Michael Chad Heppner
Communications coach and author of Don't Say Um who trains people in kinesthetic techniques to reduce filler words and improve speaking precision; leads exercises in the episode.
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Mar 31, 2026 • 44min
How to Not Say "Um"
Michael Chad Heppner, a communications coach who trains kinesthetic techniques to cut filler words. Nate Silver, data journalist and FiveThirtyEight founder, volunteers his rapid-fire speaking for live diagnosis. They explore why filler words appear, kinesthetic exercises like walking the fingers and the talking-stick pause, and how treating speech as a physical skill can slow pace and create thoughtful pauses.
