Get the Conversation Compass, my guide with a full log of thoughtful questions to try in your own conversations.

There is an art to asking questions in a conversation, and most people are asking the same boring, expected ones. In this episode, I break down exactly how to ask questions that move a conversation from mundane to meaningful.

Learn how to turn small talk into a springboard for something deeper, how to listen for the values and emotions driving what someone says, and the two-part "listen and dig" approach that leads to unforgettable conversations.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Aristotle's Metaphysics "All men by nature desire to know"
• G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy
• Cicero's De Oratore

Get the Conversation Compass, a tool for having deeper, more interesting conversations no matter where you are.Learn how to always have something interesting to say. There's a difference between being pleasant to talk to and being genuinely interesting. I break down exactly what made history's greatest conversationalists (Socrates, Voltaire, Cleopatra) so magnetic, and how to apply the same principles to become a more interesting, engaging conversationalist yourself.You'll learn how to nourish your mind so you always have something to draw from in conversation, why listening one level deeper changes everything, and why dropping the mask is what actually makes people want to keep talking to you.RESOURCES MENTIONED:Edifying Environment episode (train yourself to be eloquent)Ben Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack on the virtue of silenceAristotle's RhetoricEnjoy this episode? Follow A Better Way to Say for more lessons.

✨ Get Eloquence Unlocked to level up your speech here.What is the verbal equivalent of an impeccable outfit or a signature scent? Inspired by the "things I find chic" discourse, I put together my own list of 8 niche communication habits that make someone sound timeless, elegant, and genuinely memorable. This isn't "make eye contact" or "remember people's names." We're going deeper.In this episode: personalized compliments, speaking with conviction, being comfortable with silence, recalling specific details, floating between topics with ease, having a signature phrase, painting with your words, and quoting from memory.EPISODES MENTIONED:How to Banish Filler Words From Your VocabularyHow to Train Yourself to Be Eloquent | The Edifying Environment

Your Desire to Impress Others is Ruining Your ConversationsRESOURCES MENTIONED:Patrick Henry, "Give me liberty or give me death"Aristotle's RhetoricCicero's De OratoreJoan Didion's EssaysEnjoy this episode? Follow A Better Way to Say for more lessons on eloquent communication

Speak confidently with the Eloquence Unlocked guide here

Your unique story is the one thing AI can't generate. In this episode, I sit down with Nuria Garcia, storytelling expert and founder of Meet More Doers, to talk about why so many business owners sound exactly the same, and how to build a story that actually connects.Nuria moved from Spain to the US alone, built a life and a business from scratch, and started Meet More Doers, a community for founders, creators, and "needle-movers" who have a bias for action. She's candid about what actually changed her: not the move itself, but consistently putting herself in situations that scared her.We get into:- Why humans connect through stories, not polished results — and why so many business owners sound exactly the same online- How to find your story even if you think your life isn't "exciting enough" - The underrated power of just asking for what you want — including how Nuria got a free venue for her event by simply asking- Why having a bias for action, and repeatedly doing things outside your comfort zone, is what actually builds confidence and community- How Nuria built Meet More Doers into a home for the "misfits" who don't fit the typical founder mold-The one piece of communication advice Nuria wishes she'd learned soonerResources Mentioned:Connect with Nuria Garcia on Instagram hereMeet More Doers is here (Nuria's community for founders and creators)Work with Nuria hereEnjoy this episode? Watch A Better Way to Say to level up your speaking skills

Get the Eloquence Unlocked guide, with a place to log the phrases and words you want to weave into your own vocabulary.

How do you become a better public speaker? Great speakers don't naturally deliver with confidence and clarity; they build the skill through specific, learnable habits.

In this episode, I break down the exact practices history's greatest speakers used to become magnetic, persuasive communicators, including a story about a young JFK bombing a public speaking class in college.

You'll learn how to structure your speech for maximum impact, specific rhetorical figures to sound more persuasive (the same ones Lincoln and JFK used), and how to actually practice public speaking so you improve faster.

📖 Resources Mentioned:

• Lend Me Your Ears by William Safire
• JFK's 1961 Inaugural Address
• Previous Episode: How to Make Speaking Practice Fun

Enjoy this episode? Follow A Better Way to Say for more communication lessons.

✨ ⁠Get your Eloquence Unlocked guide here.⁠

The journey to becoming an eloquent speaker can feel like trudging up a hill, or it can feel like running through a field. The difference comes down to one often overlooked ingredient: fun.

Learn ways to make your speaking practice something you actually look forward to, from gamifying your practice with levels and goals to creating a speaking alter ego that lets you become the version of yourself you aspire to be.

Resources Mentioned:

• Voltaire on solemnity and play
• Why All the World's Most Confident People Adopt Alter Egos

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Enjoy this episode? Follow A Better Way to Say for more lessons every week.

✨ Get Eloquence Unlocked here to speak with confidence.

Being an excellent speaker comes down to daily habits. In this episode, learn how to build your "edifying environment", the daily system of inputs (what you read, listen to, and reflect on) that shapes how clearly and confidently you speak.

You'll learn the three-step framework for building your own edifying environment: how to define your spheres of interest, how to choose sources (physical and digital) using Francis Bacon's "tasted, swallowed, chewed" approach to books, and the three daily habits — reading, vocabulary review, and reflective writing — that turn it into a real practice.

And sign up for the newsletter here.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Francis Bacon "Of Studies" essay
• Lend Me Your Ears (speech anthology)
• The Story of Philosophy by Will Durant
• Joan Didion and F. Scott Fitzgerald essay collections

Enjoy this episode? Follow A Better Way to Say for more lessons every week.

Get ⁠Eloquence Unlocked here⁠ for practices to help you speak with confidence.

If you've ever wondered how to be well-spoken, or why you don't sound as articulate as you'd like, this episode is for you.

This episode breaks down the deeper root causes keeping you from sounding articulate and becoming a more eloquent speaker, from the pie chart of how you spend your mental energy to a rhetoric lesson from the ancient Romans to why a young man in ancient Greece shaved off half his head to become a great public speaker.

If you're looking to improve your communication skills, build public speaking confidence, or simply learn how to speak more clearly and eloquently, this episode lays out exactly where to start.

In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why consuming more than you contemplate is quietly working against you
- The difference between staying in "education mode" and actually executing
- The one shift that changes your entire communication output

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Politics and the English Language by George Orwell
• Cicero De Oratore
• Toastmasters

Get the next episode on building your speaking environment here.

Enjoy this episode? Follow A Better Way to Say on your favorite podcast app for more lessons on how to become a more eloquent, confident speaker every week.