#86 How to Own Your Voice in High-Stakes Situations with Mark Friedlich
“Put yourself in uncomfortable situations because that’s the only way you’ll grow.”
Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube or your favorite podcast platform.
A masterclass in courage: not the absence of fear, but the refusal to let fear run the show.
Mark Friedlich grew up in a tenement apartment on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the son of Holocaust survivors, sharing a bedroom and living with scarcity. Today, he speaks on global stages, testifies before Congress, and serves as Vice President of Government Affairs at a multinational corporation.
He also stutters, sometimes noticeably, always unapologetically.
In this raw, powerful conversation, Mark shares how he built a career at the highest levels of leadership without ever hiding his voice. He doesn’t minimize his fear. He prepares. He shows up. He speaks anyway.
If you’ve ever feared speaking up in a meeting, on a stage, or in a tough conversation, this episode will change how you see fear, confidence, and what it really means to own your voice.
Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode:
Why Mark never saw stuttering as an impediment, and what that mindset unlocked for him;
The difference between fear that stops us and fear that sharpens us;
How to own your voice in high-stakes situations, even if you stutter;
How to respond with strength and grace when other people give you “the look”;
How preparation, mindset, and choosing discomfort can be antidotes to holding back;
Mark's memorable conversation with President Bill Clinton;
And more
MORE QUOTES
“We can't control most situations. The only thing we are able to control is how we react.” - Mark Friedlich
“Put yourself in uncomfortable situations because that's the only way you’ll grow.” - Mark Friedlich
“The fear remains. Always. But it no longer decides where we go.” - Mark Friedlich
“Like grief, it cannot be erased. Only carried differently as the years pass. The weight remains, but the shoulders grow stronger.” - Mark Friedlich
“Whether you think you have a speech impediment or you don't think you have a speech impediment, you're right.” - Uri Schneider
GUEST BIO
Mark Friedlich
Mark Friedlich, ESQ, CPA is Vice President of Government Affairs for a multinational software corporation, advising the Senate Finance Committee, House Ways and Means Committee, and multiple presidential administrations. With senior executive experience at PwC, Thomson Reuters, and Wolters Kluwer, he's recognized as a leading authority on tax, accounting, and economic policy. Mark serves on the IRS Board, AICPA, and HBR Advisory Council.
A person who stutters, Mark grew up on New York's Lower East Side with Holocaust survivor parents and transformed potential limitations into leadership strengths. From testifying before Congress to mentoring young professionals who stutter, Mark demonstrates that authentic leadership means owning every part of yourself.
Preparation is everything. Authenticity is non-negotiable. Every fear presents an opportunity.
*Read Mark’s reflections on stuttering
ABOUT OUR HOST
Uri Schneider, M.A. CCC -SLP is co-founder and leader at Schneider Speech; creator and host of TranscendingX podcast community; and former faculty at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS / TIME STAMPS
00:00 – Meet Mark Friedlich: From Stuttering and Scarcity to Corporate Leadership
05:45 – Mark’s Career in Government Affairs and Global Influence
10:36 – Speaking with a Stutter: Challenges, Mindset, and Growth
17:53 – How to Set Boundaries and Stay Positive in Difficult Situations
18:36 – Why Authenticity Builds Respect and Lasting Impact
18:55 – Embracing Personal Identity and Owning How You Speak
20:22 – Confronting Bias and Communicating with Confidence
22:47 – Navigating High-Stakes Workspaces with Presence and Purpose
23:35 – The Emotional and Professional Cost of Speaking Up
27:07 – Powerful Preparation and Public Speaking Strategies
29:53 – Turning Fear into a Catalyst for Growth and Visibility
31:13 – Final Reflections on Leadership, Courage, and Showing Up
RESOURCES
Connect with Mark Friedlich - LinkedIn
Transcending Stuttering Documentary Films:
FULL TRANSCRIPT
[00:00:00] Mark Friedlich: If I can be an inspiration, uh, to even one individual is worth it.
There is that fear.. It's always with me. Um, always will be. Um, but it will never hold me back from anything.
[00:00:52] Uri Schneider: This episode sounds different, and that's because it's not just any guest. Our guest is Mark Fried, and Mark shares his story of success growing up in a tenament apartment on the Lower East side of Manhattan to getting to the position that he's in today as Vice President of Government Affairs at a multinational corporation with over 23,000 employees around the world.
The original date of recording had to be rescheduled. I said, mark, what happened? He said, I'm so sorry. I was called to testify in front of a congressional committee. In the middle of the episode, he drops a really surprising story of what he said to former President Bill Clinton. He'll walk us through a couple tips and things that he credits for his success.
You'll hear that he has a pretty strong stutter. There's more stuttering in this episode than almost any other episode in our podcast. But there's more wisdom and insight to take away from this episode than almost any other. As much as the stutter sounds really big to us, Mark says he never saw it as a speech impediment.
He'll share with us the power of preparation, the importance of being memorable, and the muscle you build when you put yourself in uncomfortable situations and so much more. My favorite quote from the episode is The fear stays. But it no longer decides where we go. I hope you'll enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed my conversation with Mark.
It's great to see you, Mark. Thanks for coming.
[00:02:29] Mark Friedlich: I appreciate your having me. I've watched, uh, just most of your
podcasts. Thank you. Uh, they're, uh, extremely, impressive and educational.
[00:03:00] Uri Schneider: Is there a favorite that stands out?
[00:03:02] Mark Friedlich: Inspirational.
[00:03:03] Uri Schneider: Inspirational. I would say those are my aspirations. Yeah. That should be, yeah. Informational, entertaining, and inspiring. And.
[00:03:14] Mark Friedlich: Entertaining as well, by the way.
[00:03:15] Uri Schneider: Thank you. Well, today's gonna be another great one.
I'm looking forward. We had to reschedule because unfortunately you had to testify in front of a congressional hearing. Not they weren't grilling you, but you were,
[00:03:26] Mark Friedlich: well, they always grill me, but in a friendly way.
[00:03:30] Uri Schneider: Well, we'll get to that, but just to speak to who you are and what circles you travel in, that was the reason you had to cancel.
It was an acceptable cancellation. So today is,
[00:03:39] Mark Friedlich: I appreciate your.
Flexibility. And I had the privilege of meeting, uh, the, uh, all the people here. So, uh, we, we, we've had a wonderful conversation.
[00:04:02] Uri Schneider: Oh, we're gonna definitely give a shout out to Jordan and Jen and they will be in the footnotes. They rule the show notes. Yeah.
[00:04:08] Mark Friedlich: They. They know my life story at this point.
[00:04:17] Uri Schneider: Where do you think I learned how to do the interviewing?
You know, so I had a cool story getting here that I thought I should tell you. Sure. I told you I would. I told you I was running later than I expected. I woke up this morning and I'm actually driving a rental car and it's a Tesla. And you think like, okay, as long as the battery is full, what could go wrong?
What could go wrong? Well, a lot of things can go wrong. And the question is like, you don't control the circumstances. You only control how you respond, right? Absolutely right. So I had a wrench in my day when I found out that there was a screw in the tire. The tire pressure was low. Um, and the light goes off on the dash there and I said, oh, that's weird.
Okay, I'll drive down and I'll, I'll put some air in the tire. So I drive down to Broadway and a gas station Gulf Station. And I put some air in the tire, and as I'm putting the area and I see there's a New York City screw in the tire, and now I say to myself, I can't drive with a screw. Wow. All I know is like, I'll park somewhere in the wrong angle and it's gonna go total flat.
Right. So I said, can you change, you know, can you help me plug this, this, this hole? Yeah. And he says to me in, in a, you know, he's not a native English speaker, but we managed to get through that. He wanted to help me, but he couldn't. I said, where can I go? He says, maybe. I said maybe, or definitely. He said No.
Maybe. I said Maybe, maybe. Maybe tire. Maybe tire. I said, no, definitely tire.
[00:05:37] Mark Friedlich: You never know.
[00:05:38] Uri Schneider: You never know. So it was a little bit of uncertainty, but again, rolling with the uncertainty, right? So I said, um, maybe, so I put it into my, I wrote into the maps, Google Maps. I said, um, you know, tire and I see that two blocks away there's a Mavis Tires.
"maybe tire", yes. So we go to "Maybe Tires". Mavis Tires, I pull up and I said to them, um, listen, I got this rental car and I have a very important guest. I gotta get into the city. Can you help me out here? What can we do? He says, no problem. Gimme the information. I said, just tell me what's it gonna cost. He has about $24.
I said, $24. Gimme the receipt. I'll deal with it later with the, with the rental car company. And, uh, if you can get me out quick, great. And if it's gonna take a long time, that's okay. See what you can do for me. Thank you. So I go, I have a seat. 10 minutes later he comes in and he says, no problem. We got the screw out.
All taken care of. Said, what do I owe you? He says, nothing. Just give the guy a few bucks. I go to pick up the car. The guy that changed the tire pulls up. I'm like, wow, that was amazing. Like, yeah, I thought this was gonna be a complete wreck to the day, and I thought it was gonna be the second time we'd have to reschedule because I didn't think there was any way I was gonna get here on time.
[00:06:41] Mark Friedlich: Yeah.
[00:06:42] Uri Schneider: The guy gets outta the car. He has his name on his, on his chest. What's his name? Yeah. Angel. Dude. It's a Bronx Tale. Very appropriate. It's a Bronx tale.
[00:06:52] Mark Friedlich: Very appropriate.
[00:06:53] Uri Schneider: So like, I just thought about that and then driving down, I was thinking, you know, you don't control the circumstances, but you get to control how you respond and you come up with, uh, with a response.
So I was wondering for you, like, what would you say about that? 'cause your whole life, maybe just tell us a little bit about what you do. It's really about strategy and thinking about how to navigate, you know, complex problems, being a problem solver. But tell us about what you do professionally. What's your day like?
[00:07:18] Mark Friedlich: Uh, what I, so I am the vice president of government affairs for a multinational corporation. We are a, a software company, uh, we, uh, serve, uh, accountants, um, with attorneys, uh, with government, um, and uh, others, uh, within. In North America and around the world. We're a, uh, international, uh,
company with over 23,000 employees. So I, I, um, I began, uh, advising, uh, the, uh,
Senate Finance Committee, the, uh, the House Ways and Means Committee in, uh,
in Congress, uh, the administrations way back, uh, to Bush the, uh, first, uh, regardless of a party affiliation, I'm on the board of the IRS, uh, uh. The A-I-C-P-A, uh, many other associations, uh, I, uh, I, uh, have spoken and I speak at, uh, had major conferences all around the world, the American Bar Association, uh, as well. Uh, so, so I start my day just in, uh, preparing. So
being as prepared,
eh,
as possible has always, always been a priority for me. Um, and that's way back when I was in,
in, in, in the first grade and the second grade.
[00:11:36] Uri Schneider: I wanna get to that. Can I ask a question?
[00:11:37] Mark Friedlich: Yeah, sure.
[00:11:39] Uri Schneider: There's a line I like about preparation and say, if you, if you practice, like it's game day, game day will be like practice.
[00:11:45] Mark Friedlich: Absolutely right.
[00:11:47] Uri Schneider: And I, I asked you before we started recording, and I, and your response was surprising to me.
So I think it might res surprise people that if, if Mark today could talk to Mark 12 years old, would 12-year-old Mark, what would he say about the Mark that you are today and the things that you're involved in and all the, all the public speaking and involved in. These levels of corporate culture, of corporate interactions in your professional association in government congressional hearings, what would 12-year-old Mark think of the Mark today?
[00:12:20] Mark Friedlich: Yeah, I expected this.
What else is new?
[00:12:26] Uri Schneider: You know, so you grew up on the Lower East side, you told me you grew up the Lower East side. Yeah. In a, in a tenement apartment with parents that were Holocaust survivors. Yep. You had, you shared a bedroom. For much of your childhood, you had one sister. One sister, yeah.
And, uh, so you come from the Lower East side, living in that kind of, um, scarcity, I guess I would say from a material point of view,
[00:12:47] Mark Friedlich: we, uh, we had nothing, uh, we didn't have a car. I didn't have a bicycle. I didn't have
[00:12:56] Uri Schneider: You even said that you, you made effort. Effort to buy kosher meats, even though it was pricier,
[00:13:03] Mark Friedlich: so, yeah.
Well, my parents, uh, would like Kosher meats,
deli, and I mean,
[00:13:18] Uri Schneider: it wouldn't be the lower East side without Kosher Deli.
[00:13:20] Mark Friedlich: Right, right. And Katz's was one of our favorite places. Sure. When it. When it wasn't $40 for a, uh,
[00:13:29] Uri Schneider: yeah, that wasn't, then
[00:13:31] Mark Friedlich: pastrami sandwich. Um,
[00:13:33] Uri Schneider: it's rough these days.
[00:13:34] Mark Friedlich: So,
[00:13:35] Uri Schneider: uh, but the curiosity I have is how, what's the journey meaning from such, from that kind of upbringing and growing up with that kind of scarcity and that kind of, uh, and, and then also I think you stutter.
Do you have a stutter?
[00:13:52] Mark Friedlich: I guess sometimes. Yeah. Okay.
[00:13:53] Uri Schneider: You stutter Sometimes.
[00:13:54] Mark Friedlich: I don't really think about it. Okay. But, but
yeah.
[00:13:58] Uri Schneider: Uh, so like how did you have that confidence? So, I've been told by the way You've been told, someone said
[00:14:02] Mark Friedlich: occasionally. Yeah. Well,
[00:14:03] Uri Schneider: I don't, I don't mean to, you know, be projecting anything or been forcing anything, but I thought I picked it up.
Yeah. I thought I might have. Yeah. I don't know. Yeah. But even that response is so interesting because to you it's not front and center.
[00:14:17] Mark Friedlich: No,
[00:14:17] Uri Schneider: and I think that that's really interesting and worth exploring. Like how did you grow up coming from where you came from and that background and that upbringing to have the confidence that you always knew you were gonna make it in in a big way.
[00:14:32] Mark Friedlich: I always wanted to be memorable. Uh, I always wanted to be that person that people would remember whether I was the smartest individual in the room, whether I was the best dressed person.
[00:15:20] Uri Schneider: We like the fit
[00:15:22] Mark Friedlich: in the room. The fittest. I wanted when I walked in the room, I always wanted to own, own the room. And it's funny 'cause I had this conversation with, with Bill Clinton in the White House, many when he was the president, obviously. And I would say to him, you know. "One of the most impressive things about you is that where wherever you appear one-on-one or in, in a group sitting you, I in the room, you're the focus of. Attention not only because you're, you're smart, but, but also because you're welcoming, you are warm, you, it, it's, uh, it's easy to be around you." And, uh, for me, uh, when I was a young boy, um.
I always wanted to be the individual with my hand up in the classroom, um, answering the teacher's questions. Uh, I never thought of, you know, you know the possibility of having a speech. Issue. Uh, it, it never entered my mind, but I, I knew the answer and I was anxious to be the, the first person, uh, as I mentioned with my hand up, and I think a lot of that is around preparation. Always focused on, uh, just being prepared. And visualizing the way that I would react. And you had made the comment earlier, we can't control most situations. The only thing we are able to control is how we react and um, I've always had a smile I. Um, on my face, um, no matter the situation. When, when I was, um, yesterday, uh, being questioned by many of the, uh, the Congress people on the committee, uh, on the subcommittee that was, uh, I was before I always had a smile on my face, I'd answer, answer their questions. But I would, uh, making it my business to be positive and unemotional and, and, and, uh, responsive.
And, uh, so we were talking about this earlier, uh, before we, uh, recorded, um, you know, many people, um, characterize stuttering, for example, as their super power.
[00:21:04] Uri Schneider: I was gonna just frame this for one sec. Something you said really hit me. You said you never thought of it, that you had a speech impediment, and I just was gonna think like, whether you think you have a speech impediment or you don't think you have a speech impediment, you're right.
Right. You might have a difference in the way you speak, but whether it's an impediment or not Yeah, it might be. Or it might not be. It doesn't have to be,
[00:21:24] Mark Friedlich: right. Well, it's like anything else. You know, people are afraid. To get in front of a, a group of people to, you know, make any sort of presentation.
[00:21:41] Uri Schneider: So whether you think you have a speech impediment or you think you don't have a speech impediment, you're right. We were talking about that. So I think it's, it's quite, um, poignant how you don't have an invisible stutter. And I, I imagine it doesn't hide itself when you're in front of Congress.
[00:22:04] Mark Friedlich: It's,
[00:22:05] Uri Schneider: it's there.
[00:22:05] Mark Friedlich: So it,
yes, it's, it's there
always
there, but uh, the severity,
[00:22:22] Uri Schneider: yeah.
[00:22:24] Mark Friedlich: Varies. For example, when I walked in. Here my flow is much better,
[00:22:32] Uri Schneider: much more, more flow,
[00:22:35] Mark Friedlich: right, than it is more flow. And now
[00:22:38] Uri Schneider: you're stuttering better.
[00:22:39] Mark Friedlich: Excellent. Yeah, but stronger this matter to me.
[00:22:43] Uri Schneider: It is what it is.
[00:22:44] Mark Friedlich: It doesn't matter to me,
[00:22:45] Uri Schneider: but that's amazing.
[00:22:46] Mark Friedlich: I'm who I am and
anybody who has an issue with this. I'd use the word
finish that If they have an issue with this,
well, I don't wanna use the word I was gonna use.
[00:23:05] Uri Schneider: Keep it clean.
[00:23:06] Mark Friedlich: Yeah. Uh, but I was gonna use the word, uh, you, you would imagine, and I use that word quite often,
[00:23:15] Uri Schneider: we try to keep this safe for children. That's all.
Yeah, yeah,
[00:23:16] Mark Friedlich: yeah, yeah, yeah. Which way I'm not.
[00:23:18] Uri Schneider: But that, it's very emphatic. Don't wanna take away the oomph. It,
[00:23:21] Mark Friedlich: it's, I don't want you in my life.
[00:23:22] Uri Schneider: Yeah.
[00:23:23] Mark Friedlich: You know? Yes. Uh, I'm. I only surround my know for the with positive individuals who wanna be around me. And if any, if you have an issue with with anything, whether it's who I am, my personality, what, whatever the issue is, many. 'cause I'm, you know, because my personality is, is out there. I mean, I express my, my feelings. I. You know, and many people you know, are uh, are taken aback.
[00:24:26] Uri Schneider: Yeah. And you've achieved great success at the same time. Meaning there's something Yes. Very attractive and refreshing to see people who are just real. Uh, so you being real means some people are gonna be attracted to what you bring. And if someone has an issue with it, which there will be people, they can go. Hmm. Now I'm gonna reveal something just a little tangent, but we, we talked about maybe going there, this is more on me than on you. Prior to October 7th, 2023, I always wore a yamaka, but I always tried to like neutralize and not put it front and center. And I tried not to, on the one hand, not to mask who I am, but on the other hand, I tried not to be too Jewy.
I tried not to be in any way that could be prickly or for somebody that just doesn't sit well with that. And since October 7th, something that I'm borrowing from your playbook, because it's not part of my nature, it's not part of how I roll. And it would be the same if I had a stutter. And that's why I'm fascinated is like it took something like October 7th to shake me up to say, I'm not gonna hide.
I'm not gonna pretend to be somebody that I think everybody's gonna like. It has to do with my Jewish identity, but also other things. I became much more real, much less filtered, much less thinking, how is this gonna sit with people? Like let me just do me. And as you said, and what I'm seeing is that people that are drawn to that are drawn to it even more.
And people that are not, they probably weren't liking the vanilla ice cream version of me either. Yeah. So, you know, giving them who I really am is giving people more value. And it's also helping me identify like who this doesn't resonate with, who isn't, you know, jamming with this. Okay.
[00:26:13] Mark Friedlich: You know,
[00:26:13] Uri Schneider: it's, but I grew up and my temperament Yeah.
Is much more sensitive. So I think, for example, if I grew up with your stutter Yeah. If I had your stutter, I asked myself how would I operate? Right. And I think it's reasonable beyond reasonable. It's pretty. It's pretty compelling that it would be something I would try to hide. I would be dodging words all the time.
I certainly wouldn't go over to Bill Clinton and talk to him about how charismatic he is. I would be shaken in my boots and I'd be in the bathroom, you know? Right. So, so I think for the people that have that temperament, like myself, and there are some people out there.
What gives you that, that that steel strength and like we talked before about the look, you know, when you speak and words don't come out unscheduled way, people expect they might look, they might give you that quizzical look or I don't know how you
[00:27:01] Mark Friedlich: all the time, so how it, my whole life,
[00:27:04] Uri Schneider: what do you get from people and how do you, not
[00:27:06] Mark Friedlich: in the restaurant,
[00:27:07] Uri Schneider: why does it affect some people not affect you?
[00:27:09] Mark Friedlich: Last evening we went after eat, I ordered and the waiter. Had the look.
[00:27:17] Uri Schneider: The look.
[00:27:18] Mark Friedlich: Yeah. So
[00:27:19] Uri Schneider: he didn't get a good tip?
[00:27:23] Mark Friedlich: No, he, he deserves a good tip. Because his service was excellent.
[00:27:43] Uri Schneider: He deserves a good tip, but he got the words from, but you don't deserve the look
[00:27:45] Mark Friedlich: me. But he got the words from me about the look.
[00:27:48] Uri Schneider: Yes, that's what I want to hear. So what'd you tell him? What'd you tell him?
[00:27:50] Mark Friedlich: I'm not going to repeat the words, but, but
[00:27:56] Uri Schneider: So you told him off and gave him a good tip for the service?
[00:27:59] Mark Friedlich: Yes. One thing.
Has nothing to do with the other.
[00:28:18] Uri Schneider: I think a lot of people be surprised by that
[00:28:20] Mark Friedlich: and once I expressed my feelings about that, his attitude entirely changed.
[00:28:43] Uri Schneider: How so
[00:28:44] Mark Friedlich: much more accommodating
and patience. Hmm. And.
And friendlier. And frankly, I was that way in the school yard. You know, I confronted anyone who would, um say or react in a way that, that I didn't and, and it was appropriate.
[00:29:45] Uri Schneider: Let's just talk professional workspaces because it could, it could be stuttering, it could be, could be anything. Sexual harassment. It could be someone's stature, their color of their skin.
What do you recommend for people how to, how to speak up for themselves when they're not in a place of strength or privilege? A person who stutters or a person who,
[00:30:05] Mark Friedlich: It's hard because, uh, many people will just back off and, accept that bullying, I, I was never willing to back off.
[00:30:32] Uri Schneider: Mm-hmm.
[00:30:33] Mark Friedlich: Uh, it's something I was, I'm sorry, born with.
[00:30:36] Uri Schneider: In the, in the restaurant it worked out, um, in the school yard. It sounds like it mostly worked out.
[00:30:43] Mark Friedlich: Oh, it beat the hell out of the person.
[00:30:44] Uri Schneider: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. What's the. Sometimes there are invisible costs or a tax that we pay.
For some people, they pay the tax and the cost. It's not worth saying it. I don't wanna make a ruckus. I don't wanna make a scene. I'll pay the tax of not saying what needs to be said, but people need to be aware. There's a tax you're paying, there's a cost for not speaking up. On the flip side, if you kind of like let people know what's up, sometimes there might be, there might be a cost to that.
[00:31:12] Mark Friedlich: Yeah.
[00:31:13] Uri Schneider: Similarly with preparation. You used the word preparation. I'm wondering,
[00:31:16] Mark Friedlich: i'm willing to bear the cost.
[00:31:18] Uri Schneider: You're willing to pay that price? Yeah. Yes. Because what's, why? What's the balance sheet?
[00:31:23] Mark Friedlich: 'cause it makes me feel better. You know?
[00:31:27] Uri Schneider: The upside outweighs
[00:31:28] Mark Friedlich: I deserve. Yeah,
[00:31:31] Uri Schneider: that's so interesting.
[00:31:35] Mark Friedlich: As much respect as anyone else,
[00:31:39] Uri Schneider: really.
[00:31:40] Mark Friedlich: More so
[00:31:41] Uri Schneider: why?
[00:31:42] Mark Friedlich: Why? Because 'cause I'm willing to be out there. You know, I'm not
hiding behind a rock.
[00:31:53] Uri Schneider: But, but listen, like I'm just gonna take the other side is Yeah, yeah,
yeah. No, yeah.
You work where you work on Wall Street? Yeah. Offices on Wall Street. Uh, New York City. Things move quick. People talk quick. They don't have a lot of time.
[00:32:07] Mark Friedlich: I grew up here.
[00:32:07] Uri Schneider: Listen. Speed up. Speed up buddy. I don't have all day.
Like very nice in your personal life and in the school yard. I said that with the waiter, but like, let's go. Let's go Buster. Like we don't have all day to listen to you Mark, like we got another hearing coming up. How do you deal with that? Because that's out there. No,
[00:32:26] Mark Friedlich: you invited me. to testify. you know I'm here because I've been invited because I make a major contribution. It's the price that you pay by being a little more patient than you might otherwise.
Hey. It's funny though, when I mentioned, you know, friends and my children, my sons and my romantic partner,
[00:33:17] Uri Schneider: what a great, what a great title
[00:33:19] Mark Friedlich: that I, yeah, we laugh about it. Uh, then I was doing this podcast about the stuttering.
[00:33:31] Uri Schneider: It's not about stuttering.
[00:33:32] Mark Friedlich: The respo you Right. Right. But it okay. Right. Uh, the response by everyone was, but, but you don't stutter.
You don't have, um, any issues. Why would you, why would they wanna speak, speak with you about.
[00:33:58] Uri Schneider: So why did you come uptown to record this?
[00:34:02] Mark Friedlich: Uh,
[00:34:03] Uri Schneider: why did you wanna do this?
[00:34:04] Mark Friedlich: Well, you know, if I can be an inspiration, uh, to even one individual is worth it.
I'm much more fluid. I'm much more prepared, if you will. I, uh, I walk through exactly what will happen.
[00:34:41] Uri Schneider: That's the other part I wanna ask you. What would you. I was gonna ask the, like the Goldilocks effect on preparation. 'cause is there such a thing as too little preparation? For sure. Is there also something as too much preparation?
[00:34:52] Mark Friedlich: Oh, absolutely.
[00:34:52] Uri Schneider: Do you ever feel like you're stifled by it? And as you're saying now, like you're always trying to be prepared, you know, to, to navigate. Does that have a cost? What's, or is there a cost to being over prepared or,
[00:35:03] Mark Friedlich: well, it's only, well, I wouldn't characterize it as over prepared, but when I make a, a, uh, a speech or a presentation and it's, uh, most often or attorneys government leaders, uh, um, um, top accountants in the world. Um, and these people all follow me on social media for my insights. Uh, so I have the reputation, but I, I play out in my mind exactly the way I, I want this to play out so I don't put up, uh slides with a lot of words on them. Mm-hmm. Even though I talk about, uh, extremely complex issues when I'm up there, first thing I put up is a picture, whether it's a bird or a masterpiece Van Gogh, or Rembrandt or something, and I tell the audience, I don't want you reading my slides. I'm gonna email all the slides to you. I want you to look at me. I'm gonna walk around. Ask you questions, focus on me and my words. Because that's all that matter is. It's why you are in investing all this money and, and and time in, uh, in being here is listen to me not to read, uh, with slide that I'm going to email you. Anyway,
that has nothing to do with stuttering. That's a good tip for anyone presenting. Don't put all your, all your, your whole speech doesn't need to be on the slides. So speaking of listening to your words, landing
on my slides.
I'm with you.
I put a bird on.
[00:38:22] Uri Schneider: I don't even like slides. I hate slides, but yeah.
[00:38:24] Mark Friedlich: Yeah. I like slides too. But
[00:38:25] Uri Schneider: if that's what the culture is and that's what they need, I'll put some slides together. I did it this past Sunday.
[00:38:30] Mark Friedlich: I've never done it. Well, I used to when I was, yeah, a kid beginning at Price Waterhouse Coopers.
But, uh. But not decades.
[00:38:41] Uri Schneider: I wanna read something you wrote and then give you a chance to respond to that. These are some of those beautiful words. Very moving.
[00:38:47] Mark Friedlich: Thank you.
[00:38:48] Uri Schneider: Sit back and listen to this.
Fear stays. It changes, but does not leave. We face it daily. Some mornings it weighs heavier than others. The thing that causes dread, a telephone, a podium, a crowded room sits patient knowing. But we step forward anyway again and again. Not because the fear vanishes, but because we learn to carry it, even embrace it like grief, it cannot be erased, only carried differently.
As the years pass, the weight remains, but the shoulders grow stronger. Those who love us see not the pauses, but the persistence. Colleagues value not smooth words, but true ones. The fear becomes like an old injury. It aches before storms, but no longer prevents the journey. We step into uncomfortable spaces now without waiting for courage.
We've learned that courage comes in stepping. The fear remains always, but it no longer decides where we go.
These words by Mark are on our blog. Very proud to share them and to share this conversation. So glad that you joined us. Do you have a parting thought, something that you would wanna leave the listener with that you didn't already get a chance to share?
[00:40:20] Mark Friedlich: One, one guiding principle I've always had. In my life, whether it's personal or uh, professional, is put your self in uncomfortable situations because that's the only way one will.
We will grow and, uh, in writing those words, that was really my message. It, it's, it's always hard for me appearing here.
It's not, you know, uh, easy. You know, it, it, it's
[00:41:35] Uri Schneider: one to 10, 10 being the most comfortable, one being excruciating. Where would you gauge coming in today?
[00:41:41] Mark Friedlich: It's not excruciating by any means.
[00:41:44] Uri Schneider: Just trying to gauge it. One to 10. Where would you put it?
Well, there's, because on the
outside you look like it's here.
On the outside it looks like a 10. What's it like on inside from Mark?
10 meaning the most? 10 is the most comfortable. I always like 10 being the best. Oh yeah. Most desirable.
[00:42:00] Mark Friedlich: Well, I'm extremely comfortable. Okay. Um, but there is that fear, if you will, which I, I
mentioned. It's always with me. Um, always will be. Um, but it will never hold me back from anything.
[00:42:46] Uri Schneider: Mark. Thank you so much.
[00:42:48] Mark Friedlich: Thank you for taking, for having me. Pleasure.
[00:42:49] Uri Schneider: Thanks for getting uncomfortable. Pleasure and having this conversation. It's well worth it for us.
[00:42:54] Mark Friedlich: I'm very comfortable and you have made it extremely, extremely comfortable.
[00:43:08] Uri Schneider: Takes two to Tango. I wouldn't have anyone to talk to if you didn't come. Thanks.
[00:43:13] Mark Friedlich: Thank you.
[00:43:15] Uri Schneider: I hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, share it with a friend, and if you wanna get more tips and follow us for more insights, check out transcendingx.com/email And remember, keep talking.