What if getting comfortable being unscripted actually requires more preparation, not less? Meridith Grundei has coached speakers at Amazon, Google, Pfizer, and Sotheby's — and her answer might change how you think about every stage you step onto.

Meridith reached the highest levels of improv — including teaching at the famed Second City in Chicago. These days she takes everything she learned in the theater and puts it in the hands of leaders and entrepreneurs who need to earn trust in rooms that matter, move people to action, and stop sounding like everyone else.

In this conversation we get into why structure is the secret to freedom, what improv actually trains you for when things go wrong on stage, and why your next talk — wherever it happens — could be the inflection point that changes everything in your business and your life.

If you're an entrepreneur on a mission to build something bigger than yourself, this one is for you.

What you'll hear in this episode:

— Why every presenter sounds the same right now
— and what to do about it
— The paradox at the heart of improv: tighter containers create more freedom
— The top mistakes speakers make (and why winging it is not the same as being unscripted)
— What Meridith's clients look like before and after working with her
— The "children's story" exercise that breaks every over-explainer
— How your speaking practice makes you a better leader in every room
— Why your talk is not just a talk
— it's a catalyst for change
— Matt's personal story: what stepping onto Meridith's stage revealed

Timestamps:

0:00 Cold open: Why every presenter sounds the same
0:46 Introduction: Meet Meridith Grundei
2:46 What Meridith does and who she serves
4:09 The top mistakes speakers make
6:26 Why improv is actually about structure — and how that sets you free
8:23 Slide deck or no slide deck? The trust question
10:51 Everything is at your disposal — you've just been limiting yourself
12:44 When the deck dies on stage: what improv actually prepares you for
14:11 Being human on stage — and what it reveals about who you are
15:41 Who works with Meridith: entrepreneurs, execs, and engineers at Amazon
17:45 Every product has a pulse: simplifying complex ideas for any audience
19:38 How long does real improvement take?
21:04 What transformation actually looks like on the other side
22:45 The full opportunity most clients don't see coming
23:56 Your talk is not just a talk — it's a catalyst for change
24:19 Be perfectly imperfect: the theater approach to high-stakes moments
26:28 The cybersecurity guy who was hilarious — and why audiences change everything
26:51 Speaking as a leadership tool: Q&A, all-hands, and managing the room
28:31 "Yes, And" — the improv rule that makes you a better leader
30:11 What Meridith is most excited about in 2026
32:05 The message for anyone still on the fence
32:46 Matt's personal story: what Unscripted revealed
34:17 Playback theater and the moment you play your own story back
36:11 Simon Sinek, a flip chart, and why the idea doesn't have to be new

—

Connect with Meridith Grundei:
Website: meridithgrundei.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meridith/

Connect with Matt Stone / The Bigger Stage:
Website: thebiggerstage.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/matt-stone-letsconnect/

The Bigger Stage is where founder-CEOs come to make the leap from operator to icon — through the power of their voice, their story, and their stage.