Disruptive Influence: The Storytelling, Communication & Executive Presence Podcast
If you know what you do but struggle to talk about it in a way that lands — this podcast is for you.
Most founders, creators, and leaders have the expertise…but not the story, clarity, or communication skills to express it with confidence, conviction, and influence.
Disruptive Influence is the storytelling, communication, and executive presence podcast for founders, solopreneurs, and LinkedIn-era leaders who want to communicate with more clarity and power - in meetings, in pitches, in content, and in everyday conversations.
Learn how to:
- turn lived experience into clear, compelling stories
- communicate with clarity, confidence, and executive presence
- build a strong POV that attracts the right people
- sell your ideas, your value, and your vision with conviction
- unlock the mindset shifts behind real influence and high-performance communication
Hosted by Jeff Abracen - executive storytelling coach, former agency creative director, and creator of the Disruptive Influence™ system - each episode reveals how exceptional thinkers shape narratives, build presence, and communicate in ways that create opportunity.
Through a mix of solo tactical episodes and deep conversations with founders and creators who are disrupting and influencing their industries in their own way, you’ll learn how real leaders think, speak, and tell stories that move people.
If you're building a company, growing a personal brand on LinkedIn, leading a team, or simply want to communicate with more confidence and conviction — this podcast gives you the tools and perspective shifts to become the most influential person in the room.
➞ Subscribe and learn how to tell stories that sell - and speak with clarity, confidence, and conviction.
➞ Connect with Jeff Abracen on LinkedIn to continue the conversation.
Disruptive Influence: The Storytelling, Communication & Executive Presence Podcast
Why You Need to Stop Performing and Start Believing with Annelise McCarthy
What does it really take to stand out as a speaker in a noisy world?
The zesty and unapologetically real, Annelise McCarthy, founder of Her Speaking Coach, joins Jeff to explore what speaking with confidence really means.
From overcoming a childhood lisp to building a thriving global coaching business, Annelise shares powerful and counterintuitive lessons on communication, presence, and self-belief. This episode isn’t about tips and tricks, it’s about transforming the way you see yourself, so your voice carries the weight it deserves.
We dive into:
- Why being brilliant isn’t enough if you can’t communicate it memorably.
- The myth that you need to be “serious” to be taken seriously.
- How self-love becomes the ultimate speaking skill.
- The spotlight effect, and why nobody notices your mistakes as much as you do.
- The shift from performance to presence that changes everything.
Whether you’re a founder, leader, or simply someone who wants to use their voice more powerfully, this conversation will remind you: it’s never too late to claim your voice and step into the spotlight on your own terms.
🎧 Tune in and get ready to stop performing - and start connecting.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:40 Journey into Public Speaking
10:25 The Importance of Communication in the Age of AI
12:01 Memorable Moments in Speaking
18:05 The Impact of Empowering Voices
24:14 Self-Love and Communication
27:54 Embracing Anxiety as a Superpower
29:35 The Journey of Self-Discovery
31:27 The Impact of COVID on Personal Growth
34:08 The Mirror Moment: A Turning Point
36:40 Building a Relationship with Self-Love
38:07 The Power of Vulnerability in Storytelling
40:07 From Performance to Authenticity
44:14 Shifting Focus from Self to Audience
48:00 The Foundation of Compassion in Public Speaking
51:21 The Challenges of Entrepreneurship
Connect with Jeff Abracen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffabracen/]
If you are or know a disruptive influencer who would make a great guest, we'd love to hear from you.
Every Like, Share, Subscription and Review means a lot.
Cover art by Daniel Devoy
Music by Stephen Voyce
©2024 The Disruptive Influence Podcast - Jeff Abracen