Mastering Speaking, Storytelling, and Stage Presence with PodMatch Founder Alex Sanfilippo

Welcome back to another episode of My First Stage! I’m your host, Sara Lohse, and this is the podcast where I sit down with professional speakers to dig into how they landed their first stages, survived their early stumbles, and learned to leverage speaking for serious growth—personally and professionally.

This week, I had the absolute joy of chatting with my friend, my true “podmatch,” Alex Sanfilippo. From running one of the most respected platforms in podcasting to conquering everything from tech conferences to lightning-fast Pecha Kucha talks, Alex is a powerhouse in both podcasting and public speaking. If you’ve ever wondered how to own your quirks on stage, or how authenticity can actually give you an edge, you’re not going to want to miss this episode.

Alex Sanfilippo is a podcaster and the founder of PodMatch.com, a platform that automatically matches podcast hosts and guests for interviews. Through PodMatch and his podcast titled Podcasting Made Simple, Alex helps independent podcasters grow their influence and revenue so they can better serve their listeners!

Here’s what Alex and I talked about in this conversation:

• From Conference Puns to First Stages: How we met (and how I embarrassed myself), and Alex’s unexpectedly stressful (but life-changing) debut on a WordPress stage.
• Miscommunication, Imposter Syndrome, and What Happens When Your Talk Gets “Bumped”: The story behind my near-trash-can-moment and what really happened with my “lost” keynote.
• Pecha Kucha Panic: Why the five-minute, auto-advancing-slide format is secretly the hardest stage around—and our mutual respect (and terror) for anyone who nails it.
• Finding Your Room: How to know if a stage or conference is really the right fit for your personality, business, and style—and why it’s okay to say no to the wrong audience.
• Authenticity > Perfection: The moments that reinforced why showing up 100% as yourself can be your best asset—even if your slides are covered in sparkles instead of stats.
• Selling Without the Ick: Alex’s approach to sharing your offer from the stage so it feels like a gift—not a pitch.
• The Power of Stories, Using Your Hands, and Being “Too Much”: We unpack tips from Carnegie training, ADHD over-explaining, and why neither of us can resist tangents (or pink slides).
• Lead With Value: The core of Alex’s philosophy for growing a speaking business that actually helps people—and keeps the lights on.
• The Soggy Sandwich Principle: Why generosity on stage (and off) pays off in unexpected ways, even if you don’t get your payoff right away.

Did Alex’s story inspire you to find your own stage (and own your quirks while you’re at it)? Here’s what you can do next:

• Connect with Alex – Head to podmatch.com/ep/207 to check out my training that Alex referenced, plus resources and everything PodMatch related.
• Subscribe, Rate & Review – If you loved this episode, hit subscribe, share with a fellow podcaster or speaker, and leave a review on your favorite app.
• Choose Your Room – This week, reflect on where you show up best. Say yes to your people, and don’t be afraid to say no where you can’t be your truest self.
• Lead with Value – Before you speak, pod, or pitch, ask yourself: am I here to give or to get? Start with generosity—watch what comes back (maybe, in the form of a “soggy sandwich”).

Thanks so much for joining Alex and me this episode. I can’t wait to bring you more stories, strategies, and real talk on My First Stage!

Timestamped Summaries

[00:00-01:14] – I welcome you back, introduce Alex, and we reminisce about how a pun-filled bracelet at a Houston conference started our pod-matched friendship.

[01:19-02:59] – The embarrassing backstory: why I almost hid behind a trash can at Podcast Movement after misreading radio silence from Alex.

[03:34-05:33] – Alex recounts his real “first stage”—a WordPress conference where, despite nerves and imposter syndrome, he came out the “blog guy” and found his calling as a trainer.

[06:07-07:29] – The content journey: blogging to podcasting, why text-only wasn’t enough, and how he bridged those worlds for early podcasters.

[07:29-09:10] – Discovering PodFest by accident, stepping onto his first Pecha Kucha stage, and why five-minute “chit chat” talks are the ultimate speaker challenge.

[09:12-11:10] – We admit our mutual terror for Pecha Kucha, and joke about attempting one together (maybe…in 2027?).

[12:05-13:15] – The perils of speaking too fast, cramming too much content into too little time, and the surprising value of slowing down for your audience.

[14:07-15:14] – Alex shares Dale Carnegie’s best speaking tip: tell one story, explain it once, and let it land—plus, the odd exercise of demonstrating how to “rub the shine out of a quarter.”

[16:27-18:12] – Using your hands, being animated, and how body language creates instant trust with your audience.

[19:13-21:12] – Permission to double down on your quirks: why authenticity always trumps imitation, and how to own your difference instead of aiming for bland perfection.

[22:51-23:18] – Not every stage is your stage: the real story behind mismatched audiences (think: sparkly slides at a research conference) and when to say no.

[24:02-26:13] – Sussing out “your room”: how Alex researches conference culture, past speakers, and organizer energy before accepting a gig.

[27:27-28:16] – That moment you almost show up in the “monkey suit”—and how ditching conformity can win over a tough crowd.

[30:18-32:00] – Turning stages into business opportunities (without being a pitch machine): Alex’s subtle, value-led approach to sharing Pod Match or resources on stage.

[33:07-35:54] – My rant about why “lead with value” isn’t just Alex’s T-shirt motto—it’s the only sustainable way to build trust and impact as a speaker, podcaster, or business owner.

[36:02-37:19] – The difference between internal and external purpose, keeping your business mission focused on service, and why financial success naturally follows genuine impact.

[37:20-38:16] – The “soggy sandwich principle”: how my family’s twist on “give to get” sums up everything we’ve discussed about generosity and reciprocity.

[38:38-39:43] – Final advice: selling without the cringe, and Alex’s top resource for mastering stage-to-offer transitions (jump to podmatch.com/ep/207).

[39:43-End] – All the ways you can find Alex, connect, and why every message reaches the real him (no bots, no virtual assistants, just Alex).