In this milestone 40th episode, I decided to do something different. I wrote down the dominant impression or feeling that stayed with me from each guest. Then, borrowing a tradition from Toastmasters, I acted as a one-person jury and chose one “gold medal” guest — not to rank people, but to highlight specific qualities in communication and presence that stood out. Here’s a quick look at the eight guests whose conversations I reflected on: Paige Royal — bold vulnerability rooted in self-confidence Līga Brence — courage to dive into the unknown in pursuit of her dreams Natalie Jones — unapologetic sexuality and confident ownership of her story Denise Hunter (Dr. D-Nice) — relaxing in the flow and embracing joy Azgari Lipshi — laser-focused mind and language John Solleder — youthful curiosity and practical perspective Stacey Gibson — professionalism and passion to serve Don McNeill — collaborative creativity and memorable storytelling At the end, I share why one of these eight received the “gold medal,” why I chose not to reveal the person’s name in the title, and why the word prodigy describes her early accomplishments without diminishing anyone else. I also talk about some surprising analytics — including the fact that a large part of my audience is male and, on YouTube, younger than I expected — and how this will influence the way I communicate going forward.And, I also explain why I chose the Latvian proverb “Speaking is silver; keeping quiet is gold” for the title. Finally, you'll hear an invitation: I’m creating a course for podcast hosts and podcast guests who want to communicate with more clarity, precision, and presence. If you’d like to be added to the waitlist for January, email me at ilze@ilzebe.com.