Meet Zahir. The conference room is silent as he clicks through his slides. As Director of Global Supply for an international tech company, he’s presenting a new strategy to unify operations across three continents. The numbers are solid, but he can feel the energy slipping away. Eyes drift to phones. Nods are polite, not passionate. Zahir knows his data is strong, but his message is falling flat.
After the meeting, he lingers by the window, staring at the city skyline. He’s known for solving complex problems, but the one thing he can’t seem to solve is how to inspire his team. He wonders, “How do I get them to care?”
In this episode, Jay is joined by Russ Peterson Jr., co-founder of iSpeak and award-winning communication coach who has trained leaders worldwide on how to influence through powerful storytelling. Russ helps professionals move beyond bullet points and data to craft messages that resonate and inspire action.
Together, Jay and Russ explore how storytelling transforms leadership communication, turning facts into feelings, information into inspiration. Russ shares his five-step storytelling framework, breaks down the difference between influence and manipulation, and reveals why great leaders always make their audience the hero.
If you’ve ever struggled to get buy-in for your ideas, motivate your team, or make your message memorable, this episode will teach you how to engage hearts and minds through the art of story.
Notable Quotes
“When you make your audience the hero, you inspire them to take action.” — Russ Peterson Jr.
“Start with your audience, not yourself. Influence begins when you make them the hero.” — Russ Peterson Jr.
“Stories are what allow us to internalize cause and effect.” — Jay Abbasi
About Our Guest
Russ Peterson Jr. is the co-founder of iSpeak, an award-winning communication training company that helps professionals master the art of influence and presentation. A lifelong student of communication, Russ discovered his passion for speaking after witnessing Zig Ziglar captivate an audience without a single slide, just words and body language. Since then, Russ has trained leaders across the world on how to connect through storytelling, communicate with confidence, and move audiences to action. His work focuses on helping people go beyond information sharing to truly inspire change through their message.
Resources and Links
Russ Peterson Jr.
Website – https://www.russpetersonjr.com/
iSpeak Website – https://www.ispeaku.com/
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/russpetersonjr/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/russpetersonjr
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/russpetersonjr/?hl=en
X – https://x.com/russpetersonjr
Jay Abbasi
Website – https://jayabbasi.me/
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayabbasi/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jayabbasi_/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/thejayabbasi/
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@jayabbasipodcast
Get Featured on “Unstuck”
Want to have your story featured on “Unstuck”? Submit your story through the link below, and Jay may choose to highlight your story on a future episode and offer you personalized advice on how to overcome any challenge.
Join Us Next Time
On Friday, Jay will take you behind the scenes to share how he prepares for a presentation from start to finish. He’ll walk through his Program Charter process, a step-by-step framework he developed during his years in learning and development and explain how it helps him design talks that are relevant, customized, and action-driven.
Whether you’re delivering to your team, your company, or a global audience, this episode will give you practical tools to craft presentations that connect and inspire.
Until then, stay curious, stay intentional, and keep telling stories that move people.