The Sage Sayers
A weekly podcast on ways to stay calm and compel others as you communicate. Along with executive communications tips and strategies, we interview intriguing individuals who've found the "Sage approach" by finding gifts, opportunities, and knowledge within trying situations. New Zealander show host, Debbi Gardiner McCullough, has written on social and business trends and struggles for the Economist, the Guardian, and Financial Times of London. She's a self-retired college professor of writing, an executive communications and narrative coach. Visit her at: www.hangingrockcoaching.com
- Update frequency
- every 12 days
- Average duration
- 21 minutes
- Episodes
- 140
- Years Active
- 2020 - 2025
“You know when it’s time for career change. Listen for it. You know.” Rebecca Perreault on changing our work, outlook, and life
My guest this week has reinvented herself multiple times through multiple life stages—even focuses of her study, career, and the way she chooses to live her life. Her name’s Rebecca, and after sever…
How (and why) to hook and compel your audience in a minute—or less
As we rise closer to the top-tier audiences of the companies where we serve, hooking and compelling our audience in our opening sentences feels vital. I know, because I’ve needed to cut to the chase …
How Do We Share Our Successes When Data is Scant?
Job seekers and those on the rise within their org need data. Numbers and trends within those numbers quantify how we excel at our craft and trade, become proof, and help paint a story — a vision — o…
Want to Boost Clarity and Confidence? Travel. An Interview with Azra Bandali
I often get asked how to boost our confidence—a tough question, because so many ways exist! My guest in this week’s Sage Sayer’s podcast shares a passion with me for travel. Her name’s Azra Bandali a…
Why Cold Calls Nor Outreach Bother Me (Some Reporter Tips)
Many of us dread cold calling and following up with folks, especially when we want or need something from them. Why? Because we can feel (in these delicate moments) that we’re a bother or demanding o…
“Diwali Connects Us with Our Culture and Celebrates Life” Madhu Chawla on the Gifts of Diwali
Diwali, an annual Hindu festival of lights, celebrates Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, and marks the beginning of the fiscal year in India. For the 17.9 million Indians living overseas, many stil…
The Gifts and Opportunities of Fertility Treatments. One Woman’s Story
My guest today wants to share her story (anonymously for her privacy) of two fertility treatments she has undertaken (the second still in progress) and the gifts, the learning, and the opportunities …
The Sage Sayers: How (and When) to Explain Blips in Our Work Story?
If you're job interviewing, you may feel a bit nervous about the inevitable blips which come up in our work story, especially during turbulent times. I've beaucoup ideas and tactics in this week's po…
The Sage Sayers: Building Confidence With Your Voice. An Interview with Isaac Te Reina
New Zealander Isaac Te Reina, a documentary and film producer and actor who has featured in Avatar returns to the Sage Sayers this week. Together we share tools and techniques for managing the vocal …
I Inherited (and Must Present From) Dire Slides. Now What?
Business presenters often inherit slides from another. While some slides feel fantastic and a gift, others can induce dread, worry, and concerns with how to stay engaging vs. boring our audience and …
The Sage Sayers: How Faith, Courage, and Art Boosts Our Public Speaking. An Interview with Kamari Green
My guest this week is Kamari Green, a Healthcare Leader + Maternal Mental Health Advocate + Artist, based in North Carolina, USA. Kamari's an interesting story to tell on overcoming and navigating he…
The Sage Sayers: Why I Always Make Time for Art (and the Gifts It Brings To My Work)
Despite time pressures — juggling motherhood with a career in journalism and academia, and now coaching and writing — I’ve maintained art most days. Why? Because art and creativity fuel me, bring pea…
The Sage Sayers: Communication and Leadership Gifts from Indian Leaders. An Interview with Sathya Sethuraman
My guest this week is Sathya Sethuraman, a financial Services and insurance industry strategist and thought leader who's served as a trusted advisor to Fortune 100 global insurance and financial serv…
The Sage Sayers: Leadership Lessons From Our Youth. An Interview with James Woodruff
James Woodruff, District Field Manager at the Federal Aviation Administration, has learned leadership skills so many places: The FAA where he’s served many years. The Navy. And as a high school teach…
The Sage Sayers: The Gifts of Cultural Differences. An Interview with Fernanda Noronha.
My guest this week is Fernanda Noronha, a multi-cultural finance and strategy leader who's worked with international conglomerates across three countries and two continents for almost two decades. Cu…
The Sage Sayers: My Wee Secrets on Small Talk
Some of the best and the brightest fret about small talk lately and I think I know why. Some started their jobs as remote workers having completed their studies in remote ways. Others must now return…
The Sage Sayers: I Refuse To Call Myself “Seasoned“
The Sage Sayers: Meet Dotun Ayeni, our Sound Engineer. Tips on Reinvention, Interviews, and Resilience.
My guest this week is one familiar to me and one I’m excited to introduce to you. His name is Dotun Ayeni. He’s an animal scientist by profession, a sound engineer by passion and works as a business …
The Sage Sayers: How Do We Not Let a Stutter Define Our Life Nor Our Career?
My guest this week is Madhu Chawla. She's a manager of global implementation in global commercial services at American Express and is based out of Phoenix, Az. Madhu's an interesting story to tell ab…
The Sage Sayers: Adding Story and Narrative to Numbers
If leaders have prodded you to add story to otherwise dry and stodgy data and topics, you’re not alone! Many communicators I coach hear this feedback when doing dry-runs on high-stakes presentations …