Leanne on Demand Daily with Leanne Hughes 🌴319. Passion Meets PowerPoint feat. Thomas Krafft (Weekend Rewind)
When you meet someone who’s genuinely passionate about PowerPoint, you know it’s going to be a great conversation. My guest today is Thomas Krafft, co-founder of Blue Box Data Storytelling, and honestly, I think of him as “Mr. Toastmaster.” He’s a speaker, MC, PowerPoint strategist, and all-round presentation geek who loves helping people communicate more clearly and confidently.
In this episode, we dive into the art and science of PowerPoint—why “death by PowerPoint” isn’t the software’s fault, and how to design slides that actually support your message rather than distract from it. Thomas shares his golden rule for every slide (“what can I remove and still make sense?”), and we talk about how simple, visual storytelling beats walls of text every time.
We also explore how his aviation background, his partnership with Kate Norris, and their combined introvert/extrovert dynamic make for powerful workshop facilitation. Thomas talks about routines, music, and energy management before stepping on stage, and why he believes nerves and excitement are the same thing—just labelled differently.
đź’ˇ What we cover
- Why “death by PowerPoint” is a user error, not a software flaw
- How to “show what you can’t tell”
- The best question to ask when designing slides: what can I remove?
- Structuring workshops and keynotes visually
- Co-facilitation dynamics: how Thomas and Kate tag-team strengths
- The importance of knowing your audience and having clear “know” and “do” outcomes
- Using music to shift energy and engagement in workshops
- Turning nervousness into excitement before a presentation
đź’¬ Key quotes
- “You wouldn’t blame Toyota for bad drivers—PowerPoint isn’t the problem.”
- “Show me what you can’t tell me.”
- “If it’s worth speaking about, it’s worth being excited about.”
- “Your slides come after your script.”
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