Conversations About Conversations

Hosted by Ivan Farber

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247

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Jan 2026

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About the show

On Conversations About Conversations, we explore what it takes to lead conversations that make a difference. Our guests are movers, shakers and difference makers. They are business leaders, writers, speakers, podcasters and more. What they have in common is they lead meaningful conversations in the world.

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60 recent

January 22, 202620 min

How I Lost 40 Pounds of Fat While Putting on 10 Pounds of Muscle

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "The first wealth is health". The Roman poet Virgil said, "The greatest wealth is health" and Mahatma Gandhi said, "It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold or silver". In the spirit of these three greats, I recorded a podcast and YouTube video about my health journey called: "How I Lost 40 Pounds of Fat While Putting on 10 Pounds of Muscle." I've spent the last 4 years on a major health journey investing my time and energy into losing weight and building muscle. I'm sharing my health journey with the goal of inspiring you to create the wealth of health and wellness. I've learned so much and feel compelled to share it. In this conversation, I share 25 strategies. The first four are: listen to a positive eating script, find your motivation, grow your discipline muscles, and observe "putyourforkdownatarianism." I also talk about using a scale that measures body fat and changing your paradigm to increasing your fat free mass vs. just losing weight. While Conversations About Conversations is a business podcast, and the topic is not a business topic per se, I feel so passionate about this conversation that I had to share it. Moreover, everything I've done on my health journey is along the same lines of what has led to my business success: experimentation, iteration, learning, discipline, consistency and effort. Conversations About Conversations is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon and iHeart Radio.

February 13, 202419 min

How to Explore: The Fulcrum of a Needs-Based Conversation

The concepts in this class are from Chapter 8 of the book Conversations: How to Manage Your Business Relationships One Conversation at a Time. Conversations is available on Amazon, Audible and Kindle. In this class we teach you how to: 1. Use questions strategically 2. Ask tactical and calibrated questions 3. Integrate the FBI's Behavior Change Stairway Model Watch this episode and more on our YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/ZJCaNMc5nGE Conversations About Conversations – Episode 314 #ConversationsAboutConversations #ConversationsAcademy

February 4, 202413 min

Create Great Conversations Using the CLEAR Model

The content in this class is from Chapter 7 of the book Conversations: How to Manage Your Business Relationships One Conversation at a Time. (Conversations is available on Amazon, Audible and Kindle.) In this class we teach you how to: Prepare an agenda Use a consultative opener Read the defense Check for acceptance Watch this episode and more on our YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/0TKKZ-0Opr8 Conversations About Conversations – Episode 313 #ConversationsAboutConversations #ConversationsAcademy

December 12, 202341 min

Ten More Lessons From 10,000 More Conversations

To celebrate the 5th birthday of the book Conversations: How to Manage Your Business Relationships One Conversation at a Time, I unveiled—for the first time ever—ten more lessons from 10,000 more conversations. WATCH the presentation YouTube: https://youtu.be/gAuc18yTayU Conversations About Conversations – Episode 312 #ConversationsAboutConversations #ConversationsAcademy

December 3, 202320 min

Conversations Book Launch Party — December 8th, 2018

Conversations: How to Manage Your Business Relationships One Conversation at a Time was launched into the world 5 years ago. In preparation for celebrating the book's 5th birthday, we went back to the beginning and are now pleased to share with you never before seen footage. If you have to influence others through conversations, you will benefit from the ten important lessons in the book. Conversations will give you a clear formula for success. It will give you newfound power and ease in your career and all your interpersonal communications. It will reshape how you interact with your clients, prospects and colleagues. You'll get valuable strategies proven to: 1. Increase collaboration, 2. Strengthen relationships, 3. Gain agreement for action, and 4. Improve the bottom line. WATCH the launch party on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Skq7zts8rhU LISTEN to the launch party on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeartRadio or the podcast's page. VISIT: conversations.biz/podcast Conversations About Conversations – Episode 311 #ConversationsAboutConversations

November 1, 20231 hr 8 min

Conversation Lab — How to Disagree Effectively

Conversation Lab — How to Disagree Effectively If you want to learn how to get people to agree with you, this episode is for you. In this Conversation Lab, we discussed and then practiced 4 concepts: 1. Straw Man Arguments, 2. Steel Man Arguments, 3. The Socratic Method and 4. Rapoport's Rules Conversations About Conversations is available on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, YouTube and iHeartRadio. Visit conversations.biz/podcast for links to your preferred platform. Conversations About Conversations – Episode 310 #ConversationsAboutConversations

October 22, 20231 hr 0 min

Conversation Lab — Using Calibrated Questions

Being an extraordinary relationship manager means being extraordinary at using questions skillfully. In this Conversation Lab, we introduced 14 types of calibrated questions: Leads, Assessors, Motivators, Clarifiers, Continuers, Journalist (W's), Greasers, Hypotheticals, Sub-decisions, Confirms, Hooks/Engagers, Isolators, Interjectors and Helping Verbs (be, do and have). These concepts are from chapter 8 of the book Conversations: How to Manage Your Business Relationships One Conversation at a Time. (Available on Amazon, Audible and Kindle) Conversations About Conversations is available on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, YouTube and iHeartRadio. Visit conversations.biz/podcast for links. Conversations About Conversations – Episode 309 #ConversationsAboutConversations

September 6, 202358 min

Conversation Lab — Handling Upset People

In this Conversation Lab, we discussed the formula for handling people who are upset. We discussed the distinction 'upset' and then we role played handling upset people with a game I created called, "That's right." If you're committed to improving your skills in conversation leadership and management, I recommend listening to it. LISTEN to the podcast on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Google or iHeartRadio. WATCH the Conversations About Conversations YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@conversationleaders Conversations About Conversations – Episode 308 #ConversationsAboutConversations

August 29, 202351 min

Conversation Lab — Overcoming Generic Objections

In this Conversation Lab, we discussed how to address the five generic objections: drawbacks, indifference, misunderstandings, excuses and skepticism. We distinguished how they are handled similarly and what needs to happen differently in order to overcome them. As is customary in Conversation Labs, we experimented with the techniques in a role play. We role played a small business owner talking to an attorney about retaining him for his services. LISTEN to the podcast on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Google or iHeartRadio. WATCH the Conversations About Conversations Channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@conversationleaders Conversations About Conversations – Episode 307 #ConversationsAboutConversations

August 19, 202319 min

Conversation Lab — Approach a Conversation with a Rapport Plan

In this Conversation Lab, we discussed some of what goes into formulating a rapport plan for a difficult or relatively new relationship. LISTEN to the podcast on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Google, or iHeartRadio. WATCH the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@conversationleaders Conversations About Conversations – Episode 306 #ConversationsAboutConversations