Quite often I receive a Powerpoint deck that is in dire need of help. Layouts are completely jumbled, slides have paragraphs of content, fonts are wonky or completely missing, and there is clip art and pixelated images everywhere.

Typically the slide masters were never created or used. If you’re not sure what a slide master is or does, not to worry, I do. I have come to embrace what most people fear and loathe and have completely mastered the finer points of Powerpoint.

I approach each presentation like a story–putting the arc in place and the emphasis on the reveals. I have created decks for the smallest of businesses, shown in side rooms to small audiences, and I have created decks for international businesses that are shown all over the globe in theaters and arenas. No matter the final deck or audience size, they have one thing in common: they tell a good story.