that name and I don’t think we use it enough. More often when we might say Jesus, we substitute it w “god” , “faith”, or “Church”. I bring this up because Beth Davis who I speak with today on the podcast brought up the name of Jesus 35 times. I counted. I think that’s a record for t...
Oct 20, 2022•53 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Description If you are a parent and you are trying to raise your kids Catholic you have undoubtedly heard one of them say: “Mass is boring.” “Church is boring.” “The Catholic stuff is lame.” Have you ever heard that? I’m sure you have! I know I have. And a lot of times we blame the kids for this take - like they just need to mature and “see the light”, but is it really all their fault? Or have we the teachers, preachers, and catechists failed to find creative and engaging ways to share the great...
Oct 13, 2022•56 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Description How do you approach getting and receiving feedback for the talks you give? Is it something you build into your routine? Or something you avoid like the plague? And when you get feedback - do you know what to do with it? In my conversation with Joel Stepanek we jumped deep into this topic and many other topics related to the spiritual life of speakers, what kind of microphone he prefers (oh he’s got some big feelings about that one), and who his biggest influences are as a communicato...
Oct 06, 2022•59 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Description We say thousands of words each day. Many of our words aren’t world changing, they just help make it from morning to night, accomplish our work and family goals, and get us from point A to point B. Most of which we (or anyone else) will ever remember. And that’s probably a good thing. Speaking to Catholic audiences uses that same format - a string of words put together as strings of sentences - but it’s different. There’s a different intent, a different power, and a different weight. ...
Sep 29, 2022•47 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Description : Is a regular structure and framework for each of your talks, constricting or freeing? Does it prevent or enable you to speak more confidently and clearly to an audience? In my conversation with Kris Frank he shares two really helpful ‘structures’ for his talks. First the structure of three key questions he asks himself as he writing a talk AND another structure he uses as a map in both preparing and delivering his talks. Rather than being a rigid constraint these simple and repeata...
Sep 22, 2022•48 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Description : What’s a great way to really improve as a communicator? Is there a silver bullet? Is there something I can do today or is this gonna take years? Well, yes and yes. In my conversation with Tim Glemkowski, Executive Director the National Eucharistic Congress, he shares a really simple but powerful answer to this question and many others. Previous to his current role with the National Eucharistic Congress, Tim served in the Archbishop’s Office for the Archdiocese of Denver as the Dire...
Sep 15, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Description : It has famously been said that if one is a “jack of all trades” they are a “master of none”. How does such an idea apply to Catholic Speakers? Well today in my conversation with Ali Hoffman, speaker, doodler, and digital creative we jump into this very question and so much more. Ali has a passion for Jesus, the Catholic Church, her family, donuts, and Pilot G-2 .38 pens, in that order. She served with NET Ministries and after graduating from the University of Saint Thomas in St. Pa...
Sep 08, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Description : How do the best communicators break free from their notes? It so often appears unscripted and effortless. How do they do it? Today, in my conversation with Paul George we tackle this big question and many other of his convictions and strategies for effective communication. Paul has spent over a quarter century helping people discover the “art of living” through self-knowledge, a relationship with Jesus Christ, and finding true happiness. Throughout these years, he has served in var...
Sep 01, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Description How do you TRUST and FOLLOW the Holy Spirit as you are delivering talks? What work and prayer do you need to put in to make sure any un-planned pivots are led by the Spirit? In my convo with Mark Hart, sometimes referred to as the Bible Geek, we talked in depth about this question and many other fascinating ideas, including his first BIG talk that didn’t turn out exactly as he had planned, his method for preparing talks to ensure that he is best able to follow the Spirit, and his spi...
Aug 25, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Description If you are speaking to Catholic audiences you don’t want to just to pass on correct information, you want to make a deep impact. But how exactly do you do that? And are you willing to stay humble and attentive enough to hear the Holy Spirit, over months, maybe even years to allow a specific message - for the Church - to emerge in your life? Well, this was the transformational idea that I talked with Dan DeMatte about today. From his very first talk to his fellow 8th graders to co-fou...
Aug 18, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Description 1. How crucial is it that the message you are sharing into a microphone matches up with who you are without a microphone? 2. What are the challenges and superpowers for Catholic speakers who are introverts? 3. Is it possible to redeem procrastination once and for all? In my conversation with Sarah Kaczmarek, we cover each of these questions and more! Sarah has served in ministry for the last 18 years and strongly desires to see all of God’s children walk in wholeness and holiness. Sh...
Aug 11, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Description Some questions for you! 1. What role should scripture play when we are speaking to Catholic audiences? 2. How do you develop a talk that matches well with your experience and knowledge and also meets the precise expectations of the group that hired you? 3. What value really is there to listen back or re-watch talks you’ve already given? 4. And finally, when are people ‘most eloquent’? Stick around to the end - I think the answer might surprise you. Well today we are going to tackle e...
Aug 04, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Description Some questions for you! 1. Have you ever been afraid of speaking in public? 2. What about being hesitant to tell people what you really want in life - for fear that they might turn you away? 3. Have you wanted to grow as a communicator, but not really sure, practically, what to work on? 4. Have you wanted to grow in authenticity as a communicator and deeply connect with your audience? Well today we are going to tackle each of these questions and more as I sit down with Nick Redd. A m...
Jul 28, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Description Have you ever tried to explain a difficult concept to a group of people and failed? It makes so much sense to you, but you can’t quite bridge the understanding gap between you and your audience, What do you do? You might also wonder - does it really matter? Does this particular teaching really make a difference in people’s lives? Today I am speaking with Katrina J. Zeno, MTS, who has been speaking and teaching on St. John Paul II's "Theology of the Body" for over 25 years in the USA ...
Jul 21, 2022•58 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Description Today I am speaking to Kyle Heimann. He is a creative, thoughtful, talented and innovative leader in the Church today AND a darn good communicator. In this podcast you will learn five really helpful things: 1. The advice he would give himself as a new speaker 2. How to win the attention war 3. The critical importance of starting and ending well 4. Helping people change JUST ONE THING as the result of a talk 5. His process for praying for and preparing a new talk. And a few fun facts ...
Jul 14, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Description Today I am speaking with Fr Craig Vasek, a Priest of the Diocese of Crookston, MN who for the last four years has been serving at the University of Mary, in Bismarck, ND as a Chaplain of Athletics and member of the teaching faculty. He has a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas in Rome, as well as a Masters in Psychology from Divine Mercy University in Arlington, VA. Throughout his priesthood Father Vasek has worked extensively as a retrea...
Jul 07, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 2
In this inaugural episode of Better Preach I am speaking with Ennie Hickman, one of the most respected and sought after ministry leaders in America. His raw and honest communication, a passion for following Jesus, and his simple and ancient approach to Christian living has impacted tens of thousands over the last two decades. He and his wife, Cana, have eight children. And after ten years leading of Adore Ministries, they founded Del Rey Collective in 2019. In this podcast you’ll learn: How spea...
Jun 30, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 1
