Dean Brenner

The single most frequently asked question I hear regarding public speaking is this… “Dean, how can I be more confident as a speaker?” I’ve been in this line of work for twenty years, and every year, I hear that question more than any other. And throughout my time leading The Latimer Group, my answer has remained essentially the same: Self-awareness and Practice. Great […]

We’ve spent a lot of time over the years writing about “the new communication age” and life in a “post-PowerPoint world.” Communication skills have never been more important than they are right now. And one of the best ways to communicate in a powerful way is through the use of story. Story can be used in lots of […]

Like many families, much of our summer was spent keeping our kids engaged in activities. We want them active, outside, and off screens as much as possible. For our son, that meant sleep away camp for the first time, as well as an engineering design class, and some sailing. For our daughter, that also meant […]

I am just back after two weeks of vacation with my family… two weeks of hanging out with my kids, swimming, playing games, and just trying to keep up. (I am exhausted… I think I need a vacation…) Each day of my vacation began the same way… the sounds and smells of brewing coffee… a […]

What we care about most at The Latimer Group is your ability to communicate your message — your story — powerfully and persuasively to your audience. Virtually all the work we do points back to that theme of great communication, and great storytelling. Even in the workplace, great stories and great storytelling are what will stand out among your clients […]

Most people communicate selfishly in the workplace. Sorry… I apologize for that harsh opinion. But I believe it to be true. Most people communicate with their colleagues, customers, vendors, and suppliers based primarily on their own needs, wants and goals. Most people build their communication (presentations, meeting agendas, negotiation points, talking points) based on what they want, […]

It is a very early August morning here. The sun is just rising in the east, and the only sounds are the tapping of my keyboard, and the drip of the coffee machine. My head is completely clear, and my heart is completely full. And so, I want to talk to you today about the […]

(Author’s Note: I am on vacation with my family this week, and have been leaning more heavily than normal on our archive. And in honor of being on vacation, and being a little disconnected, we decided to republish a post about the power and importance of BEING disconnected once in a while. Enjoy!) I’ve been […]

(Author’s Note: This post was originally written in July 2020, when all of us were in the depths of the initial wave of Covid, and its impact on everything. I am on vacation this week, recharging my batteries and building up my own resilience. So this post spoke, loudly, to me. And, with the business […]

Good morning, clients and friends of The Latimer Group. While we normally reserve this blog space as a place to share our best ideas about powerful communication skills, today we are excited to share some big news from our team. We are proud to announce that Jay Prewitt has joined The Latimer Group as our […]