
The Presentation Boss Podcast
The Presentation Boss Podcast is all about the art and skill of presentations. Kate Norris and Thomas Krafft share and discuss tips, tools and strategies from their own, professional experience as well as interview other experts to help you present with clarity and confidence.
Whether you're tasked with your first-ever talk, interested to extend your current knowledge or looking to refine and broaden your skills, this is the podcast you need to plan, design and deliver your best presentation.
www.presentationboss.com.au/podcast
Latest episodes

Aug 25, 2020 • 32min
70. Speech Breakdown: TED Talk by Kenneth Lacovara "Hunting for dinosaurs showed me our place in the universe"
In this discussion, Kenneth Lacovara, a renowned paleontologist and discoverer of the Dreadnoughtus dinosaur, shares insights from his TED Talk. He delves into the thrilling methods of fossil hunting and the critical role of geology in revealing Earth's history. The hosts emphasize effective presentation techniques, including engaging visuals and thought-provoking questions. They explore the connection between dinosaur extinction and modern environmental responsibilities, ultimately reflecting on humanity's place in the universe.

Aug 18, 2020 • 34min
69. Alternatives to PowerPoint Part 1 - The Big Five Presentation Software Options
Grab a friend for episode sixty-nine of The Presentation Boss Podcast! We know there is a lot of tiredness around poor slide use. Unfortunately use of presentation software it is not taught as standard on any scale. And with PowerPoint being the ubiquitous term, there is always someone, somewhere thinking about how to avoid 'Death by PowerPoint'. And often, the answer can be to move to another app, program or software to help ease that pain.
At Presentation Boss, we see five big players in the presentation software world. These five hold either a big market share, or are often cited as good alternatives to the usual PowerPoint. In this episode we discuss the options, our experience with them, their features/benefits and where they each fall down.
Plus, at the end Thomas outlines exactly which products he recommends and why. Spoiler alert: we point towards planning and designing above software choice! But, there are options, some are better at some things, so let's talk about that! And next week, we'll discuss all the non-electronic alternatives to slides!
The Options We Discuss:
• Prezi
• Apple Keynote
• Google Slides
• Canva Presentations
• Microsoft PowerPoint
Our Ratings for Each Software/App:
• Prezi: Ease of use, low. Features/flexibility, medium. Looks good, high.
• Keynote: Ease of use, high (for Mac users). Features/flexibility, high. Looks good, medium.
• Google Slides: Ease of use, medium. Features/flexibility, medium. Looks good, medium.
• Canva: Ease of use, high. Features/flexibility, medium. Looks good, high.
• PowerPoint: Ease of use, high. Features/flexibility, high. Looks good, high
Resources and Links
• Email us: podcast@presentationboss.com.au
• The Presentation Boss Podcast: https://presentationboss.com.au/podcast
• Kate on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-norris
• Thomas on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-krafft
• Presentation Boss on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/presentationboss
• Presentation Boss on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/presentation-boss

Aug 11, 2020 • 38min
68. Colin Kinner with Persuasive Pitches and Start-Ups
Step into episode sixty-eight of The Presentation Boss Podcast. Life's a pitch. And today's guest knows a thing or two about the art and science of the successful pitch. Sure, we've all seen the TV shows, trying to secure squillions of investment for a new business. But Colin Kinner reminds us that we are always pitching ideas. Whether we're in sales, in a family or in a corporate team. Heck, you may even be pitching your side-hustle business! And that's why you should listen to this episode.
Kate and Thomas have a great conversation with Colin who specialises not just in this aspect of entrepreneurship but also has a deep understanding of presentations too. They all learn something from this episode from practice techniques, to neuroscience and how direct we should be asking for what we want. If you ever need to share your ideas, don't miss this episode!
About Our Guest
Colin Kinner is the founder and CEO of Startup Onramp, a training and mentoring program for startup founders. Over the last fifteen years he has worked with over 300 startup teams, helping them to launch and grow globally scalable companies. He is a regular speaker on the topic of high-impact entrepreneurship, and has advised corporates and governments on entrepreneurship and innovation programs.
Colin is also an experienced educator. He has trained hundreds of emerging entrepreneurs and is a strong believer that delivering convincing presentations is a skill anyone can learn. In his work with startups, Colin focuses on creating compelling pitches, ensuring that founders can communicate their company's value proposition to customers, investors, employees and the media.
What You'll Learn
• What exactly is a pitch; and how is it designed to persuade
• Where the pitch for an idea exists within a conversation
• How to ask yourself the right questions to put together your best pitch
• The main purpose and structure of a pitch
• Exactly what Colin believes makes the difference between an average and an awesome pitch
• A brilliant rehearsal method to ensure you internalise what you want to communicate
• The differences in proposals depending on culture, and what we can learn from others
• Some neuroscience around internal BS detectors and navigating your truth
• The power of showing your presentation to lookalike audiences, and what you should get from them
Mentioned In The Show
• Colin Kinner's Startup Onramp
Resources and Links
• Email us: podcast@presentationboss.com.au
• The Presentation Boss Podcast: https://presentationboss.com.au/podcast/
• Kate on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-norris/
• Thomas on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-krafft/
• Presentation Boss on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/presentationboss/
• Presentation Boss on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/presentation-boss

Aug 4, 2020 • 1h 12min
67. 'The Presentation Podcast' Crossover with Troy Chollar, Sandra Johnson and Nolan Haims
Five presentation designers and co-hosts are in your ears for episode sixty-seven of The Presentation Boss Podcast. We've got a collaboration episode today, where Kate and Thomas joined up with the three co-hosts from The Presentation Podcast. Yes, the similarity in names is half coincidence, and half telling that we are all about relatively similar things. We get to know each other a little better during this (slightly over one) hour, have some laughs and geek out over some presentation nitty-gritty too!
Troy Chollar, Sandra (Sandy) Johnson and Nolan Haims are each PowerPoint MVP's and each run their own successful presentation design studios. Their podcast (one of Thomas' absolute favourites) is a fortnightly show with discussions revolving around all aspects of presentations, including design, technology and sometimes, guest specials.
The five of us decided we could have a lengthy conversation about our journeys through the industry and with our podcasts. The episode will be released on each of our podcasts, so if you're subscribed to us both, that's why you'll hear something similar. If you're not subscribed to both, you ought to be! For regular viewers here, this is a little bit of a different format and we hope you love this massive conversation!
About The Presentation Podcast:
The Presentation Podcast is a conversation among presentation design studio owners (across the USA) about presentation design, tools, tips, running a design studio and more. New episodes release on the first and third Tuesday of each month.
What We Discuss:
• The upcoming virtual Presentation Summit
• Origin stories of how each group met and why we started our respective podcasts
• Specific niches and specialisations of each co-host (and yes, we're each different!)
• Why this podcast rotates through the three formats
• What benefits we each get out of the podcast experience (and some behind the scenes on individual roles)
And we do talk about presentations, specifically:
• The software we find is being most used and that we most work with (PowerPoint, Prezi, Keynote, Google Slides or Canva)
• Professional and Tech tips from each presenter (all links below)
Mentioned in the Show:
Episode 107 of The Presentation Podcast
Troy Chollar (California):
TLC Creative Services
The PowerPoint Blog
Nolan Haims (New Jersey):
Present Your Story Blog
Nolan Haims Creative
Sandy Johnson (Minnesota):
Presentation Wiz
The Presentation Guild
Pro/Tech Tips:
Troy: Synchronise App
Sandy: Mmhmm App
Thomas: Phil M Jones - Exactly What to Say
Kate: Headliner App
Nolan: Hanna...

Jul 28, 2020 • 13min
66. Speech Breakdown: TED Talk by Nilofer Merchant "Got a Meeting? Take a Walk"
Discover how prolonged sitting poses serious health risks, equated to smoking, and why personal stories can make statistics resonate. Explore the idea of walking meetings as a dynamic alternative to traditional discussions, enhancing creativity and well-being. The hosts critique Nilofer Merchant's impactful presentation style, emphasizing the importance of engaging openings and audience awareness. Find out how to balance brevity with clarity to genuinely communicate big ideas, turning a short talk into a powerful conversation starter.

Jul 21, 2020 • 31min
65. How to Make "Dry Information" Engaging
Discover how to turn so-called boring topics into engaging presentations. The hosts share five key strategies to captivate any audience, including the power of storytelling. Learn how to simplify complex information and use humor to make your point memorable. They emphasize the importance of knowing your audience and framing content positively. With practical tips and examples, you’ll be inspired to bring personality into your presentations and ensure your audience cares about what you have to say.

Jul 14, 2020 • 48min
64. Nolan Haims with Data Visualisation and Presentation
Hello there, it's episode sixty-four of The Presentation Boss Podcast. Way back when Thomas started listening to podcasts about presentations, he came across one called 'The Presentation Podcast' (Yes, the similarity of the name is noted). It has since become his most listened to podcast. Nolan Haims is one of the co-hosts of that show and is a master in presentations, data-visualisation and PowerPoint design.
More recently, Kate has jumped on board the Nolan Haims fan-train and were both excited to have a conversation with him about this topic. There's a load of valuable conversation about charts and graphs use, where design fits into presentation preparation, and how you can start to move from average data presentation towards something better for communication.
About Our Guest
With more than 20 years of experience in the field of visual communications, Nolan Haims helps individuals and organisations tell better stories with fewer words. He has created thousands of presentations including keynote addresses for Fortune 500 CEOs, TED Talks and multi-million dollar winning agency pitches.
In a past life, Nolan was an award-winning magician and juggler and performed with the Moscow Circus and Vermont's Circus Smirkus before turning to theatre. He directed and wrote professionally, creating stories on stages in New York and around the USA for a decade.
As Vice President and Director of Presentation for Edelman, the world's largest PR firm, he founded and ran a department dedicated to raising the agency's bar on visual communication.
He runs his own visual communications consultancy in Montclair, New Jersey. Nolan trains organisations to think visually, speaks at national conferences, writes about visual storytelling at PresentYourStory.com, and is a co-host of The Presentation Podcast. As one of only 35 Microsoft PowerPoint MVPs in the world, he regularly advises the PowerPoint development team.
What You'll Learn
• What the difference is between using different graphing software to present your data
• How using PowerPoint is exactly the same as using Prezi, Keynote, Google Slides or Canva
• Why you should create graphs with quick comprehension in mind
• How you can move your team/organisation from how they currently present data, to an objectively better way
• How to build better data presentations
• The debate around pie charts vs. bar charts
• If you're just getting started, how you can begin to create better designed slides
• Loads more - seriously, you have to just listen in!
Mentioned In The Show
• The podcast that Nolan co-hosts (and Thomas loves): The Presentation Podcast
• Nolan Haims' blog: PresentYourStory.com
• Nolan Haims' corporate website: NolanHaimsCreative.com
• Edward Tufte's books
Resources and Links
• Email us: podcast@presentationboss.com.au
• The Presentation Boss Podcast: https://presentationboss.com.au/podcast/
• Kate on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-norris/
• Thomas on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-krafft/
• Presentation Boss on facebook:

Jul 7, 2020 • 14min
63. Speech Breakdown: TED Talk by Melissa Marshall "Talk Nerdy To Me"
Dive into the art of communication as the hosts break down a TED Talk that transforms complex scientific concepts into relatable language. Learn how to start with storytelling and connect with a broad audience. Discover the importance of pacing and strategic pauses for clarity. Explore effective use of visual aids to enhance presentations. Plus, get tips on simplifying language for technical topics, making them accessible and engaging for all. It's a masterclass in making nerdy ideas shine!

Jun 30, 2020 • 22min
62. Being Confident and Authentic When Speaking
We're tackling the big issues in episode sixty-two of The Presentation Boss Podcast! Confidence in presentations and feeling authentic!
You know what confidence feels like. The idea that you can do a task and do it well. And speaking in any capacity is the skill more than any other that people have no confidence in doing themselves. So we talk about exactly what confidence means when presenting, as well as exactly how to go about building that true, internal confidence for yourself.
Then, authenticity. It's the second-most desirable trait of ourselves when we speak (right behind confidence). The idea that we are giving an accurate, true and non-artificial representation of ourselves. Kate and Thomas talk about what authenticity means (and more importantly, what it doesn't mean), how it affects speaking and of course, the best way for you to be an authentic speaker.
Strap in, while we discuss these two powerful words. We share with you the same thoughts we share with our clients when they ask us to help them be more confident and more authentic.
What you'll learn in this episode:
• What leads to confidence and its two key components
• How and why confidence is different to self-esteem
• The dilemma of starting a new skill and being seen to be starting
• Exactly how to get started building your confidence as a speaker
• What authenticity means for you as a speaker
• The excuses and mis-interpretations of authenticity
• How authenticity gives a reflection of who you are, rather than your most transparent emotions
• Exactly what you can do to ensure you present authentically
Resources and Links
• Email us: podcast@presentationboss.com.au
• The Presentation Boss Podcast: https://presentationboss.com.au/podcast/
• Kate on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-norris/
• Thomas on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-krafft/
• Presentation Boss on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/presentationboss/
• Presentation Boss on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/presentation-boss

Jun 23, 2020 • 53min
61. Tamsen Webster on TED and The Red Thread
Get in, it's episode sixty-one of The Presentation Boss Podcast. We're joined today by another speaking genius from our big wish-list of experts we're excited to have on the show. Today it's Tamsen Webster of TEDx and The Red Thread fame. Kate has been following her work for years, and Thomas almost as long (you'll have to listen to the episode to hear the story).
In this conversation, she talks deeply about refining your message, what goes into making a great talk (TED or otherwise) and the power of introverts when giving presentations. We even have a great discussion about why 5-minute talks are often better than far longer. Tamsen's comments are well articulated, succinct and packed with value. This is a big 49 minutes!
About Our Guest
As a professional 'Idea Whisperer', Tamsen helps people find, build, and tell the stories of their ideas. She combined 20 years in brand and message strategy with four years as a TEDx Executive Producer to create The Red Thread®, a simple way to change how people see.. and what they do as a result. (Though as she'll tell you, everything she knows about people, speaking, and change, she learned at Weight Watchers.) Today, Tamsen is a globe-hopping keynote speaker who consults with enterprise companies like Verizon, Johnson & Johnson, and State Street Bank on how to get their big ideas to have the impact they deserve.
What You'll Learn
• How you can think of the difference between a big idea and a key message in a presentation
• The three connections that are the secret to successful presentation messaging
• What makes the difference between an average talk and a great talk
• The two levels a presentation must succeed on in order to drive change
• Some of the lessons we can learn from the shortest TED Talks
• How introversion positively affects presentations skills as a speaker
Mentioned In The Show
• Everything Tamsen is on her website: TamsenWebster.com
• Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Resources and Links
• Email us: podcast@presentationboss.com.au
• The Presentation Boss Podcast: https://presentationboss.com.au/podcast/
• Kate on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-norris/
• Thomas on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-krafft/
• Presentation Boss on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/presentationboss/
• Presentation Boss on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/presentation-boss
Quotes from the Show
• "You already have the resources you need to be successful; some folks just have to figure out what those are"
• "So much of what people are looking for in delivery can be solved with content"
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