A partner at Bully Pulpit International, a former White House speechwriter, and a mentor to many, Jeff Nussbaum stops by The Speechwriter’s Room to talk persuasion, soundbites, and where he goes “to get yelled at by hundreds of Democratic officials.” He also shares the story behind John Lewis’s speech at the March on Washington, which is featured in Jeff's book titled Undelivered: The Never-Heard Speeches that Would Have Rewritten History.

From Morgan Freeman in Deep Impact to Bill Pullman in Independence Day, American cinema has offered up some iconic portrayals of fictional American presidents. These pretend U.S. leaders especially shine on screen when they deliver gut-wrenching and heartfelt speeches. In this episode, Mary takes a look at what real-life speakers and speechwriters can learn from some of the most memorable made-up presidential speeches from movies.

Kat Kane stops by The Speechwriter's Room to talk about her background in cable news, writing for a principal with possibly the busiest speaking schedule on the planet, and how she helps clients maintain their authenticity behind the podium. Plus, while Kat is new to the Knicks bandwagon, she expertly details what made NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani's speech at the Knicks championship parade so memorable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciimC-cE_eIKat Kane is a partner at the speechwriting firm Fenway Strategies.To learn more about the host of The Speechwriter's Room, Mary Robbins, visit https://www.storiedcommunications.com/.

Communications pro and Taylor Swift scholar Seth Nelson visits The Speechwriter's Room to share lessons that speechwriters and speakers can learn from Taylor Swift, including how to create a moment, knowing your audience, and using vulnerability strategically.Read Seth Nelson's original piece of writing on this topic here: https://www.frontwoodstrategies.com/our-work/taylorSeth is the communications director at Evergreen Action. https://www.evergreenaction.com/people/seth-nelson/

For Ezra Zwaeli, poetry not only informs how he writes speeches, but how he approaches life. He joins The Speechwriter's Room for a discussion on what it's like to perform slam poetry, how to make wonky policies relatable in speeches, and how to foster creativity in a hectic work environment.Ezra is the former director of speechwriting for Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. In the conversation, Ezra describes the objectives for Mayor Wu’s opening statement to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in 2025, which can be found here: https://youtu.be/0i21cliuoXo.

In celebration of the Class of 2026, Mary takes a look back on commencement addresses from U.S. leaders that set the country on a new path. President Lyndon B. Johnson unveiled his plans for “The Great Society” in commencement remarks at the University of Michigan. After 9/11, President George W. Bush spoke at the United States Military Academy where he pressed his case for pre-emptive strikes in the war on terror. At American University’s graduation ceremony in 1963, President John F. Kennedy delivered a speech entitled “A Strategy of Peace.” Mary takes a deeper dive into the stories behind two specific commencement addresses. First, she discusses President Roosevelt’s remarks at the University of Virginia’s commencement in 1940, including the influence that First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt had on the final draft. In that speech, FDR announced that the United States would be delivering additional aid to Great Britain and the Allies.  The episode concludes with Secretary of State George C. Marshall’s remarks at Harvard University in 1947. In this speech, he announced the Marshall Plan for Europe. Additional sources for this episode: No Ordinary Time: Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin https://fdrlibrary.wordpress.com/2011/06/09/found-in-the-archives-6/https://uvamagazine.org/articles/the_hand_that_held_the_daggerhttps://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2001/winter/crafting-day-of-infamy-speech.htmlhttps://www.harvardmagazine.com/sites/default/files/html/1997/05/marshall.htmlhttps://www.harvardmagazine.com/sites/default/files/html/1997/05/marshall.speech.html

In this episode, Mary shares outtakes of her interviews with speechwriters Ashley Mitchell, Ken Sofer, and Felicia Salazar, all of which center on storytelling. Ashley Mitchell describes one of the most important aspects of telling a story. The full version of President Barack Obama's campaign speech that Ashley references is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MjccRjErQwKen Sofer of New Colossus Advisers introduces a metaphor for how to build a narrative for an organization. Ken posts videos and insights on foreign policy, advocacy, and communications on his LinkedIn page. Former Presidential speechwriter Felicia Salazar talks about how she captures leaders' voices through their stories. Felicia is currently the Deputy Campaign Manager for Deb Haaland as she runs for Governor of New Mexico.To learn more about Mary Robbins, visit:https://storiedcommunications.com/

It turns out that musical theater can be a training ground for speechwriting techniques. In this episode, Mary explores the ways that musicals make emotional appeals, showcase character, and hit the final note -- all of which directly apply to the best speeches. To learn more about Mary Robbins, visit https://www.storiedcommunications.com/

This episode of The Speechwriter's Room features Hartley Voss, the chief speechwriter for the Democratic staff of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Before Hartley embarked on his path in speechwriting, he had built a career in Hollywood, writing on television shows like Mad Men and Orange is the New Black.Hartley and Mary talk about the similarities between the working environments of Hollywood and Washington and their experience resolving disagreements during a speechwriting process. They also take a look at what is arguably the most famous speech from Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) https://www.c-span.org/clip/house-proceeding/dick-durbin-floor-speech-on-baseball-bats/4504704"Bob and Eric's book" refers to the Political Speechwriter's Companion: https://collegepublishing.sagepub.com/products/the-political-speechwriters-companion-2-257507In the episode, Hartley recommends Pam Douglas's book on writing and producing for television:https://mwp.com/product/writing-the-tv-drama-series-how-to-succeed-as-a-professional-writer-in-tv-4th-edition/And Secret Stairs: https://secretstairs-la.com/To learn more about Mary Robbins, visit storiedcommunications.com

In a made-up award show, The Speechwriter's Room presents the 2026 Acceptance Speech Awards. Mary discusses the techniques that make the winners' remarks notable - from storytelling to making a call to action specific. For best use of a literary device, the award goes to Stephen Colbert at the Golden Globes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gncZJZS68zEBest Call to Action in an acceptance speech goes to Doechii at the Grammy's. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1whp7ndRCsFor stand-out acknowledgement in an acceptance speech, the winner is Jessie Buckley at the Golden Globes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PttOo6dA0_cThe winner for outstanding use of storytelling is Michael B. Jordan for his acceptance speech at the Actor Awards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMZv07WD9VIBest moment of humility in an acceptance speech goes to Harrison Ford at the Actor Awards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dV_2CEa6BbsJean Smart at the Golden Globes wins for best humble brag.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU2In_AsHMcFor best "take down" in an acceptance speech, the winner is Amy Poehler at the Golden Globes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9XdPNy_ffkTo learn more about Mary Robbins, visit https://www.storiedcommunications.com/