{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Modern Manager","title":"360: How to Train Your Brain to Speak Better in Any Setting with Ruth Milligan","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1908,"description":"You’re in a team meeting, someone starts talking… and keeps talking. \nThey lose their train of thought, fill the air with “likes” and “ums”, and before long, the point is lost.\nSound familiar? We’ve all been there. Because here’s the truth: verbal communication isn’t innate—it’s a learned skill. \nAnd this week’s guest has spent 35 years helping people master it.\nMeet Ruth Milligan. Ruth is a 35-year communication veteran. Her career has included being a speechwriter, press secretary, marketing consultant, and, for the last 15 years, communication coach and trainer. She is the author of Motivated Speaker with her co-authors and colleagues, Acacia Duncan and Blythe Coons.\nIn this episode, Ruth shares why speaking is a learned habit—not a natural gift— and why catching habits early in low-stakes settings sets the stage for success when the pressure is on.\nYou’ll learn why filler words, overtalking, and disorganized thoughts sabotage your message and how to fix them with practical, proven tools for you and your team.\nPlus, in the extended episode available to Podcast+ members, Ruth breaks down how to stop saying “um” and reveals the six threshold concepts for learning to speak well.\nJoin the conversation now!\nGet FREE mini-episode guides with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.\nConversation Topics(00:00) Introduction(01:39) Common mistakes people make when communicating(07:18) Why listening to yourself is the best feedback tool(13:58) Handling slow speakers and ramblers: what actually works(18:28) Pre-meeting coaching that helps your team speak better(25:03) The power of practicing before you speak (and what to rehearse)(27:57) A great manager Ruth has worked for(29:31) Keep up with Ruth(30:55) [Extended Episode Only] How to finally stop saying “um”(33:09) [Extended Episode Only] The six threshold concepts for learning to speak well\nAdditional Resources:\n- Get the extended episode by joining The Modern...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/vh03-o0OUKG7JnFjtDqtJmV0y385f5sQOifebswPa_E/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzQzNjM5LzE2OTA1/Nzg4MDYtYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}