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Boris Hristov, co-founder of 356labs and Present to Succeed | Lyndon Nicholson, three-time agency founder and head of Future Group Two people who've built top agencies around presentations. Lyndon explains why AI is making organizations "more stupid", and why clients who settled for AI slop are now coming back. Boris lifts the lid on Present to Succeed, with behind-the-scenes insights and the London masterclasses he admits he books for himself. We Cover - How Boris and Lyndon fell into presentation design - Present to Succeed is built for business people, not presentation designers - The "use AI, now remove the AI" trap hitting teams right now - Why letting AI write your deck leaves you exposed when someone challenges a number - Why organisations must train their people to present - The box of crayons that won a six-figure-a-year client 00:00 Intro 01:41 Origin Stories: How They Got Into Presentation Design 05:54 The Role of Passion and Psychology in Presentations 07:16 Audience-Centric Approach to Presentations 11:03 The Evolution of Present to Succeed 13:25 Finding the Right Audience for Presentation Events 17:54 Tapping into Business Professionals' Needs 22:24 Training teams in presentations 25:08 The Paradox of AI in Presentations 28:05 Critical Thinking vs. AI Assistance 30:50 The Future of Presentations in an AI World 36:08 Behind the Scenes of Presentation Events 42:51 Masterclasses in London 48:28 What's next? 53:00 The Future of Presentations 53:51 Outro and Closing Remarks Links Lyndon Nicholson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndonnicholson/ | https://fg.agency/ Boris Hristov - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brshristov/ | https://www.356labs.com/ Present to Succeed London, 12 November, Olympia - https://www.presenttosucceed.co.uk/ The Presentation Podcast - https://thepresentationpodcast.com/ The Presentation Summit - https://betterpresenting.com/ Presentation Guild - https://presentationguild.org/ Got a presentation challenge, story, or question? Share your thoughts through our LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nxtsldpls/ Emma Pritchard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-birdboxdesigns/ | https://www.birdboxdesigns.com Andy Bundock: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andybundock/ | https://www.andybundock.com Mark Robson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sixmileshigh/ | https://www.sixmileshigh.com PK Steffen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pksteffen/ | https://www.pkdigital.net

People often dump everything that's in their head onto slides. Don't. Think about how the audience is going to receive it, what the structure will be. Instead, close the laptop and get everything out of your head somewhere else — paper, dictate, tell AI. Whatever you need. Once it's all out, start to build your deck with just the best bits. You can follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sixmileshigh/ Website: http://www.sixmileshigh.com

Contrast checker - Great slides need more than great colours. They need contrast! Use a contrast checker to make sure your text is clear, readable and accessible to everyone. A simple check that can make a big difference to your presentation design. You can follow Emma on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-birdboxdesigns/ Website: http://www.birdboxdesigns.com

If you want to set yourself apart from the rest, make sure you are using smart quotes in all of you communications. Using the correct apostrophes shows you know waht good looks like and most importantly, that you care. Attention to detail is where the magic happens. You can follow Andy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andybundock/ Website: http://andybundock.com

Take a tip from someone with 24M views — Brené Brown. Your message delivers more bang for your buck than your slides. Take the time to craft a story that lands. You can follow PK on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pksteffen Website: PKdigital.net

Claude and Gemini can now copy your deck's style from one file. But can they do the thinking that wins the room? We tore up the schedule for this one. Last episode we broke down Microsoft Copilot for PowerPoint. If you thought the AI presentation wars would settle down, think again. This episode we test how well Claude Slides and Gemini in Google Slides match an existing deck's style, as they make their bids for your presentation workflow. The craft is catching up fast. The thinking is not. What we cover: - Gemini in Google Slides: "match presentation style" from a reference deck - Claude Slides: turning an existing deck into a new editable PowerPoint - Is the skills file and brand kit era over? - Good in, good out. These tools don't design, they copy your homework. - Animations, custom fonts and licensing - Template decay: what happens when AI copies a copy of a copy - Why the thinking before the build still decides whether a deck wins Timestamps 00:00 Intro 04:33 Test driving Google Slides and Claude Slides 06:03 Google Slides 07:54 User Experiences and Outcomes 11:39 Limitations and Future of AI in Presentations 16:44 Exploring Font Uploads and Licensing Issues 18:48 Creating Presentations with Claude Slides 25:32 Another test deck 31:24 The Role of AI in Crafting Narratives 36:39 Understanding the Limitations of AI 39:21 AI gets 80%: check the results 47:07 The Importance of Critical Thinking in Presentation Design 51:40 AI in Presentation Design: A Double-Edged Sword 52:47 Speed vs. quality 56:31 Final Thoughts on Presentation Design and AI Resources Gemini in Google Slides - https://slides.new Claude Slides - https://claude.ai Meet Claude Slides, Claude Design and Claude Docs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To5nrYqvR44 Listen, follow, and subscribe! Got a presentation challenge, story, or question? We'd love to hear it. Share your thoughts and ideas, and let us know what topics you'd like us to tackle in future episodes through our LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nxtsldpls/ Follow your hosts Emma Pritchard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-birdboxdesigns/ Andy Bundock: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andybundock/ PK Steffen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pksteffen/ Mark Robson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sixmileshigh/

Microsoft says Copilot's new brand kit will finally keep every deck on-brand. Here's what we think: Copilot's new Brand Kit and custom skills including interactive slides, promise to fix two of PowerPoint's oldest headaches: decks that never match, and prompting that never quite gets you there. Andy, Emma, Mark and PK share their first impressions and what it means for designers and non-designers. The verdict: Microsoft's finally catching up, and it's worth watching closely, but for now, a designer with a good template still wins. Key takeaways Consistency builds trust, but the tech isn't quite there — brand kits promise every team member's deck will finally match, but Copilot's first pass still fumbles and needs a lot of information.Presenters want control, not choice — audience-led interactivity looks flashy, but nobody's actually asking clients for it; hidden slides and triggers already do the job better.Front-loading beats prompting — knowing exactly what you want to say still builds a better deck, faster, than wrestling an AI through endless revisions.Timestamps 01:22 Exploring Interactive Slides 05:23 User Experience and Prompts 10:01 Presenter's control 15:55 Grumpy Perspectives on Interactivity 19:54 HTML and Analytics in Presentations 25:09 The Evolution of Copilot and Its Versions 28:38 Understanding Brand Kits and Guidelines 33:00 Navigating the Challenges of Template Integration 38:30 The Future of Brand Management with AI 42:54 Skills as Currency in the Evolving Workplace 52:29 Summing up Resources Copilot in PowerPoint https://powerpoint.cloud.microsoft/create/en/copilot-in-powerpoint/ Copilot in PowerPoint demo videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNR8Atp8-v0, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yn5oZW6xhxg, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAZNzZxOU5Y  Canva Brand Kit https://www.canva.com/pro/brand-kit/  Gamma https://gamma.app/  Prezi https://prezi.com/  Google AI Studio https://aistudio.google.com/ Got a presentation challenge, story?  Share your thoughts and ideas, and let us know what topics you'd like us to tackle in future episodes: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nxtsldpls/  Host links https://www.linkedin.com/in/pksteffen/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-birdboxdesigns https://www.linkedin.com/in/andybundock/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sixmileshigh

Two presentation designers, two very different routes in. Courtney Allen built 16x9 from a freelance side hustle into a multi-million dollar agency. Dekishea Gordon stumbled into presentation design on a freelancing platform and realised it was actually a career. In this episode, both guests join us to talk about the profession honestly - how they got in, what they've learned, and where it's going. We get into building a business, trusting a team, mentorship and community, and why reaching out to someone you admire (prepared, with a portfolio) can change the entire course of your career. We talk about what communication and storytelling skills give you that a design background alone doesn't. There's an insider look at the Microsoft PowerPoint templates most of us use every day as well as how templates and AI are intersecting right now, what that means for in-house designers and agencies alike, and why both guests think the role is shifting towards strategic communication rather than production. Timestamps 00:27 The Power of Storytelling in Presentations 02:24 Mentorship and Community in Presentation Design 06:07 The Role of Women in Presentation Design 10:06 Accidental Entrepreneurship and Business Growth 12:43 Remote Work and Global Nomadism 14:23 The Importance of Communication and Storytelling 20:22 Inside Microsoft PowerPoint Templates 24:48 Templates and AI in Presentation Design 35:29 The Joy of Presentation Design 39:34 Building Trust in Team Dynamics 42:48 Navigating Challenges in Presentation Design 47:20 Freelancing and Career Development 54:26 Advice for Aspiring Presentation Designers Links & Resources Courtney Allen https://www.linkedin.com/in/couallen/  16x9 Design https://www.16x9design.com/  Dekishea Gordon https://www.linkedin.com/in/dekisheag/  The Presentation Guild https://presentationguild.org/  Templify https://www.templafy.com/  Upwork https://www.upwork.com  Yuno Juno https://www.yunojuno.com/  Episode runtime: ~57 minutes Guests: Courtney Allen, Founder, 16x9 and Dekishea Gordon Presentation Designer, OneRail Hosts: Emma Pritchard, PK Steffen, Mark Robson, Andy Bundock is on holiday Got a presentation challenge, story, or question?  Share your thoughts and ideas, and let us know what topics you'd like us to tackle in future on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nxtsldpls/

PK leads the team through the art and science of storytelling in presentations - from cave paintings to storyboards, from Aristotle's 3 act structure to a simple beginning-middle-end approach. We get into why conflict is your friend, why structure is story, and why the single biggest mistake most presenters make is putting too much in rather than not enough. Timestamps 01:10 The Power of Storytelling in Presentations 06:31 Crafting Compelling Narratives 12:25 Lessons from Classic Stories 17:47 Emotional Engagement in Storytelling 22:59 Structuring Your Presentation for Impact 28:37 Frameworks & Techniques for Effective Storytelling 39:25 The Power of Storyboarding in Presentations 49:06 Changing Mindsets Around Storytelling 53:22 Using Visuals to Enhance Storytelling Links & Resources The Storytelling Animal — Jonathan Gottschall https://www.jonathangottschall.com/storytelling-animal  The Jelly Effect — Andy Bounds (andybounds.com) https://andybounds.com/resources/  Show and Tell — Dan Roam https://www.danroam.com/  Illuminate — Nancy Duarte https://www.duarte.com/resources/books/illuminate/  The Science of Storytelling — Will Storr https://www.thescienceofstorytelling.com/  Say it Well - Terry Szuplat (Obama's speech writer) https://www.terryszuplat.com/  Kurt Vonnegut's Story of Cinderella https://youtu.be/oP3c1h8v2ZQ?si=SydFylwNzvFzKLP1 Paul Schrader on screenwriting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NhSZ6RTQgk Into the Woods - John Yorke https://www.johnyorkestory.com/about/the-book/ Episode runtime: ~65 mins Hosts: PK Steffen, Emma Pritchard, Andy Bundock, Mark Robson Got a presentation challenge, story, or question?  https://www.linkedin.com/company/nxtsldpls/  Follow your hosts PK Steffen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pksteffen/ Emma Pritchard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-birdboxdesigns/  Andy Bundock: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andybundock/  Mark Robson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sixmileshigh/

What happens when four presentation designers stop talking about best practice and start telling the truth? This episode. No guests, no agenda, no carefully constructed takeaways. Just PK, Andy, Mark, and Emma answering questions they didn't see coming. From the fastest deck ever built (37 minutes, and yes there's a video) to the chaos of fixing slides mid-event while your team is in the hotel bar. From 300-template systems nobody uses, to the one thing every presenter actually needs. Plus: bouncing charts, Scott from sales, the Kano build, a story about Andy getting fired after hitting 300% of target, and Dave. If you've ever wondered what presentation designers really think when the client isn't in the room, this is the episode. Timestamps 03:51 Round 1: least or most 16:13 Round 2: Best and worst vibes 29:14 Round 3: Trade secrets 42:15 Round 4: Quick-fire round Episode runtime: ~75 minutes Hosts: PK Steffen, Emma Pritchard, Andy Bundock, Mark Robson Links & Resources Present to Succeed Conference: https://www.presenttosucceed.co.uk/  BrightSlide add-in for PowerPoint: https://www.brightcarbon.com/brightslide/ Got a presentation challenge, story, or question?  We'd love to hear it. Share your thoughts and ideas, and let us know what topics you'd like us to tackle in future episodes through our LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nxtsldpls/  Follow your hosts Mark Robson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sixmileshigh/  Emma Pritchard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-birdboxdesigns/  Andy Bundock: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andybundock/  PK Steffen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pksteffen/

Fonts. You use them every day, you judge them before you've read a word, and yet most of us have never thought too hard about why they matter. In this episode, we do. We get into the history of fonts (yes, there's a difference between a font and a typeface, and yes, it's mildly pedantic), the psychology of why the wrong font on a serious deck immediately feels off, and how to find the right one when you don't have a brand police officer breathing down your neck. We run through how PowerPoint, Google Slides, Canva and Keynote each handle fonts differently, why those differences matter more than you'd think, and what can go wrong the moment you share a deck with someone else. Andy shares his font test method, PK makes the case for playing it safe, Emma reminds us that every font is doing psychological work and Mark explains why you should always set the typeface in your theme but never the weight. Whether you're locked into a corporate brand kit or starting from a blank slide, this one will change how you look at every presentation you build from here. Episode runtime: ~32 minutes Hosts: Mark Robson, PK Steffen, Emma Pritchard, Andy Bundock Timestamps 00:27 Introduction 02:51 History of fonts 04:47 Choosing a font 08:10 Working with fonts in different software 19:56 Good to Great - Theme fonts on PC and Mac 23:47 Recap of Tools and Resources 26:26 Final Thoughts Links & Resources What the Font: www.myfonts.com/pages/whatthefont/  Google fonts: fonts.google.com  Wordmark: wordmark.it Julie Terberg - Choosing Fonts for PowerPoint Whitepaper: designtopresent.com  BrightSlide by BrightCarbon: www.brightcarbon.com/brightslide/ Font pairings: Fontpairs.co  Typewolf: www.typewolf.com  Slidewise by Neuxpower: https://neuxpower.com/slidewise-powerpoint-add-in

What happens when one of the presentation industry's best designers is also one of its best presenters? We found out. In this episode, we chat with Damon Nofar, Founder and Creative Director of Slides Agency, presentation strategist, and one of those rare people who excels both behind the slides and on the stage. We get into storytelling, AI, audience experience, and what it actually takes to create presentations people remember. We revisit Damon's talk at Present to Succeed 2025 “Beyond the Prompt: Why AI Alone Won't Make You Stand Out”, and dig into how his agency is using AI to build custom design tools, and why he still won't let it generate a full deck. We also get into the art of using humour on stage without dying, why startups are his favourite clients, and the big idea behind his upcoming talk at Present to Succeed 2026 London “Design the feeling in the room”. Whether you're a presentation designer, speaker, or business presenter, you'll find plenty here to help your message land. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Damon Nofar and Slides Agency 02:31 Damon's Journey into Design and Marketing 06:43 The Role of AI in Presentation Design 11:52 Innovative Tools and Techniques in Presentation Design 19:41 The Future of Presentation Design in an AI World 22:54 Designing Audience Experience in Presentations 27:53 Damon's Preferred Projects and Agency Focus 31:27 Navigating Creative Challenges in Large Organizations 31:47 Finding Inspiration Beyond the Industry 33:48 The Power of Humor in Presentations 37:55 The Importance of Preparation and Authenticity 40:45 Learning from Storytellers and Comedians 44:24 AI in Presentations: Acceptance and Pushback 49:53 The Future of AI in Creative Work Links & Resources Damon Nofar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damonnofar/  Slides Agency: https://www.slides.agency/  Present to Succeed: https://www.presenttosucceed.co.uk/  Google AI Studio: https://aistudio.google.com/  Cosmos: https://www.cosmos.so/  Got a presentation challenge, story, or question?  We'd love to hear it. Share your thoughts and ideas, and let us know what topics you'd like us to tackle in future episodes through our LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nxtsldpls/  Follow your hosts Andy Bundock: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andybundock/  PK Steffen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pksteffen/  Mark Robson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sixmileshigh/  Emma Pritchard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-birdboxdesigns/

Next Slide Please | It’s Not Just Storytelling. It’s Chemistry: Present to Succeed Sofia 2026 Emma and Andy spent a day streaming Present to Succeed 2026 live from Sofia, Bulgaria, one of Europe's biggest presentation conferences. The theme was storytelling, but what they brought back was bigger than that. This episode unpacks three psychology-led takeaways from the day: 1. Story Chemistry - why story isn't a technique, it's a biological event; 2. The Curiosity Gap - how to engineer curiosity before you've said a word; 3. Constraint and clarity - why subtraction is the hardest, most powerful thing you can do to a presentation. Plus, a peek at what happens inside your head when you stand up to present, and the committee in your head that tries to stop you. Want to watch the full Present to Succeed 2026 sessions? You can still get lifetime access to all the recordings with an online pass at Present to Succeed: https://www.presenttosucceed.bg/tickets  Episode runtime: ~45 minutes Hosts: Emma Pritchard, Andy Bundock, PK Steffen, Mark Robson,  Timestamps 01:31 Deep dive into storytelling 04:25 The science of storytelling chemistry 11:34 Cultural perspectives on storytelling 14:45 The curiosity gap in storytelling 25:30 Constraint and clarity in presentations 39:47 Extras too good to leave in Sofia Links & Resources Present to Succeed: https://www.presenttosucceed.com/  George Lowenstein: https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/sds/people/faculty/george-loewenstein.html  Brene Brown: https://brenebrown.com/videos/ted-talk-the-power-of-vulnerability/  Andy Bounds: https://andybounds.com/  Daniel Kahneman: https://kahneman.scholar.princeton.edu/  Guy Kawasaki: https://guykawasaki.com  Got a presentation challenge, story, or question?  We'd love to hear it. Share your thoughts and ideas, and let us know what topics you'd like us to tackle in future episodes through our LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nxtsldpls/  Follow your hosts Emma Pritchard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-birdboxdesigns/  Andy Bundock: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andybundock/  PK Steffen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pksteffen/  Mark Robson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sixmileshigh/

Everyone's talking about Claude Design. But can it actually design?  Spoiler: it depends who's asking. In this episode, we put Claude Design under the microscope and explore the reality behind the hype. All four hosts give their honest verdict. From blank page syndrome to brand drift, from token costs to data centres in the desert. Along the way, we discuss discuss design systems, tackle what AI is changing and how designers and everyday PowerPoint users can stay ahead as the rules keep shifting.  Timestamps 00:09 Introduction to Claude Design 02:24 Exploring Claude Design 04:27 The Speed vs. Quality Debate 07:08 Design Systems and Templates 10:00 The Role of AI in Presentation Design 12:45 Client Perspectives on AI-Generated Designs 16:24 The Cost of AI Tools and Subscriptions 30:55 The Environmental Impact of AI 34:52 Tools Within Tools: Enhancing Design Efficiency Clips used in the making of this video: 07:45: 02ui - Idea to Product: Claude Design vs Lovable: One Prompt, Same Brief 22:00: UI Collective: Claude Design: The Complete Guide Got a presentation challenge, story, or question?  We'd love to hear it. Share your thoughts and ideas, and let us know what topics you'd like us to tackle in future episodes through our LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nxtsldpls/  Follow your hosts Andy Bundock: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andybundock/  PK Steffen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pksteffen/  Mark Robson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sixmileshigh/  Emma Pritchard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-birdboxdesigns/

This is where it all starts. In this first episode, we introduce the show, the hosts, and one unofficial team member called Dave. Four people who live and breathe presentations - a psychologist, a storyteller, a typography obsessive, and a designer with 20 years of slides under his belt - coming together to help non-designers up their presentation game and designers hate PowerPoint slightly less. Whether you're a presentation designer, a complete PowerPoint sceptic, or somewhere in the middle, this one's for you. No fluff. No filler. Just the beginning of something good. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Next Slide, Please 01:32 Meet the Hosts and Their Backgrounds 02:59 What to Expect from the Podcast Got a presentation challenge, story, or question?  We'd love to hear it. Share your thoughts and ideas, and let us know what topics you'd like us to tackle in future episodes through our LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nxtsldpls/  Follow your hosts Andy Bundock: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andybundock/  PK Steffen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pksteffen/  Mark Robson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sixmileshigh/  Emma Pritchard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-birdboxdesigns/