What to Say When Things Get Tough artwork

What to Say When Things Get Tough

80 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 months ago -

This podcast is dedicated to helping you communicate in difficult situations, both professional and personal.

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Episodes

Best Of - A Spoonful of Sugar, Part 2

July 13, 2023 14:55 - 26 minutes - 5 MB

Welcome to our 10th episode! This week, Dr. Alan Snyder, a physical therapist in New York City, talks about how he handles difficult communication challenges with his patients. I even manage to solicit a little free medical advice from Dr. Snyder that I think will be helpful to anyone who needs a doctor. If you need a physical therapist and you live in the NYC area, you can find Dr. Snyder on his website at http://www.breakawayphysicaltherapy.com. Thank you as always to Jim Cirillo at jimi...

Best Of - A Spoonful of Sugar, Part 1

June 15, 2023 13:51 - 28 minutes - 5 MB

Some of the most difficult conversations take place between medical professionals and their patients. In this first part of a two-part episode, patient advocate and long-time surgical nurse Antra Kathleen Boyd talks about how we can better manage those conversations and achieve the best possible outcome for everyone involved. And next week, physician Alan Snyder will join us to give us a health care provider's perspective. To learn more about Antra and her work at Connected Care Patient Adv...

Stick Out Your Tongue and Say ... What?

June 01, 2023 19:58 - 28 minutes - 5 MB

If you’re like me, doctor appointments may fill you with dread – especially if you’re experiencing a serious medical condition. Those conversation are among the most difficult many of us will experience, for both patients and doctors. But fear not! Our guest today is Dr. Toyosi Onwuemene, a hematologist and associate professor of medicine at Duke University. Toyosi explains how doctors approach those difficult conversations with patients and the skills and techniques they use to provide as...

The Earth Lady

May 18, 2023 13:30 - 33 minutes - 5 MB

Our guest today is Izolda Trakhtenberg, and expert in communicating in difficult situations and a sought-after speaker, educator, and coach for businesses and organizations looking to thrive. And as you'll learn, while we just met last week, we've run in the same circles for many years. You can learn more about Izolda on her website at www.izoldaspeaks.com. There you can read her blog, access her podcast, The Creative Solutions Podcast, and order one of her books, including the most recent,...

Best of - Deborah Driggs - No Means Maybe

May 04, 2023 13:15 - 19 minutes - 5 MB

Today we wrap up my conversation with Deborah Driggs, insurance agent, mother, former model and actress, and Playboy’s centerfold in March 1990. We discuss the role that fear plays when communicating in difficult situations. Deborah also shares how she learned not to take no for an answer as a senior in high school when she convinced her high school government teacher to let her pass a class she had never attended by staying up all night to write a paper summarizing the class’s entire textb...

Feeding the News Cycle

April 20, 2023 14:41 - 37 minutes - 5 MB

Our guest today is Victoria Broehm, senior director of communications at the American Feed Industry Association. AFIA is the world's largest organization devoted exclusively to representing the U.S. animal food industry and its suppliers. That puts AFIA and Victoria right in the middle of a diverse array of ongoing issues and sudden crises. Victoria shares a ton of practical advice on managing issues and responding to crises, including the role that third parties can play in effective respo...

Best Of - Caring, Compassion & Curiosity

April 06, 2023 14:07 - 34 minutes - 5 MB

I'm on vacation this week, so I thought I would bring you an encore presentation of my most popular episode to date. The guest is Jeffrey Dean, actor, speaker and transformational life coach. We'll be back in two weeks with an all-new episode. Enjoy!! Thank you as always to Jim Cirillo at jimiumgroup.com for our original music and to Rachel Greenberger for our original art. As always, send questions to [email protected] and follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt.

The Crisisbuster

March 23, 2023 15:18 - 31 minutes - 22.4 MB

You're in for a real treat today because our guest is Tom Logue, my colleague at AKCG - Public Relations Counselors and the firm's director of crisis communications. Tom spends his days - and sometimes his nights - helping our clients navigate crises of every imaginable flavor. In just 30 minutes, he shares a lot about how organizations can navigate crises successfully with careful planning, preparation and execution. If you'd like to hear more about AKCG's approach to crisis communicati...

Are You Okay Day

March 09, 2023 20:44 - 31 minutes - 22.7 MB

Welcome to the 60th original episode of What to Say When Things Get Tough! We're joined today by Simon Rinne, an Australian therapist who specializes in helping men work through mental health challenges like burnout, depression and substance abuse. We talk about how Simon decided to help others after struggling with his own mental health issues, and he walks us through the best way to approach someone if you think they may need help. Simon is the host of a podcast called Mindful Men and can...

Conflict Remedy

February 23, 2023 15:21 - 31 minutes - 22.4 MB

Our guest today is Lorraine Segal, a communication and conflict teacher, coach and consultant. Lorraine works with non-profits and corporations to help them resolve workplace conflicts. She shares some of the best practices that sh's picked up along the way, including how she has learned to forgive herself and others -- and how that has helped to minimize the conflict she experiences in her own life. To learn more about Lorraine and the services she provides, please visit her website at ww...

Courage and Vulnerability

February 09, 2023 15:47 - 32 minutes - 23.3 MB

Alyssa Sullinger joins us today to talk about her work as a licensed therapist who specializes in helping high-achieving individuals remove toxic relationships, exhaustion and burnout from their lives so they can become more empowered, decisive and in control. You can learn more about Alyssa and the services she provides at www.alyssasullinger.com. Thank you as always to Jim Cirillo at www.jimiumgroup.com for our original music and to Rachel Greenberger for our original art. Please send co...

Encore - Double Episode D to the E

October 27, 2022 13:04 - 13 minutes - 8.08 MB

We wrap up our encore in-depth look at the CODE for trust and credibility by exploring the role the dedication and expertise play in helping people determine whether you're a trustworthy and credible source of information. And please look for a Best Of replay of the episode entitled The Credibility Gender Gap, which I think will be even more interesting now that we've completed our journey through the CODE. Thanks as always to Jim Cirillo of jimiumgroup.com for our original music and Rache...

Encore - O Is Oh So Important

October 21, 2022 15:36 - 11 minutes - 6.62 MB

As promised, here is the encore episode where we discuss the "O" in the CODE for credibility. The need to be open and honest may be obvious, but it can still trip you up in a difficult situation. In this episode, we discuss how to bolster this portion of your overall CODE score. Plus, I answer a question from a listener that I get all the time from family and friends: Is President Trump a trustworthy and credible person? As always, thank you to Jim Cirillo at jimiumgroup.com for our origin...

Encore - C Is for Caring

October 17, 2022 14:59 - 16 minutes - 10 MB

My apologies for not getting a new episode up last week. To make it up to you, I'm going to re- publish four episodes from way back at the beginning of What to Say When Things Get Tough on the four elements of the CODE for Credibility, beginning today with C Is for Caring. I'll re-publish the other three this week and next, leading up to an all-new episode on Thursday, October 27. Enjoy! All the usual thanks and requests!

A Funny Thing Happens When You Don't Communicate ... Nothing!

September 29, 2022 21:19 - 48 minutes - 31.9 MB

I’m very excited about this first original episode of our third season because our guest is my good friend and long-time colleague, Howard Menaker. Howard spent 18 years as a public relations and public affairs manager for Bechtel Corporation, the global engineering and construction giant. While we start off talking about lessons that Howard learned over the course of his career about the most effective ways to communicate in difficult situations, we also delve into how those same lessons c...

Doctors and Meetings and Sports, Oh My!

September 15, 2022 14:16 - 39 minutes - 25.2 MB

Welcome to Season 3 of What to Say When Things Get Tough! We kick off this season with a re-broadcast of a podcast I joined as a guest over the summer. Amy Stone, an expert in successfully navigating the often turbulent waters associated with blended families, held a back-to-school summit and, because I’m a member of a very large blended family, she invited me to discuss how my fiancé and I handle medical appointments, school meetings, practices and other activities. You can learn more abo...

Caring, Compassion & Curiosity

June 30, 2022 06:32 - 34 minutes - 23.9 MB

Our guest today is Jeffery Davis, actor, speaker and transformational life coach. Before I could even hit “record,” Jeffery got right to the heart of the matter when it comes to breaking through and connecting with people who may be angry, worried and suspicious of what you have to say. So, we jump right into our conversation without the usual pleasantries. During the interview Jeffery mentions the book Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tool for Healthy Relationshi...

Your Ultimate Life

June 23, 2022 17:47 - 18 minutes - 17.1 MB

As a bonus for my listeners, I'm re-sharing my episode of Your Ultimate Life with Kellan Fluckiger. I published my recording of the episode back on May 5, but this version features all of Kellan's bells and whistles. Enjoy!

Best Of - Fighting Words

June 16, 2022 13:32 - 37 minutes - 22.9 MB

Covid caught up with me last week, and while it was a very mild case and I'm fully recovered, I didn't have a chance to record and edit a new episode. Instead, I'm bringing back the most popular episode of the past year. The guest is Matt Stait, a Welsh national and martial arts expert who used his skills to overcome a difficult childhood and become a successful competitor, bodyguard, teacher and author. Among many other interesting topics, we talk about the crucial role that communication...

A Twist on the Golden Rule

June 02, 2022 15:28 - 22 minutes - 15.5 MB

Our guest today is Geoff Seow, founder of MindAxis Life Coaching. Geoff joins us from Down Under to talk about how he found meaning in life from working with his fellow millennials -- to help them, as he describes it, bridge the present day to their dream reality. Along the way we talk about Geoff’s twist on the golden rule: rather than treat people as you would want to be treated, treat them as they want to be treated. Thank you as always to Jim Cirillo at jimiumgroup.com for our origi...

Be Very Intentional

May 19, 2022 12:57 - 34 minutes - 19.9 MB

A quick show note: The episode today is coming to you a capella as I have not figured out how to transfer our original music over from my old laptop to my new one. Our guest today is Monique Russell, an executive coach, leadership guru, communication expert, and the founder of Clear Communication Solutions. We cover a wide range of issues, including overcoming adversity, presenting to people who you may think are smarter than you, to the importance of being very intentional when communicati...

My Ultimate Life

May 05, 2022 14:26 - 17 minutes - 11.3 MB

Welcome to the 50th episode of What to Say When Things Get Tough!! Very exciting. Kellan Fluckiger, who we welcomed as a guest last time, was kind enough to ask me to appear as a guest on his podcast, Your Ultimate Life. And he was also kind enough to give me permission to feature our conversation here. While we don't necessarily talk about communicating in difficult situations, I think listeners will find some pearls of wisdom in the story that I share about my own struggle to find my ult...

Exercising Your "Give a Crap" Muscle

April 21, 2022 13:56 - 42 minutes - 32.2 MB

Our guest today is Kellan Fluckiger. Before leaping off the corporate ladder and forging his new path as a transformational leadership mentor, Kellan spent many years working at the highest levels of the electric power industry. For the past 15 years, Kellan has devoted himself to helping others, in his words, combine their thoughts, language and actions into an unstoppable success machine. His clients have included governors, senators, CEOs, and even a Super Bowl winner, and we discuss th...

Live from Fort Worth...

April 07, 2022 15:27 - 34 minutes - 31.6 MB

Today we have a very special episode for you. Last month I had the pleasure of attending the Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates' annual trade show in Fort Worth, Texas, where I appeared on a panel discussion about how to communicate in a crisis event. One of my fellow panelists, Mark Henriques, a partner at the law firm Womble Bond Dickinson, invited me to be a guest on his own podcast and he was kind enough to share it with me so I can share it with you. Enjoy! As always, than...

"Oh Yeah, You Blend" - Part 2

March 24, 2022 15:16 - 25 minutes - 17.9 MB

We’re back this week with Part 2 of my interview with Amy Stone, a life coach – not a therapist as I incorrectly referred to her last time – who specializes in working with adults in blended families. Last week we focused on my relationship with my fiancé Raquel’s younger children. This time we look at the relationships each of us has with the other’s older children as well as the relationship between the two of us. You can learn more about Amy and the services that she provides on her web...

"Oh Yeah, You Blend" - Part 1

March 17, 2022 14:02 - 36 minutes - 25.8 MB

Today we have a real treat. Our guest is Amy Stone, a therapist who specializes in working with adults in blended families. And there’s no bigger blended family than mine. We talked for so long that I’m breaking our conversation into two episodes. In this first part, we discuss the different roles that members of blended families play, the challenges of disciplining children who aren’t your own, and how to make sure everyone’s needs are met when it comes to food and mealtime. You can learn...

Fight, Flight or Communicate

March 10, 2022 13:57 - 38 minutes - 25.8 MB

Our guest today is P.J.Agness, an expert in self-defense and protective intelligence and author of numerous books, including his most recent, Street Level Spycraft, that are all available on Amazon. P.J. and I talk about communicating in what may be the most difficult situation of all – when you find yourself in a confrontation in which your physical well-being is at risk. P.J. shares his advice for verbally de-escalating a dangerous encounter and controlling your fight or flight instinct. ...

Veganism?!?

February 10, 2022 19:14 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MB

I'm willing to bet that no one has ever tied together veganism and effective communication, but our guest today, Philip Anthony Mangan, and I gave it our best. Philip is a New York City-based actor, model and dedicated vegan who also happens to be a fellow Floridian; in fact, we grew up about 20 minutes from each other outside Ft. Lauderdale. We touch on everything from how to break through the stereotypes that many people hold regarding the vegan lifestyle to how to convince those who acce...

When It's More Important To Be Kind Than Nice

January 27, 2022 16:36 - 35 minutes - 23.1 MB

Our guest today is Christi Scarrow, a woman who wears many hats. She’s a partner at the Canadian consulting firm Lighthouse Nine Group, she’s an expert in organizational accountability, and she’s the author of Truth Warriors: The battle to hear, be heard and make decisions that count. Fortunately for us, the need to communicate effectively in difficult situation is a common thread across all of those aspects of Christi’s life, and she shares a huge amount of very practical advice on how to...

Communicating Through Adversity

January 13, 2022 14:10 - 36 minutes - 24 MB

Our guest today is Smitha Gunturi, a woman’s advocate and podcast host who has overcome just an incredible amount of adversity over the course of her life. We don’t discuss communications specifically. Instead, Smitha shares a number of life lessons that can inform how we can communicate more effectively in difficult situations: the importance of empathy, or as Smitha puts it, “seeing things from someone else’s perspective.” Along the way, Smitha shares a poignant moment when she learns a ...

More Food for Thought

December 21, 2021 19:52 - 43 minutes - 30 MB

We're back with an all-new episode to close out 2021.Our guest is Sean McBride, founder of DSM Strategic Communications (www.dsmstrategic.com) and a long-time senior executive in the fast-moving consumer goods and trade association sectors. Sean has a particular expertise in the food industry and today we talk to him about how the McBrides and their forebearers came to settle in western Pennsylvania, how Sean himself migrated from there to Washington, D.C., and how he came to specialize in...

Communications and Bridging

October 07, 2021 19:10 - 45 minutes - 30.6 MB

Welcome to the 40th original episode of What to Say When Things Get Tough! And they said it would never last. Our guest today is Bill Cramer, a Public Involvement Director at HNTB (www.htnb.com), a large civil engineering firm with offices across the United States and Canada. Among many other topics, Bill discusses his visit to the site of the Surfside condo collapse, which happened just 50 blocks from his home, and his assessment of the performances of the local and state officials who had...

Hypnotherapy as Risk Communication?

September 24, 2021 18:57 - 35 minutes - 23.5 MB

I never thought I’d find myself speaking to a hypnotherapist, but after meeting J. Robert Parker in Facebook’s Podcast Guest Connection group I thought I’d give it a try. And I’m very glad I did. I learned a lot about how hypnotherapy works, but perhaps even more importantly I learned what hypnotherapy and risk communication share: an emphasis on trust; the central role that caring and empathy play; and, something we haven’t spoken about enough, how each field can be used for both good and ...

To Forgive is Da Bomb

September 09, 2021 14:43 - 34 minutes - 23.1 MB

Welcome back to What to Say When Things Get Tough. I hope you enjoyed a safe and healthy summer. As our first guest back we’re joined by Andrea Mason, a personal accountability coach to whom I was draw because of the importance she places on forgiveness when it comes to communicating effectively in difficult situations. After all, if we don’t learn to forgive as we employ the skills and techniques necessary to win people over when they’re angry, worried and suspicious of everything we say,...

Quick Annnouncement

July 21, 2021 17:21 - 19 seconds - 236 KB

What to Say When Things Get Tough is going on hiatus until after Labor Day. We'll be back with new episodes on how to communicate more effectively in difficult situations, both personal and professional. Have a great summer and until then ... always be positive!

Toxic People Proof

June 30, 2021 15:31 - 44 minutes - 31.2 MB

  Today we’re joined by Sarah Ramsey, the host of the podcast Toxic Person Proof. Her podcast is about helping women remember how amazing they are after enduring pain at the hands of a toxic partner, parent, coworker or friend. But while her podcast may be aimed at women, I think the techniques she discusses for handling difficult people – and communicating with difficult people – are relevant for all genders. We discuss how to identify toxic people, how to avoid them if you can, and how t...

Good Will Hunting

June 16, 2021 15:16 - 43 minutes - 30 MB

We have a very special guest this week to celebrate the one-year anniversary of What to Say When Things Get Tough: Chris Lukach, an expert in crisis communications, CEO of AKCG -- Public Relations Counselors in Glassboro, N.J. and Washington, D.C., and, perhaps most importantly, my boss. Chris and I talk about how the field of crisis communications has changed in an era of 24/7 media coverage and social media and how organizations have had to change too in order to protect their reputations ...

Sex! Now That I Have Your Attention...

June 02, 2021 14:32 - 40 minutes - 26.9 MB

Sue Priver is an “ecstasy expert,” which should indicate to you that this episode is going to be a little unusual.  Most of us intuitively understand that good communication is important to good, healthy sex, but we don’t really know what good communication means or how to achieve it. Sue shares her approach to telling your partner – or partners – what you want and learning what they want. She helps people get over the guilt, shame, fear and judgement and stand in the way of, as Sue puts i...

Fighting Words

May 19, 2021 14:11 - 36 minutes - 22.5 MB

Our guest today is Matt Stait, a Welsh national and martial arts expert who used his skills to overcome a difficult childhood and become a successful competitor, bodyguard, teacher and author. Among many other interesting topics, we talk about the crucial role that communication plays in the subtle art of protecting club goers, celebrities and Middle Eastern royalty, when the formula for success comprises one percent physicality and 99 percent quick thinking and negotiating skills. Matt's b...

Deborah Driggs - No Means Maybe

May 05, 2021 13:15 - 19 minutes - 13.6 MB

Today we wrap up my conversation with Deborah Driggs, insurance agent, mother, former model and actress, and Playboy’s centerfold in March 1990. We discuss the role that fear plays when communicating in difficult situations. Deborah also shares how she learned not to take no for an answer as a senior in high school when she convinced her high school government teacher to let her pass a class she had never attended by staying up all night to write a paper summarizing the class’s entire text...

Deborah Driggs - No Means Maybe

May 05, 2021 13:15 - 19 minutes - 13.6 MB

Today we wrap up my conversation with Deborah Driggs, insurance agent, mother, former model and actress, and Playboy’s centerfold in March 1990. We discuss the role that fear plays when communicating in difficult situations. Deborah also shares how she learned not to take no for an answer as a senior in high school when she convinced her high school government teacher to let her pass a class she had never attended by staying up all night to write a paper summarizing the class’s entire text...

Deborah Driggs and Divorce - Part 1

April 21, 2021 15:06 - 24 minutes - 16.7 MB

When I met Deborah Driggs in a Facebook group for podcast hosts and guests, I admit that I set up an interview with her because after doing a little research on her background and experience I learned that as a young woman she had appeared as a Playboy centerfold. Well, you’re not going to hear anything about that part of her life. Because during our conversation I discovered someone in whose life experience has made her a real expert in the art of communicating in difficult situations. So ...

Best Of - My Interview with Aaditya Mehta

April 07, 2021 14:14 - 27 minutes - 17.7 MB

I've met some great guests through the Facebook group Podcast Connections. In this encore episode that originally aired last September, I appear as a guest on a podcast hosted by Mumbai, India-based Aaditya Mehta, Aaditya was kind enough to grant me permission to broadcast our interview. Stay tuned for more interviews with interesting guests I've connected with through Facebook, including Deborah Driggs, a successful insurance agent who has constantly re-invented herself over the course of ...

Elephant Traps - Part 3

March 24, 2021 15:42 - 18 minutes - 10.8 MB

In our final discussion of traps that can trip you up in difficult situations, we tackle the money trap, the numbers trap, the risk comparison trap and the false-premise trap. Thank you as always to Jim Cirillo of jimiumgroup.com for our original music and Rachel Greenberger for our original podcast art. Please send questions to [email protected] and follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt.

Elephant Traps - Part 2

March 10, 2021 16:00 - 15 minutes - 9.44 MB

We continue our discussion of traps that can trip you up in difficult situations. This week, we tackle the hedges trap, the guarantee trap, the worst-case scenario trap and the dishonesty/deception trap. Enjoy! If you're a loyal listener, please rate, review and subscribe to this podcast. Send questions to [email protected] and follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt.

Elephant Traps - Part 1

February 24, 2021 20:05 - 16 minutes - 10.2 MB

An old African proverb holds that when an elephant steps in a trap, no more trap. Since we're not elephants, we need to prepare for traps that we may fall into inadvertently -- or that someone may deliberately place in our paths -- when we're communicating in difficult situations, In this first episode of a multi-part series, we talk about the preparation trap, the humor trap, and the negatives trap. Enjoy! As always, thank to Jim Cirillo at jimiumgroup.com for our original music and to my...

The Seven Cardinal Rules

February 12, 2021 21:09 - 20 minutes - 12.4 MB

Back in the spring of 1988, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published a short pamphlet entitled Seven Cardinal Rules of Risk Communication. It quickly became, and remains to this day, one of the seminal works in the field of risk communication. Although the field has changed and evolved over the last 33 years, these basic fundamental rules on which effective risk communication is built continue to hold true. In this episode, I read and comment on the pamphlet and the impact it has ...

Keep Calm and Get A Tutor

January 27, 2021 17:11 - 16 minutes - 10.7 MB

Making sure our kids don't fall behind in their studies has been a challenge for millions of parents in the age of coronavirus, and many have turned to tutors for help. Our guest today is Gabrielle Crichlow, founder and owner of A Step Ahead Tutoring Services in New York. We talk about how she’s weathered the storm and the role that communication plays in removing the stigma that sometimes comes with tutoring and in serving her clients well. You can learn more about Gabrielle and the servic...

Fifth Dimension Personality

January 13, 2021 18:44 - 32 minutes - 21 MB

Our guest today is Daniel Bruce Levin, who describes himself as a fifth dimension personality. Over the course of a very eventful life, Daniel has hitchhiked around the world, come within one day of being ordained as a Jewish rabbi, walked away from the opportunity to run a multi-billion company, and advised companies, non-profits and government agencies on how to replace siloed thinking with innovation. Daniel brings a unique perspective on the role that communication plays in forming and ...

How Do You Measure a Year in the Life?

January 06, 2021 13:40 - 48 minutes - 32.6 MB

To start off the New Year, we welcome back Sheri Singer, president of Singer Communications (www.singercomm.com). Together we offer a retrospective on 2020 and what it meant for communications professionals, both professionally and personally. Thank you to my daughter, Rachel Greenberger, for our new podcast art. Thank you to Jim Cirillo at jimiumgroup.com for our old podcast music. Please send questions to [email protected] and follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt.