Robert DiMeo

#205: How to Compound the Growth of Your B2B Brand with Storytelling

#205: How to Compound the Growth of Your B2B Brand with Storytelling

Most B2B organizations aspire for continued growth and to be the best in their industry. But many simply do not know how to differentiate themselves from competitors, resulting in mediocre status and growth. That’s why it’s vital to share your organization’s stories to reveal its truths and values, so you can rise above the rest. (more…)

Payman Taei

#204: How to Apply the Art of Visual Storytelling

#204: How to Apply the Art of Visual Storytelling

A picture is worth a thousand words. But using visuals without intentional delivery means your audience is left interpret to them. Therefore, it’s essential that narrative framework is utilized in your visual storytelling for your envisioned story to be understood.

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Rick Smith

#203: How to Use Storytelling to Change Entrenched Views

#203: How to Use Storytelling to Change Entrenched Views

America has a gun violence problem, and many citizens have these weapons for self-protection. But new technologies are allowing for alternatives that are safer and more effective. So, sharing the capabilities of these advancements through carefully crafted stories may not only shift the public’s perception, but ultimately make the bullet obsolete. (more…)

Kymberlee Weil

#202: How to Tell Short Stories When the Stakes are High

#202: How to Tell Short Stories When the Stakes are High

As a business professional, you want your ideas to be heard. Rise above the noise as you communicate your message quickly and effectively when you apply the five primal elements of story in shorter forms. (more…)

Drew McLellan

#201: Why Your Brand Story is Essential for Survival

#201: Why Your Brand Story is Essential for Survival

Every brand has a story and it is often the only differentiating factor from any other similar product or service. But many companies try to be all things to all people thinking if they focus on a niche they’ll lose out on potential business. Ironically, the exact opposite is true. When you are the best at something you attract more business than you can handle. That’s why it’s critical to clarify your brand story and highlight what you do different and therefore better than your competition.

Our guest, Drew McLellan is president of the Agency Management Institute, an association serving more than 250 small to mid-sized agencies. Here he helps agency owners increase their adjusted gross income and attract better clients and employees through the brand stories they tell about themselves. Using his experience, he shares best practices for running your advertising, public relations, web, digital or design agency starting with understanding your origin story and why you do what you do.

Your brand story is your most powerful tool to attract the right clients and dictate the direction of your future. This is because it paints the picture of who you are, why you exist, and what your values are. And by utilizing that knowledge you can ensure your brand is not only successful but sustainable. Because a great brand story will attract clients that align with what you stand for and repel those that don’t.

The easiest money we can make is when the client and agency are in great alignment and how you get to great alignment is you both have shared values and you connect to one anothers’ stories. ~Drew McLellan

Now you are able to expend energy only on clients that appreciate the work you do, and often they become your greatest advocates.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

• Why turning away business is not always a bad thing but is sometimes rather essential for survival
• Why so many ad agencies taut being full-service when they should really be experts in a niche
• Why ironically many agencies are afraid to go big and bold with their own brand story, even while they are preaching the same for their customers
• Why an agency owner must evolve from being a firefighter into the fire chief for the survival of their firm
• Why rapid growth can be dangerous for an agency if you don’t truly know your brand story
• Tips to strategically and sustainably grow your organization

Resources & Links

• McLellan Marketing Group
• Agency Management Institute 
• Build A Better Agency Podcast 
• Agency Edge Research Series 
• Drew McLellan’s Twitter
• Drew McLellan’s Instagram
• Drew McLellan’s Linkedin
• The Avocado Show 
• Michael Gass’ Linkedin

Ken Kerry

#200: How to Use Storytelling in Your Direct Response Advertising

#200: How to Use Storytelling in Your Direct Response Advertising

To sell any product or service you have to grab the attention of the consumer and show how it provides them value. But we live in a world where attention spans are fragmented and developing a meaningful connection can be difficult. That’s why it’s critical to truly listen to the stories your consumers tell you so you’ll understand how to connect with them. (more…)

Dr. Randy Olson

#199: How to Use the ABT to Focus Your Brand Stories

#199: How to Use the ABT to Focus Your Brand Stories

Most executives communicate and care but bore. Therefore, this episode is all about using the ABT narrative framework to make your audiences and customers sit up, listen and care. (more…)

Adam Goodman

#198: How to Inspire People With Your Purpose-Driven Brand Story

#198: How to Inspire People With Your Purpose-Driven Brand Story

We live in a time of mass consumerism and that has resulted in a plethora of brands all vying to get more sales. But with a vast sea of competition in just about every industry, it is easy for an organization to miss the mark. Therefore, finding a way to differentiate yourself by focusing on what your brand makes happen in peoples’ lives has become a proven success formula for purpose-driven brands.

Vantage West Own It: Goodmans from BRINK on Vimeo.

Our guest on this week’s show has become an expert on how to differentiate your brand to not only survive, but to thrive. Adam Goodman is the third-generation President & CEO of Goodmans Interior Structures, a leading Phoenix-based office furniture company that values community service. Adam realized that through a shared higher purpose, his employees and customers found deeper meaning in Goodmans than just selling furniture.

What became evident to Adam was that a purpose-driven brand story empowers employees because it gives them a common goal to rally around. It encourages them to contribute their best and most meaningful work.

Adam also wants to inspire his competition and compel them to have a higher purpose, so Goodmans generates and gives their purpose-driven “ideas playbook” to other businesses so they, too, can do good for their communities. Why share their secrets to success?

The idea is to elevate the entire furniture industry, so that we can all rise together. ~ Adam Goodman

The Goodmans Vision:

Topics Discussed in this Episode

• How Goodmans has created its own version of Herman Miller’s “Living Office”
• How Adelante Healthcare has increased its ROI using purpose-driven storytelling
• How Goodwill of Central Arizona has increased its ROI using purpose-driven storytelling
• The importance of repetition to keeping your purpose-brand story alive
• How Goodmans is celebrating its 65th anniversary in an unusual way

Resources & Links

• More about Certified B Corporations 
• The ROI of storytelling for Adelante Healthcare
• The ROI of storytelling for Goodwill of Central Arizona 
• Conscious Capitalism Arizona 
• Living Office Discovery Session
• Rooted in Good 
• AIM to Make a Difference 
• Goodmans Eye for the Good Guys
• GoodART
• Goodmans Chair Hockey
• GoodTHREADS
• Goodmans Interior Structures 
• Adam Goodman at DATOS 2018 
• Adam’s Twitter
• Adam’s Linkedin
• Adam’s Instagram 

Tania Katan

#197: How to Turn the Mundane Into Novelty with Your Storytelling

#197: How to Turn the Mundane Into Novelty with Your Storytelling

Most of us have a job or boss to report to throughout each week, and more often than not this feels like more of a chore than an opportunity. But what if we all had the power within us to create opportunity in place of mundane?  Fortunately, the power of creative storytelling can take any situation out of a state of menial to meaningful. (more…)

Roger Nierenberg

#196: Leadership Stories You Can Learn From a Symphonic Orchestra

#196: Leadership Stories You Can Learn From a Symphonic Orchestra

You want to achieve operational excellence with your organization and that starts by understanding how to optimize your internal storytelling to get everyone buying into the same story. But most traditional team-building exercises seem to be antiquated and ineffective. So where might you look to build your leadership storytelling abilities? The key may be somewhere unexpected: symphony orchestra. (more…)