Speak by Design

Speak by Design Speak by Design helps professionals lead with confidence through communication coaching, executive presence training, and leadership development.

"I'm not worried about the numbers. I'm worried about how we come across to a new investor."An executive said these word...
06/08/2026

"I'm not worried about the numbers. I'm worried about how we come across to a new investor."

An executive said these words to me recently.

The company was doing well.
The opportunity was strong.
The numbers were there.

But he understood something many leaders forget:
People often decide whether they trust you before they fully understand your slides.

In high-stakes virtual meetings, your audience is paying attention to more than your strategy.

They're watching:

✔️ How you handle pressure
✔️ How clearly you communicate
✔️ How confidently you answer questions
✔️ Whether you seem like someone they would trust to lead

Because executive presence is about creating confidence.

In our latest tip sheet, Stephanie Bickel shares 10 practical tips for preparing for an important virtual investor pitch and strengthening your executive presence on camera.

🔗 in bio

06/05/2026

Many professionals think personal branding is about visibility.

We see it as a trust-building strategy.

Every one of us has dozens of qualities, strengths, interests, and personality traits.

The question is not:
"Which of these are true?"

The question is:
"Which of these help me build trust with the people I serve?"

For example, Stephanie Bickel may be the first person in her family to volunteer for karaoke, but that's not the version of herself she brings into a boardroom.

Your personal brand is not about creating a character.

It's about intentionally highlighting the qualities that help others trust your expertise, judgment, and leadership.

How intentionally have you designed the professional version of yourself?

06/04/2026

Confidence does not magically appear when you become a Director, Vice President, or Partner.

It does not arrive after 2,000 more hours of experience.

And it certainly does not wait until you feel ready.

Every day, we work with highly accomplished leaders who are experts in their field but still hesitate to speak up, make a recommendation, or confidently lead a conversation.

The leaders who accelerate their growth do something different.

→ They stop waiting to become confident.

→ They start acting like the future version of themselves today.

→ They practice speaking with conviction before they feel it.

→ They make decisions before certainty arrives.

→ They step into the room as the leader they want to become.

That is where confidence is built.

In this clip, Stephanie Bickel shares one of the most important mindset shifts for leadership development and executive presence.

If you're ready to strengthen your confidence, communication, and leadership impact, join us July 15 in Chicago for Sharpen & Elevate.

A one-day immersive experience designed to help leaders communicate with greater clarity, confidence, and influence.

Learn more: 🔗👆🏻

06/03/2026

After helping shape learning and development for one of the world's largest professional services organizations, Lisa Christensen believes the future of learning looks very different from the past.

The best learning has never happened in a classroom.

It happens when you are solving a problem you actually care about, right in the middle of your real work. That is when learning sticks.

For decades, organizations have pulled people away from their work to learn. Today, technology is making it possible to bring learning directly into the moments where people need it most.

In this conversation, Lisa shares why the future of learning is moving beyond traditional training and into the flow of work, where real challenges, decisions, and opportunities create the strongest learning experiences.

The technology has finally caught up with what learning leaders have long known: people learn best when development meets them where the problem shows up.

Listen to the full episode here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/2026-studying-great-speakers-episode-6-future-of/id1724683731?i=1000769335894

06/02/2026

What if your leadership training could prove it worked?

Not hours logged. Not completion rates.

Actual results.

Lisa Christensen from McKinsey & Company shared two numbers on our podcast that say everything:

📈 8% improvement in problem solving
📈 20% improvement in communication

That is what learning looks like when it is done right.

Lisa was our very first podcast guest on Speak by Design and she is building the future of learning at one of the most powerful firms in the world.

The new Speak by Design podcast episode is live. Link in bio.

05/29/2026

"Figure it out."

It's hard not to become defensive when someone says these words to you.

But have you considered it might not be criticism?

What if it is a request for creativity?

In this clip from the Speak by Design Podcast, Stephanie Bickel shares a powerful mindset shift for handling derailment, resistance, and executive pushback.

Instead of defending your idea, step into the role of consultant.

Offer options.
Discuss trade-offs.
Help leaders clarify what they are trying to protect.

Behind many strong reactions is concern about risk, ex*****on, resources, or unintended consequences.

The leaders who navigate pushback best stay curious, calm, and focused on solving the problem.

Listen to the full episode for practical language and frameworks you can use in your next leadership meeting. 🔗👆

05/28/2026

In conflict, most people either push too hard or fold completely.

The move that actually works?

No matter the situation, try starting with this one sentence:

"I hear you, and you may be right."

1. Name a benefit.
2. State the risk.
3. Then let it sit.

That's conflict tolerance. And it's a skill you can train.

We will practice exactly this at Sharpen and Elevate on July 15th in Chicago.

If you're ready to show up differently in high-stakes conversations, this is the room for you.

Link in bio to join us.

05/27/2026

In business, we tell stories of success all the time.

But we forget the most important part: connecting it to the person in front of us.

A strong story has a clear arc.

Similar client.
Similar challenge.
Here's what we did.
Here's what changed.
And here's what that means for you.

That last part is what most people skip.

If you want to tell stories that actually move people to action, that is exactly what we will practice at Sharpen and Elevate on July 15 in Chicago.

Link in bio to grab your seat.


05/26/2026

Your voice is a design choice.

Loud or quiet. Fast or slow. Heavy or light. Monotone or full of variety.

All of it is under your control.

Episode 11 of the Speak by Design Podcast breaks down the six elements of voice and how to use each one. This week, pick one and play with it.

🔗👆🏻

05/21/2026

Most leaders tie their confidence to how much they know.

That is an unsustainable source of confidence.

Because there will always be something you do not know. Technology shifts. AI evolves. What you know today can be obsolete tomorrow.

The fix? Decouple confidence from knowledge and recouple it with your mindset.

In this episode, Madina Behori breaks down three mindset shifts that senior leaders rarely hear about:

➖How to answer the "what ifs" holding you back
➖How to rebuild trust with yourself
➖How to filter feedback so it stops running your career

Link in bio to listen to the full episode.

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