Business Of Story

You know the feeling of being overwhelmed in business. We focus on growth, and soon find ourselves with an over complicated business, lacking a clear vision of the future. But when we try and manage this complex system, we become frustrated and confused. Take a deep breath. Let go of control. And simplify your purpose. Take a deep breath. Let go of control. And simplify your purpose. Let go of control. And simplify your purpose. And simplify your purpose. This week’s guest knows the power of simplicity and mindfulness. He’s called the CEO Whisperer and can help your company double your profits and then double them again. Cameron Herold is the Business Growth Guru, specializing in helping organizations refine their message to achieve greatness. Cameron is the author of the bestselling business strategy books, Double Double, and Meetings Suck: Turning One of the Most Loathed Elements of Business Into One of the Most Valuable. We will discuss the lessons in his books, how uncomplicated business achieves natural

Jesse Kay is one of New Jersey ‘s most precocious high school students who has a popular podcast, 20 Under 20's, and is becoming an expert on how to connect with Generation Z with your brand storytelling. Just as we were starting to learn how to best connect with millennials, a new generation has arrived. Generation Z is making history as the first to be raised in the age of technology, and that makes them more unique than any other demographic. Despite making up almost a quarter of the population, many marketing experts still have no idea how to connect with these youth. Today you will learn how to communicate with Gen Z from an expert. Joining us this week is one of the most articulate and driven entrepreneurs his age. Jesse Kay is the host of the 20 Under 20’s podcast and has interviewed young entrepreneurs from around the country, seeking to teach youth around the world the lessons gained through business. Jesse is already an expert social media marketer and can teach you just what you need to communicat

  You might have a brilliant idea for your business endeavor, one that could catapult you and your cause to greatness. But when you try and explain it to your customers, they may not fully grasp your vision. That's where your explainer video comes in. Eric Hinson, the founder of Explanify, is here to explain the explainer video and how to use brand storytelling in it for your story marketing. Eric is a master at finding the essential story thread wrapped around a concrete idea to create a powerful 90-second video narrative. Today he will explain his explainer video structure, using his ìUncoveryî system, and how you can create a captivating short story. In This Episode, You Will Learn The ideal 90-second story structure Using the "Uncovery" process to find the heart of your story Turning abstract concepts into concrete stories Key Quotes "Here is the status quo, here's what weíre going to do to make this better for you." - Eric Hinson "Nobody buys features, they buy the benefits." - Eric Hinson "It's about

Every day a story is told on social media that reaches tens of millions of people. These stories are not big budget films or complex advertising campaigns, they’re created by humans just like you. But many people believe you need an expensive camera and extensive training to create a successful narrative, and that is not true at all. That’s why today we will be explaining how an intimate, authentic origin story is the most effective message. Joining us is an international superstar. Paola Baldion is a social activist an Academy Award winning actress who has starred in films from Columbia to Italy. Paola is also the creator of the viral video, #IAmMigration. #IAmMigration is a minute long video shot with a cell phone camera, but within a week, it received over 17 million views in Europe! She knows firsthand that you don’t need a whole crew to send your message, just an authentic story.  Paola and her husband Jamie are working on expanding their project, and aim to turn I Am Migrationinto a documentary. They wi

My mission for Business of Story is to help you become a better storyteller. When you have this powerful skill, you will achieve greatness. But most of our guests are already brand storytelling experts, with years of experience. Today, we will be showing you the process in action. Our guest is Temitayo Osinubi, author of Beyond Buzzwords, and host of the Marketing Disenchanted podcast, and he is calling in to discuss his brand story on air. In his experience, the world is full of ignorant and often malicious marketing ‘gurus,’ taking advantage of naive young entrepreneurs. That is why Tim has taken action, working to right the wrongs and teach novice marketers skills that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. Listen how Temitayo uncovers his brand purpose and finds his category using the Story Cycle, and how you can too. This process is our tried and true method that can bring your story to life. This is the second episode in our series that focuses on assisting our beloved listeners. If you would l

I was struck by one theme that kept appearing in the past 100 Business of Story episodes – How stories transport us. A true story well told connects emotionally and inspires. It moves people. Aligns teams. Connects with customers. Grows revenue. And will amplify your impact. [caption id="attachment_23298" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Image from a favorite Photoshop artists, James Popsys, who explored visual storytelling on the Business of Story podcast.[/caption] Thank you for listening to the Business of Story. I've enjoyed all of your wonderful notes about the impact the show and our guests have had on you. And how you have grown as storytellers to literally nudge the world in any direction you choose. You rock! Now, I want to up the ante, to go all in by refining, clarifying and focusing my own Business of Story story. To help you do the same in your business.  From episodes 102 and beyond, nothing in the Business of Story will make sense except in the light of connection: helping purpose-driven leade

In order to become the best leader you can be, it's critical to give your team a call to something bigger. The best leaders can tap into the audience’s core values and inspire action, and spark a strong purpose in the community. But what if you have difficulty forming that intimate connection with members of your team? The answer, of course, is to find your story. Our episode this week is about using your stories to engage people in what you’re doing. Joshua Spodek can tell you firsthand that this is not rocket science. Joshua is a bestselling author, world-renowned media leadership expert, and a Ph.D. in astrophysicist who has helped both NASA and ESA put satellites into orbit. How’s that for a resume? Joshua is joining us with his new book, Leadership Step by Step, to discuss how leaders can create a new story that your team can live through, thereby amplifying your impact. With three powerful exercises and a special freebie, you will have the tools to utilize your leadership storytelling to your highest p

Have you ever felt the terror of being totally lost? In business, we prepare for everyday problems and stick to our established plan. But when the unexpected happens and our existence is threatened, we panic; we either fight a losing battle, retreat as fast as possible, or stop altogether in shock. This Fight, Flight or Freeze thought process is a natural survival instinct, but often it can be the end for us or our business.  We can’t expect the unexpected. That’s why it's critical for you to know the skills to not only survive -- but thrive. Today’s episode is about a survivalist. Jonathan David Lewis of McKee Wallwork, and author of Brand vs. Wild joins us to share his experience in bringing a brand back from the brink. As a survivor of a business that almost went under, Jonathan has created methods of fixing a sinking brand using survival psychology and real world crisis procedures. You will learn how to take a brand that is lost, and guide it towards your goal. In This Episode, You'll Learn Seven factors

Our goal with Business of Story is to help you create your brand, and in the process, we have fine-tuned our own story crafting procedure. The workbook is a wonderful developmental tool, but not everyone has a clear idea of what that program is. That's why today I’m going to work with a listener like you to demonstrate the ten step story cycle in action. For the past 97 episodes, we have brought you guests from around the world to share their wisdom in crafting a compelling story for your brand. This week, we’re doing the opposite. We’ve invited a long-time listener, Jonathan Barney, founder of Inspired.Service, to demonstrate the ten step story cycle program. Jonathan is a service industry veteran and a young entrepreneur who has bravely volunteered to join us and discuss his story. In this episode we follow the simple guidelines of our brand storytelling workbook: Own Your Story: Your DIY Guide to Craft And Tell Compelling Brand Stories That Sell, and using Jon’s experiences and motivations, we create a p

Most people believe that the best product wins. That used to be true when consumers had fewer choices. But today we have abundant competing products and services. Therefore, defining a new and unique category for your offering is what will separate you from your competition and insure your survival. Christopher Lochhead, host of the Legends & Losers podcast and author of the irreverent marketing book Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers, and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets, explains how to create brand dominance through the right market category. Christopher has been described as the “Howard Stern of entrepreneurialism.” His methods of point-of-view storytelling, the “magic triangle” of business, and insight into market categories are critical for your brand position. If you want to become a legend, join us for an in-depth method from the legend himself. Learn how you don’t have to beat others at their own game by creating a new game for yourself. In This Episode, You'll Learn What is a brand cate

It’s not too difficult to get your story out there. There are myriad social media platforms that streamline your content creation process. But, with hordes of videos, blogs, tweets, Snapchats, Instagrams and updates added constantly, it’s difficult for your message to reach the surface in this sea of content.  What can a brand do to stand out? What are the secrets to finding your way into the lives of your audience? Why can a 10-year-old do this stuff better than me? These are the tough questions that struggling media marketers ask every day. This week features the dynamic social media marketing duo of Amy Schmittauer and Vincenzo Landino. Amy is the creator and host of the widely successful Vlog, Sexy Savvy Social. To the untrained eye, her simple video format may seem ordinary, but the techniques used are remarkably powerful. Amy has crucial advice for any blogger, vlogger, Youtuber or story marketer trying to get noticed in the cacophony of media. Amy also is the author of Time’s Best-Selling book, Vlog Li

What if I were to tell you that the most crucial aspect of a successful business was not actually profit gain? Would you be willing to believe that a key ingredient in a booming, high-profit organization was generosity? We at the Business of Story typically focus on the story aspect of brand marketing strategy. Today we’re focusing on the business side. In the past, marketing and advertising were created for the sole purpose of generating as much revenue as possible, with no concern for the customers. That was then, and this is now.  The modern consumer has more agency and makes informed decisions based on up to date facts. They no longer serve the brand; the brand serves them. Previous methods of marketing are no longer effective in this age, and businesses need to adapt to survive. How can an organization hope to succeed in this cutthroat world of brand marketing? Simple; just a little bit of kindness and authenticity. Today’s guest is an expert both in business and humanities. Bob Burg, international busin

There are dozens of crucial factors to think about when talking to your audience. Anything and everything in your message should be carefully considered. However, almost nothing in the world of story branding is more important, and more overlooked than genuine connection. This fact is nowhere as clear as in the case of Pepsi’s infamous ad. Millions of dollars invested, a world-famous star, a positive call to action, great music, bold cinematography; all gone to waste. Where did they go wrong? All the right stuff was there, what happened? The answer lies in the authenticity of the story they told. This expensive, carefully manufactured, artificial story pales in comparison to the real thing. If a company hopes to share their message with customers, it must be a real connection, based on real events. These real stories are the focus of our conversation today.  Our guest is Jordan Bower, strategic storytelling consultant, brand marketing professional, and an expert in what makes a story real. His tale began when

What do you think is the most valuable survival tool in an arctic expedition? A nice winter coat? Snowshoes? Warm hat? For a 900 mile trek through one of the most dangerous places on earth, over hidden crevasses, calving glaciers, and frozen landscapes, one of the most critical tools is the ability to communicate the right story. Joining us on this edition of Business of Story is adventurer Robert Swan, the first man to journey across both the North and South Poles unaided. His dream of traversing the ice caps began in his childhood, and when he was an adult, he was ready to go, but he couldn’t do it alone. For the next seven years, he worked hard to find sponsorship for this journey, and through the many rejections, he could learn from his mistakes and refine a compelling story to gain support. Robert used these very same storytelling techniques to inspire his fellow arctic companions and survive the ice. Today, he is one of the leading experts in the field of sustainability leadership, bringing students fro

The world of brand marketing is changing rapidly. Ad campaigns don't work like they used to. Because brands are no longer the storytellers. They're the story makers handing their stories to their customers in hopes they'll share it with their world. Smart brands are focused on making movements, like REI's #OptOutside effort. Dove's "Real Beauty" campaign. Or Heineken's recent "Open Your World" work. How do you turn an ad campaign into a meaningful movement that matters? It starts by creating a relationship with your audiences through your story marketing. Brand relationship expert, Kimberly Manno Reott of Context Partners, joins us from her home in Madrid, Spain. She explores the three elements and six critical roles to every successful movement. Context Partners is a new type of design firm focused on relationships at scale. We all face a changing world where identity, information, and power are rapidly shifting. Traditional models of communication are failing and once-passive audiences are coalescing into p

How would you go about creating a brand story for a person? Would you be able to sell an individual’s personal story or even your own? We at Business of Story focus on teaching storytelling and branding techniques for media marketers, advertisers, nonprofits, and other business-oriented organizations and leaders.  Today we ask you to think of another area you can improve upon with a little bit of storytelling. Marketing your own life is something that may be overlooked a bit too frequently, but if you can harness the power of story, the possibilities of your personal growth are endless. With a bit of narrative, you’ll stand out above the rest, whether it be a job interview, making a big sale or just gaining a positive reputation in your community. Our guest on this podcast episode is Sally Hogshead of How to Fascinate. Author, advertiser, branding expert, media marketer and mother of eight, Sally joins us to share her story and what led her to the creation of her Fascination Personality Test. Discover How The

In March, The Virgin Group honored storytelling month on its website because Richard Branson believes that the strength and ability to tell stories effectively drives performance in business.  Branson is just one business leader who has tapped into the ancient craft of storytelling to drive performance and mold the behaviors that construct the culture within many of his booming companies.  Another one of these astonishing storytellers is our guest today, Doug Keeley. Doug, the founder of The Mark of a Leader, believes that his life and career path were ultimately changed by the narrative of Tim Burton‘s film, Big Fish, after he lost everything in the crash of his $50 million company. Doug will share with us how he learned to drive performance through compelling storytelling and how narrative can help you construct the level of prosperity you deserve in your company.  He originates from Toronto, Canada, where he formed his storyteller skills by being an elite jazz guitarist, a brand marketing guru, and an ac

Your customers don’t want to hear about what you make. They want a story about what you make happen. That’s why Robert Rose urges you to transform your marketing department into a storytelling department. Turn your adverbs and adjectives into adventures in your story marketing to move your audiences to action.   Our guest today has us covered in storytelling from music to Hollywood to creating stories for the largest brands. He’s a sought-after social content marketing strategist, speaker, author, and conspirator of business success. Robert is the chief strategy officer for the content advisory, the consulting and education group for the Content Marketing Institute.  He co-hosts This Old Marketing podcast with Joe Pulizzi, founder of the Content Marketing Institute. He also co-wrote a book with Joe called “Managing Content Marketing,” which is widely considered to be the owners manual of the content marketing process. Robert has helped develop content and customer experience strategies for large enterprises s

One thing we can all agree on is that the digital world is a dynamic place to tell our stories.  Never in the history of advertising and marketing have brand storytellers like you had more ways to share your messages.  But these days it seems nearly impossible to cut through the clutter, and that's why there's a gathering every year in San Diego with the top social media experts to help you figure this out. It's Social Media Marketing World and it just took place. During my time in San Diego, I had the privilege of getting not one, not two, but three interviews with wonderful story brand creators.  In the corridors of the Social Media Marketing World conference venue, we taped this show. Joining us are Ian Cleary of RazorSocial, Peg Fitzpatrick, author of The Art of Social Media, and Brian Fanzo of iSocialFanz and cohost of the SmackTalk podcast. These three individuals are pioneers of the world of social media marketing and have boundless insights into how you can best optimize your business’ posts, tweets,

On this show, we'll cover how data-driven campaigns are killing the Democratic Party and how you can keep it from happening to your brand. Joining us is a highly decorated thirty-year veteran of the direct mail industry who has worked solely with the Democratic Party, Dave Gold. Dave is the founding partner of Bouchard Gold Communications. His clients have included Senator Joe Biden, Governor Ann Richards, Congresswoman Betty McCollum, attorney generals, coalitions, causes, propositions, and initiatives. Dave has truly seen it all. The most troubling recent trend is a reliance on big data, which is leading to micro-targeting and micro-thinking without a compelling overarching narrative for audiences to connect with. On this episode, you'll learn about the importance of communicating values to stir emotions that drive behavior towards your brand, how Republicans are trumping Democrats with their compelling use of narrative, and how you can do the same to your competition. We'll also share how a Christmas tree