Day 30 of the 7-40 ChallengeFriday, January 30, 2026 "Put in the time. Your ideas are worth the effort." That's Carmine Gallo in Talk Like TED, talking about the preparation that goes into great speeches. I'm on Day 30 of the 7-40 Challenge, reading Gallo's book, and learning that what separates good ideas from great ones … Continue reading The Art of Asking (for Feedback): What Amanda Palmer’s TED Talk Teaches Us About Preparation
Category: AI & Communication
Today I Learned It Has a Name: Day 29 and the Power of Pathos
Day 29 of the 7-40 ChallengeThursday, January 29, 2026 I'm reading Carmine Gallo's Talk Like TED, and today I learned something that made me laugh. Aristotle called it "pathos." I've been calling it "finding the hook." Same thing. What Pathos Actually Means Pathos is the emotional appeal in a presentation. It's the moment when the audience … Continue reading Today I Learned It Has a Name: Day 29 and the Power of Pathos
The Rules That Make Excellence Possible: Day 27
Day 27 of the 7-40 ChallengeTuesday, January 27, 2026 I'm reading Carmine Gallo's book Talk Like TED right now, and in Chapter 1, he asks a question that stopped me on my walk this morning: "What makes your heart sing?" The answer came immediately: Being a husband to to my bride. Being a father to my son. … Continue reading The Rules That Make Excellence Possible: Day 27
The Joy of Words: Sounding Smart versus Being Smart
You ever find yourself geeking out over something most people overlook? Yeah, I’m one of those guys. The kind who flips through a dictionary for fun, marveling at the sheer arsenal of words we have to express ourselves. It’s wild to think about, isn’t it? We’ve got this vast, vibrant toolbox of language at our … Continue reading The Joy of Words: Sounding Smart versus Being Smart
The Power of Talking It Out: Unlocking Better Communication Through Self-Discovery
“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.” — Rudyard Kipling For the longest time, I thought everyone’s brain worked like mine. I assumed we all processed ideas in the same tidy, linear way. Spoiler alert: I was wrong. It took a few verbal stumbles—moments where my words tripped over themselves—to realize … Continue reading The Power of Talking It Out: Unlocking Better Communication Through Self-Discovery
David Willis 