The Power of Human Connection (ft. Smiley Poswolsky)

Mic Drop

Guest Bio:

Smiley is a highly sought-after speaker and thought leader known for his expertise in belonging and human connection. With a background in understanding workplace dynamics and the effects of loneliness on productivity, Smiley has become a key voice in promoting the value of connection in the corporate world. His work is grounded in solid data, making a compelling case for why fostering belonging is not just a 'soft' skill but a crucial driver of business success. Smiley's engaging style and authentic approach have made him a favorite among audiences looking to create more cohesive and supportive environments.

Core Topics:

The Business Case for Belonging: Smiley breaks down the critical importance of belonging in the workplace, presenting data-driven insights that show how a strong sense of connection can significantly boost productivity, reduce turnover, and improve overall job satisfaction. His approach helps organizations see belonging as a strategic priority, not just a nice-to-have.

Staying True to Your Message: Authenticity is at the heart of Smiley’s message. He shares how being genuinely aligned with your message is crucial for impact. For Smiley, this means living the principles he talks about—creating connections, fostering inclusivity, and making people feel valued in every interaction. This takeaway emphasizes the power of congruence between your message and how you show up in the world.

Building Deep Relationships: Smiley emphasizes that success in speaking and business is deeply rooted in building strong, meaningful relationships. Whether with clients, colleagues, or audiences, Smiley shows that paying attention, showing appreciation, and fostering genuine connections are key elements of his success and can be for others too.

Innovating with the Workplace Belonging Toolkit: Smiley introduces his Workplace Belonging Toolkit, a practical resource designed to help organizations continue the work of fostering connection beyond the keynote. The toolkit is an innovative way to provide ongoing value to clients, ensuring that the lessons from his talks are actionable and long-lasting.

Resources:

Learn more about Smiley Poswolsky:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram

Learn more about Josh Linkner:

• Website
• YouTube
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• X
• Facebook

ABOUT MIC DROP:

Hear from the world’s top thought leaders and experts, sharing tipping point moments, strategies, and approaches that led to their speaking career success. Throughout each episode, host Josh Linkner, #1 Innovation keynote speaker in the world, deconstructs guests’ Mic Drop moments and provides tactical tools and takeaways that can be applied to any speaking business, no matter its starting point. You'll enjoy hearing from some of the top keynote speakers in the industry including: Ryan Estis, Alison Levine, Peter Sheahan, Seth Mattison, Cassandra Worthy, and many more. Mic Drop is sponsored by ImpactEleven.

Learn more at: MicDropPodcast.com

ABOUT THE HOST:

Josh Linkner — a New York Times bestselling author — is a rare blend of business, art, and science.

On the business front, he’s been the founder and CEO of five tech companies, which created over 10,000 jobs and sold for a combined value of over $200 million. He’s the co-founder and Managing Partner of Muditā (moo-DEE-tah) Venture Partners - an early-stage venture capital firm investing in groundbreaking technologies. Over the last 30 years, he’s helped over 100 startups launch and scale, creating over $1 billion in investor returns. He’s twice been named the EY Entrepreneur of The Year and is the recipient of the United States Presidential Champion of Change Award.

While proud of his business success, his roots are in the dangerous world of jazz music. Josh has been playing guitar in smoky jazz clubs for 40 years, studied at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, and has performed over 1000 concerts around the world. His experiences in both business and music led him to become one of the world’s foremost experts on innovation. Josh

is the co-founder and Chairman of Platypus Labs, a global research, training, and consulting firm. Today, he’s on a mission to help leaders Find A Way™ through creative problem-solving, inventive thinking, and ingenuity.

Learn more about Josh: JoshLinkner.com

SPONSORED BY AMPLIFY PUBLISHING GROUP:

Partnering with CXOs, keynote speakers, change makers, and other visionary leaders, Amplify Publishing Group (APG) is a leader in the hybrid publishing space with more than twenty years of experience acquiring, producing, marketing, and distributing books.

Passionate about ideas and voices that need to be heard, they're known for launching books that start engaging and timely conversations. At each turn, they have been at the forefront of innovation and have spearheaded a critical disruption of the publishing industry.

Learn more at: amplifypublishinggroup.com

ABOUT IMPACTELEVEN:

From refining your keynote speaking skills to writing marketing copy, from connecting you with bureaus to boosting your fees, to developing high-quality websites, producing head-turning demo reels, Impact Eleven (formerly 3 Ring Circus) offers a comprehensive and powerful set of services to help speakers land more gigs at higher fees.

Learn more at: impacteleven.com

PRODUCED BY DETROIT PODCAST STUDIOS:

In Detroit, history was made when Barry Gordy opened Motown Records back in 1960. More than just discovering great talent, Gordy built a systematic approach to launching superstars. His rigorous processes, technology, and development methods were the secret sauce behind legendary acts such as The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.

As a nod to the past, Detroit Podcast Studios leverages modern versions of Motown’s processes to launch today’s most compelling podcasts. What Motown was to musical artists, Detroit Podcast Studios is to podcast artists today. With over 75 combined years of experience in content development, audio production, music scoring, storytelling, and digital marketing, Detroit Podcast Studios provides full-service development, training, and production capabilities to take podcasts from messy ideas to finely tuned hits.

Here’s to making (podcast) history together.

Learn more at: DetroitPodcastStudios.com