Resource/Misc

Meeting in different cities. Clients in different cities. Staff in different cities. Keeping track of time zones is another mental challenge.

Windows has the ability to add 2 additional clocks time zones to the task bar. But Windows 11 has changed how to set/update the additional clocks (side note: I hope you find this blog post helpful – but really, it is for me to have a reference of where to find these settings when I need to update my computer as I generally update one or both of the additional clocks weekly 😊).

1. Right-click the clock in the task bar.
2. Select ADJUST DATE AND TIME

3. In the DATE & TIME section

4. Locate the LANGUAGE AND REGION section and click the arrow to go to the settings

5. Located the SHOW TIME AND DATE IN THE SYSTEM TRAY section and click the arrow icon to expand

6. Windows 11 enables up to 2 additional clocks to be added. Click the CHANGE button.

7. Select a time zone and give the additional clock a personalized name

8. Done! Mouse over the lower right clock and the popup displays the 1 or 2 additional clocks.

-Troy @ TLC

New episode of The Presentation Podcast now available, listen to here!

This episode of the Presentation Podcast we talk with Lori Chollar, CEO of TLC Creative Services, Inc. We get a behind-the-scenes look at Lori’s experience presenting at CreativePro’s Presentation Design Conference.

Lori shares insights into the process of being asked to present, preparing her session content, and the conference experience. On the presentation side, we talk about the technical and creative challenges, workflow tips, and the evolution of presentation technology as related to creating ultrawide presentations to fill the amazing LED wall configurations at events. Listen in to gain valuable perspectives on both the art and logistics of modern presentation design!

Listen on your favorite podcast app, or at The Presentation Podcast site here.

A lot of our presentation design projects are adapting provided content the event branding; color scheme, fonts, LED wall aspect ratio, accent graphics and more. Today I received the brand style guide for an upcoming event we are supporting, and the color scheme’s color naming made me smile 😊. The internal designer, or agency, obviously paid attention to the small details – look at the color names!

Tennis Ball Neon – Turf Green – Blacktop – Baseline White. I appreciate the small details in design and find it fun when others do to!

-Troy @ TLC

Here’s Why You Should Probably Check Your Internet Plan (A Real‑World IT Story) 

Hello! I’m Eddie, the IT Manager here at TLC Creative Services, Inc. In the design studio, there’s always plenty to keep me busy. Whether it’s maintaining the staff computers (over 35 high‑performance presentation show computers), managing our onsite servers, or keeping our entire Microsoft 365 ecosystem running smoothly. On top of that, most of our design team works remotely, so I handle a lot of VPN‑related support and remote access procedures. 

Recently, one of our remote designers reached out with an issue: their VPN connection to the Studio kept dropping. 

Time to investigate.

The Unexpected Culprit 

I connected to their machine using our remote support tools and quickly noticed something strange—their connection speeds were painfully slow. After gathering a bit more info, the truth came out: 

Their home router was over 10 years old, and worse, they were still on a 100/100 Mbps fiber plan. 

For today’s workflows (large design files, real‑time cloud syncing, video calls) that speed is extremely outdated. To put it into perspective: most modern providers offer ten to twenty times that bandwidth as their entry-level plans. 

Since I’ve worked with this designer’s ISP many times over the years, I already had a good sense of the current offers and price points. After a little digging, I found something surprising… and exciting. 

A Huge Upgrade for Almost No Additional Cost 

I walked the designer through a quick chat session with their ISP, helping frame the right questions and watching out for the usual sales tactics. In the end, we secured a new 2000/2000 Mbps fiber plan, a brand‑new WiFi 7 router, and only $10 more per month!

Yes, nearly 20× the speed and bandwidth for about the same price!

Immediately after setup, their VPN connection stabilized, file transfers sped up dramatically, and their entire workflow became far smoother. 

Why This Happens More Often Than You Think 

With more than a decade in enterprise IT, I’ve noticed a recurring issue: people upgrade their phones, laptops, and apps—but completely forget about their internet plan and hardware. Internet providers love to advertise things like “Price Lock for 12 Months!”, but here’s the catch: 

• They almost never reach back out when: 
• New speeds become available 
• Prices drop 
• Infrastructure upgrades hit your neighborhood 

This leads to thousands of people (and many businesses) paying yesterday’s price for yesterday’s speeds without realizing better options exist. 

My Recommendation 

If you haven’t checked your home, or business, internet plan in 2–3 years, it’s probably time. 

1. Look up your provider’s latest speeds and prices 
2. Compare your current plan to today’s offerings 
3. Check whether your router or modem is more than 4 years old 
4. Ask about fiber upgrades or promotional pricing 

If newer speeds are available in your area, you can usually move to them, often for the same price or close to it. Who knows? You might find an upgrade as dramatic as our designer did!

By Eddie Prieboy, IT Manager at TLC Creative Services 

New episode of The Presentation Podcast now available! In this episode of our hosts, Troy Chollar of TLC Creative, Sandy Johnson, and Nolan Haims are joined by Boris Hristov, founder of the Present to Succeed conference. 

Listen in as they discuss the unique dual-location format for 2026 (taking place in both London and Sofia)! Boris shares insights on speaker selection, branding, and their high production values for the conference. Plus tips for using AI and design tools in presentations. And, bonus! Listeners will receive a 20% discount code for tickets, so be sure to get The Presentation Podcast listener promo code!

Available on all major podcast platforms. Or listen at The Presentation Podcast website, plus read the show notes, at https://thepresentationpodcast.com/2026/e240/

New episode of The Presentation Podcast now available!

In episode 239 of The Presentation Podcast, hosts Troy, Sandy, and Nolan share a behind-the-scenes look at their daily lives as professional presentation designers. They talk about how a good amount of their work happens outside PowerPoint, from project management, client communication, travel logistics, and their go-to tech tools for not only presentation design, but running a design agency. Join our conversation for a closer look at the complexity and creativity involved in daily activities of presentation design!

Listen on your favorite podcast app, or at The Presentation Podcast site here.

I recently read “Presentation Pitfalls” by John Polk and Justin Hunsaker. In addition to the superb presentation design content and slide design rational, it includes a very thorough resource section at the end. Three full pages of books and podcasts. Get the book – it is a great presentation resource! The compiled list is also a great resource. For online reference, here is the presentation resources listed:

Presentation Design

• Altman, Rick. Why Most PowerPoint Presentations Suck and How You Can Make Them Better. Pleasanton, CA: Harvest Books, 2012.
• Duarte, Nancy. Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Media, 2008.
• Haims, Nolan. The Better Deck Deck.
• Malamed, Connie. Visual Design Solutions: Principles and Creative Inspiration for Learning Professionals. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2015.
• Minto, Barbara. The Minto Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing, Thinking, and Problem Solving. London: Minto International, 1996.
• Reynolds, Garr. Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery. Berkeley, CA: New Riders, 2008.
• Simon, Carmen. Impossible to Ignore: Creating Memorable Content to Influence Decisions. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2016.
• Simon, Carmen. Made You Look: How to Use Brain Science to Attract Attention and Persuade Others. New York: Random House, 2020.

Storytelling and Presentation Delivery

• Abrahams, Matt. Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You’re Put on the Spot. New York: Simon Element, 2023.
• Chen, John. Engaging Virtual Meetings: Openers, Games, and Activities for Communication, Morale, and Trust. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2020.
• Duarte, Nancy, and Patti Sanchez. Illuminate: Ignite Change Through Speeches, Stories, Ceremonies, and Symbols. New York: Portfolio, 2016.
• Gibson, Glenn. Before the Mic: How to Compose Meaningful, Memorable, and Motivational Presentations. Victoria, BC: Self-published, 2019.
• Halpern, Belle Linda, and Kathy Lubar. Leadership Presence: Dramatic Techniques to Reach Out, Motivate, and Inspire. New York: Gotham Books, 2004.
• Heath, Chip, and Dan Heath. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. New York: Random House, 2007.
• Pollard, Tim. The Compelling Communicator: Mastering the Art and Science of Exceptional Presentation Design. Lafayette, CO: Oratium, 2016.
• Whittaker, James. The Storyteller’s Spellbook: How to Make Your Ideas More Compelling and Your Career More Magical. Self-published, 2017. Kindle edition.
• Zimney, Sally. Speaking Story: Using the Magic of Storytelling to Make Your Mark, Pitch Your Ideas, and Ignite Meaningful Change. Minneapolis, MN: Two Harbors Press, 2017.

Data Visualization

• Berinato, Scott. Good Charts: The HBR Guide to Making Smarter, More Persuasive Data Visualizations. Boston: Harvard Business Review Press, 2016.
• Duarte, Nancy. DataStory: Explain Data and Inspire Action Through Story. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Media, 2019.
• Evergreen, Stephanie D. H. Effective Data Visualization: The Right Chart for the Right Data. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2016.
• Few, Stephen. Show Me the Numbers: Designing Tables and Graphs to Enlighten. Burlingame, CA: Analytics Press, 2012.
• Knaflic, Cole Nussbaumer. Storytelling with Data: A Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2015.
• Tufte, Edward R. Beautiful Evidence. Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press, 2006.
• Tufte, Edward R. The Visual Display of Quantitative Information. Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press, 1983.
• Wong, Dona. The Wall Street Journal Guide to Information Graphics: The Dos and Don’ts of Presenting Data, Facts, and Figures. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2010.
• Zelazny, Gene. Say It with Charts: The Executive’s Guide to Visual Communication. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2001.

Tool Usage

• Bossé, Chantal. Microsoft PowerPoint Best Practices, Tips, and Techniques: An Indispensable Guide to Mastering PowerPoint’s Advanced Tools to Create Engaging Presentations. Birmingham, UK: Packt Publishing, 2023.
• Hogan, Stephy. The Reluctant Designer’s Field Guide to PowerPoint. Self-published, 2022.
• Parkinson, Mike. A Trainer’s Guide to PowerPoint: Best Practices for Master Presenters. Alexandria, VA: ATD Press, 2018.
• Terberg, Julie, and Echo Swinford. Building PowerPoint Templates v2. Self-published, 2021.

Communication Adjacent

• The Arbinger Institute. Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2000.
• Covey, Stephen M. R. The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything. New York: Free Press, 2006.
• Duhigg, Charles. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. New York: Random House, 2012.
• Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011.
• Martin, David. Free the Genius: How the Very Best Grow Their Meaning, Mission, and Contribution. Ignite Press: 2019.
• Norman, Don A. The Design of Everyday Things. New York: Basic Books, 2013.

Podcasts

• Abrahams, Matt. Think Fast, Talk Smart. Stanford Business School. https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/business-podcasts/think-fast-talk-smart-podcast.
• Chollar, Troy, Nolan Haims, and Sandy Johnson. The Presentation Podcast. https://thepresentationpodcast.com.
• GhostRanch Communications. Presentation Thinking. https://www.ghostranch.com/podcast.
• Knaflic, Cole Nussbaumer. Storytelling with Data Podcast. https://www.storytellingwithdata.com/podcast.
• LaCroix, Darren, and Mark Brown. Unforgettable Presentations. https://deliverunforgettablepresentations.com/podcast/.

This latest episode of The Presentation Podcast brings together hosts Troy, Sandy, and Nolan with special guest John Polk—author, workshop leader, and consultant—to discuss his new book, Presentation Pitfalls: Ten Traps Business Professionals Fall Into and How to Avoid Them (co-authored with Justin Hunsaker).

If you’re looking to elevate your business presentations game, then this episode is a goldmine! Discover deep insights into the most common mistakes professionals make and, more importantly, how to avoid them. New episode of The Presentation Podcast now available!

Listen on your favorite podcast app, or at The Presentation Podcast site here.