Presentation Thinking™

Jimi Gibson is the VP of brand communication at Thrive Internet Marketing Agency, TEDx speaker and also, a magician (amazing combo, right?).After starting a career in magic as a young kid receiving Merlin’s Mail-Order Magic, Jimi was introduced to marketing through an advertising agency. He realized the structure of a magic trick is not unlike a successful marketing message and Voila—his Magic Script framework was born. Molly and Jimi sit down to discuss his journey through magic, marketing, brand storytelling, preparing and presenting a TEDx talk and how to be a more confident speaker. And of course, there is a magic trick!! (Tune in at minute 13:45). This is an episode for: marketers of all kinds, anyone in brand comms and magic enthusiasts (or skeptics).Fave speakers, marketers or magicians that Jimi is inspired by?Kevin Brown “Apple Pancakes” (talk)Unleashing Your Hero (book)David CopperfieldBooks and resources for presenting and storytelling?Matthew Dicks - won many Moth Grand SlamsStoryworthyTED Talks by Chris Anderson Watch Jimi’s TEDx TalkYou Have Magic Power - Use it for goodFavorite childhood books?Dr. DolittlePeter PanIdeal venue and walkout song?Venue: A classic Vaudeville theaterSong: Yello - Oh YeahWhere to find and follow JimiThrive Internet Marketing AgencyLinkedIn

If you’ve ever had to stare at a data set and wonder how to make meaning of it, this is for you. Ben Wellington is a teacher, researcher and the creator of a little blog called “I Quant NY”. With the release of NYC Open Data, there were hundreds of data sets newly available to the public for anyone to view and use. To learn data mapping tools and combine his interest in urban planning, Ben started mapping quintessential Big Apple experiences like parking tickets, bike accidents and where New Yorkers hail cabs. In his TED Talk, Making data mean more through storytelling, Ben interrogated what it was about his data “stories” that caught the attention of publications as well as the Metro Transit Authority. His conclusion? Not unlike his passion for improv—good storytelling. Though this TED talk is a decade old, building a good data story takes the same elements today. The tools may look different but relating to people, keeping it simple and making an impact are still part of the data viz picture.This is an episode for: Data viz nerds, people that hate data but have to work with it and New Yorkers. What’s in the Spice Cabinet? Watch the TED Talk for yourselfMaking data mean more through storytellingCreate your own NYC data story! NYC open data - there’s even a Central Park squirrel censusWhere to find more of Ben’s workLinkedInI Quant NY (blog)Dream Venue? Molly says Times Square (probably not though lol)Walkout song?Empire State of Mind - JAY-Z ft. Alicia Keys(Theme from) New York, New York - Frank Sinatra

You’re Invited…to Presentation Party Time! Presentation Party Time is a deep-dive type episode dedicated to a specific project so that we can understand the inception, development and execution of the presentation process. For this episode, it’s a sales deck GhostRanch worked on with Scott Hull + Associates—an artist agency helping get creatives hired. And in an age of GenAI, this is a super interesting and complex space to tell a story.Scott joins Mikey, along with copywriter Colin Dullaghan who worked on the story, to discuss the skeleton, the story mining and the creation of the deck’s look and feel (with the help of talented illustrator, Penelope Dullaghan).AI is here to stay but does generic art kill brand credibility? What’s unique about human storytelling and how we can work with AI as creatives?This is an episode for: creatives, storytellers and anyone that builds decks with (or without) AI.What’s in the Spice Cabinet? Learn more about Scott’s work on his siteScottHull.comTeam PowerPoint or Google Slides?Scott - I would say PowerPoint but it’s dependant on who I have supporting meColin - PowerPointWalkout songs? Scott - Blow Wind Blow by Jimmy Rogers or Jump Into the Fire by Harry NilssonColin - Minor Swing by Django Reinhardt

Mikey’s Resource Roundup: AI for presentations, Better comms for managers & a Brad Pitt throwback.In this short n sweet episode, Mikey clues us in to the Presentation Thinking beat with an article he just read, a course he just took and—naturally—one of his favorite movie clips of all time.This is a Spice Cabinet-esque episode that’s chock-full of goodies on how AI can best help to create powerful presentations, professional education greatness from West Kao and a throwback movie clip on the importance of the process via 1992’s favorite Brad Pitt film, A River Runs Through It. “In order to be clear in our communication or clear in our writing, you must be clear in your thinking.” —Wes KaoThis is an episode for: anyone that designs presentations, folks looking to integrate AI, managers looking to improve comms and 90s films fans.   What’s in the Spice Cabinet?Article by Nancy DuarteWhat GenAI Tools Can and Can’t Do for Presentations Follow Nancy Duarte for moreCourse that I just tookWes Kao’s Executive Communication and Influence for Senior ICs and ManagersCheck out more of Wes Kao’s work here One of Mikey’s favorite movie clipsA River Runs Through It (1992)You know the scene where Norman gets his paper edited further and further down to a quarter of its original length by his dad? Mikey says: “ To me, it highlights that importance of process and skill and craft and brevity, you know, and clarity. This stuff doesn't just happen.” Want to improve your storytelling skills on a holistic level? Join us at Story Camp July 23-24 in Park City, Utah!

Hayley Langsdorf is an artist that uses Sharpies to illustrate big ideas from board rooms and beyond. She is a self-described “live scribe” for events, meetings and conferences. Hayley’s 2019 TED Talk, “Drawing out our collective intelligence", draws out—literally—the power of the pen. As humans, we’re all moved by story; and when visuals are added, it’s extra memorable. Even simple figures and shapes—doodles during meetings to help illustrate what was talked about can create a more powerful record than a list of bullets. Hayley’s talk reminds us that simple visual storytelling can help support day-to-day communications. She argues that drawing out ideas to get on the same page could help reduce over-used jargon, excess emails and even combat stifling office environments. Business communicators, consider this your cue to get the colored pack of Sharpies. This is an episode for: doodlers, communicators of all kinds and self described “non creatives”. What’s in the Spice Cabinet? Watch Hayley’s talk for yourself:“Drawing Out Our Collective Intelligence”Find more of Hayley’s workThoughts Drawn OutLinkedInThis TED talk reminded us of…The “Marketoonist” extraordinaire, Tom Fishburne - author of Your Ad Ignored Here Tim Pollard’s work- author of The Compelling CommunicatorWes Kao’s work on keeping people engaged Hayley’s dream talk (according to us)Venue? - Something hosted by Bic or Micron or Sharpie?? Walkout song? Beautiful World by Colin Hay

If you are interested in presentation design, you might already know Mike Parkinson—founder of Billion Dollar Graphics, speaker, trainer and self-described “visualization and graphics geek”. Mike joins Mikey to chat about how he got into such a niche business, his “M&M” approach, visual storytelling through data and, of course, how AI is shaping the design landscape. In Mike’s realization that AI isn’t going anywhere and his feeling that designers should embrace that fact, he’s developed 3 truths around this:Designers or creatives who embrace AI will thrive AI might always be part of the process—but it won’t be the productAs designers, we want to be able to learn to use the right tool the right way. Use your tools accordingly! This is an episode for: designers of all kinds, data viz nerds and anyone curious how to work with AI, rather than against it. What’s in the Spice Cabinet? Where to find Mike’s work:Billion Dollar GraphicsFollow Mike on LinkedInHe may or may not be working on a new book…stay tuned! Rapid fire round:Google Slides or PowerPoint: [no hesitation] PowerPoint!!! Fave color? Blue - apparently the most universally appealing colorDream presentation place? Croatia Go-to walkout song?Titanium - David Guetta, Sia

This discussion dives into the art of Visual Storytelling, emphasizing the importance of clear communication. Key takeaways include focusing on one idea per slide and ensuring a hierarchy for better understanding. Techniques such as chunking content and utilizing grids are highlighted to create breathing room for ideas. Limiting slide items to six or fewer fosters clarity, while being intentional with design choices ensures a cohesive presentation style. Listeners gain practical insights to elevate their storytelling and avoid the infamous "Death by PowerPoint."

We finally got around to talking about who some refer to as the “father of storytelling”—and the 3 Act Structure—the one and only Aristotle.In this “Book Club”-esque episode, Mikey and Molly read “Poetics”—an exploration of genre and the elements that make a great story all that it is. Film buffs and students of storytelling have been examining it for years and we’re here to make our own Presentation Thinking connections. From the “tragic beats” in a plot, to character arc, to the “cherry on top” that is song and spectacle—Aristotle’s early mappings of storytelling still resonate strongly today.This is an episode for: film buffs, story nerds and Aristotle fan-girls.What's in the Spice Cabinet?Read Aristotle's “Poetics” for yourself. Note that quotes and experience will vary slightly depending on the translation you read Buy the book (from a local bookstore!)Read it onlineSome helpful extras summarizing “Poetics”Ask Literature (YouTube)StudioBinder - tons of film references! (YouTube)Study.com SummaryScreencraft (Blog)How did we get into this again?Aristotle’s rules of storytelling come highly recommended by award-winning writer Aaron Sorkin his MasterclassWant to improve your storytelling skills? Join us at Story Camp July 23-24 in Park City, Utah!Aristotle’s walkout song?Molly says that country music is full of good storytelling so—Goodbye Earl by The Chicks 

Social scientist Christopher Cummings takes the TED stage with his talk “The dark magic of communication: how we manipulate others” to show us that communication is like magic—and magic can be used for good or evil. (Dun dun dunnnnnn!)What kind of “dark magic” could we be talking about? As a social scientist and health/risk communicator, part of Christopher’s job is assessing risk and just how dangerous or risky something actually is. We all know there’s a difference between perceived risk and actual risk but how does that get determined? Christopher walks us through synesthetic ideation, the risk algorithm, how ‘affect’ and ‘fear’ both play a role in communicating risk and why it’s important to be critical of headlines and overly hyped media.Mikey and Molly have seen their fair share of neuroscience-backed communication TED Talks but this was a fun (and important) new spin. This is an episode for: neuroscience nerds (Christopher makes it digestible!!), journalists and communicators or presenters that relay important or sensitive information. What’s in the Spice Cabinet? Watch Christopher Cummings’ 2017 TED TalkThe Dark Magic of Communication: how we manipulate othersWho did Christopher remind us of?“Pete” from Hulu’s The Bear - played by Chris Witaske(What we think) Christopher’s walkout song is? Evil Woman - ELOHave a fave TED Talk we haven’t talked about yet? Send it our way!molly@ghostranch.com

B2B folks everywhere:You’ve probably heard of “visual storytelling” and how important it can be for your brand and for your presentations. However, like many a buzzword, we’ve seen the phrase thrown around so much, we fear its true meaning is often confused with a focus on style, rather than substance. Visual storytelling goes beyond decoration, embellishment and off-brand AI imagery. True visual storytelling helps marketers achieve clarity in their communications—it helps to bring the core of our messages to life with meaning and memorability.To join us in this Visual Storytelling deep dive, we invited Creative Director of GhostRanch Communications, Allie Wilson, to unpack its definition, how it works, why it matters now and the immense value of investing in it at all.Because Allie presented on the same subject at the PMA Summit in NYC in March, we also get into her own Visual Storytelling methods, design red flags and how she put together her presentation.This is an episode for: brand strategists, graphic designers and anyone that has to put together presentations.