Social Skills Mastery
The Social Skills Mastery Podcast is where High-Performance Social Confidence Coach and Corporate Trainer, Susan Callender helps professionals, business owners, and entrepreneurs stand out in competitive and often high-stakes situations, by raising social capital and using the power of polished people skills to make an impact. Weekly content encompasses what to do, what to say, how to maneuver tricky situations and get it right the first time.
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266. Rewire Your Self-Talk for Instant Social & Interpersonal Success
<p > In this episode, we're dissecting the constant conversations happening in your head, and how it's shaping the way you show up in meetings, at dinners and events, and everyday workplace interactions.</p> <p > Because here's the truth:<br /> Your inner dialogue becomes your outer presence.</p> <p > If your self-talk sounds like:</p> "I'll never get the job" "I never know what to say" "I hope I don't mess this up" "Other people are naturally better at this" <p > …then no amount of communication tips or confidence hacks will fully stick.</p> <p > Today, you'll learn how to identify th...
265. Stop Trying to Win with People: Reprogram Your Social Identity
<p > Have you ever watched someone walk into a room and it's like everything they touch turns to gold—promotions, opportunities, influence, connection, and wondered how it's even possible?</p> <p > In this episode, we break down the real reason some people seem to "win" socially without effort: they're not trying harder… they're operating from a different identity. Social success isn't created through willpower or forcing yourself to perform—it's created through subconscious programming, beliefs, and an internal "thermostat" that determines what feels automatic and normal for you.</p> <p > You'll learn why trying is the fast track to social exhaus...
264. Devin Marks: How TED-Style Tools Can Improve Any Message, Anywhere
<p>When you're ready to become a bona fide thought leader in your zone of genius, Devin D. Marks will uplevel your public speaking game. </p> <p>DEVIN is the nation's #1 (and world's first) TED-style speaking coach. His firm, CONNECT to COMPEL, has served 100s of short-talk speakers — including Harvard's Dr. Robert Waldinger for his all-time TOP 10 TEDx Talk (50 million views). The result: 100s of millions of views for clients. He helps coaches, authors, and experts spread world-changing ideas.</p> <p>Devin was also the most downloaded episode from this podcast in 2020, and you can find that episode here.</p> <p >...
263. Secrets to Creating a Polished, Professional Speaking Style with Neil Gordon
<p >Neil Gordon is the bestselling author of The Most Powerful Sentence of All Time. He is a former editor of Dutton, now a division of Penguin Random House, where he worked on books by New York Times bestselling authors such as Eckhart Tolle and Sylvia Browne. He has been featured in Forbes, Fortune, Inc., Entrepreneur, NBC, and Fox.</p> <p ><br /> In episode #263, Neil reveals the career-defining skill that separates professionals who fade into the background from those who command attention and close deals. You'll discover how to craft your "Silver Bullet"— a deceptively simple elevator pitch that transforms ne...
262. The Under-the-Radar Star: Turn Hidden Work Into Visible Authority
<p > If you've been told that "your work should speak for itself" and you're still being overlooked, this episode explains why that strategy quietly fails in loud, fast-paced workplaces. Susan shares the real reason smart, capable, socially reserved professionals stay under-recognized, not because they lack talent, but because they're playing by rules that no longer apply. You'll learn why visibility is not self-promotion or personality-driven, but a learned language that shapes how leadership, confidence, and value are perceived.</p> <p > You'll also discover five practical ways to learn the language of visibility without becoming louder, flashier, or inauthentic; from managing...
261. Why You Feel Drained When You're "Doing Everything Right"
<p > In episode #261, you'll discover why your exhaustion isn't just about workload, long hours, or a packed calendar, and why, even when life looks "successful" on paper, your day-to-day experience can still feel heavy and flat. You'll learn how constant self-monitoring, impression management, over-apologizing, and social over-functioning quietly drain your nervous system, and what to do instead so you feel more steady, present, and energized without becoming louder or someone you're not. If you're intelligent, responsible, and used to being the person who "holds it all together," this episode will help you understand your energy leaks at a nervous-system level...
260. The Year You Stayed the Same: Why Smart People Stay Socially Stuck
<p >If your interpersonal skills are the same today as they did a year ago, the problem isn't your personality, your schedule, or your temperament. It's your thoughts. In this episode, we look at the hidden beliefs that keep high-achieving professionals socially stagnant, and why updating your thinking is the only path to true change.</p> <p >**</p> <p > Don't even know where to begin in improving your interpersonal skills?</p> <p > Are you ready to leave social stress behind and go from where you are to where you want to be?</p> <p > Confidence on Cue: a powerful 5-minute a...
259. Reengineering Your Social Identity for High-Stakes Professional Growth
<p >In this episode, we take a deep, honest look at the role your social identity plays in your success, especially in the rooms where influence, opportunity, and visibility matter most. If you've ever felt like your interpersonal skills lag behind your expertise, or that your social confidence doesn't match your level of accomplishment, this conversation will change how you see yourself.</p> <p >You'll learn why your brain continues recreating the same social experiences year after year, how emotional habits shape your identity, and why high achievers often hold onto outdated versions of themselves without realizing it. More importantly...
258. The Transformational Power of Hosting: Create the Party Instead of Surviving It
<p >What if the fastest way to stop dreading social events… is to host one yourself?<br /> In this episode, Susan breaks down the counterintuitive truth that hosting a party is one of the most powerful confidence-building tools for socially anxious, introverted, or socially awkward professionals. You'll learn why hosting gives you control, structure, predictability, and emotional safety; the exact ingredients your nervous system has been craving.</p> <p >What You'll Learn</p> Why attending parties feels terrifying, and why it's not your fault How hosting flips the social script and reduces 70% of your anxiety before guests arrive The confidence-boosting psy...
257. Stop Dreading the Holiday Party: Your Step-by-Step Confidence Strategy
<p >If your nervous system goes into overdrive every time a work event pops up on your calendar, this episode is your new survival guide. Today I'll explain the psychology behind holiday party dread, the professional stakes, and how to navigate the event like a grounded, self-managed leader. You'll walk away with concrete tools, conversation prompts, and a mental practice that transforms the way you show up.</p> <p >**</p> <p > Don't even know where to begin in improving your interpersonal skills?</p> <p > Are you ready to leave social stress behind and go from where you are to where y...
