The Diary of a CEOThe Speaking Expert: How To Speak So Everyone Hears You! Julian Treasure
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 4:20
Why Being Heard Matters: Julian’s Path To TED Fame
Steven introduces Julian Treasure and frames the importance of speaking well. Julian recounts how his fifth TED Talk on ‘how to speak so that people want to listen’ exploded, shifted his career from audio branding to global speaking and writing, and why the topic resonated so widely.
- 4:20 – 13:00
Why We Crave Being Heard More Than We Crave Listening
Julian explores the psychological drivers behind wanting to be heard—validation, significance, belonging, and ego gratification. He contrasts the popularity of his speaking versus listening talks and explains how ego and the desire to be right distort public discourse.
- 13:00 – 23:40
The Vocal Toolbox: Transforming A ‘Boring’ Voice
The conversation turns deeply practical as Julian defines the ‘vocal toolbox’ and why delivery matters alongside content. He shares Chris Anderson’s view on content vs delivery, and offers concrete ways anyone can improve vocal impact.
- 23:40 – 33:40
Breath, Nerves, And Variety: Foundations Of Vocal Power
Julian dives into breathing practices and vocal variety as practical levers for better speaking. He explains resonant breathing, nervous system regulation, and how cultural differences affect accepted prosody.
- 33:40 – 44:40
Prosody, Silence, And The Art Of Self-Coaching
The pair unpack prosody further and discuss habits like fillers and over-talking. Julian outlines how to self-coach by reviewing recordings and intentionally practicing silence and expressive reading.
- 44:40 – 55:30
Confidence, Introversion, And Growing Through Public Speaking
Julian reflects on confidence as a byproduct of repetition, not personality, and shares his own introversion and boarding school conditioning. They discuss nerves, over-rehearsal, and authenticity versus performance.
- 55:30 – 1:07:00
Authenticity, Virtue Signaling, And The Cost Of Inauthentic Lives
They explore authenticity in modern media culture, including staged vulnerability and virtue signaling. Steven shares stories of guests who burned out from living inauthentic public identities, while Julian emphasizes that real authenticity requires knowing your values.
- 1:07:00 – 1:26:40
FLAG: Defining Values As Your Moral Compass
Julian introduces his personal values acronym FLAG—Faith, Love, Acceptance, Gratitude—and explains how explicit values guide choices and communication. Steven wrestles with how to distinguish conditioned values from genuine ones.
- 1:26:40 – 1:41:40
Validation, Active Listening, And Repairing Relationships
The focus returns to listening in relationships and work. Julian outlines his three-step model for active listening—reflection, validation, contribution—and explains how invalidation fuels endless arguments and even selective deafness.
- 1:41:40 – 1:54:00
RASA: A Practical Formula For Everyday Listening
Julian teaches RASA—Receive, Appreciate, Summarize, Ask—as a memorable framework to improve moment-to-moment listening. They connect it to conflict resolution, sales, and the rarity of undivided attention in a distracted world.
- 1:54:00 – 2:05:00
Speaking With Authority And Setting Attention ‘Contracts’
They tackle how less powerful people can speak with authority in rooms full of senior figures. Julian recommends explicit mini-contracts for attention and shares a story of a child Coke seller who unconsciously mastered authentic salesmanship.
- 2:05:00 – 2:16:20
HAIL In Practice: When Not To Be ‘Brutally Honest’
Julian revisits HAIL—Honesty, Authenticity, Integrity, Love—focusing on honesty’s limits. He distinguishes facts from opinions and warns against weaponizing truth under the banner of ‘brutal honesty,’ especially when it’s really just unfiltered judgment.
- 2:16:20 – 2:26:40
Fixing, Grief, And The Power Of Telling Hard Stories
They examine ‘fixing’—refusing to let others be upset—as one of four ‘leeches’ that damage communication. Julian shares a family story about a hidden stillbirth and his own child’s death to illustrate the harm of concealment and the healing of involving children honestly.
- 2:26:40 – 2:36:40
Storytelling And ‘The Listening You’re Speaking Into’
The pair dissect why stories are so gripping and how speakers can use them strategically. Julian stresses tailoring content to the audience’s ‘listening’—their context, expectations, and state—and Steven reflects on how story-first talks fueled his own business success.
- 2:36:40 – 2:49:40
Sound’s Four Effects And The Case For Audio Branding
Julian explains how sound alters our bodies, feelings, cognition, and behavior, using research and examples. He then pivots to audio branding, arguing that every business already has a sound identity—usually unmanaged and often harmful.
- 2:49:40 – 3:05:40
Social Media, Outrage, And Listening As Democratic Glue
They connect listening to politics and social media dynamics: outrage, shaming, and echo chambers. Julian argues that listening—even to uncomfortable or extreme views—is vital for democracy and personal growth.
- 3:05:40
One More Thing: Growth, Health, And A Life Of Small Steps
In the closing tradition, Julian answers a question from the previous guest about the ‘one more thing’ he’d love to do. He shares his desire to take on Scotland’s Munros as a long-term walking challenge and reflects on small daily growth and his ongoing struggle with food and health habits.
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