Jason Falls

#360: How to Use Storytelling in Your Influencer Marketing

#360: How to Use Storytelling in Your Influencer Marketing

So many brands are counting on influencer marketing for business success. But how do you determine whether a creator is a good fit for building awareness about your brand and will tell your story the way you intended to tell it in the first place?

It’s not about the influencers, but the influence. It’s focusing your efforts on collaborating with people who are persuasive to your audience.

He’s called a thought leader and an expert but has also been called bad names by trolls. Jason Falls, is a leading digital strategy for Cornett, a full-service advertising agency based in Lexington, Ky., named the Southeast’s Small Agency of the Year by Ad Age in 2021. 

There, Jason leads digital strategy and hosts two marketing podcasts, Digging Deeper and Winfluence. His work has touched a number of major brands and has been recognized with several national and many regional awards including a 2020 Shorty Award for his influencer marketing work. 

His third book, Winfluence: Reframing Influencer Marketing to Ignite Your Brand, was published in February 2021 from Entrepreneur Press. He is also the executive producer of the Marketing Podcast Network.

Listen as Jason shares how to use storytelling to ignite your influencer marketing success, why you need to shift your thinking from “influencer” marketing to “influence” marketing, how to leverage influential people to help tell your story and the two major shifts he sees coming in influence marketing. (more…)

Richard Newman

#359: How Body Language and Voice Skills Make Your Stories Sing

#359: How Body Language and Voice Skills Make Your Stories Sing

It doesn’t matter how seasoned a presenter you are whether you’re presenting on a large stage, delivering a speech in a boardroom, or preparing for a critical sales pitch in a virtual chat room  – presentations require an incredible amount of skill. But it means absolutely nothing if you lack the congruency in your delivery. You need to stop discounting your non-verbal cues to motivate your audience to take action.

Communication expert, Richard Newman demonstrates how to use body language and voice skills to create greater impact with your business and leadership storytelling in his best-selling book, You Were Born to Speak. Richard is the founder of Body Talk, a global leader in evidence-based courses on the psychology of communication helping business leaders around the world with their communication skills on the biggest stages. He even had one client win over $1 Billion in new business in one year, using his own techniques. 

Richard had to learn all this from scratch because he is not only highly introverted but was diagnosed with high-functioning autism. He was painfully shy as a child, at age 18, he started his mission to discover the core communication principles. He went to live in the foothills of the Himalayas with Tibetan monks, who spoke no English. They had to communicate non-verbally to understand each other. He then worked as a professional actor, studying how to walk, move and speak to increase his impact on an audience. He became a keynote speaker, coach, author and speechwriter, winning the coveted Cicero Grand Prize for Best Speechwriter of the Year. (more…)

Brad Smart

#358: How to Use Storytelling to Recruit and Retain High Performers

#358: How to Use Storytelling to Recruit and Retain High Performers

As a leader, your goal is to recruit and retain the best talent. If you can truly believe the career stories your prospects tell you then you can confidently add the right A-players to your team. 

But you may be miss-hiring more often than not because you’re buying into the fictional story your recruit is pitching you. In fact, today’s guest suggests that more than half the time you are hearing untruths about a person’s background.

Therefore, you can attract and retain only top performers using the five simple techniques that we will explore on today’s show.

Better known as the #1 expert in the world on hiring, Brad Smart is the founder of Topgrading Inc. and author of six best-selling books on hiring. Brad completed his Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology at Purdue, worked for a firm of psychologists that assessed candidates for senior positions, and left to start what now is Topgrading, Inc. Topgrading is known for having dozens of case studies, documenting small and large companies that have tripled their success hiring high performers, A Players. 

He is recognized as an expert on hiring, having written 6 books on the subject, all bestsellers. His 7th book, Foolproof Hiring, will be released in early 2023. This book distills Brad’s experience into the 5 simplest, most effective ways to avoid costly mis-hires.

Join us as we dive deeper into these five common-sense solutions to hiring top performers to grow your business, how storytelling plays an important role in the hiring process, how to use the Truth Motivator and his amazing technique of teasing out a prospect’s origin story that reveals the truth about them. (more…)

Richard Gillingwater

#357: Which Personality Archetype Best Tells Your Brand Story?

#357: Which Personality Archetype Best Tells Your Brand Story?

Just like us, brands are a complex expression of many different personalities and behaviors depending on what we’re communicating and who we are communicating with. If you can unearth your personality archetype, then you can tell your stories in more powerful ways that make it more believable, distinct and emotionally engaging for your audience – better connecting with them in a honest and primal level.

The Managing Director of Emotional Branding, Richard Gillingwater shows us the importance of defining the authentic character archetypes for your brand to enhance your business storytelling. Richard is also the founder of RADNB, a personality archtyping mapping tool and database of over 2,000 brands. Each brand is mapped through the lens of 60 archetypes and their unique look and feel. Developed with Imperial College London, this is a tool for Researchers, Creatives, Strategist, and Brand Managers alike to help you find your primary and supporting archetypes. 

Richard was trained as a graphic designer, as an experienced marketer and brand consulting working with some of the largest ad agencies in the UK, and he’s an ardent student of behavioral science. This gives him the advantage of having both a foot in the creative and strategic world of branding.

Richard’s new RADNB is the first database of its kind that “tunes into” the look and feel of a brand’s communication and it’s narrative to identify the 60 unique archetypes. The traditional model was too limited and inflexible for brands that had multiple sets of core values and needs. He not only found that these archetypes were out of date, but they weren’t reflecting the core needs of a brand if it was multifaceted.database was born out of the frustration of what currently exists and the lack of credibility. (more…)

Jeramie McPeek

#356: Telling the Super Bowl LVII Story in Social Media

#356: Telling the Super Bowl LVII Story in Social Media

The Super Bowl is one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year. Getting the audience excited about the big game all year round isn’t the easiest thing to master. But for the story to win and not fumble on game day, it’s all in the conversation that you’re driving in advance of and after the Super Bowl.

One man who knows the high stakes involved in being fully in charge of keeping the premier sporting event’s story alive way before, during and after the big game is Jeramie McPeek. Jeramie is an award-winning thought leader, journalist, speaker and digital consultant, with more than two decades of experience telling stories and achieving business objectives through traditional print, online, social and mobile channels.

After spending 24 years with the Phoenix Suns, most recently as VP of Digital & Brand Strategy, Jeramie launched his own consulting business in October 2016, Jeramie McPeek Communications. He has worked for such iconic sports brands as the NFL, NBA, WNBA, Fiesta Bowl, YouFit Health Clubs, Talking Stick Resort Arena, as well as non-sports entities including Dignity Health AZ, FamilyLife ministries. He has also worked with a number of high-profile individuals such as a U.S. Senator, a celebrity chef and a pro wrestling legend.

Named one of the country’s top 30 online sports marketers in 2014, Jeramie has been a featured or keynote speaker at more than 30 conferences throughout the country, as well as overseas in Amsterdam, Melbourne, Dublin, London, Berlin and Slovenia.  (more…)

Jay Steinfeld

#355: How to Leverage Brand Fiction for Real ROI

#355: How to Leverage Brand Fiction for Real ROI

No matter your role, everyone is in sales. You want to be able to draw your people into your vision so you can inspire them to action. But it all starts by getting them to buy into a fictional story. A story they can truly live into that will soon be reality.

Then your job is to turn that fiction into reality.

Founder and former CEO of Blinds.com, Jay Steinfield demonstrates how to cast the spell of storytelling to grow your people, ignite your revenue and achieve the impact in the world you seek in his book, “Lead from the Core: The 4 Principles for Profit and Prosperity” a Wall Street Journal Best Seller. 

As the former CEO of Blinds.com, the world’s number one online window covering retailer, it was boot-strapped in 1996 for just $3,000 from his Bellaire, Texas garage. Blinds.com was acquired by The Home Depot in 2014. Jay remained as its CEO and later joined The Home Depot Online Leadership Team. After stepping away from these roles in early 2020, he teaches entrepreneurship at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business and has increased his involvement on numerous private company boards and serves as a director of the public company Masonite (NYSE: DOOR). He also supports numerous charities.

Jay is an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and has earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Houston Technology Center. He is active as an industry speaker on topics including corporate culture, core values, how to scale a start-up, and disruption, he has more than 100 published articles and writes a column for Inc.com. (more…)

JB Owen

#354: How to Fire Up Your Business Storytelling With Ignite Moments

#354: How to Fire Up Your Business Storytelling With Ignite Moments

You might be thinking that your experiences and past are not worth sharing. If you can find those moments in your life that awakened you, then you have the ability to connect deeper and share a story that can transform lives. But to create that connection and emotional impact, you need to tap into the emotional experience. 

Known as the ‘Pink Billionaire’, JB Owen shows us how to find these moments – or as she likes to call them, your Ignite moments. JB is the CEO of Ignite Publishing and is leading the industry in empowerment publishing with 12 internationally best-selling anthologies in just over 12 months. Her company is dedicated to producing heartfelt and meaningful books, videos, magazines, products, training, and community connections of fulfilling her grand mission of Igniting possibilities in 7 billion lives.

She combines her unique business style of fierce determination with femininity and fun, and has catapulted her to success in building worldwide brands, manufacturing award-winning products, publishing international best-selling books, and creating multiple transformational platforms in the areas of health, wellness, personal growth, and eco-conscious improvements. 

Her companies JBO Global and Lotus Liners (featured on Dragon’s Den) continue to thrive as they bring innovative and eco-conscious products to consumers that benefit the planet and raise the bar on product development.

JB loves mentoring on a diverse array of topics around entrepreneurship, creativity, personal transformation, self-improvement, healthy lifestyles, parenting, and conscious leadership—as well as sharing her incredible personal journey from small-town girl to working in major motion pictures and growing a global 7-figure business success followed by bankruptcy.

Join us as you will learn how to find your ignite moments to fire up your brand storytelling, the concept behind Agoo and how you can step into the emotion of your story.

(more…)

Tim James

#353: Is “Word Painting” a Thing in Your Brand Storytelling?

#353: Is “Word Painting” a Thing in Your Brand Storytelling?

A well-told story can transport us to another world. We see the characters and setting, visualizing every detail as if the words spoken have become a picture in our minds. But how do you share something that goes beyond simply telling a story? One that can light up the theater of your audience’s mind to deeply connect and move them into action?

An extremely gifted story composer, Tim James, founder of Chemical Free Body, models how his marketing is exclusively storytelling as a podcast guest and on his own Health Hero Show.

His remarkable personal health journey transformed him to live a radical life. Tim is one of those guys that will leave you feeling younger and more energetic just by hearing him speak. His passion flows out of him like a fresh waterfall in a dry desert, like the Steppes of Central Asia. 

He’s turning 49 but feels like he’s 18. What’s his secret? After suffering from multiple health issues, including rectal bleeding, two separate skin issues, chronic acid indigestion and surgery to remove one of his organs due to serious digestive issues, Tim knew something had to change. But it was only after watching his closest friends die of cancer and the untimely death of his younger brother that he finally decided to take action. 

Tim’s journey led him to a shocking discovery, which helped his friend beat cancer and transform every area of his life. Feeling charged with a duty to help others he started sharing his knowledge with anyone that would listen. This led him to produce his own chemical-free food products. ‘Chemical Free Body’ was born.  (more…)

Dan White

#352: The Value of Visual Metaphors in Your Brand Storytelling

#352: The Value of Visual Metaphors in Your Brand Storytelling

You may well have your brand, sales or marketing story dialed in and feeling pretty confident about it clearly stating the problem you solve for your clients and customers.

But what’s bumming you out is that your story is not having the impact you believe it deserves.

Maybe it’s not your prose but your pictures. Or more specifically, perhaps you are not using metaphor in your storytelling as effectively as you can to connect on a deep, primal level with your audience.

Well, you’re in luck. Because Dan White joins us this week on the Bussiness of Story.

Dan is a visual storytelling expert and marketing insight innovator. He joins us to reveal why clear and engaging visuals are essential for communicating complicated ideas. Some of Dan’s contributions to the industry include identifying what makes global advertising effective, scrutinizing the potential for viral, search and ‘depth’ marketing, and championing innovative marketing measurement techniques. 

His frameworks and visualizations have influenced generations of marketers and are built into the world’s leading brand measurement, media evaluation and copy-testing systems including Kantar’s BRANDZ, LinkTM and Cross Media solutions and Unilever’s PreView & Brand Health Check systems. 

Dan’s career includes a decade as a marketing analyst, another as a brand and communications consultant and a third as a Chief Marketing Officer. Dan splits his time between client consultancy, training, platform speaking, illustration and writing. He is the author of two best-selling books, The Smart Marketing Book and The Soft Skills Book.

Join us as we explore the power of visual metaphors in your brand, sales and marketing storytelling and how you can use imaginative visuals to bring your marketing concepts to life.

(more…)

Christopher Lochhead

#351: 7 Ways to Capitalize on the Direct-to-Creator Model

#351: 7 Ways to Capitalize on the Direct-to-Creator Model

As a creator, you have never had a greater opportunity to monetize your content. But old-fashioned publishers and big tech want to relegate you to their platforms where they make the money. 

Therefore, on today’s show, we explore the relative new direct-to-creator model where you earn the income you deserve for your creations.

Known as the “godfather” of Category Design, Christopher Lochhead joins us today to share the director-to-creator model and how it’s disrupting the old ways of publishing. Chris is on a mission to help people design a different future. He is a nine-time #1 bestselling author, #1 charting Apple podcaster and top 0.5% business newsletter creator and his team now also have one of the top-performing newsletters on Substack. 

Being a dyslexic paperboy from Montreal who got thrown out of school at 18, he was left with few other options. Chris became an entrepreneur, then moved on to become a three-time Silicon Valley public company CMO and an investor/advisor to over 50 venture-backed startups.

Chris has also co-authored two books Play Bigger and Niche Down becoming the first on the management discipline of brand Category Design. This followed shortly a host of more #1 accomplishments including The Category Pirates Newsletter being the #1 paid newsletter on Category Design and the Category Pirates Series being the #1 charting Amazon mini-books, Christopher Lochhead Follow Your Different is a #1 charting business dialogue podcast and Lochhead on Marketing is a #1 charting Marketing and Category Design podcast.

Tune in as we explore why categories make brands and not the other way around, insights into the disruptive direct-to-creator world on platforms like Substack and how you can earn what you deserve from your creative content. 

(more…)