In this episode, Rich and Jess sit down with Kathy Boerner — storyteller, educator, and author — to explore what separates a story that lands from one that just fills time.

They cover everything from how to source material out of ordinary life, to reading an audience when you can't tell if it's going well, to why the person you make the fumbler in your story should almost always be you.

In this episode, Rich and Jess break down:

• why listening is the core performance skill that separates speakers who inform from speakers who connect.

• the three levels of listening (including the one most speakers skip entirely)

• the five common listening mistakes that make audiences check out, and how to read the room in real time so you can adjust on the fly

If you've ever watched a speaker hold a room and wondered how they did it, this is the episode that answers that question.

They spotlight a few people who turned communication skills into extraordinary outcomes, from a self-made entrepreneur to an astronaut who kept his composure under impossible pressure.

Then they get personal, sharing their own paths: the fears they pushed through, the risks that paid off, and where they each hope their voice takes them next.

Everyone says practice makes perfect, but what exactly are you supposed to practice? In this Episode, Rich and Jess break down the eight things a speaker gets evaluated on, from clarity and vocal variety to eye contact, gestures, reading the room, and picking a topic people actually care about. You'll walk away knowing precisely where to put your reps. Listen now.