Ditching the “Franken-deck”: A Storytelling Workshop with Cineplex Media’s Sales Team

Working on our metaphors and big pitch moments

Last week, I had the pleasure of working with the Cineplex media salesforce and their leadership team at their 2025 Offsite. And let me tell you—it was an inspiring group.

When I struck out on my own, one of my work based missions was to help put an end to the dreaded Franken-deck.

What’s a Franken-deck, you ask?

You’ve seen it before.

🔹 A 35-slide presentation for a 25-minute meeting.

🔹 Slides packed with five different stats—yet none of them stick.

🔹 A presenter so focused on clicking through slides and transitions that they forget the why behind the meeting.

No more I say!

We’ve all been there—so caught up in the details that we forget we’re talking to real, imperfect humans. Humans who can only remember a few key takeaways and who make decisions as much with their emotions as they do with logic.

That’s why I love running this workshop. It’s about playing, making mistakes, laughing, and learning together—all while becoming more impactful communicators.

I’m grateful for the incredible training and experience I gained during my 13 years at Google, and it’s been so fulfilling to package that expertise into a toolkit that helps others grow.

What impressed me most about the Cineplex media team? Their growth mindset. These seasoned sellers showed up ready to engage, support each other, and push beyond their comfort zones.

A few takeaways from this group I'll share with you:

1. No more than three key points for any presentation or slide

2. Agree on the purpose of the meeting with your team and client ahead of time and also right before the meeting starts (things change- let's not be surprised)

3. Use customer language and measurement (nobody cares how good it is for us- what's in it for them?

..and because I'm at 3, I'll have to leave it there.

Reach out if you're interested in running a workshop for your team! Guarantee we'll have some fun,