The Politics of Speechwriting

It's the final episode of this season of The Friendly Ghost! Here, we answer some of your voicemail and email questions, from how to unwind during the holidays, how to build relationships with partners as a freelancer -- and what makes for a great client.Thanks to all of our guests and, especially, to all of you for listening to this season!The Friendly Ghost is hosted by Felicity Barber of Thoughtful Communications. It is co-produced by N2 Communications and Jody Avirgan's Roulette Productions.Want internal or external communications help from N2? Get in touch with Joe Flood here.Thinking about an audio project? Visit Jody Avirgan’s portfolio and get in touch with Roulette Productions here.Our producer is Noor Gill. Music by Blue Dot Sessions.Thanks for listening!

For decades, speechwriting was a very white, male industry. In many ways, it still is. But that is starting to change, thanks to the hard work of a few key people. And when speechwriters better reflect the audience they are trying to reach, everyone wins.Michael Franklin is the co-founder and Executive Director of Speechwriters of Color and a brilliant speaker and writer in his own right. In this episode, he discusses how, when he first broke into the industry, there were very few people who looked like him — even though he knew the talent was out there.The Friendly Ghost is hosted by Felicity Barber of Thoughtful Communications. It is co-produced by N2 Communications and Jody Avirgan's Roulette Productions.Want internal or external communications help from N2? Get in touch with Joe Flood here.Thinking about an audio project? Visit Jody Avirgan’s portfolio and get in touch with Roulette Productions here.Our producer is Noor Gill. Music by Blue Dot Sessions.Thanks for listening!

Speechwriting and ghostwriting is, by definition, a behind-the-scenes job. Rarely do writers get their name attached to the words they craft, but any good speechwriter knows that the best work comes from true collaboration. On today’s episode we get a rare glimpse into a high-level speechwriting partnership from Oscar Muñoz and Brian DeSplinter.Oscar is the former CEO of United, and Brian is his longtime friend and writing partner. Over the years, and in his new memoir, Oscar has been very open about the relationship between the two, and how Brian’s writing helped him navigate an incredibly high-profile and high-stress position.Oscar's new book "Turnaround Time" -- written in collaboration with Brian! -- is available now.The Friendly Ghost is hosted by Felicity Barber of Thoughtful Communications. It is co-produced by N2 Communications and Jody Avirgan's Roulette Productions.Want internal or external communications help from N2? Get in touch with Joe Flood here.Thinking about an audio project? Visit Jody Avirgan’s portfolio and get in touch with Roulette Productions here.Our producer is Noor Gill. Music by Blue Dot Sessions.Thanks for listening!

The world of speechwriting is at a critical moment. New technology is changing how we write and how we communicate. But at the end of the day, it's all about the power of your words.This episode we get some much needed perspective on the state of speechwriting from David Murray, Executive Director of the Professional Speechwriters Association and the Executive Communication Council. He has his finger on the pulse of the community -- and is thinking about how writers can stay one step ahead of the cultural shifts.The Friendly Ghost is hosted by Felicity Barber of Thoughtful Communications. It is co-produced by N2 Communications and Jody Avirgan's Roulette Productions.Want internal or external communications help from N2? Get in touch with Joe Flood here.Thinking about an audio project? Visit Jody Avirgan’s portfolio and get in touch with Roulette Productions here.Our producer is Noor Gill. Music by Blue Dot Sessions.Thanks for listening!

To deliver a great speech, you need to find your voice -- in every sense of the word. You need to think about how to craft words that reflect your ideas, and how your physical delivery will best capture the power of your rhetoric.No one thinks about the power of voice more than Samara Bay. She is the author of the book "Permission To Speak" and a voice and dialect coach. In this episode she walks us through her physical, emotional, and intellectual approach to great public speaking.The Friendly Ghost is hosted by Felicity Barber of Thoughtful Communications. It is co-produced by N2 Communications and Jody Avirgan's Roulette Productions.Want internal or external communications help from N2? Get in touch with Joe Flood here.Thinking about an audio project? Visit Jody Avirgan’s portfolio and get in touch with Roulette Productions here.Our producer is Noor Gill. Music by Blue Dot Sessions.Thanks for listening!

Speechwriting careers can be difficult to navigate. You’re often the one and only in your organization and your focus is on the craft, not the politics. So, how do you navigate corporate life and avoid burnout? And what do you do if you decide to go it alone?Sharon McIntosh is here to help. Sharon is the President of And Then Communications & Coaching. She's done research on the various career paths for speechwriters -- and navigated them herself. In this episode she helps us feel a little less alone as we navigate the twists and turns of our career paths. The Friendly Ghost is hosted by Felicity Barber of Thoughtful Communications. It is co-produced by N2 Communications and Jody Avirgan's Roulette Productions.Want internal or external communications help from N2? Get in touch with Joe Flood here.Thinking about an audio project? Visit Jody Avirgan’s portfolio and get in touch with Roulette Productions here.Our producer is Noor Gill. Music by Blue Dot Sessions.Thanks for listening!

Are the bots getting better at writing than humans? This is perhaps the hottest topic in the speechwriting community right now, and it's causing lots of concern. But Cheril Clarke sees nothing but opportunity. She's here to tell us how to use artificial intelligence in a way that still leaves room for the human touch.Cheril Clarke is an executive ghostwriter and speechwriter, and founder of Phenomenal Writing, LLC. You can follow her on linkedin here.The Friendly Ghost is hosted by Felicity Barber of Thoughtful Communications. It is co-produced by N2 Communications and Jody Avirgan's Roulette Productions.Want internal or external communications help from N2? Get in touch with Joe Flood here.Thinking about an audio project? Visit Jody Avirgan’s portfolio and get in touch with Roulette Productions here.Our producer is Noor Gill. Music by Blue Dot Sessions.Thanks for listening!

What does it take to be a top speechwriter? In the first episode of “The Friendly Ghost,” we meet Chandler Dean and Sarah Gruen of “West Wing Writers.” They discuss the not-so-typical path most writers take to speechwriting, what it’s like to write for someone whose politics may differ from your own, and reflect on how the industry has been shaped by technological and societal change over the years.Be sure to check out Chandler and Sarah’s comedy show “Speakeasy” -- the next show is November 1st in NYC. The Friendly Ghost is hosted by Felicity Barber of Thoughtful Communications. It is co-produced by N2 Communications and Jody Avirgan's Roulette Productions.Want internal or external communications help from N2? Get in touch with Joe Flood here.Thinking about an audio project? Visit Jody Avirgan’s portfolio and get in touch with Roulette Productions here.Our producer is Noor Gill. Music by Blue Dot Sessions.Thanks for listening!

Welcome to The Friendly Ghost! Over the course of this limited-run series, we'll take you inside the world of speechwriting, and meet some of the most interesting people in the field.Hosted by Felicity Barber of Thoughtful Communications. Co-produced by N2 Communications and Jody Avirgan's Roulette Productions. Our producer is Noor Gill. Our music is by Blue Dot Sessions.