No matter how compelling a presentation feels in the moment, most of what you say won’t last in your audience’s memory. The key isn’t trying to make people remember everything — it’s ensuring they remember what matters most. Carmen Simon is a cognitive neuroscientist, author, and expert on how the…
After 48 hours, people forget 90% of what you say. That’s not failure, it’s human nature. The real question isn’t how to make them remember everything. It’s this: What’s your 10% message? Because decisions are made based on what people remember, not what they forget.
New isn’t the only way to get attention. Surprise works too. The brain learns when expectations are disrupted. That gap, between what we expect and what happens, is where attention lives. So don’t just aim for new. Aim for the unexpected.
After any presentation, your audience will forget about 90% of what you said. That’s okay, says Carmen Simon — just make sure they remember the right 10%. Simon is a cognitive neuroscientist, speaker, author, and expert on how the brain processes and retains information. Her research reveals a humbling truth:…
Even if you don’t think you’re a natural, anyone can become proficient at the art of small talk by utilizing the right tactics and behaviors. In this collaboration with Harvard Business Review, strategic communications lecturer Matt Abrahams shares his tips and techniques for cocktail party chit chat, networking small talk,…
Whether you want to read more books or exercise more regularly, BJ Fogg has good news. “Habits are easier to form than most people think,” he says, “If you do it in the right way.” As the founder and director of Stanford's Behavior Design Lab, Fogg has devoted much of…
Every second, your brain absorbs an enormous amount of information. Yet you consciously process only a tiny fraction of it. So what determines what you notice? Your attention. And what you believe matters. Listen to the full episode on fastersmarter.io #Neuroscience #AttentionMatters #CognitiveScience #MindsetMatters #ThinkFastTalkSmart
You don’t need a new personality. You might just need a new perspective. Nir Eyal explains why beliefs don’t have to be true; they just have to be useful. When you “try on” a better belief, you create options. And options create growth. Stop defending the old story. Start testing…
During Sleep Awareness Week, here’s a mantra worth trying from Nir Eyal: “The body gets what the body needs - if you let it.” One restless night doesn’t mean disaster. What matters is creating the right conditions, and letting go of what you can’t control. Sometimes better sleep starts with…
What you believe about yourself could be holding you back. Fortunately, Nir Eyal says beliefs aren’t truths — and you can choose new ones. Eyal is a former lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Stanford d.school, a celebrated author, and a renowned expert on human behavior and…
Words have impact. But when it comes to enchanting audiences and captivating with communication, Jonah Berger, PhD ’07, says some words are more potent than others. Berger is a Wharton School professor and an internationally bestselling author. His most recent book, Magic Words: What to Say to Get Your Way,…
Facts matter. But framing moves people. Gain frame is better than loss frame when it comes to persuasion. The language you use shapes the outcome.
Out of breath during presentations? It’s not nerves. It’s stamina. Reading out loud is the treadmill for your voice. Train before you perform.
What’s the difference between reacting and responding? How do you move from memorizing your words to truly conversing in the moment? And how do you keep growing as a communicator in everyday moments? Communication isn’t about having the perfect script. It’s about staying present enough to respond with intention. In…
More conflict = more engagement. Creators see it in the metrics. Drama pulls in viewers, and even brings in other creators’ audiences. But when platforms reward tension and extremes, what kind of content ecosystem are we building? #DigitalReputation #OnlineBehavior #ContentCreation #ThinkFastTalkSmart
Everyone is publishing something. Your digital footprint shapes how you’re perceived. Don’t chase trends. Build from your true expertise. Trust can’t be faked. Listen to the full episode with Angèle Christin on fastersmarter.io. #Authenticity #DigitalReputation #ThinkFastTalkSmart
You may not think of yourself as a content creator, but in the creator economy, Angèle Christin says we all have to learn how to communicate who we are online. Christin is an associate professor of communications at Stanford University and a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered…
Whether winning over a hiring manager or winning new business, career success often hinges on how we communicate. That’s why Andrew Seaman is on a mission to help people find the words that work — to get work. Seaman is the senior managing editor for jobs and career development at…
Nervous before speaking? Don’t fix your slides. Fix your posture. Stand tall. Plant your feet. Open your chest. Your body sends signals to your brain and to your audience. Confidence isn’t just spoken. It’s embodied. Learn more at fastersmarter.io.
The Olympics may be over, but we’re all still competing - in meetings, in interviews, in life. A rule from Andrew Luck: Own what you can own. Don’t throw teammates under the bus. Move forward with honesty. That’s how you build trust. #Trust #Communication #ThinkFastTalkSmart
Directness and being your true self are extremely vital in making business decisions - whether you’re a leader in a small team within a larger organization, or the leader of the larger organization yourself. So many companies lose so much money because they just do not communicate directly! On this…
There’s a major psychological difference between posting online and speaking to someone in person. In real life, another person’s face and body give us rich emotional data. Online, that feedback loop is missing. Ethan Kross explores how that absence changes how we communicate — and sometimes escalates how we express…
“Happiness all the time” is an impossible goal. And chasing it might be making things worse. Ethan Kross explains why negative emotions, in the right proportions, are not just normal… they’re necessary. Listen to the full episode on fastersmarter.io. #ToxicPositivity #EmotionalIntelligence #MindsetShift #SelfDevelopment #thinkfasttalksmart
If you want to have better conversations with others, Ethan Kross says you first have to quiet down the chatter in your own head. A professor, researcher, and author, Kross defines chatter as a “negative thought loop” that hijacks our attention and undermines our ability to perform. “We have a…