Dr. Kevin Gazzara

#288: Reinventing Your Career, Rewriting Your Story

Like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, you’re not in Kansas anymore. This twister of a pandemic has whisked us all into the land of Oz. We are constantly faced with an abundance of unknowns and obstacles.

But when our world is turned upside down, we have one of two choices:  we can give in to the fear, or we can take the opportunity to reinvent ourselves. 

In this episode, Dr. Kevin Gazzara, CEO of Magna Leadership Solutions, management & leadership expert, Executive Positive Intelligence Coach, professor at five universities, speaker, and author of The Leader of Oz, shares how to get in touch with your younger self so that with the the click of your “ruby shoes” you can emerge through any challenge as a new version of yourself.

(more…)

Cassa Grant

#287: Offbeat Leader? Own Your Weird With Your Story

What you believe affects your actions and, ultimately, your outcome. And because your beliefs are shaped by the narratives you tell yourself, they must be genuine, regardless of how offbeat they seem.

But even the most seasoned leaders need help finding their true personal brand story. When they do, they become more influential, generate more buy-in, and become the best version of themselves.

Seasoned brand and leadership coach and consultant Cassa Grant shares how you can find your authentic rhythm at any point in your career, regardless of how “weird” it may be.

(more…)

Krista Mashore

#286: How to Dominate Your Local Market With Your Brand Story

Regardless of the industry you are in, you must have a brand story that clearly differentiates you from the rest. And if you’re in a crowded market with lots of competitors, it’s the only way to rise above the primordial muck of commoditization.

But creating a brand story is only the beginning. You must be able to tell it well. Otherwise, your competitors and customers will create one for you. And often, it’s not the version you envisioned for yourself or your brand.

My guest Krista Mashore experienced both sides of this coin – from being on the brink of bankruptcy, to being ranked among the top 1% of national realtors for sales, and founding a business to teach others how they can do the same. In this episode she shares how you can own your brand story to dominate your local market and beyond. (more…)

Mogens Møller

#285: Can Storytelling Make Annoying Pop-Ups Work?

Along with everyone else on the web, you probably share a disdain for pop-ups because they are not only disruptive and annoying, but they also completely hijack the user experience.

But pop-ups don’t have to be an abusive sales tool. When properly designed, they can actually be a desirable tool to help guide customers through purchasing decisions. By providing product advice when it’s needed through unintrusive “on-site” messaging, they can actually enhance the user experience.

I know, I know. You probably think this is all wishful thinking. I sure did. Thankfully Mogens Møller, CEO and Cofounder of Sleeknote, is here to explain how he has helped brands not only make pop-ups work, but grow their bottom-line with the power of creative storytelling.

(more…)

Brian Burkhart

#284: How to Tell the Story of What You Stand For

If you and your brand stand for something great, then it’s essential that you share it with the world – because the impact you can have is immeasurable. 

But many leaders think they are telling the story of what they stand for, when actually they are just murmuring general thoughts and facts. When this happens, your audience disconnects, your leadership becomes listless, and your presentations come across as mundane. Even worse, your brand will be viewed as a commodity, unremarkable, and unmemorable.

To avoid such insignificance, Brian Burkhart, founder and chief word guy of Square Planet Presentations + Strategy and best-selling author of Stand for Something: The Power of Building a Brand People Authentically Love, shares how you can deliver iconic presentations that tell the story of what you and your brand stand for.

(more…)

Leslie Zane

#283: How to Get Customers to Instinctively Buy From You

Do you ever feel exhausted because you have tried every trick in the marketing playbook, and your efforts have resulted in little to no growth? Even worse, you have probably flushed away countless dollars and resources in the process. 

But, what if traditional brand marketing concepts are no longer (or never were) the most effective way? Instead of communicating emotion overtly, you might consider tapping into your consumer’s subconscious. 

Leslie Zane, founder of Triggers, the first woman-owned brand consultancy, explains why resonating with your consumers’ subconscious – what she calls the “Brand Connectome” – is the most powerful mechanism for accelerating your brand’s growth, and most importantly, she will teach you how to do so. (more…)

Rick Cesari

#282: How Video Storytelling Builds Billion Dollar Brands

If you want to grow your brand presence online, video marketing may be a go-to tool for you. Because the cacophony of today’s tech-driven communications world demands brand communication be engaging, informative, and easy to digest. And no other storytelling medium can do this better.

But, if you don’t incorporate proven story elements into your video marketing, then your efforts will fall flat. 

On this week’s edition of the Business of Story, infomercial legend Rick Cesari, the creator of iconic brand George Foreman Grill, shares how you can make your online direct response videos captivate customers and ring up sales.

But that’s not all! He will also share lessons and strategies learned during his experience helping to grow four companies from start-ups to over a billion-dollar business. Listen as Rick explores the power of telling your origin story in your online videos to sell almost anything. (more…)

Jason Linett

#281: 11 Hypnotic Words That Sell in Your Brand Storytelling

Do you remember a time when a customer shared a pain-point that your product or solution was perfectly designed to solve, and in sharing your offering, you lost their interest? Or even worse, you were accused of trying to make a buck off their misery?  It sucked because you not only lost the sale, but the customer’s problem went unresolved as well.

But what if by simply choosing specific words, you can steer your customer in the direction you want? 

Today Hypnotic Influence Expert, Jason Linett, shares how to choose words or phrases that guide your audience into visualizing experiences that bypass their mental blocks and result in the outcome you (and they) want. 

(more…)

Devin Miller

#280: The Story Behind Successful Startups

As an entrepreneur, you probably believe that your product or service is superior to your competitor’s. And, more likely than not, you have poured countless hours, resources, and dollars into your marketing.

But if you’re communicating your features and not your benefits, you fall into the primordial muck of commoditization. Focusing on not what you make but rather what you make happen is how you turn your commodity into a meaningful movement.

In this episode, Devin Miller of Miller IP Law shares why the success behind every startup begins with their ability to inspire and create possibilities through a brand story that connects with the hearts and minds of their customers.

(more…)

Chris Howell & Dr. Elsie Bigelow

#279: My Brother’s COVID-19 Long-Haul Journey

We are in the second surge of COVID-19 and if you’re like most people, you think it won’t happen to you.

But the coronavirus ransacked our brother, Chris. On April 24, we aired his story and what it was like to battle COVID. It is our most downloaded episode in five years of the Business of Story podcast, and some people say his story may have saved some lives.

Since then, many of you have asked how he is doing. Our brother Steve suggested we do a follow-up episode detailing the long-haul journey Chris has been on ever since.

(more…)