Memorable speeches stay with us. They hit us in the gut. They hit us in the heart. They make a call for us to activate.

But, writing a speech that delivers is an art.

When was the last time you heard a talk or keynote where you felt seen, where you carried it with you, where you took action from its contents? It's probably been a while.

If you're looking to write a book, it's likely you're also looking to get on stages–they go hand in hand. But, they're two very different skill sets.

This week on Bound & Determined, I'm chatting with THE expert on effective keynotes, Brian Miller. Brian is a message design consultant whose TEDx talk, "How to Magically Connect with Anyone," has surpassed 3.7 million views. He is the founder of Clarity Up Consulting, a boutique firm specializing in core messaging and message design for experts, leaders, and founders. Brian is one of five co-founders of core messaging as a formal discipline and has consulted on more than 45 TEDx talks with a combined 20 million views across 30+ subject areas and 11 distinct industries. He is also the author of The One-Page Keynote (Rethink Press, 2026)

In this episode, you'll learn about how authenticity and presence require actual preparation, and why half the struggle of writing a good speech is understanding your audience.

We had a ton of laughs on this episode and I just know you'll love it!

Music has always been in the background of my life. That's why I'm thrilled to share this week's episode of the Bound & Determined pod!

This week I'm chatting with Alan Light, an Emmy Award-winning music journalist, a bestselling author, and the co-host of the music news podcast "Sound Up! With Mark Goodman and Alan Light." He's also the former Editor-in-Chief of Spin and Vibe magazines, and a former Senior Writer at Rolling Stone.

Alan is a frequent contributor to the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Esquire, among other publications. His latest book is DON'T STOP: WHY WE (STILL) LOVE FLEETWOOD MAC'S RUMOURS, and his previous titles include THE HOLY OR THE BROKEN, about the song "Hallelujah" (which was adapted into an acclaimed documentary), as well as biographies of Prince, Nina Simone, and Johnny Cash.

If you're a music lover like me, or you're interested in the intersection of art, culture, money and career–this will be an absolute treat!

You set out to write a book. You worked your tush off (and probably still are)...but somewhere along the way, without anyone warning you, you also became an entrepreneur.

That's the part nobody talks about when it comes to authorship. And it's SUPER important to know what is ahead.

You can nail your idea, land the agent, even get the deal — and still hit publication day and think: okay, now what?

Who's actually going to buy this?

How do I build an audience around it?

How does this thing make me money beyond the advance?

And all those answers come back to your community. Your platform.

That's exactly what I'm digging into on this week's Bound + Determined pod. My guest is Lindsay Ratowsky, founder of Nicely Done — an agency that helps creative thinkers grow and monetize their platforms with integrity. Before starting Nicely Done, Lindsay spent over 15 years as the right hand to some of the best-known names in thought leadership, including co-founding Esther Perel Global Media, where she helped build a content and digital product ecosystem that generated hundreds of thousands of new subscribers and millions in revenue.

In other words: she's spent her whole career doing the thing most authors don't realize they need until it's too late — turning expertise into something sustainable.

You don't want to miss this episode…