THIS MOMENT COUNTS · ISSUE 09 I hated that talk. So why did it work? Wednesday, June 17, 2026 · by Dr. Michael Gerharz Oh man, how I hated that talk.Though it seemed like I was the only one. The guy (let’s call him Buzz) got standing ovations. He had landed one joke after another. He was charming, had great presence, and clearly, as they say, owned the room. But 10 minutes into the talk, I sat there like the one guy who didn’t get the memo. I just couldn’t find the point. I mean there were...
7 days ago • 3 min read
THIS MOMENT COUNTS · ISSUE 08 The best talk of the whole conference Wednesday, June 10, 2026 · by Dr. Michael Gerharz I don’t often write about client projects. So, this one’s a little special. I’m grateful for Kathy Letendre and Dell Anderson for agreeing to publish their thoughts on our collaboration. Both of them belong to a very rare group of people: generous, humble, and at the same time incredibly ambitious. They came to me with a message that deserves to be heard loud and clear:...
14 days ago • 2 min read
What the Best Leaders Say Issue 15 “Show, don’t tell” is the best communication advice many leaders have ever learnt. It’s also the reason their most important messages never had quite the impact they were hoping for. They stopped one step short. This issue is about that missing step. It’s also about one of the most-watched talks of the last twenty years, given by a man widely considered a dull speaker. It's where you can watch him take that missing step, in a single, unforgettable moment....
18 days ago • 7 min read
THIS MOMENT COUNTS · ISSUE 07 Why persuasion has always felt unambitious to me Wednesday, June 3, 2026 · by Dr. Michael Gerharz I don’t want the ability to talk people into things. I really don’t. Persuasion is often considered the gold standard in communication. Getting people to do what you want them to do. What more could you want … in a pitch, a strategy announcement, a keynote, or any of the moments that count? Well, a lot more, if you ask me. Persuasion has always felt unambitious to...
21 days ago • 2 min read
THIS MOMENT COUNTS · ISSUE 06 Is this the smartest pitch ever made? Wednesday, May 23, 2026 · by Dr. Michael Gerharz The pitch for the original Alien movie is widely considered to be one of the smartest pitches ever made. Legend has it that it was only 3 words long. It could have been 3 hours long, explaining in great detail how the story works, detailing the dark mood, forecasting box office sales, introducing the creation team, diving into their track record, … … and many more aspects that...
28 days ago • 2 min read
What the Best Leaders Say Issue 14 A match does almost nothing on its own. A few seconds of heat, a small flame, and it’s gone. But find something that was always going to burn and it ignites a fire. The leaders who change minds, who give a presentation people can’t stop talking about, who make something shift in a room without anyone being quite able to say how, have mostly figured out one thing the others haven’t. They are not trying to be the fire. They are trying to be the match. I have...
about 1 month ago • 8 min read
THIS MOMENT COUNTS · ISSUE 05 What is your audience dying to know (next)? Wednesday, May 20, 2026 · by Dr. Michael Gerharz That’s everything you need to know about storytelling. I’m dead serious. Nothing else matters nearly as much. In fact, in a business context, I find most of the storytelling frameworks utterly distracting. The Hero’s Journey, the three act structure. That’s all valid advice. But it simply isn’t needed in a business context. What is needed is much simpler. In one word:...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
THIS MOMENT COUNTS · ISSUE 04 The pitch that should have failed Wednesday, May 13, 2026 · by Dr. Michael Gerharz 12 years ago, my wife and I landed a surprise hit in the German toy market. As total nobodies in the industry. We ignored every single piece of expert advice. Really, our pitch would fail every single test by every single expert. It worked out beautifully for us. The reason why is relevant to every pitch and every spotlight moment. So, what happened? My wife and I were sitting in...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
What the Best Leaders Say Issue 13 I hesitated to write this one. Why? Because I kept recognizing people in it. People I’ve worked with. People I admire. Occasionally, if I’m being honest with you, myself. The thing about dazzle is that it doesn’t feel like dazzle from the inside. It feels like preparation. It feels like professionalism. It feels like doing the work. Honestly? It feels good. And the better you are at it, the less likely anyone in the room, including you, is going to tell you...
about 2 months ago • 9 min read