As you can tell by our homophonic title, this one’s got classic Biz-Souls energy all over it. Listen in to this episode for some fun, high-octane, tongue-in-cheek, comments on the 2026 outlook for professional and not so professional speakers.

In this episode, your ever-dependable Titans of Fact, Opinion, and Digression dive headfirst into the AMEX Global Meetings & Events Forecast to decode what the future of speaking might look like… and what it will definitely argue about.

As is tradition, the conversation at once goes off the rails in a warm, trustworthy, Biz-Souls way.

Highlights include:

• A spirited breakdown of what actually excites audiences verses what planners hope excites audiences

• A stroll through the 2026 trend jungle featuring engagement, experience, and possibly light chanting

• Jeffrey’s legendary story of the time he turned an audience of 300 into 5 in under 30 minutes (a masterclass in unintentional minimalism)

• The first official episode in the new, shorter, tighter, less-digressive-but-still-definitely-digressive format

• And… a major announcement that will thrill and terrify meeting planners worldwide:

Jeffrey Hansler is back on the speaking circuit, fighting a never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way (and occasionally hotel AV teams).

Also featured: one of our favorite listener comments ever:

“The show is real — not perfect, just real and heartfelt.”

Which pretty much sums up Biz-Souls:

Not polished. Not pre-packaged. Just congruent, consistent, transparent, and occasionally dangerous to convention.

If you want predictions, perspective, and proof that even professionals can wander gloriously off-topic, this episode is for you.

Warning: What you think you’re about to hear is a podcast. What you are actually about to experience is an unfinished symphony of hypotheses, half-baked Bayesian ruminations, and the ghost of critical thinking haunting the digital realm.

In this installment of Biz-Souls, Jeffrey dominates the screentime — not by design, but because the universe couldn’t decide whether Rona’s video was synced or Schrödinger’s-podcast version of “in the can.” Cue dramatic and mysterious music in your head. No, we didn’t budget for a soundtrack; yes, you should still imagine it.

On the surface, Rona Lewis and Jeffrey Hansler “talk about Bayesian Equations.” But peel back one layer of cognitive onion and you’ll discover the real topic: critical thinking in the age of the Internet (and its slow, dramatic collapse). Spoiler alert - someone, somewhere hopes you won’t think critically. Some of them are working on your children right now. Chill? Intriguing? Absolutely.

Jeffrey has stewed on this topic for ages. This time he lets you peek inside one of his neural circuits. The result isn’t polished though it is packed with eclectic data, odoriferous observations, and the occasional existential whisper.

For the Bayes nerds: Reverend Thomas Bayes first came up with this eponymous theorem in the 1740s. It was later published by Richard Price and further shaped by Pierre-Simon Laplace, because even math likes to a throw epic backstory into the mix.

Adjust your mental aluminum foil hats (no, seriously — don’t panic), tune in, follow, and subscribe for more Biz-Souls adventures. Critical thinking not included though strongly encouraged. The choice is yours for now at least.

Perfect for showing your audience why they came for business wisdom and stayed for the weird humor. Here are some earlier Biz-Souls episodes on YouTube & Spotify:

Spotify links:

• Episode 139: Play for Better Living!

o https://open.spotify.com/episode/5EOyx44QYvEkrzE6Fg6fA8

• Episode 127: Tickled About Piccles! with Chris Bent

o https://open.spotify.com/episode/1m0lrAjU0EoA0YpWqq9n9K

• Episode 125: How to Retrain Your Brain with Kelley Raleigh

o https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Sl8zVZB6Jx5DMHg8lN9aH

• Episode 137: Just Say No! Maybe.

o https://open.spotify.com/episode/5O9pVnMLtrVRHfSrkE3dZn

• Episode 136: Mature Gnome with Ego

o https://open.spotify.com/episode/4SrTBRzWZ9MbhycJw5Nkwv

YouTube Links:

• Episode 139: Play for Better Living!

o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdUd8cU1JXg

• Episode 127: Tickled About Piccles!

o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQNREqXwV8k

• Episode 125: How to Retrain Your Brain

o YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA4P9HvbKVI

• Episode 137: Just Say No! Maybe.

o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0ffpbkA2n8

• Episode 136: Mature Gnome with Ego

o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl6sKzNUWTo

The official Biz-Souls YouTube channel:

• https://www.youtube.com/@biz-souls3926

Ladies and gentlemen, business leaders and business weirdos, Episode 200 of Biz-Souls is live!

That’s right — two hundred glorious, caffeine-fueled conversations where Rona Lewis and Jeffrey Hansler have tried (and sometimes failed spectacularly) to act professional which is today’s topic. Performative Professionalism — or as we like to call it, “business casual with bedhead.”

Picture this: two co-hosts who look like they just rolled out of a hammock, debating why what you say, how you stand, and whether your socks match actually matter in the workplace.

Their takeaways?

• Be yourself (preferably sober).

• Build trust (unless trust went out with fax machines).

• And Rona? Be of legal age. Always. (We checked. She passed.)

In a world full of AI-generated buzzwords and faux-authentic LinkedIn posts, your most valuable asset is the real you.

Grab your inner child (just don’t let them near Rona because she’s still recovering from the last rodeo), burn your imposter syndrome at a Viking funeral, and stop displaying Dunning-Kruger pontifications at family reunions.

Remember: if respect is your destination, transparency is your best co-pilot — though Jeffrey insists you don’t impersonate Daniel Stern as Phil Berquist from City Slickers in the boardroom.

Seriously. Don’t be that transparent.

In the meantime, listen, share, comment, and subscribe to Biz-Souls.

Below are a few standout episodes of past Biz-Souls:

• Episode 139: Play for Better Living!

o Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5EOyx44QYvEkrzE6Fg6fA8

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdUd8cU1JXg

• Episode 127 — Tickled About Piccles! with Chris Bent

o Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1m0lrAjU0EoA0YpWqq9n9K

o YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQNREqXwV8k

• Episode 125 — How to Retrain Your Brain

o Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Sl8zVZB6Jx5DMHg8lN9aH

o YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA4P9HvbKVI

• Episode 137 — Just Say No! Maybe.

o Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5O9pVnMLtrVRHfSrkE3dZn

o YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0ffpbkA2n8

• Episode 136 — Mature Gnome with Ego

o Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4SrTBRzWZ9MbhycJw5Nkwv

o YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl6sKzNUWTo