Why Smart People Suck at Explaining What They Do (And How to Fix It), with Brian Miller

Episode notes

If you're an expert, consultant, or coach trying to explain what you do, you've probably experienced that sinking feeling when someone's eyes glaze over mid-conversation. You know your work matters, but somehow the message isn't landing. This episode tackles one of the most critical skills for building your personal brand: the ability to communicate your expertise in a way that actually connects. Brian Miller, founder of a message design firm, joins me to break down how smart people can explain their big ideas to the rest of us. We explore why traditional presentation skills training often fails, how to design speeches that do the heavy lifting for you, and why your next keynote shouldn't try to teach everything you know. Three Key Areas We Discussed: The Audience-First Principle - Brian introduces the AFA (Audience First, Always) framework and explains why most experts lose their audience in the first three lines. We dig into the four ways to build a compelling premise: wants, problems, beliefs, and fears. The One Page Keynote Method - Forget charisma training and presentation skills workshops.