The Sage Sayers

Hosted by Debbi Gardiner McCullough

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Episodes

159

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

A weekly podcast on ways to stay calm and compel others as you communicate. Along with executive communications tips and strategies, we interview intriguing individuals who've found the "Sage approach" by finding gifts, opportunities, and knowledge within trying situations. New Zealander show host, Debbi Gardiner McCullough, has written on social and business trends and struggles for the Economist, the Guardian, and Financial Times of London. She's a self-retired college professor of writing, an executive communications and narrative coach. Visit her at: www.hangingrockcoaching.com

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 13, 2026Episode 1236 min

"I want them to be aware of their bias." Marcia Reynolds on listening, receiving, and setting boundaries with our audiences.

We bring back to the show Dr. Marcia Reynolds, Global Guru Top 10 and Master Coach Trainer and Author of multiple books, including Coach the Person, Not the Problem Second Edition, now a bestseller on Amazon. We ask Marcia about listening, receiving, and preparing our mind to listen, all essential for any coaching and conversation to go well. We discuss how judgment can obstruct our presence and listening, and that judgment is inevitable given we're all judge-y and biased at times; but ways exist to notice and pause our judgment, and then let it go. And we hear how to remain present and lay down boundaries when conversations become tense, opinionated, cruel, and cut us to the core. Setting intentions and defining how we're willing to be spoken to becomes a powerful tool in heated moments, and one we can all learn from, at work and at home. You can find Marcia Reynolds on LinkedIn and find her Second Edition of her bestseller here on Amazon. Debbi McCullough has written for the Economist, Financial Times of London, and Guardian. She is certified with the International Coaching Federation as a Master Certified Coach and is a trusted communications coach for Fortune 500/100 leaders. Find her on LinkedIn. Book her for a consult. Train with her on Maven.

May 30, 2026Episode 1129 min

"Trees have no boundaries. They grow in every country." Interviewing the founders of the non-profit Trees for Me.

Founders of the New Jersey non-profit organization, Trees for Me, align with a core premise: It takes ten trees to support one life. With that, founder Harini Rajesh and co-founder Anvita Gurumurthy, Sowmya Parthasarathy and Rupa Gurumurthy started this initiative to plant trees around the world. (Harini goes to Cornell university and Anvita is at NYU.) "There aren't nearly enough trees in the world for everyone. And we intend to change that," Rajesh says.In our interview with the Sage Sayers, the week of Mother's Day, we hear of their progress made: $30k raised, 2,811 trees planted, and 281 lives sustained. We hear from two college students whose applications to college became even better through launching a non-profit in their youths, because they had an uplifting story to tell. And we hear how launching a non-profit can bring families closer and teach us storytelling techniques, because motivating others to plant trees and fund those plantings requires excellent communication, organization, and persuasion skills. You can follow Trees for Me here and visit their instagram page here. Email the group at 10treesforme@gmail.com if you'd like to donate, get involved, or plant a tree. Debbi McCullough has written for the Economist, Financial Times of London, and Guardian. She is certified with the International Coaching Federation as a Master Certified Coach, in the top 4% globally, and is a communications thought partner to emerging and newly-promoted Fortune 500/100 leaders. Find her on LinkedIn. Book her for a consult. Train your teams with her on Maven and here.

May 16, 2026Episode 1029 min

"Jesus is the Coolest Guy I Know." Writer Melinda Gonzalez on making Jesus less complicated (and way cooler) than religion made him look

We sit down with Melinda Gonzalez, an author and retired entrepreneur whose heart and purpose feel deeply rooted in faith and service. When her twin son and daughter both went to college, she felt a bigger pull to write the book she believes Jesus always wanted her to write. "Jesus is the Coolest Guy I Know" takes all of her learnings from being a devoted Bible student for decades and draws lessons and memoir from her own twists and turns with life, relationships, fertility, and faith. Her compelling guide convinces us that beyond the rituals, judgment, and perfection, the real Jesus was a masterful storyteller. He was the friend who never flinched at mess nor problems. He was the CEO of Creation. He was the Ladies' Man who brought dignity to women. And he was Heaven's Bouncer. We learn too of the many decisions new writers must make, everything from our title, to chapters, to our point of view, and the book cover. You can find and support Melinda's book on Amazon here and join her Cool Jesus Club on Instagram here. Debbi McCullough has written for the Economist, Financial Times of London, and Guardian. She is certified with the International Coaching Federation as a Master Certified Coach, in the top 4% globally, and a communications thought partner to Fortune 500/100 leaders. Find her on LinkedIn. Book her for a consult. Train your teams with her on Maven.

May 2, 2026Episode 925 min

NextTier Athletes founders and executives on confidence, connections, and getting athletes to the Ivy League

When Harvard University first year student Jonathan Rubin first launched NextTier Athletes five months ago, he did not anticipate the business reaching five figures monthly so soon from launch. The consulting business, helping high-school top athletes get the inside edge from current Ivy League athletes, took off fast. "We had an idea. We knew time was limited, and we had to capitalize on it," Jonathan says. From Harvard Square, we sit with Jonathan and his executives Jordan Gonzalez and Nicholas McCullough on their early launch, success, and the power of a personal brand. We also get an interesting take from teen entrepreneurs on confidence, and how to block out the inevitable fear when doing something big (and bold) like introducing yourself to powerful coaches, pitching yourself to parents, and launching a first venture. You can read more about NextTier Athletes here and hire them to help your high school athlete get to an Ivy League college. Debbi McCullough has written for the Economist, FT, and Guardian. She is certified with the International Coaching Federation as a Master Certified Coach, in the top 4% globally, and a communications thought partner to Fortune 500/100 leaders. Find her on LinkedIn. Book her for a consult. Train your teams with her on Maven.

April 17, 2026Episode 817 min

The art of conversation: How to expand our simple sentences (and stand out)

We hear the need for brevity to hook and engage our audiences. What if we're so brief, we struggle to expand or stretch beyond one sentence?Reading from Substack: How we can expand on our ideas and offerings to the world in interesting ways, and without sounding annoyingly "braggish." Tips, tactics, and analysis on the cultural and humility barriers that might be getting in our way. You can read along to this reading here. Debbi McCullough has written for the Economist, FT, and Guardian and is certified with the International Coaching Federation as a Master Certified Coach, in the top 4% globally. She's a communications coach to leaders at Fortune 500s/100s including Google. Find her on LinkedIn. Book her for a consult on the communication challenge irking you most.

April 3, 2026Episode 722 min

"Tell me your real story, about when you earned $250 a month." LinkedIn Coach Ashi Chopra on sharing our wins and struggles

If you seek motivation to use LinkedIn more liberally and well, start listening to and following LinkedIn Coach Ashi Chopra. She's a Mumbai-based entrepreneur who loves to help women (especially) tell their stories on LinkedIn, the world's largest social media site for business professionals. We hear from Ashi on the missed opportunities of engaging on LinkedIn and that telling our audiences what does not work and what does work becomes vital. If we share only the highlights then nobody learns how we navigate our challenges, nor how we talked ourselves back into success. You can find Ashi on LinkedIn here. You can enjoy our interview on YouTube here. Debbi McCullough has written for the Economist, FT, and Guardian and serves as a Master Certified Coach and communications coach to leaders at Fortune 500s/100s including Google. Find her on LinkedIn. Book her for a consult on the communication challenge irking you most.

March 26, 2026Episode 640 min

"Over the years, I've come to trust my presence." A conversation with Master Coach Trainer & Author: Dr. Marcia Reynolds.

We spotlight a revered and favorite MCC coach, Master Coach Trainer & Author Dr. Marcia Reynolds, who has worked in 47 countries and reached over 100k people. Dr. Reynolds comes to us weeks after her Second Edition release of "Coach the Person, Not the Problem," already an Amazon bestseller. We learn communications and listening approaches and habits leaders and coaches can emulate right away. Coach slowly to ensure you (and they) understand their problem. (You don't always know right away.) Be curious (super curious). Show that you understand to develop and retain their trust. Know when to give them space and be silent. And then...Move to the challenges, which many of us rush to first. (Resist!) We also hear about what it truly entails to write a Second Edition of an already bestselling and revered book. (It's a lot, Marcia notes, but also rewarding and exciting, because much has changed with coaching and her views on coaching within six years.)Find Dr. Reynold's popular and infamous book on Amazon here: https://shorturl.at/LVlsE

March 14, 2026Episode 535 min

Men Supporting Women through Menopause. Interviewing Simon Salt on his upcoming book “The Quiet Transition”

“There’s always a gap of what men can read, understand, and put into practice with supporting the women in their lives through menopause.” So says British author and photographer, Simon Salt, who is working on a beautiful guide, the “Quiet Transition” to help men and women ride the perfect storm of menopause. He reasons: Men are fixers. We are solution finders. ”Problem is with menopause, there’s nothing to fix, because nothing is broken.” Also, of the 80 or so symptoms women may experience in perimenopause and menopause, each woman's experience is totally different, and many don't know what to expect.“We want to hear less score keeping, more understanding, and that "we are" vs. "I am" going through menopause. That's what this guide is about."You can follow Simon Salt and the Quiet Transition on Substack and his other books published on Amazon. Debbi McCullough has written for the Economist, FT, and Guardian and serves as a Master Certified Coach and communications coach to leaders at Fortune 500s/100s including Google. Find her on LinkedIn. Book her for a consult on the communication challenge irking you most.

February 27, 2026Episode 427 min

“We can listen for information and for relationship.” Interviewing Dr. Haru Yamada, author of “KIKU: The Japanese Art of Good Listening”

We turn the spotlight this week on Dr. Haru Yamada, a sociolinguist, listening intelligence researcher, and author of “KIKU: The Japanese Art of Good Listening” to discover just how we do listen? Also, why performative skills like speaking, presenting, and offering ideas can overshadow (in many cultures) the often under-tapped skills of listening, both for receiving information and strengthening relationships. We hear Dr. Yamada's approach to listening, which includes listening with our heart and of the Japanese concept of “kiku,” a deep, empathetic form of listening to communicate, connect, and become more present and understanding in our interactions. Japanese language teaches us a lot about listening, Haru reminds us. The kanji character for "to listen" (kiku, 聴) has "fourteen hearts" and is composed of an ear (耳), the number ten (十), an eye (目), and a heart (心) on the bottom, symbolizing deep, empathetic listening. You can find Dr. Haru Yamada on LinkedIn. And follow her Substack. Her book’s now in paperback as well on Amazon. Debbi McCullough has written for the Economist, FT, and Guardian and serves as a Master Certified Coach and communications coach to leaders at Fortune 500s/100s including Google. Find her on LinkedIn. Book her for a consult on small talk, job interviews, or the communication challenge irking you most. Join her next active listening workshop for leaders: Listen Like a Boss.

February 14, 2026Episode 329 min

"When I struggle connecting with someone, I ask about their day." Interviewing Austin Sussel.

Like many effervescent people, Ohio-based Austin Sussel has little trouble connecting even with strangers, and even at work. He got great at it, actually, as an international account manager of Fortune 100/500s. But even Austin struggles at times when the connection's not there. Or worse, the receiver of your attempts to converse stone walls you. "In those moments, sales leaders told me I ought to compliment them on their shoes they're wearing," he laughs."But I find what works best is simply asking about their day--or what's happening next." The key, he says: "Be curious. Be kind. And keep it short, simple, and about them."Learn tips and tactics on listening and human connection from two conversationalists who love it. Also hear about active listening and comfort with pause and silence in conversation, especially what I learned from certifying as a Master Certified Coach last week, something Austin asks me about. (Because he's curious, and that kind of friend.)You can reach out to Austin Sussel on LinkedIn here. Debbi McCullough has written for the Economist, FT, and Guardian and serves as a Master Certified Coach and communications coach to leaders at Fortune 500s/100s including Google. Find her on LinkedIn. Book her for a consult on small talk, job interviews, or the communication challenge irking you most. Join her next active listening workshop for leaders: Listen Like a Boss.