Nervous networker or conference presenter? Care less, says speech coach Susie Ashfield
From Working Scientist by Nature Careers
March 12, 2026 · 38 min
About this episode
Susie Ashfield discusses how caring less about perceptions can enhance communication skills in scientific settings.
Learning to care less about how you come across in a conference talk, funding pitch or networking event frees you to communicate more naturally and confidently, says Susie Ashfield. In the second episode of a podcast series focused on six books about the scientific workplace, Ashfield, whose 2025 book, Just F**king Say It , includes real-life case studies of both good and bad communication, says scientist interviewees are often burdened by the “curse of knowledge.” This means they include too much detail instead of focusing on telling a simple story with a beginning, a middle and an end. Ashfield, an actor-turned-communications coach based in London, tells Holly Newson that presenters often fail to rehearse a science conference talk sufficiently. They also default to listing their academic achievements rather than focusing on the messages that their audience needs to hear. In the case of an investor pitch, this could mean focusing on a technology’s potential to save lives, not a detailed description of the underlying science, she argues. She also offers advice on how to approach networking, including tips on how to introduce yourself, keep conversations flowing, and how to…
People in this episode
Host: Holly Newson
Guest: Susie Ashfield
Topics covered
- communication
- networking
- conference presentation
- funding pitch
- scientific workplace
- public speaking
Keywords
- communication
- networking
- conference talk
- funding pitch
- public speaking
- scientific communication
- presentation skills
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Just F**king Say It
More episodes of Working Scientist
- How jazz boosts my creativity in physics · May 29, 2026 · 20 min
- Hit a lab project glitch? Thinking about your thesis title like a storyteller can help you focus · May 22, 2026 · 16 min
- Running a farm, pursuing a research career: what’s the difference? · May 15, 2026 · 14 min
- How a passion for baking fermented a fresh career move · May 8, 2026 · 16 min
- How sewing can set you up for failure and success in science · April 30, 2026 · 18 min
- Hit a glitch in your research? Some ‘night science’ thinking could move it forward · April 23, 2026 · 23 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Working Scientist podcast page.