Business Of Story

I just read a 2013 study on U.S. media consumption that said we consume 33 gigabytes of information per person consumer per day. That was five years ago. Imagine the growth in media consumption now. As business storytellers, we have more online channels than ever to share our messages. But your brand stories drown in this cacophony of communication unless you make your content marketing stand out. It's not about being better than everyone else. It's about telling brand stories and business narratives that are uniquely your own. Authentic stories that illustrate how you are different. Because within your uniqueness you will find your market advantage. Author and long-time social media strategist Erik Deckers returns for an encore episode to teach you how to best optimize your online and interpersonal marketing. Author of No Bullshit and Branding Yourself, Erik’s books have helped brand marketers share their stories through any form of communication. Today we will learn about the Fichtean Curve and how you can

Throughout the past 124 episodes, we have focused on helping you craft, communicate and find your story to the best of your ability. Telling your own authentic narrative is one of the most important skills in any aspect of your life. Creating your own story is critical, but what if it was possible to use your story to help others craft their own? What if your story was so compelling, it was able to inspire the people around you to reveal their true, vulnerable selves? You are absolutely able to change the people around you with your own story, and joining us is a young professional who inspired this change in colleges around the world. Charlotte Vitak is the creative mind behind the My Story Project. Started in San Diego during her freshman year of college, the My Story Project has been utilized and adapted by universities to not only create a platform for aspiring storytellers but also to build communities through shared experiences. Her business has also inspired the creation of other story-centered organiz

How to Turn Your Stories of Loss Into an Empowering Legacy For those of us who have experienced a great loss or traumatic event, waking up the next day and continuing life might seem an impossible task. Trauma shakes us to our very core, and overcoming such an emotional impact on our psyche is a monumental challenge unlike any other. When there’s a struggle for survival happening within our mind, how can we possibly prevail? The answer is to use our one true superpower. Utilizing our personal experience to create an authentic, emotionally powerful story. Storytelling is a tool that is valuable in almost every situation, and relieving the pain of trauma is no different. Our guest today will show us that tragedy and loss can be conquered by using stories. Sandra Miller Younger is the author of The Fire Outside My Window and founder of ComeBACK Solutions. A survivor of the 2003 Cedar Wildfire, Sandra’s experience with loss and resilience has helped people around the world change from a victim into a victor. She

We all know that story brand marketing is more than just selling your product. It’s about creating an unbreakable bond between your customers and yourself through an authentic, emotional appeal. But in our age of digital marketing, the transition from print publishing to online communications can be a struggle. Our guest today can teach you how to approach story branding through every possible channel, to engage your audience and drive powerful new stories. Cassie Roma joins us from New Zealand to bring her years of storytelling experience to you. Cassie is the GM of content marketing at New Zealand Media and Entertainment, where she works with her team to create incredible narratives that fit in any form of media. She’s a renowned keynote speaker and social activist in LGBT groups in and around New Zealand. She’s going to teach you how to romance your customers with storytelling, drive deep customer engagement, explain why she believes modern marketing is going through a renaissance, and how you can use this

Telling the right story can help you in every situation. Even if you’re a novice who's transferred into a completely new field, the ability to create the right narrative will make you an invaluable asset to your team. Unfortunately, most people find themselves overwhelmed in a new work environment, terrified of their lack of experience. This episode will teach you that when you have confidence, authenticity, and a powerful story, you can overcome any obstacle. Joining us is a man who has worked in wildly different work throughout his career. Jim Ward, President and CEO of The Phoenix Symphony Association, knows firsthand the intimidation of joining an organization without a clear idea of what’s needed.  Here is the rehearsal with John Williams that I was fortunate enough to attend. It has been these kinds of innovative community events that have helped the Phoenix Symphony become one of the leaders in resurrecting Arizona's fine art scene. Jim has worked with influential business leaders, such as George Lucas

How can you rise above your competition in an oversaturated market? We’ve all found ourselves in competition with similar brands. These competitors are often doing the exact same thing as us, and sometimes they do the service better! This is a situation that makes or breaks an organization, and there seems to be only one way to survive. Today you will learn how the right brand story separates you from the competition and leads your business to the top. Joining us is my friend Sean Schroeder of blueriver™. Sean came to us with a brand that was struggling to find its authentic story and market position. And although his team was skeptical, he wanted to try our Story Cycle system. In this episode, we will discuss the results of his hard work, and howblueriver™ and its Mura Digital Experience Platform found the flow of its brand story. They landed on a narrative that has always been true toblueriver™ focused on creating peak customer experiences. They are now designing their unique category in the crowded digita

There has always been a stigma around sales. Of all the aspects of business, the sales process is the least trusted facet of the team, and for good reason! Salespersons are known to be pushy, overbearing, conniving, and to take advantage of the naive. But for many businesses, they are also the most critical members of their team; how can you sell your service without sales? To overcome this stigmatized group, there needs to be a powerful change. Sales will need to be rebranded as an honest, helpful guide, and this episode will show you how. Phil Jones has taken the initiative of rebranding the sales process. In a world that is full of big egos and even bigger lies, Phil is bringing simplicity and integrity back into businesses. He has given over 2,000 presentations on the matter, and his book, Exactly What to Say: The Magic Words for Influence and Impact, focuses on the philosophy and structure of words. To learn how simple conversation tweaks can have major changes in your persuasion ability, all you have

Every business has its own set of values. Either for publicity purposes or genuine care, all organizations have principals that guide the direction of the brand’s growth. But what if your values were in conflict with that growth? Would you be willing to set aside profit to keep in line with your personal story? Authentic story brand marketing demands a fearless commitment to your character, and today’s guest will discuss how living up to your values is the key to success. Lee Einhorn has been creating advertising campaigns since he was 10 years old. Creative Director at Venables Bell & Partners, Lee has been able to exercise his creative branding skills to build innovative advertising movements, such as the anti-smoking Truth Campaign, which helped drop teen smoking by 23 percent! On this week's podcast, Lee is joining us to discuss his role in REI’s #OptOutside movement, which closes their stores on Black Friday to encourage you to spend time with family in the great outdoors. Join us to learn how this s

When you’re presenting on stage, chairing a meeting, or even talking with a friend at a coffee shop, you may find yourself struggling to give your idea a sense of importance. I mean, how can you convey the depths of your imagination through simple conversation? Your thoughts could change the world, but without the ability to properly share it, your idea may fizzle. There is nothing more crucial than being able to convey your imagination and experience. Learn how to become the best communicator you can be fro one of the masters. Gideon For-mukwai, the founder of Story Warrior Associates, is a world-renowned storytelling coach, dedicating his life to sharing the tremendous impact of storytelling for business leaders. Raised in a Cameroonian village in Africa, Gideon learned as a boy how a simple narrative can move an entire community to action. As described in his book, The Science of Storytelling, Gideon will teach you his Story DNA Method to help you create simple yet profound narratives for any situation. 

What if the company you ran was recognized with the prestigious "Best Places to Work" award, but life at home was not what it could be? Would you change? Ambition and bills drive us to pursue the best possible career. And that requires dedication to your work. But what happens when we place too much focus on our business? It's easy for us to forget why we work in the first place, but it's far more difficult to change once we remember. Our guest today will show you firsthand how you can not only balance family and work but create a better environment in both. Jay Feitlinger is a father, husband, and Founder of Stringcan Interactive. After years of focusing on creating a thriving business, Jay realized that he had been neglecting his family. Using the same strategies he applied at work, he created a step-by-step method of shifting your focus and finding a healthy balance. Jay found that not only was he happier at home, but the changes with his family helped boost productivity at the office too! Tune in and lear

Only when faced with a great adversary does our true character show. Modern humans rarely find themselves in such a situation, many never will.  But those who experience fear during a crisis can create resiliency. It's in our darkest moments that we reveal our true character. Our guest today has used his story of tragedy to create monumental change. Author of Heretics to Heroes: A Memoir on Modern Leadership, Cort Dial is a consultant who has fought for years to improve workplace safety in the most dangerous of jobs. His unique method of facilitating changes involves sharing his personal experience with the dangers of construction. Cort understands the power of raw, authentic emotion, and can help you craft a story that will achieve what others think is impossible. For more information, Cort has created a page on his website to help us get started at cortdial.com/businessofstory. In This Episode, You Will Learn Why every story you tell has to have what Cort calls a “Star Moment” to connect with and inspire y

We often see creative people as larger than life. People like Elon Musk, Maya Angelou, and Leonardo Da Vinci seem to have achieved a level of genius that is beyond anything we could ever imagine. Creativity is a critical facet of any organization, yet we are told it’s something that a special few are gifted with. But what if there was a way to change your thoughts to become more creative? Thinking outside of the box is an invaluable skill, and today’s guest will show you how to harness your inner creative genius. Larry Robertson is the bestselling author of A Deliberate Pause: Entrepreneurship and it’s Moment in Human Progress, and The Language of Man: Learning to Speak Creatively and founder of Lighthouse Consulting. Larry’s area of expertise is in helping businesses leaders and innovators find their creative strengths to make their breakthrough ideas come to life. You will learn that there is no ‘X-factor’ in creative growth, creativity is a mindset rather than an action, and that everyone has the capaci

Every day dozens of brands sneak into your mind. This genius performance of brand marketing happens on a level so subtle, you often won't recognize it has happened. How is this possible? In recent years, brand strategists have begun to harness a powerful yet underutilized tool; audio. TV commercials, radio ads, even ringtones can bring a message to millions of customers with a well-placed sound bite. Today you will learn the power of sounds. Founder of CMoore Sounds, Connor Moore is a world-renowned sound designer and composer who uses his experience to help develop a brand’s Sonic ID. Sound design is a critical aspect of any multimedia project, and the right audio can turn a good brand into a legendary brand. We explore the ideas of Sonic Branding, how subliminal music can be most effective and telling a story through music. Would you have ever guessed you could create a story without words? Connor will show you how. In This Show, You’ll Learn The power found in iconic sonic brands How music subtly but powe

When you become proficient in your field, you’ll find people coming to you for your expert’s knowledge. In fact, often your ability to educate peers on your methods will surpass the methods themselves. Every business professional has invaluable wisdom, but often they find it difficult to teach in a manner that sticks. Proficiency in teaching is critical for any professional, and today’s guest will help you refine your skill. Greg Smith, co-creator of Thinkific, has been helping brands and business leaders build educational courses through his dynamic online platform. Throughout his career, Greg has found a teaching structure that can help audiences absorb ideas with ease. With his six knowledge bombs of online teaching, and tips on finding your market, Greg Smith will turn you into the best educator you can be. And as a bonus, he's giving you access to Thinkific for free!  In This Show, You’ll Learn: Power of pilot course to hone your teaching content How to up your course completion rate 6 knowledge bombs t

We all have tremendous difficulty making a request. It’s a humbling experience for everyone; you’re exposing your vulnerability to a person who has what you need. You may feel that your message is so compelling that customers will immediately decide to get involved, but almost always, they need a direct invitation. Today’s show will be breaking down the structure of an offer, and teach you how to get the sale without being “salesy.” Joining us is Dustin Mathews, co-founder of Speaking Empire, and author of No B.S. Guide to Powerful Presentations: How to Sell Anything with Webinars & Online Media, Speeches, and Seminars. Dustin is an expert in creating an attractive request and will teach you his “patented” Irresistible Offer Architecture: a 9-Step Process will help you sell anything without feeling like you're selling at all. Are you sold? Let’s go.   In This Show, You’ll Learn: How we can motivate people with our words Why there is reluctance in asking to close a deal Why you should always be branding o

On Wednesday, August 30, I toppled out of bed with vertigo. I’ve never experienced it before. I sat up in bed, flopped my feet on the floor and away I went. My brain was suddenly bombarded by a kaleidoscope of opaque tubes, kind of like you’re falling through a narrow ice cave. Have you? I sat up in bed, flopped my feet on the floor and away I went. My brain was suddenly bombarded by a kaleidoscope of opaque tubes of light, kind of like you’re falling head first through an ice cave. Talk about an altered reality. The room whirled around me as I grasped for the bedspread to arrest my fall. Mind blown! The only other time I've come close to a similar sensation is when I've tried virtual reality or VR. To me, VR is a new and fascinating experience-altering force that is impacting the branding universe. That’s why I’m excited to have on today’s show one of the pioneers of narrative virtual reality storytelling, Bryn Mooser. Mooser is CEO and Co-Founder of RYOT, the leading immersive media company in the world spe

PowerPoints are a unique medium; they have the incredible ability to bore your audience to death. Bullet points, stats, and slides with a hundred words are an effective way of putting people into a deep sleep. But what if you could make your presentation thrilling? Is it possible to channel emotions into creating a powerful visual narrative that is not only relatable, but also exciting? Ted Frank, the author of Get to the Heart, is here to show you how movies hold the key to creating an impact in your presentations. Ted studied storytelling in Hollywood films and applied that structure to keep people’s attention and appeal to their emotions. The title, Get to the Heart, has two meanings; getting to the heart of your message, and getting to the heart of your audience. By creating tension, dynamic shifts, and authentic storytelling, Ted has strategies that every presenter and storyteller need. In This Show, You’ll Learn: Telling business stories that are relatable and real in your presentations The importance

We often forget that success is not measured in money. We work for years to become wealthy, but lose sight of what is truly important. Capital is not the goal, it's a means for creating a better life, for you and the people around you. A change in your story, however small, can make a difference for countless others. Today’s guest is an expert in how a new life story can change the world. Today’s guest is an expert in how a new life story can change the world. He evolved from financier to award-winning film producer. And he's about to premiere his latest documentary, Mully.  Joining us is a man who chose values over value. My friend, Paul Blavin, has dedicated his life towards social activism. He left his investment career, and founded Blavin Scholars for disadvantaged foster children, and For Good production company, creating films with powerful calls to action. Paul knows from experience that the most effective messages come from passionate, dedicated people who need to share their personal story. And he kn

Often, it's incredibly difficult to connect with your audience. We’ve all been in that frustrating position. It's not easy to find the common ground that can make the difference between a message working or not.  But there is one big aspect that everyone on earth can relate to, and you can use to your advantage and create a powerful message. Joining us from Amsterdam is Lucas Keijning, a creative member of the NEMO Science Museum. Lucas’ job is to make science fun and accessible to people of all ages, and to do this, he appeals to the common factor in us all: the inner kid. Even though we put it away, we all have a childlike mind that wants to explore and understand. By using this discovery mindset, you can craft a powerful story that resonates with any audience. Lucas is publishing a new children's interactive ebook, Mr. and Mrs. Slob, complete with all the sound effects you'd expect with a slobby couple. And the kids are going to love it. He even got Dutch American comic, Greg Shapiro, to narrate it. Shapir

Have you ever had a long time achievement become a disappointment? Or worse, your dream becomes a disaster? Our guest this week is Annie Franceschi, founder of the Greatest Story Creative. Annie worked for years to attain her dream job as a writer for Disney. But once she achieved her dream she found it was not what she had hoped. That's why she gave up her long-sought career and began pursuing a new dream. Annie’s passion is helping small businesses and people find their personal story. Individualized branding is her specialty, and her experience in the film industry matched with her journey finding her true calling has given Annie tremendous insight into the art of crafting honest and compelling stories.  Annie can teach you how to utilize your origin and strengths to create great stories like a pro. In This Episode, You Will Learn What you plan for your career is not always your greatest calling How to best play into your strengths How brands, like movies, create epic stories to make your customers feel l