Susan Young joins the podcast to talk about the art of persuasive communication and storytelling, particularly in leadership roles within the AEC industry. We discuss the importance of not only building but reading the room, asking quality questions, and practicing deep listening. The conversation also explores how being fully present and curious can lead to more effective interactions and projects. Susan underscores the two key traits of superior leaders: confidence and excellent communication skills, emphasizing that these are skills that can be learned and honed. The conversation highlights the role of soft skills in conveying knowledge effectively, stating that it doesn't matter what you know if you can't communicate and articulate it to others. We further discuss the crucial role of making a strong first impression, owning the fact that you're a media production company via social media and the internet, and understanding the art of the headline to hook your audience. The episode wraps up with a discussion on a people-centric approach to talking about tech and tools in firms, highlighting that we relate most to the human to human (H2H) stories. To learn more about Susan Young, see the full show notes with links, find more episodes, and find the past guests on the TRXL podcast please visit https://trxl.co Episode Sponsors: ArchIT Embrace a technology team that enhances—not hinders—your design process. Visit https://GetArchIT.com for your free IT assessment and start transforming your firm and your tech experience today. AVAIL AVAIL is helping AECO firms better manage, organize, and navigate information today. Trust a leader with a proven track record for reliability, relatability, and success. Learn why the top AECO firms choose AVAIL. Visit https://getavail.com/stranded and book a meeting with Will Rouse to learn more. Confluence Events Confluence is an intimate, invite-only conference event for AEC professionals and technology providers to discuss industry trends and ideas, together. Learn more about the next regional event coming April 2024 in NYC at https://confluence.getavail.com/2024-nyc ----- Support TRXL by becoming a member or by making a donation. Click here to subscribe and get the TRXL AEC Tech Newsletter and episode show notes emailed to you when new episodes are released. It’s free! Provide feedback for this episode at https://trxl.co/feedback