How to Level Up your Communication Game, with Sarah Blackstone

Get EVEN Podcast | Sarah Blackstone | Communication and Influence

How do you communicate with more impact at work, especially when the stakes are high?

In this episode of Get EVEN, Dr Nora Koslowski sits down with voice, communication and leadership expert Sarah Blackstone for a practical conversation about influence, executive presence, and authentic communication at work.

Whether you’re preparing for a high-stakes stakeholder presentation, trying to stop getting talked over in meetings, or wanting to communicate your expertise more clearly as you step into bigger leadership roles, this episode is packed with practical strategies you can apply immediately.

Here are three of our favourite tips from the conversation:

1. Your slides are not your presentation

One of the most powerful ideas Sarah shares is that “your slides are not your presentation.” So many professionals spend hours perfecting slide decks without ever practising saying the words out loud. Sarah explains why the real work happens before the meeting itself: understanding your audience, clarifying the key outcome you want, and building the muscle memory that helps you communicate clearly under pressure. She also shares practical advice on what to do the morning of a big presentation, including how to manage nerves and regulate your energy before walking into the room.

2. The power of a pause

Another key insight from the episode is the power of a pause. Sarah explains that silence often feels much longer internally than it does to your audience, but strategically slowing down can dramatically improve your communication impact. Pause gives people time to process what you’re saying, creates more gravitas in leadership moments, and helps you regulate yourself in real time. It’s a simple but powerful communication technique that many people overlook.

3. Breadcrumb your communication

One of the most practical concepts Sarah introduces in this episode is “breadcrumbing”, a communication technique particularly valuable for technical experts and leaders with deep subject matter expertise. Instead of overwhelming people with every detail, breadcrumbing is about strategically offering small, digestible pieces of information that bring your audience along with you. Sarah explains that many professionals lose the room because they know too much and try to communicate everything at once. But impactful communication is not about dumping the entire loaf of bread on the table, it’s about offering one breadcrumb at a time, allowing people to process, ask questions, and stay engaged.

This episode is especially valuable for women in leadership, mid-career professionals, emerging executives, technical experts, and anyone focused on career growth, career success, influence, communication skills, and leadership development.

If you’ve ever thought:
“I know my stuff, but I don’t feel heard.”
“I want to sound more confident in meetings.”
“I need to communicate with more executive presence.”
“I want my message to actually land.”

…this episode is for you.