Jennifer Russo & Rebecca Armendariz

#278: How Frontline Communicators Use Storytelling During COVID-19

Trust, while in short supply these days from our leadership, is critical to combat any crisis. COVID-19 is enjoying a second surge with 100,000 new cases now reported daily in America. Hospitals across the country are nearing capacity and exhausted frontline workers are doing their best to save lives.

But without timely and accurate information for the public, the Coronavirus will continue rampaging through our families, communities and economy infecting our health and wellbeing.

Today we talk with two of Banner Health’s frontline communicators, Jennifer Russo, Senior Director of Corporate Communications and Rebecca Armendariz, Senior Director of Marketing and Public Relations. They share their roles in battling COVID by correcting misinformation through the media, raising internal morale with heroic storytelling and preserving their roles as leading healthcare communicators who speak the truth whether the public likes it or not.

They also discuss the importance of an authentic brand story as the platform for your crisis communications guiding how you communicate internally to rally your colleagues and externally to inform the public.

Stories deliver truth that creates trust. If we are to wrestle the pandemic into submission sooner rather than later, it begins with trusting the real leaders in this fight: Our healthcare practitioners. scientists and communicators.
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Kenny Aronoff

#277: Kenny Aronoff’s Legendary Purpose-Driven Brand Story

You, like most of us, aspire for success in your professional life. And along the way, you may have lost sight of your deep desires or what fuels you beyond making a buck. 

But ironically when you lose sight of what drives you, you often become your greatest roadblock.

In this episode, one of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s finest drummers, Kenny Aronoff (the heartbeat of John Cougar Mellencamp’s band) shares why following your purpose will make you unstoppable, undeniable, and the author of your own legendary brand story. 

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Glenn Marvin

#276: How to Tell Your Story on LinkedIn

Are your LinkedIn efforts falling flat? You might be feeling as if your sales posts promoting your business come off as a little “spammy” in the feed. Or like many of us, you’ve probably noticed the uptick of unsolicited sales messages on LinkedIn, too.

But, what if there is a way you could spend less time and be exponentially more successful on LinkedIn? The solution exists – and it’s uncovered in today’s episode.

In this week’s episode, I have a LinkedIn storytelling expert to help you shape and share your brand stories on business’s most prolific and influential platform. Glenn Marvin is the founder of Konnector, a digital marketing coaching firm in Auckland, NZ, and he’s here to share exactly how to tell your small business brand story on LinkedIn to build your influence and business.

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Chad Burmeister

#275: How to Leverage AI to Amplify Your Sales Stories

If you are curious about how artificial intelligence could help your business, you are not alone. AI can solve problems across the board and dramatically improve sales performance.

But, anytime human tasks are replaced by technology, you run the risk of de-humanizing your brand, resulting in disengaged customers who turn to your competitors to meet their needs.

So, how can you leverage the power of AI while personalizing each customer experience? Chad Burmeister, CEO of ScaleX.ai, shares how to use AI to better understand your customers and deliver the right sales stories at the right time to exponentially grow your brand and business.

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Chase McLaughlin

#274: Why Moments Matter in Your Storytelling

Think back to a memory that had a lasting impact on your life. You’ll recall the defining moments because they have transformed you in some way. And when you share these pivotal moments with others, they too can experience the profound impact.

But, the magic is lost if the story is told without a narrative framework. Your story marketing is about transporting your audience from one perspective to another, from one place in time to a whole new opportunity. And that starts with the central moment in your story when everything changes for that person. 

In this episode, Chase McLaughlin, the marketer responsible for the new family storytelling app called Quilted, shares how you can capture your moments to create lasting stories.

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John Wall

#273: Storytelling Tools for a Stellar Podcast

If you are considering launching a podcast as a passion project or to help scale your business, you are not alone. Listeners have a plethora of options to choose from, which means your content and audio must be top-notch.

But it’s hard to stand out and grow listeners given the competition.

In this episode John Wall, a pioneer podcaster and co-host of the Marketing Over Coffee show, shares how to launch and/or grow a premier podcast on a limited budget and schedule.

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Bryan Adams

#272: Why Your Employer Brand Storytelling Must be Repelling

Let’s face it, people are the only competitive advantage you have left in business. And in order to attract the best and brightest, they must embrace your organization’s culture and expectations.

But you don’t want everyone. You have to repel people, too. So create a “smart filter” within your employer brand storytelling to that acts like a dog whistle to attract only those who are a fit.

My guest Bryan Adams, founder of Ph.Creative and author of Give and Get Employer Branding, shares how to help people self-select based on what it’s really like to be part of your organization for a sustainable, productive, and happy culture by design.

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Kate Langrall Folb

#271: Can TV Entertainment Educate on Health and Societal Issues?

Think about your favorite TV show. You feel bonded to the characters and invested in their lives. And through this connection, you began to see the world through their eyes.

But these characters and their storylines are fictional. How can they reveal a truth in your life? Especially coming out of Hollywood.

To answer that, Kate Langrall Folb, M.Ed., Director of Hollywood, Health & Society at USC’s Annenberg School Norman Lear Center, shares the depths they go to educate screenwriters so they accurately depict health and societal issues. Can Hollywood be one of our most powerful sources for positive change?

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Thomas Ahern

#270: Behavioral Health Marketing Secrets for Engaging Virtual Events

As a business leader you know that conferences are extremely valuable for your organization’s growth and performance. These are opportunities to expand your employees’ knowledge and skills, connect with industry leaders, and build camaraderie with colleagues. The more inspiring your training is – which is largely virtual these days – the greater your talent retention and growth of your ROI.

But your people experience “ZOOM fatigue” regardless of which online platform you’re using.

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Jaclyn Lambert and Britt Klontz

#269: The Role of Storytelling in Digital PR

Digital public relations is like gambling, because you are not going to win every time. This can be discouraging especially when your online presence directly affects your brand’s reputation. But your digital PR efforts don’t have to be a blind bet.

By utilizing a potent three-step process, you can ensure your chances of a win are much higher. On this week’s episode, digital public relations pros Britt Klontz and Jaclyn Lambert share how to use their magic formula to help you win big with your story-placement efforts.

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