This week, we sit down with Arne Schepker, the visionary CEO behind language-learning powerhouse Babbel. The company has become synonymous with language mastery. With millions of subscribers and over 16 million users so far, Babbel has revolutionized the way we learn languages.  In this episode, Arne dismantles language-learning myths and unveils his personal growth into a dynamic leader. Discover the power of storytelling, the ROI magic in marketing, and the art of building global brand...

Giving formal presentations is stressful. But there is another, more common type of communication that is as crucial for success: unscripted and uncontrollable situations like small talk at a networking event, an interview, a pitch, a sales presentation.  Yet little has been written about spontaneous communication in business. Until now. In this episode, Matt Abrahams shares his six-step approach for speaking confidently and clearly when we don’t have a script. This allows us to focus on...

Navigating the path from CEO to visionary is tricky. That’s why I’m excited to share my interview with the “Besser Gründen” Podcast (in German). We explore the strategies and insights that entrepreneurs and founders can use to establish themselves as thought leaders in their respective industries.Almost everyone wants to stand out in their industry, but few manage. This episode gives you the tools that make the difference.   Find the original Podcast...

This week we are launching our new guide on ‘Presentation Hacks:  50 Powerful Strategies to Captivate Any Audience’.  So on this episode of Speak like a CEO, I go deeper on some of the ideas I cover in “Presentation Hacks” including how to come across as charismatic, why slides kill your mojo and how to cut out the ‘umms’ and ‘ahhs”. You can download the full guide here: https://www.eoipsocommunications.com/newsletter/ In this tactical guide, I share with you the 50 most powerful hacks...

How many entrepreneurial journeys have started with a wrongly booked ticket to China? Alone in a hotel room in Beijing, Johannes Reck realised how a city is transformed when you have access to tour guides and experiences. Two years later, Johannes and university friend Tao Tao took a leap of faith and launched GetYourGuide – a platform that unlocks unforgettable experiences. Fifteen years later, GetYourGuide has built a global brand with strong word of mouth, product-market fit in multiple...

This week, I’m excited to share my interview with the “Besser Gründen” Podcast (in German). We discuss my latest book “MESSAGE MACHINE” and how Communications can solve 90% of all problems in a company. We are all constantly communicating – even when we are not communicating. But how do we communicate successfully? How do we manage to lead, inspire and convince others with words? It comes down to the language of leadership - our topic in this episode. Find the original Podcast here:...

What’s the hallmark of a great speaker and leader in a volatile world? The ability to recenter your nervous system.  That’s because our speech has an immediate impact on the nervous systems of others. And in leadership, “what you do to other people’s nervous systems is a big deal.”  Says this week's guest on Speak like a CEO, @Caroline Goyder. She is a TEDx speaker with over 10 million views, an expert on speaking and voice, author of multiple books, and founder of the Gravitas...

This week’s episode is a rare behind-the-scenes interview on how a Hollywood movie gets made – and how to persuade the right people to back an impossible dream.  Torsten Ruether is a filmmaker, director and the CEO Hello Moment Productions. He has pulled off the unthinkable: to make a Hollywood movie with award-winning actors during some of the most challenging times of the film industry – first the pandemic and then the writers’ and actors’ strike.  The movie “Uppercut” is the remake of an...

“Don’t wait for the perfect story, make your story perfect.” This is the message of Karen Eber, author, storyteller and TED speaker with 2 millions views.  In her brand new book ‘The Perfect Story’, she shares the science behind how your brain processes stories and how storytelling is the best way to communicate in business. It is accessible and actionable for anyone who wants to lead, inspire and inform through stories.  Storytelling is the best way to make people retain information and...

“Communications is more important than most CEOs and founders think,” says Yannis Niebelschütz, co-founder of CoachHub - the world’s largest digital coaching platform.  As the leader of a global tech company, he is focused on scientific research and AI, and building a holistic approach to coaching that is unparalleled.  His goal is to transform the workforce, rethink how people work together, and increase productivity. All through digitally available coaching packages with more than 3500...

This week I share with you the podcast episode I recorded with Startup Insider (in German) about my latest book ‘Message Machine: How Communications Will Make You An Unstoppable Founder’. I share insights from decades of experience working with founder and CEO communications and provide practical tips on how to develop a growth story and how a startup can gain visibility in oversaturated markets.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/likeaceo/message

Today we are sharing the repost of an insightful episode from the ⁠School of Hiring podcast⁠, hosted by Konstanty Sliwowski. Oliver and Konstanty dive into a topic that might not be the cheeriest, but it's undeniably one of the most critical aspects of running a business, especially in challenging times: letting employees go, dealing with redundancies, and navigating the turbulent waters of layoffs. In a year that has seen hundreds of thousands of tech workers lose their jobs, the gravity of...

How do you build a magnetic employer brand that attracts and retains new talent? In this special episode of Speak Like CEO, we are reposting the final instalment of Employer Branding: The Inside Podcast by Georgiana Ghiciuc.  Georgiana and Oliver dissect how any company can become a magnetic employer of choice by focusing on three aspects of building a great company: culture, internal communications, and employer branding. Drawing from my latest book, "MESSAGE MACHINE: How Communications...

Does your message cut through the noise? How do you achieve message-market-fit as a startup?  We are excited to bring you an episode from WHU’s The Most Awesome Founder Podcast, hosted by globally-recognised startup expert Gerrit McGowan and entrepreneurship professor Dries Faems.  In this episode, Jag Singh, Managing Director at Angel Invest, and Speak Like a CEO host Oliver Aust discuss their latest book, "MESSAGE MACHINE: How Communications Will Make You An Unstoppable Founder."  We...

This week's podcast guest holds an impressive list of credentials.  She is an investor, board member, speaker, and co-founder and managing director of 2hearts. She was also awarded the title Impact Entrepreneur of the Year in Germany in 2023.  Gülsah Wilke shares her unique journey in the tech & startup industry as an immigrant's granddaughter with Turkish roots. She has a simple but impactful mission: to build tomorrow's tech society with cultural diversity. To this end, she co-founded...

As a CEO, you want to own your message. Thanks to technology and social media, this has never been easier.  This is according to Oliver Kaltner, the former CEO of Leica, the iconic camera brand, and current CEO of Cherry - a leading manufacturer of computer equipment. Both are listed companies at the forefront of technology and engineering.   His mantra is that business is not about talking, but about doing - so how does that fit in with communications? Leading in a hybrid work environment...

Erik Podzuweit is a former German Rugby Champion, and co-founder and co-CEO of Scalable Capital - one of Europe’s leading FinTechs. In this week's podcast episode he talks about how he leads and communicates with his gut!  Developing and trusting your gut feeling takes dedication and tenacity, but in turn you will have a team and clients who trusts you and a thriving business.  His approach is always keeping it simple and straightforward, and that honesty pays off in the long run. Check out...

Founderland is Europe’s fastest growing community of women founders of colour. In this week's episode of Speak Like a CEO, Oliver hosts Stephanie von Behr, Managing Director of Founderland.  Founderland is not your average community. Stephanie, together with experienced founders Deborah Choi and Alina Bassi (our guest in E94) have been highly intentional about building the brand, deepening the community and making a real-life impact. Stephanie urges everyone to branch out and to hire from...

We have a special episode of Speak Like a CEO for you: an Ask Me Anything session with Oliver Aust.  Oliver answers five of the most frequently asked questions. How to deal with the transparency dilemma, how to make something boring sound interesting, common communications mistakes, how to inspire an audience, and the changing trends of founder communications.  Subscribe to the Message Machine newsletter and become an unstoppable founder...

His company has dressed 41 out of 46 US presidents, is the oldest apparel brand in America in continuous operation, and was the first brand to introduce ready-to-wear.  Brooks Brothers is nothing short of a legendary brand, and Ken Ohashi is the man behind its revival. He took over as CEO after the company had to file for bankruptcy during Covid. After an impressive turn-around, the company had a record year in 2022 and paid out bonuses to its employees for the first time in over a...

Most people abhor change. But without change, your business will never succeed. This is why Jörg Hellwig puts change at the centre of everything he does – from digitalising companies, building new businesses, and adapting communication processes.   Jörg is the former CDO of multi-billion Euro revenue company LANXESS, founder of CheMondis, and angel investor.   According to Jörg, any success should be followed by change. When things are going well you are in the best position to change...

Has a speech ever changed the way you see the world? Now imagine being able to write a speech that has this effect on people. That is what Simon Lancaster does. As one of the best speechwriters in the world, author of several books, and multiple TedX speaker, Simon knows all the secrets to captivate an audience with words. And the secret dates all the way back to ancient Greece and Rome, and the rhetoric art of ethos, pathos, and logos. It is all about establishing credibility, portraying...

How many digital tools do you use? Chances are you’ve already used at least a dozen by the time you got to the office today. Now imagine managing the digital tools for a company of several thousand people… As the company and team grow, so does the number of tools we use and need to manage. Software is now in the top 3 of expenses for many companies.  This is the problem Sven Lackinger is solving with his company, Sastrify, that just raised a €30m Series B round. He helps companies make...

80% of the global workforce are deskless employees.  They don’t have email or Slack, they don’t respond to calendar invites and won’t attend conference calls. But they are the biggest part of the workforce. Keeping them informed, engaged and aligned is a major challenge for businesses.  While working at Porsche, Benedikt Ilg noticed how hard it was to reach his colleagues in production. The solution that Benedikt and his co-founder came up with is Flip – an app that allows deskless...

How many entrepreneurial journeys have started with a wrongly booked ticket to China? Alone in a hotel room in Beijing, Johannes Reck realised how a city is transformed when you have access to tour guides and experiences.  Two years later, with a failed student tour guiding company behind them, the two university friends took a leap of faith and launched GetYourGuide – a platform that unlocks unforgettable experiences.  Fifteen years later, the app offers more than 70.000 unique experiences...