Episodi

  • Don't be the best. Be their favorite.
    Oct 16 2026

    There's a hidden marketing gem in a tiny city in Denmark. We need to talk about it...

    BUILD A BETTER IDEA: Enroll in the Idea Lab now

    This is my new program to help you develop a stronger premise. Your premise is your insightful, ownable idea. It's highly valuable to others and highly original to you, and you use it to inform your speaking, your messaging, your content and thought leadership.

    EVERYTHING gets better and easier if you have a stronger idea driving your work. More than expertise, it's how you SEE your expertise, your topic, your industry.

    Let's build your insightful, ownable idea together. Enroll at jayacunzo.com/ownable-idea

    ***


    EPISODE CREDITS:

    This episode sponsored by Wistia.

    Hosted and produced by me, Jay Acunzo.

    Music from Embleton.

    Produced by Ilana Nevins.

    ***

    CONNECT WITH ME:

    Subscribe to my newsletter to turn inspiration into action.

    Subscribe to my YouTube channel for regular insights into idea development, signature talk development, and growing a speaking business.

    Follow me on LinkedIn for random rants and routinely re-thinking how we build our businesses.

    Learn more about my client advisory work at jayacunzo.com

    Book me to speak at jayacunzo.com/keynotes

    ***


    ABOUT ME, JAY ACUNZO

    I'm a public speaking and storytelling advisor trusted by bestselling authors, professional speakers, seven-figure coaches, and brands like Disney and Salesforce.

    Before starting my advisory firm (where I work 1:1 with clients and run group programs), I was a digital media strategist at Google and head of content for 3 organizations, including HubSpot.

    I've given keynotes across the US and several other countries to marketers and managers, designers and dentists, leaders and landscapers, and my journey as a speaker has been featured in 3 different books.

    Today, I teach business leaders how to communicate with greater resonance, and I advise paid speakers on how to grow their businesses and their impact.


    ***


    IF YOU ENJOY THE SHOW:


    Leave a review on Apple Podcasts


    Leave a rating on Spotify

    Thanks for your support! Keep making what matters.

    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    18 min
  • Keynote Breakdown: Ryan Hawk's closing story
    Oct 12 2026

    Can we make this closing story more awesome? In the closer for his keynote, Ryan Hawk delivers a metaphorical story. But there are some structural issues, a bit too much "throat clearing," and some golden threads poking through that haven't been pulled quite yet.

    Plus, Ryan and I talk about what we say to ourselves before hitting the stage, who we admire and how we borrow from them as speakers, and what actually putting in the work as speakers looks like.

    WATCH THIS ON YOUTUBE

    Learn more about Ryan, and his speaking, books, and podcast, at https://learningleader.com/

    Follow him on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ryanhawk12

    *

    KEEP LEARNING:

    🧰 Resources for professional speakers: https://jayacunzo.com/speaking-resources

    🎤 Book Jay to speak: https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes

    📬 Jay's Newsletter: https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

    📈 Work with Jay to find your ownable premise, build your signature talk, and grow your speaking business: https://jayacunzo.com/services

    *

    ABOUT THE SHOW:

    On WHY THEY RESONATE, speakers, authors, experts, and entrepreneurs develop their ideas in real-time, so you can see what it really takes to resonate. Join professional speaker and public speaking advisor Jay Acunzo as you get closer to the process of how exceptional communicators actually craft their materials. You'll hear how new ideas take shape, speeches become great, and stories evolve from meh to memorable. The show is part celebration, part workshop, and you'll walk away ready to compete on the influence of your ideas, not the volume of your marketing.

    Music for Why They Resonate is by Embleton: https://linktr.ee/embleton

    This episode is sponsored by Wistia, the platform for all your webinars, podcasting, and video marketing needs. Find all the resources I've made with them to help you with your video marketing: https://wistia.com/explore/jay-acunzo

    *

    ABOUT JAY:

    Jay Acunzo is a public speaking and storytelling advisor trusted by bestselling authors, TED speakers, seven-figure coaches, and brands like Disney, Mailchimp, and Salesforce. Before starting his advisory firm, Jay was a digital media strategist at Google and head of content for 3 organizations, including HubSpot. He’s directed documentaries, hosted podcasts, and created award-winning content for innovative startups and Fortune 500 brands. Today, Jay teaches business leaders how to communicate with greater clarity, influence, and resonance.

    Keynote Speaking & Business Inquiries: https://jayacunzo.com/

    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    50 min
  • Punching up the premise of a marketing legend
    Oct 5 2026

    My friend Joe Pulizzi sent me the ideas driving his 2 podcasts and his book, Burn the Playbook. He asked if he was thinking about premise development correctly. Naturally, I had to record my take for you to hear too.

    BUILD A BETTER IDEA - JOIN THE WAITLIST

    Get on the interest list for the new program I'm piloting in November, helpig you find, name, and validate your 1 ownable idea, which you can use to fuel your speaking, messaging, content, and overall platform.

    Get on the waitlist now.

    ***


    EPISODE CREDITS:

    This episode sponsored by Wistia.

    Hosted and produced by me, Jay Acunzo.

    Music from Embleton.

    Produced by Ilana Nevins.

    ***

    CONNECT WITH ME:

    Subscribe to my newsletter to turn inspiration into action.

    Subscribe to my YouTube channel for regular insights into idea development, signature talk development, and growing a speaking business.

    Follow me on LinkedIn for random rants and routinely re-thinking how we build our businesses.

    Learn more about my client advisory work at jayacunzo.com

    Book me to speak at jayacunzo.com/keynotes

    ***


    ABOUT ME, JAY ACUNZO

    I'm a public speaking and storytelling advisor trusted by bestselling authors, professional speakers, seven-figure coaches, and brands like Disney and Salesforce.

    Before starting my advisory firm (where I work 1:1 with clients and run group programs), I was a digital media strategist at Google and head of content for 3 organizations, including HubSpot.

    I've given keynotes across the US and several other countries to marketers and managers, designers and dentists, leaders and landscapers, and my journey as a speaker has been featured in 3 different books.

    Today, I teach business leaders how to communicate with greater resonance, and I advise paid speakers on how to grow their businesses and their impact.


    ***


    IF YOU ENJOY THE SHOW:


    Leave a review on Apple Podcasts


    Leave a rating on Spotify

    Thanks for your support! Keep making what matters.

    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    27 min
  • Keynote Breakdown: We found 1 change to knock 'em alive | Robert Rose
    Sep 28 2026

    WATCH THE KEYNOTE BREAKDOWN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M5GgsisFUc&t=385s

    In his new keynote opener, Robert Rose has a few golden threads worth pulling. In this interview, we watch a recent performance and pull those threads, stitching a new structure for this opener to really connect. (Hint: it's all about the bookends!)

    Plus, the worst we've ever bombed, favorite interactions with AV teams, and what we say to ourselves right before hitting the stage.

    Learn more about Robert, and his speaking, books, and services, at https://robertrose.net/

    Follow him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robrose/

    *

    KEEP LEARNING:

    🧰 Resources for professional speakers: https://jayacunzo.com/speaking-resources

    🎤 Book Jay to speak: https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes

    📬 Jay's Newsletter: https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

    📈 Work with Jay to develop your keynote and grow your speaking business: https://jayacunzo.com/services

    *

    ABOUT THE SHOW:

    On WHY THEY RESONATE, speakers, authors, experts, and entrepreneurs develop their ideas in real-time, so you can see what it really takes to resonate. Join professional speaker and public speaking advisor Jay Acunzo as you get closer to the process of how exceptional communicators actually craft their materials. You'll hear how new ideas take shape, speeches become great, and stories evolve from meh to memorable. The show is part celebration, part workshop, and you'll walk away ready to compete on the influence of your ideas, not the volume of your marketing.

    Music for Why They Resonate is by Embleton: https://linktr.ee/embleton

    This episode is sponsored by Wistia, the platform for all your webinars, podcasting, and video marketing needs: https://wistia.com

    *

    ABOUT JAY:

    Jay Acunzo is a public speaking and storytelling advisor trusted by bestselling authors, TED speakers, seven-figure coaches, and brands like Disney, Mailchimp, and Salesforce. Before starting his advisory firm, Jay was a digital media strategist at Google and head of content for 3 organizations, including HubSpot. He’s directed documentaries, hosted podcasts, and created award-winning content for innovative startups and Fortune 500 brands. Today, Jay teaches business leaders how to communicate with greater clarity, influence, and resonance.

    Keynote Speaking & Business Inquiries: https://jayacunzo.com/

    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    42 min
  • The sniveling expert
    Sep 21 2026

    The other day, my cousin shared a quick but scary story about a friend. It's become my favorite example of how experts so often want to help others but only end up hurting their cause. If we want to create real change, we can't make this mistake ourselves.


    EPISODE CREDITS:

    This episode sponsored by Wistia.

    Hosted and produced by me, Jay Acunzo.

    Music from Embleton.

    ***

    CONNECT WITH ME:

    Subscribe to my newsletter to turn inspiration into action.

    Subscribe to my YouTube channel for regular insights into idea development, signature talk development, and growing a speaking business.

    Follow me on LinkedIn for random rants and routinely re-thinking how we build our businesses.

    Learn more about my client advisory work at jayacunzo.com

    Book me to speak at jayacunzo.com/keynotes

    ***


    ABOUT ME, JAY ACUNZO

    I'm a public speaking and storytelling advisor trusted by bestselling authors, professional speakers, seven-figure coaches, and brands like Disney and Salesforce.

    Before starting my advisory firm (where I work 1:1 with clients and run group programs), I was a digital media strategist at Google and head of content for 3 organizations, including HubSpot.

    I've given keynotes across the US and several other countries to marketers and managers, designers and dentists, leaders and landscapers, and my journey as a speaker has been featured in 3 different books.

    Today, I teach business leaders how to communicate with greater resonance, and I advise paid speakers on how to grow their businesses and their impact.


    ***


    IF YOU ENJOY THE SHOW:


    Leave a review on Apple Podcasts


    Leave a rating on Spotify

    Thanks for your support! Keep making what matters.

    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    21 min
  • Keynote Breakdown: Why this opener works where others like it fail | Chloé Nwangwu
    Sep 15 2026

    There's a big difference between asking for audience engagement and ensuring a crowd feels engaged. The first usually annoys people, but the second is mandatory to succeed as a speaker.

    In this episode, I analyze one of the most engaging keynote openers I've had the pleasure of watching in awhile. It brings people on a short journey, removes objections from their minds, and takes them outside their jobs just long enough to ensure they're open to something really confronting which challenges the conventional wisdom of how to achieve greater influence.

    The opener is from Chloé Nwangwu, aka the Brand Scientist. Chloé was gracious enough to perform her opener live for us, after which we break it down, celebrate what works, and tweak a few things to make it even better.

    WATCH THE KEYNOTE BREAKDOWN:
    https://youtu.be/yz9KWgjwTSQ

    Learn more about Chloé at https://www.nobiworks.com/ and follow her at https://www.linkedin.com/in/nwangwu/

    *

    KEEP LEARNING:

    🧰 Resources for professional speakers: https://jayacunzo.com/speaking-resources

    🎤 Book Jay to speak: https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes

    📬 Jay's Newsletter: https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

    📈 Work with Jay to develop your keynote and grow your speaking business: https://jayacunzo.com/services

    *

    ABOUT THE SHOW:

    On WHY THEY RESONATE, speakers, authors, experts, and entrepreneurs develop their ideas in real-time, so you can see what it really takes to resonate. Join professional speaker and public speaking advisor Jay Acunzo as you get closer to the process of how exceptional communicators actually craft their materials. You'll hear how new ideas take shape, speeches become great, and stories evolve from meh to memorable. The show is part celebration, part workshop, and you'll walk away ready to compete on the influence of your ideas, not the volume of your marketing.

    Music for Why They Resonate is by Embleton: https://linktr.ee/embleton

    This episode is sponsored by Wistia, the platform for all your webinars, podcasting, and video marketing needs: https://wistia.com

    *

    ABOUT JAY:

    Jay Acunzo is a public speaking and storytelling advisor trusted by bestselling authors, TED speakers, seven-figure coaches, and brands like Disney, Mailchimp, and Salesforce. Before starting his advisory firm, Jay was a digital media strategist at Google and head of content for 3 organizations, including HubSpot. He’s directed documentaries, hosted podcasts, and created award-winning content for innovative startups and Fortune 500 brands. Today, Jay teaches business leaders how to communicate with greater clarity, influence, and resonance.

    Keynote Speaking & Business Inquiries: https://jayacunzo.com/

    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    28 min
  • What if my baby is ugly?
    Sep 4 2026

    It's a metaphor, calm down. But this is the missing link between someone with expertise and ideas, and someone who actually develops, owns, and grows a business around an ownable, bookable idea.

    EPISODE CREDITS:

    This episode sponsored by Wistia.

    Hosted and produced by me, Jay Acunzo.

    Music from Embleton.

    ***

    CONNECT WITH ME:

    Subscribe to my newsletter to turn inspiration into action.

    Subscribe to my YouTube channel for regular insights into idea development, signature talk development, and growing a speaking business.

    Follow me on LinkedIn for random rants and routinely re-thinking how we build our businesses.


    ***


    ABOUT ME, JAY ACUNZO

    I'm a public speaking and storytelling advisor trusted by bestselling authors, TED speakers, seven-figure coaches, and brands like Mailchimp, Wistia, and Salesforce.

    Before starting my advisory firm (where I work 1:1 with clients and run group programs), I was a digital media strategist at Google and head of content for 3 organizations, including HubSpot.

    I've given keynotes across the US and several other countries to marketers and managers, designers and dentists, leaders and landscapers, and my journey as a speaker has been featured in 3 different books.

    Today, I teach business leaders how to communicate with greater clarity, influence, and resonance.


    Learn more about my advisory work at jayacunzo.com
    Book me to speak at jayacunzo.com/keynotes

    Watch video versions of some episodes, plus get regular insights into stronger public speaking and growing a speaking business, at youtube.com/jayacunzo


    ***


    IF YOU ENJOY THE SHOW:


    Leave a review on Apple Podcasts


    Leave a rating on Spotify

    Thanks for your support! Keep making what matters.

    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    20 min
  • Keynote Breakdown: Fixing a data-heavy opener | Amanda Natividad
    Aug 18 2026

    Amanda Natividad joins the show to rework the opener of her keynote with Jay. It's extremely data-heavy and leads to a lot of "throat-clearing" by Amanda, which she notices rewatching it.

    Making things harder, she was introduced onto the stage in a strange way, presenting her with a tricky decision: acknowledge it or push ahead?

    Amanda is the author of the book, Zero Click Marketing: How to Build Brands and Earn Customers on a Traffic-Starved Web, which she coauthored with Rand Fishkin.

    WATCH THE KEYNOTE PUNCH-UP:
    https://youtu.be/cBRIKNYnFx4?is=X9SqqELKNjAOZwio

    Learn more about Amanda at https://zeroclickmarketing.co/ and follow her at https://linkedin.com/in/amandanat

    Watch the full keynote from MicroConf: https://linkedin.com/in/amandanat

    *

    KEEP LEARNING:

    🧰 Resources for professional speakers: https://jayacunzo.com/speaking-resources

    🎤 Book Jay to speak: https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes

    📬 Jay's Newsletter: https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter

    📈 Work with Jay to develop your keynote and grow your speaking business: https://jayacunzo.com/services

    *

    ABOUT THE SHOW:

    On WHY THEY RESONATE, speakers, authors, experts, and entrepreneurs develop their ideas in real-time, so you can see what it really takes to resonate. Join professional speaker and public speaking advisor Jay Acunzo as you get closer to the process of how exceptional communicators actually craft their materials. You'll hear how new ideas take shape, speeches become great, and stories evolve from meh to memorable. The show is part celebration, part workshop, and you'll walk away ready to compete on the influence of your ideas, not the volume of your marketing.

    Music for Why They Resonate is by Embleton: https://linktr.ee/embleton

    This episode is sponsored by Wistia, the platform for all your webinars, podcasting, and video marketing needs: https://wistia.com

    *

    ABOUT JAY:

    Jay Acunzo is a public speaking and storytelling advisor trusted by bestselling authors, TED speakers, seven-figure coaches, and brands like Disney, Mailchimp, and Salesforce. Before starting his advisory firm, Jay was a digital media strategist at Google and head of content for 3 organizations, including HubSpot. He’s directed documentaries, hosted podcasts, and created award-winning content for innovative startups and Fortune 500 brands. Today, Jay teaches business leaders how to communicate with greater clarity, influence, and resonance.

    Keynote Speaking & Business Inquiries: https://jayacunzo.com/

    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    39 min