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Podcast Performance Lab

Podcast Performance Lab

By: Jen deHaan
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 In this show we take the most effective tools from unscripted performance and behavioural psychology and apply them directly to your video and audio content. If you're building a personal brand, B2B show, or a new podcast, you know how you say things matters just as much as what you say. What to expect: Psychology of Presence: Why listeners trust some voices and tune out others (and how to fix "flat" audio). Unscripted Strategy & Exercises: How to speak naturally using tools from performing on stage & behavioural science. Solo Strategy: Best practices for solo-hosted audio & video content. Host: Jen deHaan is the founder of StereoForest. With a background of over 20 years in tech, education, & instructional design and 10 years in improv and performance, Jen brings systems and scientific approach to media production. Work with us: https://www.stereoforest.comCopyright 2026 Jen deHaan Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Marketing Marketing & Sales Personal Development Personal Success
Episodes
  • Flat Tone vs. Real Emotion on the Mic: What Listeners Actually Feel

    Flat Tone vs. Real Emotion on the Mic: What Listeners Actually Feel
    Jan 8 2026

    If you try to sound professional by flattening your voice into a "newscaster" tone in your podcasts or videos, you are actually making it harder for people to listen. Science shows that listeners physically mimic the tension in your voice. Basically, if you feel nothing, then they feel nothing.

    This episode looks at Simulation Theory and Emotional Contagion. I go over how your vocal prosody triggers the mirror neurons in your listener's brain. This biological link is why that "NPR Voice" thing often doesn't work all that well in podcasting, and why you need to use techniques to connect.

    Get better at communication and public speaking to improve your next episode.

    Key Takeaways:

    1. Why listeners physically mimic the emotions they hear in your voice.
    2. Why sounding objective or impartial creates a barrier to connection.
    3. Mirror Neurons: How to trigger the "audio-motor link" in your audience's brain.
    4. A simple script analysis and practice drill to inject genuine emotion into your episodes.

    RESOURCES:
    1. Emotional Contagion: https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/mirror-neurons-critical-development-empathy
    2. Simulation Theory: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2865077/
    3. Prosodic Cues: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4588126/
    4. Deep acting: https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/deep-acting-at-work/
    5. Newsletter: https://stereoforest.com

    ==========================

    About and Support

    ==========================

    Written, edited, and hosted by Jen deHaan.

    Find this show on YouTube at https://youtube.com/@jdehaan

    Website at https://stereoforest.com/lab

    Get StereoForest’s newsletter for podcasting resources at https://stereoforest.com/newsletter

    Produced by StereoForest https://stereoforest.com

    Contact Jen at https://jendehaan.com

    ==========================

    Support

    Your support will help this show continue. Funds will go towards hosting and music licensing for this show and others on StereoForest. This show is produced by an independent HUMAN artist directly affected by the state of the industry. StereoForest does not have any funding or additional support.

    Support the Show
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    18 mins
  • The "Red Stapler": How to Be Memorable & Believable

    The "Red Stapler": How to Be Memorable & Believable
    Jan 1 2026
    You might remember the red Swingline stapler from the movie Office Space. All these years later. You can apply that principle to your episodes to stop sounding like every other show.This episode explores Dual Coding Theory and Concreteness Fading. This science explains why abstract phrases like "an efficient workflow" are forgettable while concrete details like "fast editing with Stream Deck" stick in the brain better.Key Takeaways: Dual Coding Theory: Why your brain processes images and text separately and how to trigger both.Concreteness Fading: Why memory fades over time and how concrete nouns act as "handles" for the brain.The Problem with Jargon: Why "safe" business words and AI make you sound kinda genericThe "Zoom In" Drill: A simple editing exercise to turn more of your words and phrases into specifics.RESOURCES:Dual Coding Studies:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312316469_Concrete_vs_Abstract_words_-_What_do_you_Recall_Better_A_Study_on_Dual_Coding_Theoryhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301008223001120https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/dual-coding-theory (multiple studies)More information about dual codinghttps://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/dual-coding/https://plato.stanford.edu/archIves/sum2020/entries/mental-imagery/theories-memory.html Concreteness fadinghttps://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2018/2/1-1 (general)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959475221000839 Random word (suggestion) generatorsThere are many! Here are two optionshttps://www.impromuse.com/ https://www.andismith.com/games/improv-suggestions/ Join the Lab & Get the Newsletter: https://stereoforest.comAbout and Support==========================Written, edited, and hosted by Jen deHaan.Contact Jen at https://jendehaan.comSupportYour support will help this show continue. Funds will go towards hosting and music licensing for this show and others. This show is produced by an independent HUMAN artist directly affected by the state of the industry. Support the ShowLike this episode or show and want more? Support us with a one-time tip: https://performance.captivate.fmWe love our podcast host Capitvate.fm! Contact to ask me anything, anytime. You can support the shows by signing up with Captivate here: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=yzjiytzWe have our newsletters on Kit.com. We also have our tip form with them, and sell products on their platform. Easy, and they don't take a cut! Check Kit out and support the show using this: https://partners.kit.com/ijdkivtf8nddTranscriptions by MacWhisper. I use and love the Pro version (subscription free!) - you can get it too using this link: https://gumroad.com/a/20303251/ivpqkSchedule posts? We use Metricool (reasonable for multiple accounts/brands/shows). Support us using our link: https://f.mtr.cool/VZBOZRAbout JenHost: Jen deHaan has a background of almost 30 years in tech, education, & instructional design and 10 years in improv and performance.Jen's website: https://jendehaan.comMade and produced by Jen deHaan in British Columbia, Canada.
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    14 mins
  • Make your voice (and face) sound and look more alive - easy practice drill

    Make your voice (and face) sound and look more alive - easy practice drill
    Dec 26 2025
    If you feel awkward staring into a camera lens, you are fighting your own biology. Your nervous system interprets the unblinking stare of a lens as a threat or rejection, even if your brain doesn't. This can lead to many things, including causing your facial muscles to go flat and turn into what actors might call "Dead Eyes."In this episode, we use Dr. Stephen Porges' Polyvagal Theory and the Still Face Experiment to explain why your face goes numb when you hit record, and you'll learn how to override it using a specific acting drill.Key Takeaways:The Anatomy of "Dead Eyes": Why your Social Engagement System shuts down when looking at a lens.Why the camera lens triggers a subconscious threat response.Stanislavski’s Circles: How to use the "Medium Circle" to trick your brain into feeling safe.The Drill: My "Talk to the Face" drill to warm up your on-camera presence.ResourcesJoin the Lab & Get the Newsletter: https://stereoforest.com Polyvagal Theory (Dr. Stephen Porges): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12302812Stanislavski Circles of Attention: https://www.theatreworkout.com/post/stanislavski-3-circles-of-attentionThe Still Face Experiment (Dr. Ed Tronick): https://www.gottman.com/blog/research-still-face-experiment Why Still Face was game changer - https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/tech-support/202307/why-the-still-face-experiment-was-a-game-changerStill Face Experiment and connection - https://psychhelp.com.au/what-does-the-still-face-experiment-teach-us-about-connection/Eyes as a Threat: https://psychcentral.com/health/identifying-psychopathic-stare#what-is-it Research on Eye Contact with the Camera: https://jov.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2810811 "Dead Eyes" Podcast by Connor Ratliff: https://headgum.com/dead-eyesChapters00:00 The Disconnect: Why You Feel Awkward Recording01:25 Welcome to the Podcast Performance Lab01:47 Polyvagal Theory: The Social Engagement System03:25 The "Still Face" Experiment Explained05:35 Biology: Why the Lens Looks Like a Predator06:33 Acting Theory: Stanislavski's Circles of Attention08:41 The Personalization Technique: Speaking to One Person11:22 Drill: "Talk to the Face" (Using a Photo)14:36 Advanced Drill: Visualization & Scanning18:22 Recommendation: The "Dead Eyes" PodcastAbout and Support==========================Written, edited, and hosted by Jen deHaan.Contact Jen at https://jendehaan.comSupportYour support will help this show continue. Funds will go towards hosting and music licensing for this show and others. This show is produced by an independent HUMAN artist directly affected by the state of the industry. Support the ShowLike this episode or show and want more? Support us with a one-time tip: https://performance.captivate.fmWe love our podcast host Capitvate.fm! Contact to ask me anything, anytime. You can support the shows by signing up with Captivate here: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=yzjiytzWe have our newsletters on Kit.com. We also have our tip form with them, and sell products on their platform. Easy, and they don't take a cut! Check Kit out and support the show using this: https://partners.kit.com/ijdkivtf8nddTranscriptions by MacWhisper. I use and love the Pro version (subscription free!) - you can get it too using this link: https://gumroad.com/a/20303251/ivpqkSchedule posts? We use Metricool (reasonable for multiple accounts/brands/shows). Support us using our link: https://f.mtr.cool/VZBOZRAbout JenHost: Jen deHaan has a background of almost 30 years in tech, education, & instructional design and 10 years in improv and performance.Jen's website: https://jendehaan.comMade and produced by Jen deHaan in British Columbia, Canada.
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    19 mins
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