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
The Sage Sayers: Fix Your Attrition Problem. Write (and Speak) With a Kind Tone.
Most of us want to sound warm but strident, clear on what we want and need, but open to feedback. And yet our writing can give off a cooler, sometimes lofty feeling which can offset our audience. I…
The Sage Sayers: How Do We Improve Our Vocabulary and Way with Words?
In this week's episode we respond to popular asks for help with building our vocabulary in ways where others notice--but from a love for learning vs. fear of falling back, no longer mattering, or not…
The Sage Sayers: The Biggest Myths About Job Interviews (And How To Debunk Them)
Around half of Americans, Brits, and Australians are on the hunt for new jobs. Figures are scant elsewhere; but if my coaching base stays reflective of communicators, I'd say those numbers feel about…
The Sage Sayers: How Do We Get Going With Our Venture And Put Aside Our Fears?
My guest this week is entrepreneur and coffee e-retailer Brad Peugh who (through the height of the Pandemic) launched his e-retailer selling (what I find to be) the best coffee in America.
Brad's dra…
The Sage Sayers: Help! Staying Calm When Leaders Hijack Our Presentation
With the Great Return underway--and 50% of businesses demanding workers return to the office--politics are running amok. What's the bigger cry for help? Staying calm, focused, and centered when leade…
The Sage Sayers: Finding the Gifts and Opportunities In Wisconsin, the U.S.'s 7th Coldest State
Last month marked my fifth year living in the U.S. midwestern state of Wisconsin, one of America's most frigidly cold states. I’ve found surprising gifts from the long, drawn-out colder temps which …
The Sage Sayers: How Do I Ditch My Fear Of Public Speaking?
As we transition back to the office, we bring with us our fears and discomfort with public speaking. Having overcome this fear myself, I've a few tips and techniques (which include mental fitness app…
The Sage Sayers: How Do We Draw Boundaries? Interrupt? Share Our Work Without Suck Up?
In this week’s podcast, we unpack (with the help of my dear coachees) some helpful strategies for the world’s biggest, most looming business communication problems.
I gather (then share) recurring th…
The Sage Sayers: How Do We Talk Ourselves Out of Fear When Bullied At Work?
This week, on February 23, many countries, including Canada and the U.S. honored Anti-Bullying Day as a way to stand against bullying. Countries like New Zealand honor Anti-Bullying Day in May and of…
The Sage Sayers: How Do We Know It’s Career Change Time?
My guest this week is Coach Deb Skarda, a former critical care nurse, turned corporate pharmaceutical leader, turned leadership consultant and coach.
Deb's successfully navigated three major career c…
The Sage Sayers: How Do We Manage Our Meeting Schedule With Love Vs. Fear?
Meeting fatigue has leaders all over grappling with sadness, loss, and questions about life. Cognitive overload from staring at screens create other struggles. Communication challenges range from shu…
The Sage Sagers: How Do We Ask About Love? Manage Meetings? Stand Up To Bullies?
The world never stands still when we lead. Life continues swirling around us and I notice this point when coaching and training leaders on written and oral communications.
They know: to lead well, th…
The Sage Sayers: How Do We Communicate With Love and Positivity Vs. Fear and Worry?
In this week's podcast, I take the interviewee vs. interviewer seat. Charles Jett, a Chicago, Il. based career coach, interviews me on PQ Podcast, a weekly podcast exploring the ways that mental fitn…
The Sage Sayers: How Do We Speak Up In Noisy Meetings And Feel Truly Heard?
If you're a reserved or introverted communicator, you may feel you must share your ideas only when (and if) it's fully hatched. Or perhaps you feel less compelled to disrupt or add any more noise bec…
The Sage Sayers: How Do We Share Numbers (and Our Successes) In Compelling, Authentic Ways? Godswill Mhlanga Knows.
My guest this week is Godswill Mhlanga, a finance and accounting whizz who’s worked in the U.S. and abroad across most industries, and even with Ernst and Young, where he served banking, life science…
The Sage Sayers: How Do We Mobilize When Stuck In Our Careers?
A recent poll found over half (specifically 52%) of American workers consider career changes for next year and as January approaches, 44% already plan to make the switch. A sad 14% of Americans feel …
The Sage Sayers: How Do We Tell Our Career Story (and Career Changes) in Clear, Compelling Ways?
I've invited back this week Charles Cranston Jett, a certified coach specializing in career management, critical skill development, and career crises to help us answer a popular question with the com…
How Can We Build Trust and Rapport? Makeup and Hair Artists Like Mimi Pressley Are Pros.
Women entrepreneurs are thriving throughout these singular times and my guest this week, Mimi Pressley, a Florida-based hair and makeup artist, has ideas as to why. [While true data remains scant, wo…
The Sage Sayers: How Can We Apply For Grants, Funds, (and Patents) Others Say 'Yes' To? Tips From CEO of Phyla, Yug Varma.
My guest this week is Yug Varma. He’s a San Francisco, Calif-based trained microbiologist and synthetic biologist with a background in organic chemistry. He’s also Co-founder and CEO of a skin microb…
The Sage Sayers: Why We Must Challenge Our Judge's Lies About Restorative Breaks
72% of Americans did not take a summer vacation in 2020 and this year (with some small hope) 50% of Americans took a summer vacay while the other 50% did not. Meanwhile, consumer research finds 44% o…