The Power of Story and Science

Elaine Lung: A Critical Life Skill

What do you get when put two recovering engineers together? You might just get a far-reaching conversation about public speaking, Toastmasters, and improvisational theatre. That’s what’s in store for you in this episode as program host David Otey (https://davidotey.com/) talks with public speaking expert Elaine Lung. When you hear how far she has come in gaining confidence as a speaker, you will know you can do it, too!

 

Elaine Lung works with business professionals who want to show up and speak up confidently with the people around them at work and at home. She is a Certified World Class Speaking Coach, Distinguished Toastmaster, and co-founder of three Bay Area Toastmasters clubs dedicated to promote the use of storytelling or improv skills: the Silicon Valley Improvmasters, the Silicon Valley Storytellers and the San Mateo Storytellers. To follow up with Elaine and schedule a discovery call, go to https://elainelung.com/.

 

To get on David Otey’s calendar for a conversation or free, initial coaching session, go to http://breakthroughwithdavid.com/.

Bryan Rutberg: Connect People, Not Boxes

In this episode, host David P. Otey (https://davidotey.com/) has a conversation with Bryan Rutberg, an expert in interpreting technical topics for non-technical audiences. How do you relate to your audience and their emotional drivers? As a speechwriter, speaker, and coach, Bryan has gained some keen insights into how and why you do that. Here’s a hint: stories light up more of the brain than facts do.

 

To follow up with Bryan Rutberg and get free resources, go to https://3ccomms.com/.

 

For a conversation with program host David P. Otey, go to http://breakthroughwithdavid.com/.

Chris Fenning: Relevant, Relatable, Simple, and Jargon-Free

If you happened to be an engineer who is comfortable speaking not only the language of engineering, but also the language of business, sales, and marketing, you would likely find some interesting doors opening for you. And that is precisely the story of today’s guest, Chris Fenning, who has spent much of his career in such boundary-spanning roles. Want to hear his four keys to success? Listen in.

 

Connect with Chris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-fenning/ or https://chrisfenning.com/

 

To follow up with program host David Otey, visit http://breakthroughwithdavid.com/.

Alaina G. Levine: Your Unicorn Career

What would be your “unicorn career”? And now that you have experience and perhaps an advanced degree in a technical field, how do you go about creating that career? According to speaker, author, mathematician, and self-professed nerd Alaina G. Levine, what you need is data—data about yourself and about opportunities. Listen to our conversation and see if you can catch a unicorn!

 

Connect with Alaina through her website, https://alainalevine.com/ or through LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alainaglevine/.

 

To connect with podcast host David P. Otey, go to http://breakthroughwithdavid.com/.

Mark Herschberg: Stop Taxing Your Audience

Take one part physicist, one part electrical engineer, and one part computer scientist, and mix in an affinity for helping technical experts communicate more effectively, and what would you have? Well, you just might have the guest whom David Otey (https://davidotey.com/) interviews in this episode. Author, speaker, and MIT instructor Mark Herschberg presents some brilliant analogies that can help you build your career skills while broadening your impact.

 

To follow up with Mark and access free resources, go to https://www.thecareertoolkitbook.com/.

 

For the Brain Bump app, go to https://www.cognoscomedia.com/brain-bump.

 

What’s on your mind? Having a hard time making your data sing? Let’s have a conversation! Go to http://breakthroughwithdavid.com/ and get on David’s calendar for a free breakthrough call.

Influence Lessons

In this content episode, program host David Otey (https://davidotey.com/) explores some ideas that jumped out at him from watching the excellent speakers who presented at the annual meeting of the National Speakers Association, a three-day event called “Influence.” You will learn how to build your influence as an expert by making a connection with your audience. Because that’s the first thing your audience is looking for.

 

The book David mentions in the program is “The Speaker’s Quick Guide to Technical Presentations” and you can find out more about it here.

 

Connect with David by going to http://breakthroughwithdavid.com.

Angela Andrews: A Different Way

Maybe you’re the kind of person who can focus intently on detailed, analytical work. And maybe you think that makes you a little different from other people. In this episode, program host David Otey (https://davidotey.com/) has a conversation with Angela Andrews, a data scientist who freely admits to being different from most people—being neurodiverse, in fact. Listen to how she has turned that to her advantage, and learned a different way of speaking up.

 

Connect with Angela by email: Angela.Andrews77@gmail.com and mention this podcast in the subject line.

Bob Goodyear: Go With Feelings

When you picture a computer geek, what image comes to mind? Someone hunched over a keyboard, writing line after line of code? Now picture someone speaking boldly and confidently about what they know. Do you have a hard time imagining those are the same person? Then you need to meet “a geek who speaks.” That’s what Bob Goodyear calls himself. In this conversation with David Otey (https://davidotey.com/), you’ll hear Bob’s inspiring journey from the back room to the front of the class.

Follow up with Bob by going to https://www.ageekwhospeaks.com/.

Tim Durkin: Executive Presence

From executives to beauty-pageant contestants, Tim Durkin has a remarkable track record when it comes to coaching successful speakers. When it comes right down to the basics, do you know where to put your hands? Do you know how to emphasize your key points? The conversation David Otey (https://davidotey.com/) had with speaker and coach Tim Durkin was full of tips you can use right away.

 

To follow up with Tim Durkin using tim@timdurkin.com (subject line: Podcast)

Jesse Hensley: Present Your Why

How does a trained engineer go from testing fuel cell membranes to being a team leader focused on relationships, communication, and people? In today’s episode, you will hear a conversation between program host David Otey (https://davidotey.com/) and Jesse Hensley of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory here in Colorado. Listen as Jesse describes how so many schools of thought have influenced his journey—and his stories.

 

To connect with Jesse, email him using Jesse.Hensley@nrel.gov.