Presentation Thinking™

Cameron Magee, Founder of the avad3 event production company, returns for the final installment of our “Some Guy from the Crew” trilogy peeling the curtain back on everything you need to know about planning events. For this episode? We’re talking openly about money: what you can get for your budget, general allocations for event sizes Small, Medium and Large and what unanticipated costs people often forget about. Cameron also maps out the ideal production team for each size event and the roles you can expect to see them take on. With hundreds of experiences under his belt, Cameron makes you feel like he’s got the often unpredictable event industry down to a pretty perfect science. This is an episode for: first-time event planners, the production team or whoever’s in charge of the SKO budget. What’s in the Spice Cabinet? Tune into the rest of the series here:“Some Guy From the Crew” Part 1: The importance of rehearsals with Cameron Magee“Some Guy From the Crew” Part 2: Live events with Cameron MageeCameron’s favorite resources for event production? [When asked by a young person for the best apps in event production, Cameron replied]: “I got good news and bad news. The good news is they're already on your phone. The bad news is this is not going be a very sexy conversation.” Shoutout Notes app and Google Suite.Book reccos?Dale Carnegie - How to Win Friends and Influence People“…because almost everything in this industry, as you alluded to earlier, it’s note regulated. It's actually quite negotiable. But negotiation hinges on being relational.” Atul Gawande - The Checklist ManifestoEdgar Papke - True AlignmentGoal for 2026?Encourage more live music at events!

During the first week of December 2025, GhostRanch Communications hosted its 10 year anniversary offsite retreat in Santa Fe, New Mexico! In honor of turning a decade old, founder and CEO of GhostRanch Mikey Mioduski has some wisdom to share about how to plan, host and present at an offsite retreat. While this particular case study is for a company with a relatively small number of employees, Mikey’s experience in supporting clients to put on events of all sizes is universal. From presentation files to venue room sizes, we share some of the nitty gritty details you won’t want to forget. Oh, and if you need to hire live music, consider an ABBA cover band!This is an episode for: friends of the Ranch, Georgia O’Keeffe fans and whoever on the team is planning the offsite retreat.

End of the year means a look back at the 12 months and many more episodes that made up the Presentation Thinking pod in 2025. Mikey and Molly peel back the curtain on their Spotify Creator Wrapped with analytics and analysis on how we’ve grown in three years and where we’re headed. Of course, we recap the top five episodes of the year, best resources for you to carry on into 2026 and our walkout songs. But we also examine what we feel are some pretty clear trends in B2B, storytelling and how to get attention if you’re also producing a podcast and/or making content.This is an episode for: Growing podcasters, product marketers and everyone that loves an end-of-year review. What’s in the Spice Cabinet?Watch the original “How to avoid death by PowerPoint"David JP Phillips’ TED Talk (2014)Top 5 episodes released in 2025#157. Making messaging PUNCHY with Emma Stratton#179. The power of visual storytelling with “Chief Doodler” Hayley Langsdorf173. Presentation Party Time: Scott Hull & the importance of human-made stories #183. Founder Krislam Chin’s creative approach to teaching creative work#169. Establishing “rules” of visual storytelling: How to avoid Death by PowerPointResources to take into the New Year:Prezent has a great blog - “10 powerful visual storytelling examples for successful presentations”What GenAI Tools Can and Can’t Do for PresentationsFor the story pros - Aaron Sorkin’s Masterclass

The 2015 film Steve Jobs is the perfect overlap of three key areas of interest for Presentation Thinking:Steve Jobs’ life and presentation skillsAaron Sorkin’s writing and storytelling (he wrote the script)AristotleIn our quest to watch every keynote Steve Jobs ever gave, we realized the 2015 Danny Boyle-directed film centers around 3 important product launches in Jobs’ life. A 3 act structure told with product launches, if you will.Mikey and Molly host a film club episode to dissect the structure as it holds up to Aristotle’s Poetics and the Aaron Sorkin masterclass they took earlier this year. From the simple but clever formatting to the presentation preparation (and insane asks Jobs often made), Sorkin’s cutting dialogue keeps you gripped along the way.Jobs was far from perfect but the story does humanize a larger-than-life figure that left a lasting legacy in the tech world. This is an episode for: film/story structure nerds, Apple aficionados and Steve Jobs fans (and haters!)What’s in the Spice Cabinet? Watch the Danny Boyle film for yourself! Letterboxd linkMore about the 1998 iMac launchEpisode 187The Super Bowl ad Apple ran in 1984 that had everyone buzzing?1984Tune into Mikey and Molly’s Aaron Sorkin Masterclass experienceEpisode 163Read Lisa Brennan-Jobs’ memoirSmall Fry

Gerard Clarke is going to be your next favorite filmmaker. As a director and creator based in Atlanta, Gerard has been involved in a countless variety of projects both creative, commercial and a blend of both.  He joins the ‘cast to discuss his experience in pitching (and selling) creative work, building out a visual story and the process that went into his latest short film, 500 Seconds to Tell You.Filmmakers have a lot in common with the creative visionaries of B2B marketing. There’s typically a storyboard, a shot list and a kickass creative crew assembled to execute a vision—not unlike a big product launch, rebrand or narrative deck. From Blockbuster memories to strategic storytelling advice, Gerard offers a unique perspective into the Presentation Thinking world.This is an episode for: visual storytellers of all kinds, anyone that has to sell creative work and film geeks. What’s in the Spice Cabinet?Follow more of Gerard!His websiteLinkedInSome of Gerard’s favorite films & media?Vanilla Sky (2001)He’s also a big Stranger Things fan for those watching the final season!A fave director - Darren AronofskyBook recommendations?Steal Like an Artist - Austin KleonPi Screenplay and The Gorilla Diaries - Darren AronofskyRebel Without A Crew - Robert Rodriguez What is Gerard listening to? Team Deakins podcast - brings in folks in the film biz! Favorite talk?Sir Ken Robinson’s TED Talk, Do schools kill creativity? Walkout song? Summer Sun by Common SaintsParting shot? “To quote the Shawshank Redemption, ‘get busy living or get busy dying.’”

PMM, Navy vet and overall cool guy Langley Barth joins the pod after Mikey and him connected at a Product Marketing Alliance summit in San Francisco (shoutout PMA!). Langley is full of GREAT PMM advice—from becoming a subject matter expert on your product to getting to know the customer journey, he’s an expert at guiding conversations that “unlock the unknown unknowns.”Langley also shares how his experience giving presentations in the Navy (who knew!) has informed his career. In addition to being a PMM, he connects veterans to purpose-driven careers through his organization, Civilian Compass.This is an episode for: the product marketers, the sales team and any vets looking for new career inspo! What's in the Spice Cabinet?Find more of Langley’s workOn LinkedInCivilian CompassPMM inspiration & shoutouts?Elle Grossenbacher’s podcast - Product Marketing AdventuresMichele Nieberding - The AI PMMBook reccos?Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. MooreSan Diego reccos?Taco Surf Taco Shop“Fancy Mediterranean fusion” - CallieWalkout song? Fluorescent Adolescent - Arctic Monkeys

Our third annual installment of “PrezThanking” brings you a Spice Cabinet brimming with presentation resources, tech tips, people to follow and highlights from this year in recording.Dig in with your pie and ice cream to this short n spicy episode.What’s in the Spice Cabinet?Presentation TOOLS n TIPS we’re thankful for Riverside technology! NOT AN AD but we’re loving itAudacity - forever free recording toolFigma Slides - it keeps growing! LIVE EDIT PowerPoint files in Dropbox - we use this hack all the timeData visualization is more important than ever in the age of AITED Talkin’: Ben Wellington’s NYC data story (Episode #174)Dr. Steven Franconeri tells data stories—and you can too(Episode #176)GhostRanch YouTube QuickTip Tutorial Series! Created by Technical Director Steve SheetsDon’t forget to GROUP objects!Presentation PEOPLE we’re thankful forJay Schwedelson - email marketing Guru and founder of Guru ConferenceTom Fishburne’s “Marketoonist” cartoonsIvan Wanis Ruiz - Presentation Coach & Founder of Public Speaking LabKrislam Chin - employing and enabling the next generation!! Looking for a career in design? Check her out Hello World StudioHayley Landsdorf for doodling by hand (not AI! Her clients particularly seek her out for this). Consider a “live scribe” at your next event! Thoughts Drawn OutCameron Magee for our “Some Guy from the Crew” series - founder of avad3, the AV and event production companyHattie the PMM - If you’re a product marketer, follow her immediately! Making marketing magic with Jimi Gibson (Episode #175) - the magician POV you didn’t’ know you needed for marketingPresentation BOOKS we’re thankful forSay it Well - Terry SzuplatPresence - Amy CuddyShoutouts!John Harton, our amazing editor bringing our mic settings in syncNoNo Flores, our episode illustrator giving our ideas visual life

Cameron Magee, owner of avad3, shares his wealth of experience in live-event production. He emphasizes the critical nature of site visits for production teams, highlighting how layout challenges can be solved with minor adjustments. Cameron also discusses the pros and cons of using in-house versus outside production. With insights on modern screen technology, he provides tips on captivating audiences through effective showmanship. Plus, he shares some wild behind-the-scenes stories and stresses the importance of involving production early for creative solutions!

Mikey and Molly might be the first-ever students of storytelling to embark on a curious journey of studying every talk and keynote that Steve Jobs has ever done. When discussing the greatest speakers of all time, the general B2B world typically includes Steve Jobs somewhere in the list and we nod our heads in agreeance. But aside from a few highlights of his talks (and what’s portrayed in various biopics of his life), we realized we weren’t super familiar with his “game” when it comes to the STORY, SCREEN & STAGE elements we typically break down.So we’re off! We begin with one of Apple’s earlier “inciting incidents”: the introduction of the iMac computer in 1998. (You might recall this slick teal desktop setup in your school’s old computer lab).For this talk, Steve has a combined goal of sharing “the state of Apple today” (Steve had just returned to the company) and a launch of this pretty revolutionary technology. Steve’s skill in painting the world as is and presenting an alluring what it could be is absolutely “screamin’”. The 1998 visuals are nostalgic but still powerful. And Steve’s presence is a blast.This is an episode for: Steve Jobs/Apple fans, fellow presentation nerds and anyone that is trying to make their product launch more compelling.What’s in the Spice Cabinet?? Watch the talk for yourself:Steve Jobs introduces the iMac in 1998 - be sure to explore AllAboutSteveJobs.com Not necessary but fun viewing:iMac evolution supercutSteve’s walkout song? (Cheesey version, according to Molly)Jonas Brothers - Year 3000  

Cameron Magee knows the ins and outs of an event’s backstage area. Having led his production and AV company, avad3, for almost 15 years, they’ve produced over a thousand events all over the country. Trusted by Walmart, The White House and many more—Cameron is passionate about serving these events for their varying needs as an “event production partner.” Cameron joins the ‘cast for the first of a several installment series taking an intimate behind-the-scenes look at the intersection of presentations, production and events. While no two days look exactly the same in the event business, rehearsals are a consistent priority for Cameron and his team. Our discussion dives into the importance of rehearsal time, to-do’s and don’ts for event speakers (both beginners and pros!) and what to expect from the production team if it’s your first time speaking at an event.This is an episode for: speakers of any kind, event professionals and anyone that gets intimidated by the tech side of events. What's in the Spice Cabinet? Hire Cameron and his team!And learn more about their production work here: avad3Fave speakers:Terry Szuplat, former speechwriter for ObamaPodcast recommendationsFor business? 2 Bobs—with David C. Baker and Blair EnnsFor faith? First15 “This book changed my life”Anything by Dan Sullivan - Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating TeamworkCameron’s walkout song? Brooks & Dunn - Brand New Man