Description

If you’ve ever felt nervous holding a mic, or wondered how seasoned speakers make it look effortless, this episode is for you. Nathan Gold, professional speaker coach, and longtime collaborator with Rosenfeld Media, has helped presenters at every level find their voice and captivate audiences.

In his conversation with Lou, Nathan reflects on over a decade of working with Rosenfeld conference presenters—researchers, design leaders, ops people, and more—as they prepare to step into the spotlight. He shares how effective communication isn’t just about slides or scripts, but about presence, intention, and treating your talk like a gift to the audience. Whether coaching polished speakers or total newcomers, Nathan’s approach is rooted in empathy, trust, and helping people show up as their most authentic selves.

From embracing improv to ditching the word-for-word script, Nathan’s advice speaks to anyone who wants to connect more meaningfully—on stage, in a meeting, or behind the camera. This episode is packed with insight for designers, leaders, and communicators of all stripes.

 

What You'll Learn from this Episode:

• Why designers often underestimate how different public speaking is from day-to-day communication
• What makes high-level speakers still want coaching—and what they get out of it
• A technique Nathan uses to help speakers ditch their scripts (without losing their message)
• How to build audience trust, even when presenting remotely
• The secret value of improv training in high-stakes presentations
• What makes a talk “nourishing” instead of just noise
• How to translate complex design ideas into compelling, human-centered storytelling

 

Quick Reference Guide:

0:10 - Meet Nathan

2:26 - Nathan’s path from impromptu teacher to the go-to demo guy to communications coach

7:51 - Are some speakers “naturals”?

10:28 - Nathan’s secret: his meeting with an improv facilitator

12:07 - Toastmasters vs improv

15:04 - Why you need the Rosenverse 

17:20 - Guiding design leaders from nervous to natural onstage

24:37 - When your presentation is virtual and you can’t see your audience

28:41 - Slides or no slides? And outlining vs mind mapping

33:23 - The power of storytelling and focusing on the audience 

36:09 - Nathan’s gift for listeners

 

Resources and Links from Today's Episode:

The Moth https://themoth.org/listen 

 

Quotes:

 ”The ‘uh’ is really good and a needed tool when you're in a big debate with a group of people around the table. So there is a good use for it. But not when you are holding the microphone and nobody can take the floor away from you.” 

“ If you want to improve your skills, whether it's a formal presentation or just a peer presentation, or like we're doing here – we're just having a conversation – go to improv.”

“A hook is a great way to start, but it’s not the only time you want to get them involved.”

“Think of what you’re doing here as not just a bunch of words and slides, but as a gift to the audience. This is a gift you are giving people so that they can go home and become the heroes in their situation.”

“Just tweaking some of what they say, making it more about the audience, makes their value much higher.”