What to Say When Things Get Tough

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 jimiumgroup.com for the original music and Rachel Greenberger for the original art.Please email questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt.

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 Advocates, visit her website at www.connectedcarepatientadvocates.com.Thanks as always to Jim Cirillo at www.jimiumgroup.com for our original music, and to Rachel Greenberger for our original podcast art.Send questions and comments to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us at #wtswtgt!

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 much comfort and information as possible. She also offers tips on how patients can make the most out of the little time they have to interact with their doctors and ask questions. You can learn more about Toyosi and her practice here. She also runs a website called Coag Coach devoted to educating patients about hematology and hematologic disorders.A quick programming note: we're going on summer hiatus next week, so this will be the last new episode of WTSWTGT until the fall. Please check back because I plan to share some “best of” episodes over the next few months.Thank you as always to Jim Cirillo of jimiumgroup.com for our original music and to Rachel Greenberger for our original art.Please send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt.. 

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, Speak from Within: How to Engage and Inspire Any Audience Whether You're Talking to One or One Thousand.As always, thank you to Jim Cirillo at jimiumgroup.com for our original music and to Rachel Greenberger for our original art. Please send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt.

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 textbook.She used that experience to develop her “No means maybe” philosophy that has helped drive her success as an actress, model, investor, and insurance agent. Enjoy!As always, thank you to Jim Cirillo of jimiumgroup.com for our original music and my daughter Rachel Greenberger for our original podcast art.Please send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt.

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 response, the importance of a scenario-based approach to crisis communications planning, and the advantages of engaging your entire organization in crisis preparation and response.And listen to the end for a fascinating fact about Victoria and her family to wash it all down. Thank you as always to Jim Cirillo at jimiumgroup.com for our original music and to Rachel Greenberger for our original art. Please send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt.

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 wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt.

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 communications, please email Tom at Tom@AKCG.com.Thank you to Jim Cirillo of jimiumgroup.com for our original music and to Rachel Greenberger for our original art.Please send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt.

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 be found online at www.mindful-men.com.au. I hope you enjoy our conversation.As always, thank you to Jim Cirillo of jimiumgroup.com for our original music and to Rachel Greenberger for our original art.Send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt.

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 www.conflictremedy.com.Thank you as always to Jim Cirillo at jimiumgroup.com for our original music and to my daughter Rachel Greenberger, for our original art. And Happy Birthday, Boo-Boo!Until next time, always be positive!

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 comments and questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt.Until next time, always be positive!

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 Rachel Greenberger for our original art.Please subscribe to, rate, review and share this podcast, send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com, and follow us on Twitter @wtswtgt.

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 original music and to Rachel Greenberger for our original art.Please send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @wtswtgt, and subscribe, rate, and review!

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!

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 can be applied to – and drawn from – personal struggles as well. Enjoy!Thank you to Jim Cirillio at jimiumgroup.com for our original podcast music and to Rachel Greenberger for our original podcast art.Send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com.Follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt. 

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 about Amy's work at www.amysayso.com. I hope you enjoy our conversation.Thank you as always to Jim Cirillo of jimiumgroup.com for our original music and to my daughter Rachel Greenberger for our original art.Please send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter at #wstwtgt, and rate and review us.

Our guest today is Jeffery Dean, 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 Relationships.One quick show note: This will be our last new episode before I take my summer break. I may post some re-runs and perhaps some brief, new content over the next couple of months, but looks for new episodes when we get back to normal business operations after Labor Day. Thank you as always to Jim Cirillo for our original podcast music and Rachel Greenberger for our original podcast art.Send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter @wtswtgt.And enjoy the summer!

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 Relationships.One quick show note: This will be our last new episode before I take my summer break. I may post some re-runs and perhaps some brief, new content over the next couple of months, but looks for new episodes when we get back to normal business operations after Labor Day.Thank you as always to Jim Cirillo for our original podcast music and Rachel Greenberger for our original podcast art.Send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter @wtswtgt.And enjoy the summer!

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!

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!

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 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 books, including 20 easy ways to keep your child safe: Empower your kids with the tools to be confident, safe, and happy, are available on Amazon.com. You can also find and engage with him on TikTok. I hope you enjoy our conversation.Thank you as always to Jim Cirillo at jimiumgroup.com for our original music and Rachel Greenberger - Happy Graduation! - for our original art.Please send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt. We'll be back next time with an all-new episode.

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 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 books, including 20 easy ways to keep your child safe: Empower your kids with the tools to be confident, safe, and happy, are available on Amazon.com. You can also find and engage with him on TikTok. I hope you enjoy our conversation.Thank you as always to Jim Cirillo at jimiumgroup.com for our original music and Rachel Greenberger - Happy Graduation! - for our original art.Please send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt. We'll be back next time with an all-new episode.

Our guest today is Geoff Seow, founder of MindAxis Life Coaching. Geoff joins us from DownUnder to talk about how he found meaning in life from working with his fellow millennials -- tohelp them, as he describes it, bridge the present day to their dream reality. Along the way we talkabout Geoff's twist on the golden rule: rather than treat people as you would want to betreated, treat them as they want to be treated.Thank you as always to Jim Cirillo at jimiumgroup.com for our original music and Rachel Greenberger for our original art. Please send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter @wtswtgt. Until next time, always be positive! 

Our guest today is Geoff Seow, founder of MindAxis Life Coaching. Geoff joins us from DownUnder to talk about how he found meaning in life from working with his fellow millennials -- tohelp them, as he describes it, bridge the present day to their dream reality. Along the way we talkabout Geoff's twist on the golden rule: rather than treat people as you would want to betreated, treat them as they want to be treated.Thank you as always to Jim Cirillo at jimiumgroup.com for our original music and Rachel Greenberger for our original art. Please send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter @wtswtgt. Until next time, always be positive! 

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 communicating in difficult situations. After going through a social media cleanse, she's back online and the best place to find her is on LinkedIn – although she also has a website at clearcommunicationsolutions.com.Thank you as always to Rachel Greenberger for our original art.Please send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter @wtswtgt.Until next time, always be positive!  

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 communicating in difficult situations. After going through a social media cleanse, she's back online and the best place to find her is on LinkedIn – although she also has a website at clearcommunicationsolutions.com.Thank you as always to Rachel Greenberger for our original art.Please send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter @wtswtgt.Until next time, always be positive!  

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 ultimate life.I hope you enjoy our conversation.As always, thank you to Jim Cirillo for our original music and to Rachel Greenberger for our original art.Please send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt.

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 ultimate life.I hope you enjoy our conversation.As always, thank you to Jim Cirillo for our original music and to Rachel Greenberger for our original art.Please send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt.

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 the techniques that Kellan uses - and the role that communication plays in making it all happen.Kellan is the author of more than a dozen books, which you can find on Amazon.com : kellan fluckiger. I hope you enjoy our conversation.Thank you as always to Jim Cirillo at jimiumgroup.com for our original music and Rachel Greenberger for our original art.Please send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter @wtswtgt.

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 the techniques that Kellan uses - and the role that communication plays in making it all happen.Kellan is the author of more than a dozen books, which you can find on Amazon.com : kellan fluckiger. I hope you enjoy our conversation.Thank you as always to Jim Cirillo at jimiumgroup.com for our original music and Rachel Greenberger for our original art.Please send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter @wtswtgt.

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, thank you to Jim Cirillo of jimiumgroup.com for our original music and to Rachel Greenberger for our original art.Please send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter @wtswtgt.

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, thank you to Jim Cirillo of jimiumgroup.com for our original music and to Rachel Greenberger for our original art.Please send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter @wtswtgt.

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 website at amysaysso.com.Thank you to Jim Cirillo of jimiumgroup.com for our original music and to Rachel Greenberger for our original art. If you have any thoughts or ideas for topics you'd like us to cover, or questions you'd like to ask, please send an email to wtswtgt@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter @wtswtgt.

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 website at amysaysso.com.Thank you to Jim Cirillo of jimiumgroup.com for our original music and to Rachel Greenberger for our original art. If you have any thoughts or ideas for topics you'd like us to cover, or questions you'd like to ask, please send an email to wtswtgt@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter @wtswtgt.

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 more about Amy and the services that she provides on her website at amysaysso.com.As always, thank you to Jim Cirillo of jimiumgroup.com for our original music and to Rachel Greenberger for our original art.Email us at wtswtgt@gmail.com.Follow us on Twitter @wtswtgt.

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 more about Amy and the services that she provides on her website at amysaysso.com.As always, thank you to Jim Cirillo of jimiumgroup.com for our original music and to Rachel Greenberger for our original art.Email us at wtswtgt@gmail.com.Follow us on Twitter @wtswtgt.

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. We also discuss how some of the techniques that spies use to motivate sources can be used to communicate more effectively at work.This is the first of three episodes that I plan to publish over the next three weeks to make up for the lack of a new episode two weeks ago. Enjoy!As always, thank you to Jim Cirillo of jimiumgroup.com for our original music and to Rachel Greenberger for our original art. If you have any thoughts or ideas for topics you'd like us to cover, or questions you'd like to ask, please send an email to wtswtgt@gmail.com. And please follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt.

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. We also discuss how some of the techniques that spies use to motivate sources can be used to communicate more effectively at work.This is the first of three episodes that I plan to publish over the next three weeks to make up for the lack of a new episode two weeks ago. Enjoy!As always, thank you to Jim Cirillo of jimiumgroup.com for our original music and to Rachel Greenberger for our original art. If you have any thoughts or ideas for topics you'd like us to cover, or questions you'd like to ask, please send an email to wtswtgt@gmail.com. And please follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt.

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 accept climate change but aren't sure what they can do about it that they can make a difference. Along the way, we touch on a number of important principles related to communicating effectively in difficult situations.I hope you enjoy our conversation.As always, thank you to Jim Cirillo of jimiumgroup.com for our original music and to Rachel Greenberger for our original art. If you have any thoughts or ideas for topics you'd like us to cover, or questions you'd like to ask, please send an email to wtswtgt@gmail.com. And please follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt.

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 accept climate change but aren't sure what they can do about it that they can make a difference. Along the way, we touch on a number of important principles related to communicating effectively in difficult situations.I hope you enjoy our conversation.As always, thank you to Jim Cirillo of jimiumgroup.com for our original music and to Rachel Greenberger for our original art. If you have any thoughts or ideas for topics you'd like us to cover, or questions you'd like to ask, please send an email to wtswtgt@gmail.com. And please follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt.

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 do that well with supervisors, employees and peers. To learn more about Christi and to order her book, please visit www.truthwarriors.ca.Thanks to Jim Cirillo and Rachel Greenberger for you know what. Send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt. And until next time ... always be positive!

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 do that well with supervisors, employees and peers. To learn more about Christi and to order her book, please visit www.truthwarriors.ca.Thanks to Jim Cirillo and Rachel Greenberger for you know what. Send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt. And until next time ... always be positive!

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 terrible truth from her son and explains that sometimes the most difficult conversations are the most important to have.To learn more about Smitha and the services she provides, please visit her website at www.smithagunturi.com.If you have any thoughts or ideas for topics you'd like us to cover, or questions you'd like to ask, please send an email to wtstwtgt@gmail.com. And please follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt.Finally, as always, a big thank you as always to Jim Cirillo of jimiumgroup.com for our original music and to Rachel Greenberger for our original art. 

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 terrible truth from her son and explains that sometimes the most difficult conversations are the most important to have.To learn more about Smitha and the services she provides, please visit her website at www.smithagunturi.com.If you have any thoughts or ideas for topics you'd like us to cover, or questions you'd like to ask, please send an email to wtstwtgt@gmail.com. And please follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt.Finally, as always, a big thank you as always to Jim Cirillo of jimiumgroup.com for our original music and to Rachel Greenberger for our original art. 

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 a field so near and dear to all of our hearts.Along the way we learn how Sean has helped his clients rebuild trust and credibility and position themselves for success before, during and ultimately once the Covid-19 pandemic comes to an end. Sean also takes out his crystal ball and shares three trends that he thinks will define the food industry through the rest of the decade and beyond.As always, thank you to Jim Cirillo of jimiumgroup.com for our original music and to Rachel Greenberger for our original art.Please subscribe to, rate and review us and follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt.

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 a field so near and dear to all of our hearts.Along the way we learn how Sean has helped his clients rebuild trust and credibility and position themselves for success before, during and ultimately once the Covid-19 pandemic comes to an end. Sean also takes out his crystal ball and shares three trends that he thinks will define the food industry through the rest of the decade and beyond.As always, thank you to Jim Cirillo of jimiumgroup.com for our original music and to Rachel Greenberger for our original art.Please subscribe to, rate and review us and follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt.

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 to communicate about the disaster in its wake (hint: he gives them high marks). He also emphasizes the importance of communicating internally when a crisis strikes -- an aspect of crisis communications that I often think gets overlooked. I hope you enjoy our conversation.Thank you as always to Jim Cirillo of jimiumgroup.com for our original music and Rachel Greenberger for our original art.Please rate, review and subscribe to WTSWTGT; send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com, and follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt. And finally, please join us in two weeks for a conversation with food industry expert Sean McBride.

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 to communicate about the disaster in its wake (hint: he gives them high marks). He also emphasizes the importance of communicating internally when a crisis strikes -- an aspect of crisis communications that I often think gets overlooked. I hope you enjoy our conversation.Thank you as always to Jim Cirillo of jimiumgroup.com for our original music and Rachel Greenberger for our original art.Please rate, review and subscribe to WTSWTGT; send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com, and follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt. And finally, please join us in two weeks for a conversation with food industry expert Sean McBride.

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 bad.You can find J. Robert on his website at www.twinravens.org. I hope you enjoy this fascinating conversation. And I hope you'll join us next week when I interview Bill Cramer, an old friend and colleague who works as a Public Involvement Director at HNTB, a large civil engineering firm with dozens of offices in the United States and Canada.Thank you as always to Jim Cirillo at jimiumgroup.com for our original music and Rachel Greenberger for our original art.Please send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt. And don't forget to subscribe to, rate and review us!!!

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 bad.You can find J. Robert on his website at www.twinravens.org. I hope you enjoy this fascinating conversation. And I hope you'll join us next week when I interview Bill Cramer, an old friend and colleague who works as a Public Involvement Director at HNTB, a large civil engineering firm with dozens of offices in the United States and Canada.Thank you as always to Jim Cirillo at jimiumgroup.com for our original music and Rachel Greenberger for our original art.Please send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter at #wtswtgt. And don't forget to subscribe to, rate and review us!!!

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, chances are the old problems are just going to recur over and over again. Enjoy!If you're interested in her services, the best way to reach Andrea is through her website at www.andreamasons.com (don't forget the extra "s" at the end of her name).Thank you to Jim Cirillo at jimiumgroup.com for our original music and Rachel Greenberger for our original podcast art.Please send questions to wtswtgt@gmail.com and follow us at #wtswtgt.And now that we're back from hiatus, it's a perfect time to rate, review and subscribe. And, to tell all your friends!