The Human Connection Podcast

By Karl Pontau

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Category: Management

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Episodes: 208

Description

Is your business’s growth stalled? Employee churn eating into your profits? Struggling with customer retention?

You need stronger connections.

Every Tuesday and Thursday, connect with an expert who’s sharing actionable advice for building stronger relationships with your customers, clients, and stakeholders. Hosted by Karl Pontau, a storytelling super-connector, content system strategist, and survivor of two childhood brain tumors, this podcast’s mission is to fix the underlying cause of workplace and societal dysfunction: the lack of human connection.


Episode Date
Deepak Bhootra: How to Stop Being a Vendor and Start Being a Trusted Advisor
Jun 18, 2026
Your Team Nodded. They Had No Idea What You Said. That's Not on Them. | Myke Wilder
Jun 17, 2026
Charlene Li: Your AI Rollout Is a Leadership Problem, Not a Technology Problem
Jun 16, 2026
Lincoln Bleveans on Change Management as the New Leadership Superpower
Jun 11, 2026
Less Email. Shorter Copy. More Conversions. (Your Team Won't Believe It Either.) | Carolina McClanahan
Jun 10, 2026
Work-Life Balance Is Bullshit. Here's What Actually Works. | Kevin Rice
Jun 09, 2026
Your Team Isn't Resisting AI. They Don't Trust You Enough to Follow You Into It. | Patrick Reilly
Jun 04, 2026
Corey Rosen: Humanizing Leadership Communication for B2B Executives
Jun 03, 2026
Your Stakeholders Aren't Resistant. They Just Don't Trust You Yet. | Mallika Madakasira
Jun 02, 2026
Boy Hijnen: The Client Yield Methodology — Turn Existing Clients Into a Scalable Growth Engine
May 28, 2026
You're Not Failing at AI. You're Failing at Foundations. | Franck Ardourel
May 27, 2026
Your Pitch Deck Isn't the Problem. You Are. | Heather Lawver
May 26, 2026
Logan Yonavjak: Why Past Performance Does Not Equal Future Leadership Capacity
May 21, 2026
J. Israel Greene on Relationship-Driven Leadership: Why Slowing Down Scales Teams Faster
May 20, 2026
Your Cold Outreach Isn't Failing Because of the Script | Ben Albert
May 19, 2026
Your Team Has the AI Tools. Do They Have the Human Skills to Actually Use Them? | Christopher Carter
May 14, 2026
He Got 400 Business Cards. He Only Remembered One Person. | Olivija Sendžikė
May 13, 2026
Angela Parkinson on Why Most Business Owners Aren't Ready to Sell — And What to Do About It
May 12, 2026
Stop Engaging Employees: The Human-Centric Leadership Framework Scaling Companies Need | Eryc Eyl
May 07, 2026
43% of Your Team Is Too Scared to Tell You the Truth | Janice Honeycutt Herring
May 06, 2026
Janice in Accounting Already Knows Your Biggest Prospect. You Never Asked. | Drew Sechrist
May 05, 2026
Stop Building Someone Else's Dream on a Six-Figure Salary | Greg Mohr
Apr 30, 2026
The DREAM Framework: Self-Audit for Startup Leaders Who Want Sustainable Growth | Shenita-Ann Grymes
Apr 29, 2026
From Burnout to Breakthrough: Self-Awareness Strategies for Startup Executives | Josh Perry
Apr 28, 2026
Larry Long Jr. on the 3-Minute Relationship Habit That Compounds Into Business-Changing Results
Apr 23, 2026
Mary Maloney, Brand Declaration: The Leadership Framework That Builds Executive Decision Confidence
Apr 22, 2026
Matteo Turi on Building High-Retention Leadership Teams Before Your AI Investment Backfires
Apr 21, 2026
Michael Buzinski on Why Your Marketing, Sales, and Client Success Teams Are Killing Each Other
Apr 16, 2026
Your Competitors Are Automating Everything. That's Exactly Why You Should Stop. | Stephen Rouse
Apr 15, 2026
Tanya Boyd on Why Curiosity Is the Most Underused Client Retention Strategy
Apr 14, 2026
Stop the Feature Dump: How Transformational Storytelling Drives B2B Revenue | John Elbing
Apr 09, 2026
Stop Trying to Sound Smart. Do This Instead. | Terry Bean
Apr 08, 2026
The Real Reason Brilliant Teams Fall Apart | Jill McCauley
Apr 07, 2026
You Don't Have a Productivity Problem. You Have a Saying-Yes Problem. | Ginny Priem
Apr 02, 2026
Nobody Wants Your Slack Channel. Here's What They Actually Want. | Brian Von Ancken
Apr 01, 2026
The Hidden Cost of the Triple-Bid Process: What It's Really Doing to Your Vendor Relationships | Kevin Rapp
Mar 31, 2026
You Don't Have an Accountability Problem. You Have a People Problem. | Chris Hallberg
Mar 26, 2026
3% to 21% Conversion: The LinkedIn DM Strategy Nobody Is Doing | Troy Hipolito
Mar 25, 2026
Your Managers Are Getting Replaced by AI. Now What? | Dr. Nicole Scott
Mar 24, 2026
You Can Sell to Anyone. The Question Is: Can You Keep Them? | Anika Zubair
Mar 19, 2026
Stop Pushing. Start Being Pulled. The Leadership Shift Nobody Talks About | Terry Wildemann
Mar 18, 2026
Neil Ateem on How Relationship-Driven Revenue Growth Beats Fundraising Every Time
Mar 17, 2026
You Can't See Your Own Blind Spots. That's the Whole Problem. | Tina Collins
Mar 12, 2026
Authentic Client Connections That Drive Revenue — Larry Kaufman on Moving Beyond Transactional B2B
Mar 11, 2026
Your Best Managers Are Burning Out Because of a Design Flaw — Not a People Problem | Rory Sylvia
Mar 10, 2026
Greg Workmon on Why Human Connection — Not Strategy — Is What Scales Companies
Mar 05, 2026
From Expert to Authority: How Christine Blosdale Uses Storytelling to Build Trusted Business Relationships
Mar 04, 2026
Stop Promoting the Wrong People: Laurie Maddalena on Revolutionizing Leadership as a Profession
Mar 03, 2026
Your Team Isn't Quiet Quitting. They Just Don't Feel Safe. | Andy Proctor
Feb 26, 2026
You're Not Burned Out From Working Too Hard. You're Burned Out From Lying to Yourself | Adrian Jones
Feb 25, 2026
Small Talk Isn't Wasting Time. It's Where Deals Actually Get Made | Sylvia Rhode-Liebenau
Feb 24, 2026
Shmuel Saklad: Building High-Performance Teams Through Two-Way Communication | Contact Center Leadership
Feb 19, 2026
Josh Kosnick: Building Authentic Leadership Through Self-Accountability | Strategies for Scaling Companies
Feb 18, 2026
Jesse Stafford: Why Assumptions Are Burning Out Your Best Employees | Leadership Strategies for Tech Teams
Feb 17, 2026
Leadership Communication Strategies: Authentic Connection Over Pretense | Michael Allosso
Feb 12, 2026
AI Implementation Strategies for Scaling Companies That Actually Work | Jonathan De Collibus
Feb 11, 2026
Emotional Maturity in Leadership: Responding vs Reacting | Jennifer K. Hill
Feb 10, 2026
Leslie Shreve on Workload Management: Task-ology Framework for Leadership Efficiency
Feb 05, 2026
Dylan Cornelius: Transforming Company Culture Through Authentic Leadership and Hiring
Feb 04, 2026
You're Networking Wrong: Joel Bash on the Position to Win Strategy
Feb 03, 2026
The Cracked Guitar That Sparked a Customer Experience Revolution | Ken Rapp
Jan 29, 2026
Stop Solving Problems, Start Reverse-Engineering Wins | Gordon Sheppard
Jan 28, 2026
Sustainable Business Expansion: Balancing Data with Intuition | Chelsea Fournier on Leadership
Jan 27, 2026
Company Culture Transformation Through Values-Based Leadership | Hanna Bauer
Jan 22, 2026
Why Smart Leaders Are Rushing Back to In-Person Meetings | Jason Michael Perry
Jan 21, 2026
How Heritage Reconnection Improves Client Relationships and Team Retention | Tami Garcia
Jan 20, 2026
Stop Treating Employees as Labor: Seung Paik on Humanizing Business Relationships
Jan 15, 2026
Colin Hirdman on Building Authentic B2B Relationships That Actually Convert
Jan 14, 2026
Alex Bowden on Reducing Client Churn Through Human-First Hiring Strategies
Jan 13, 2026
The Warmth and Competence Balance Women Need to Advance | Lori Potts
Jan 08, 2026
Stop Setting Goals—Start Building Processes | Rick Cram on Resilience
Jan 07, 2026
Promoted Into Chaos: Why New Leaders Fail Without Support | Tim Smith
Jan 06, 2026
Human-Centered Leadership in the Age of AI: Leading Yourself First with Jennifer Nash
Dec 23, 2025
Building Authentic Client Connections: The Three C's of Persuasive Communication with Danny Bobrow
Dec 22, 2025
Why Communication Beats Competition in Service-Based Business with Jimmy Lai
Dec 18, 2025
Beyond Automation: Using AI to Amplify Human Connection with Rick DeLisi
Dec 17, 2025
Beyond Execution: What Real Leadership Actually Means with Greg Stewart
Dec 16, 2025
Stop Guessing: How to Actually Know What Your Customers Want with Ryan Rael
Dec 11, 2025
Talk to Your Employees: The Radical Solution to High Turnover with Danielle Suprick
Dec 10, 2025
The Energy Money Moves Toward (Hint: It's Not Hustle) with Amy Kemp
Dec 09, 2025
Stop the Story Toppers: A Guide to Real Conversations with Steve Fales
Dec 04, 2025
How Do You Pass Down a 30-Year Legacy Without Losing Everything? With Kevin Juza
Dec 03, 2025
Business on Purpose, Not on Accident with Jake Wells
Dec 02, 2025
Transforming Chaos into Clarity: A Healthcare Operations Story with Sulay Thompson
Nov 26, 2025
When Climbing the Ladder Leaves You Empty with Kyle McDowell
Nov 25, 2025
Beyond Fake Perky: Building Real Connection in a Hybrid World with Morag Barrett
Nov 24, 2025
Breaking Down Walls: Leadership Through Adversity with Carl H Sharperson
Nov 20, 2025
Beyond FOMO: Building Brands Through Positive Connection with Kevin Perlmutter
Nov 19, 2025
The Secret to Content That Builds Loyalty (Hint: It's Human) with Brian Kurian
Nov 18, 2025
What Your Employees Are Trying to Tell You (If You'd Just Listen) with James Warren
Nov 13, 2025
The Private Jet Problem: What Authentic Leadership Really Costs with Brandon Edwards
Nov 12, 2025
Your Team Doesn't Need Grand Gestures—They Need This with Nicholas Howe
Nov 11, 2025
From Widgets to Humans: Restoring Empathy in Healthcare with Tracy Cobb
Nov 06, 2025
Why Your Company's Ethics Are Your Best Marketing Tool with Ken Ziegler
Nov 05, 2025
Beyond the Fruit Basket: Building Client Relationships That Last with Deborah Myers
Nov 04, 2025
Your Customers Don't Want More AI—They Want to Be Understood with Donna Weber
Oct 30, 2025
Build Stronger Customer Relationships Through Smarter Data with Borja Cuan
Oct 29, 2025
Stop Sounding Like a Robot: Authentic Leadership Communication with Helen Jonsen
Oct 28, 2025
Stop Replacing Humans, Start Augmenting Teams with Samantha Anderson
Oct 23, 2025
Beyond Busy: Creating Conditions for Flow and Meaningful Work with Steven Puri
Oct 22, 2025
The 99% Rule: How Great Ideas Are Built on Other Ideas with Alan Gregerman
Oct 21, 2025
Safe Wins the Meeting, Creative Risk Wins the Audience with Tim Bradley
Oct 16, 2025
We Met the Enemy and the Enemy Is Us: Transforming Through Culture with Ron Crabtree
Oct 15, 2025
Quality Over Quantity: Why 10 Right Views Beat a Million Wrong Ones with Jake Isham
Oct 14, 2025
Connectors Get Paid: Turning Relationships Into Revenue with Joe Mindak
Oct 09, 2025
Stop the Profit Leak: Why the Right People in the Right Seats Changes Everything with Marika Ponton
Oct 08, 2025
Finding Balance & Building Success: One Mom's Agency Revolution with Stefanie Beach
Oct 07, 2025
Building Global Teams That Actually Work with Adam O’Connor
Oct 02, 2025
Human Stupidity vs. Human Ingenuity: Guess Which One Hackers Exploit with Natalie Berthe
Oct 01, 2025
The Enron Effect: How Values Became Corporate Theater with Nicole Eisdorfer
Sep 30, 2025
Culture Over Skills - Building Teams That Actually Work Together with Laura Lorenz
Sep 25, 2025
How a College Student's Costume Hobby Became a Disney Career with Cupid Hayes
Sep 24, 2025
From LinkedIn Comment to Million-Dollar Partnership with Steven Schneider
Sep 23, 2025
Building Authentic Relationships Through Strategic Networking with Robert Butwin
Sep 18, 2025
Stop Stepping on the Same Leadership Rake with Brady Young
Sep 17, 2025
Beyond Skills: Hiring for Values That Drive Long-Term Success with Lou Carter
Sep 16, 2025
Why Lead Gen Is Never Really the Problem with Thomas Helfrich
Sep 12, 2025
Beyond the Bot: Building Relationships That Actually Convert with Corinna Owens
Sep 11, 2025
Stop Blending In: The Art of Authentic Business Storytelling with Victoria Carrington Chavez
Sep 10, 2025
Slow Down to Speed Up: The Power of Including People in Your Process with Kate McRoberts
Sep 09, 2025
From Nanny to Fortune 500: The Power of Leading with Purpose with Kellee Johnson
Sep 08, 2025
The $9 FedEx Secret That Beats Million-Dollar Marketing with Vance Morris
Sep 05, 2025
Work Should NOT Suck: How to Break Free from Soul-Crushing Workplace Culture with Ryan Steil
Sep 04, 2025
Why Your Customers Don't Want to Be Hunted (And What to Do Instead)
Sep 03, 2025
How Clear Leaders Create Unstoppable Teams with Dusty Holcomb
Sep 02, 2025
The Magic of Human Connection with Jimi Gibson
Sep 01, 2025
Stop Manipulating, Start Persuading: The Ethical Influence Framework with Christopher Phelps
Aug 29, 2025
Why Relationships Beat Robots Every Time with Mike Adams
Aug 28, 2025
People Are Power: Why Human Energy Can't Be Automated with Jim Morris
Aug 27, 2025
The Anthony Bourdain Approach to Building Global Teams with Peter Schawacker
Aug 26, 2025
The Only Person Who Finds Your Story Boring Is You with Steven Heumann
Aug 25, 2025
Beyond the Leaderboard: Creating Sales Teams That Share Success with James Watson
Aug 22, 2025
Why Your Next Big Deal Won't Be Closed by a Robot with Doug Crowe
Aug 21, 2025
Stop Chasing Prospects. Start Having Conversations That Convert with Greg Wasserman
Aug 20, 2025
From Swashbuckler to Strategist: Redefining Entrepreneurial Leadership with Trevor Merriden
Aug 19, 2025
Why AI Can't Replace the Weird Humans on LinkedIn with Romina Massa
Aug 18, 2025
Beyond the Figurehead - Creating Brands Your Team Can Actually Embody with Charlie Birch
Aug 15, 2025
Culture Beats Language: The Real Rules of Global Marketing with Lewis Sayes
Aug 14, 2025
Why Your New Market Strategy is Probably Doomed (And How to Fix It) with David Solomon
Aug 13, 2025
Ditch the Script: How Real Conversations Create Compelling Video Content with Justin Ware
Aug 12, 2025
Breaking Barriers: How an Introvert Became a Sales Superstar with Steve Spiro
Aug 11, 2025
Why Perfect People Are Forgettable (And What to Do Instead) with Paige Arnof-Fenn
Aug 08, 2025
Cut Through the Noise: Why Your Business Needs a Unique Genius with Camille Miller
Aug 07, 2025
From Poopy Pipelines to Perfect Prospects with Lindsay Rios
Aug 06, 2025
When Everything Goes Sideways: Leading Through Life's Messy Moments with Jenn Alvin
Aug 05, 2025
From Mouthpieces to Brand Champions: The Employee Advocacy Revolution with Priya Shah
Aug 04, 2025
Trust Issues: Why Healthcare's Least Trusted Experience Stays Broken with Matthew Zachary
Aug 01, 2025
From Corporate Speak to Human Connection: A Marketing Makeover Story with Sonja Obrien
Jul 31, 2025
Stop Selling, Start Solving: The Human Side of B2B Growth with Michael Haynes
Jul 30, 2025
The Clarity, Confidence, Consistency Formula That Transforms Messaging with Esta Singer
Jul 29, 2025
The Secret to Making Complex Tech Feel Human with Rachel Allard
Jul 28, 2025
From Pixels to People: Creating Authentic Video Connections with Robert Weiss
Jul 25, 2025
Three Questions That Revolutionized Our Workplace with Bobby Dutton
Jul 24, 2025
The Real Reason Your Teams Keep Clashing (It's Not What You Think) with Brandon Gano
Jul 23, 2025
The Three Blockers Killing Your Business Relationships (And How to Beat Them) with Zvi Band
Jul 22, 2025
The Art of Living Beyond Work with Siobhan Daukes
Jul 21, 2025
Stop Chasing Magic Bullets and Start Building Real Relationships with Carly Olson
Jul 17, 2025
How to Turn 8,400 LinkedIn Connections Into Real Relationships with Deanna Dammers
Jul 15, 2025
Your Secret Weapon for Human Connection with Talia Solomon
Jul 10, 2025
Are You Basing Your Identity on What Others Think? With Markus Neukom
Jul 08, 2025
Stop Networking Like Everyone Else (And Start Building Real Relationships) with Mark E. Sackett
Jul 03, 2025
Master the Art of Power Partner Coffee Meetings with Sharyn Abbott
Jul 01, 2025
Stop Selling, Start Solving: The Human-to-Human Sales Revolution with Sebastian Pistritto
Jun 26, 2025
From Emotionally Constipated to Connected Leader with Erin Thorp
Jun 24, 2025
From Logo to Legacy: Building Brands People Actually Care About with Joelly Goodson
Jun 19, 2025
The Psychology of Belonging with Chelsea Burns
Jun 17, 2025
How to Turn Business Contacts into Money-Making Allies with Josh Tapp
Jun 12, 2025
The Entrepreneur's Guide to Building Million-Dollar Relationships with Rob Bedell
Jun 10, 2025
Why Successful Leaders Feel Empty with Chris Kenny
Jun 05, 2025
Why B2B Companies Think They Don't Need Branding (They're Wrong) with Kyle Kostesich
Jun 03, 2025
From Digital Overwhelm to Real-World Magic with Clara Nafria
May 29, 2025
Why Your Business Needs Community, Not Just Customers with Todd Nilson
May 27, 2025
How Teams Can Prevent Stress Before It Happens with Todd Attridge
May 22, 2025
Breaking Free from Transactional Marketing with Ashley Faus
May 20, 2025
When You're Part of the Problem with Desmond Lomax
May 15, 2025
How Positive Reminiscence Transforms Relationships with Jason Levin
May 13, 2025
Improv's Impact on Team Success with Jessie Shternshus
May 08, 2025
Breaking Through Male Emotional Barriers in Leadership with Andy Grant
May 06, 2025
A Heart-First Approach to Marketing with Jay Kallman
May 01, 2025
Healthcare Marketing That Actually Works with Suzy Engwall
Apr 29, 2025
Purpose as a Renewable Energy Source with Leslie Pagel
Apr 24, 2025
Humans, Machines, and the Future of Work with Marvin Dejean
Apr 22, 2025
The Secret Weapon for Team Leadership with Carla Fowler
Apr 17, 2025
The Truth About Building Real Community with Dan Berger
Apr 15, 2025
Simplicity, Authenticity, and the Dad Bod Revolution with Adam Belmont
Apr 10, 2025
Leadership That Makes Work Awesome with Pam Ross
Apr 08, 2025
Eight Steps to Guarantee Repeat Business with Richard Shapiro
Apr 03, 2025
Creating Human Connections That Convert with Linda Melone
Apr 01, 2025
The Secret Formula for Effective Communication with Deb Porter
Mar 27, 2025
Why Stories Outperform Features Every Time with Renee Lynn Frojo
Mar 25, 2025
Transforming Teams Through Authentic Narratives with Mark Tweddle
Mar 20, 2025
Transforming Business Through Human Connection with Genevieve Piturro
Mar 18, 2025
How Poor Communication Creates Company Chaos with Ashley Amber Sava
Mar 13, 2025
How Personal Touch Creates Extraordinary Teams with Dean Hankey
Mar 11, 2025
The ROI of Humanizing Your Team with Courtney Madeira
Mar 06, 2025
Creating Copy That Builds Customer Loyalty with Sweha Hazari
Mar 04, 2025
Stop Typing, Start Talking with Ethan Beute
Feb 27, 2025
How to Be More Persuasive with Edoardo Savi
Feb 25, 2025
Why Business Leaders Need to Be Human with Amy Giddon
Feb 18, 2025
The Real Cost of Ignoring Employee Perspectives with Andie Washington
Feb 11, 2025
How Technology Makes Events More Human with Megan Martin
Feb 04, 2025
Marketing That Actually Matters with Gina Clementi
Jan 28, 2025
Building Brand Through Human Connection with Jen White
Jan 21, 2025
Why You Should Listen - Trailer
Jan 16, 2025
Building Trust Through Curiosity with Connor Nelson
Jan 14, 2025
The Truth Behind Business Decisions with Allyn Bailey
Jan 11, 2025
Breaking Through Hidden Biases with Judith Weigle
Jan 11, 2025
Slowing Down to Speed Up with Lia James
Jan 11, 2025