Home

The Winning Edge

A weekly newsletter delivering powerful insights on communication, leadership, mindset, and success strategies to help you excel in every aspect of life. 🚀

Written by

The Winning Edge - Mary Beth Hazeldine

Connect

4 Minutes That Make You Look Like You Spent an Hour

ALSO: Warren Buffett's two-list strategy (adapted for communicators)

Mary Beth Hazeldine

Success Stories

The Identity Flip: What Actually Changes When People Transform Their Communication

Feb 5, 2026

•

10 min read

The Identity Flip: What Actually Changes When People Transform Their Communication

ALSO: The Identity Audit: 5 Steps to Rewire Your Communication Self-Image

Mary Beth Hazeldine

Mindset and Motivation

Why your brain ignores "calm down" (and what it hears instead)

Jan 29, 2026

•

10 min read

Why your brain ignores "calm down" (and what it hears instead)

ALSO: How to use the 90-second chemical window before it closes

Mary Beth Hazeldine

Leadership and Influence

Why clear direction triggers the "fight or flight" response (oops)

Jan 22, 2026

•

8 min read

Why clear direction triggers the "fight or flight" response (oops)

ALSO: The 4 questions that hack your team's brain chemistry

Mary Beth Hazeldine

Winning Communication

The Understand-First Framework: Why Making Your Case Better Won't Get You Buy-In

Jan 15, 2026

•

12 min read

The Understand-First Framework: Why Making Your Case Better Won't Get You Buy-In

ALSO: The 5-level listening spectrum that separates influencers from everyone else

Mary Beth Hazeldine

Winning Communication

The 3-Second Silence Technique: How Top Speakers Lock in Attention Before Saying a Word

Jan 8, 2026

•

12 min read

The 3-Second Silence Technique: How Top Speakers Lock in Attention Before Saying a Word

ALSO: The Presentation Opening Architecture: A 4-Part Framework

Mary Beth Hazeldine

Networking and Relationships

The 3-Call Rule for Relationship-Building

Jan 1, 2026

•

7 min read

The 3-Call Rule for Relationship-Building

ALSO: The Connection Equation (Value > Visibility)

Mary Beth Hazeldine

Productivity Hacks

This 20-Minute Routine Saves me 4+ Hours a Week

Dec 18, 2025

•

7 min read

This 20-Minute Routine Saves me 4+ Hours a Week

ALSO: A Calendar Trick That Makes You More Focussed (And Harder to Interrupt)

Mary Beth Hazeldine

Success Stories

How One Presentation Transformed a Career (And What You Can Steal From It)

Dec 11, 2025

•

7 min read

How One Presentation Transformed a Career (And What You Can Steal From It)

ALSO: The "One Story Rule"

Mary Beth Hazeldine

...

Archive

4 Minutes That Make You Look Like You Spent an Hour

The Identity Flip: What Actually Changes When People Transform Their Communication

Why your brain ignores "calm down" (and what it hears instead)

Why clear direction triggers the "fight or flight" response (oops)

The Understand-First Framework: Why Making Your Case Better Won't Get You Buy-In

The 3-Second Silence Technique: How Top Speakers Lock in Attention Before Saying a Word

The 3-Call Rule for Relationship-Building

This 20-Minute Routine Saves me 4+ Hours a Week

How One Presentation Transformed a Career (And What You Can Steal From It)

The Winning Edge