Upcoming Events, Courses, and Talks

Beyond the Pitch: Mastering Strategic Communication Across Every Touchpoint

Discover why the most successful leaders understand that a pitch is just one small piece of the persuasion puzzle. This comprehensive workshop reveals how mastering message consistency across all touchpoints is the true secret to winning attention, building advocacy, and driving action from investors, stakeholders, customers, and decision-makers.

Drawing from techniques used by CEOs of the world's leading companies, you'll learn the communication frameworks and strategic tools that typically take years to develop. This hands-on session transforms how you approach every interaction - from formal presentations to impromptu questions, written materials to everyday conversations.

What You'll Master:

• Develop a cohesive messaging architecture that maintains integrity across all communication channels
• Learn the psychological principles behind message retention and how to leverage them in every interaction
• Apply professional techniques like "Block and Bridge," "Hooking," and "Flagging" to navigate conversations toward your strategic objectives
• Transform challenging questions into opportunities to reinforce your core message
• Structure your communications using the Message Triangle methodology to ensure consistent impact
• Craft compelling narratives that connect emotionally while delivering clear, actionable information

Why This Matters:

The most influential communicators understand that persuasion happens across dozens of small moments, not just during the pitch. Each interaction either strengthens or weakens your position. This workshop provides the strategic toolbox used by world-class communicators to ensure every touchpoint works in harmony to build credibility, maintain momentum, and ultimately drive the outcomes you seek.

You'll leave with immediately applicable techniques to elevate your communication effectiveness across every platform and situation - skills that typically take executives years of coaching to develop. Whether you're an entrepreneur seeking investment, a leader driving organizational change, or a professional aiming to increase your influence, these communication strategies will fundamentally transform your ability to connect, convince, and convert.

About the Workshop Leader: 

Shannon McGhee, Vice President of Programs and Engagement at mHUB, oversees programs and member success across the organization including curriculum, mentorship, member engagement, community engagement, and initiatives to reduce barriers to Hardtech innovation across the incubator.

Prior to mHUB, Shannon spent her career developing grassroots and public information campaigns focused on healthcare, small business support and access to capital, and economic development in the private and nonprofit sectors. She was a part of the team who worked on the original vision and plan for mHUB at World Business Chicago, where she also managed marketing campaigns to drive inclusive economic growth, including 1000 Jobs for Chicagoland Manufacturing, Connect Chicago and SimpleGrowth (now part of Venturize). She re-joined the mHUB team in 2018 after time at public affairs firm Hawthorne Strategy Group, where she led work for clients including Small Business Majority, Chicago Children's Choir, Building Illinois Bioeconomy Consortium at Southern Illinois Edwardsville, and others.

Prior to that Shannon was at Fleishman Hillard, where she supported healthcare and corporate client teams including the Get Covered Illinois campaign out of the State of Illinois, Baxter, Abbott and Navistar.

A graduate of Butler University's School of Journalism (now College of Communications), Shannon was named to “Crain’s Notable Women in Manufacturing" in 2020 and “Crain’s Notable Executives in HR and DEI” in 2022. She is an appointed member of Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s Regional Economy Committee and serves on committees centered in equitable business support including GET Cities Chicago’s Tech Equity Working Group and Chicago Urban League’s NextONE Advisory Committee.