"I don't know, Bruce. I'm really thinking of quitting."
My client and I had been talking for nearly an hour before she felt comfortable enough to say what she was really struggling with.
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But I don't think she would have said it at all if I'd taken the call from my old video setup.
For a long time, I ran what felt like a broadcast studio, teleprompter and all. Then as I hit pause over Christmas break, I realized something: I don’t run webinars much anymore. I have hard one-on-ones. Career pivots. Reorg debates. My goals have shifted from optimizing for a crowd, to creating a space that feels personal.
So I tore it down. I pulled in my favorite leather armchair and made the space feel like it belongs on the show, Shrinking. I even moved my camera six feet across the room and completely hid my self-view to make it feel like I was in the same room with my clients.
It worked because it set the right tone.
We as product leaders spend all day trying to read the room through a screen. You cannot build real trust or listen deeply when you are performing for it.
Now I'm curious—how does your video set up serve your goals?
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