Anecdotally Speaking

The quality of a good question can create insight. Join Shawn and Mark as they discuss the life saving simplicity and humble beginnings of the Apgar Test. The post 190 – Infancy of the newborn test – Virginia Apgar appeared first on Anecdote .

Sometime we just have to throw plans out the window as circumstances change. Blistering temperatures in Tunisia caused the simplification of a now iconic fight scene. The post 189 – The last raiders of the lost ark – Harrison Ford – Gary Marshall appeared first on Anecdote .

Can you imagine Sydney Harbour without the Opera House? Well, without 10 years of delays and $90 million in cost overruns the bridge might have been the only feature in the skyline. Join Shawn and Mark for a discussion on podiums, persistence and politics. The post 188 – Sydney Opera House – Jorn Utzon – Ove Arup appeared first on Anecdote .

If it doesn't feel right, maybe it's not? Do the right thing, not the easy thing. We always have the right to choose, so ask questions and resist being made to feel 'incompetent'. Join Shawn, Mark and Anastasia Dedyukhina from Consciously Digital, as they share stories on digital privacy, attention and switching. The post 187-Privacy in the EU – Anastasia Dedyukhina – Consciously Digital appeared...

The launch of a new product is risky, but to see young people interact with ease can give lots of confidence. In this episode, we discuss this very point with Ursula Llabres product owner at Meta Reality Labs. The post 185 – VR headsets are coming – Ursula Llabres from Meta appeared first on Anecdote .

The beauty and power of persistence. This is the story of Jack Ma told by Vika Abromova, the country head of Mars Poland. It's another business story to tell. The post 186 – Never give up – Jack Ma appeared first on Anecdote .

Welcome back to another Anecdotally Speaking podcast! We’ve been doing some travel, so our episodes have been less regular than usual, but we are back this week with a story from renowned Australian surgeon Fiona Wood! Before getting into the story, Shawn and Mark talk about ChatGPT and how it can help us tell more stories at work. They also reveal how the AI scored on our story spotting quiz, The...

This week, Shawn shares a story from the art world featuring Gustave Caillebotte and the Impressionist artists known as the Caillebotte Seven: Monet, Degas, Pissarro, Renoir, Sisley, Manet and Cezanne. It demonstrates the mere-exposure effect and how we grow comfortable with and love the things we are exposed to over and over again. Shawn mentions an article, ‘That’s Interesting! Towards a Phenome...

Welcome back to another episode of Anecdotally Speaking! It’s been two weeks since our last episode, we’ve had some team members on leave, but we’re back with a story about Anita Roddick, who founded The Body Shop! The story prompts Shawn and Mark to talk about how it’s not about having a company story but a multitude of stories that represent your company and its culture. Shawn recently wrote a b...

This week on Anecdotally Speaking, Shawn shares the story behind the Australian Girls Choir, which famously featured in QANTAS’ I Still Call Australia Home campaign: https://buff.ly/3yQd6Xr Judith Curphey founded the choir after retiring from her career as a music teacher, tiring of the common belief of the time that boys were better singers than girls. Later in the episode, Mark invites listeners...

This week, Mark shares a story he saw Anecdote Partner, Maria Marenco (https://buff.ly/3iCnihZ), share on LinkedIn to celebrate International Women’s Day last week. Maria was a guest on the podcast earlier this year, featuring in 173 – Knowledge can come from any source with Maria Marenco: https://buff.ly/3XCoVL8 If you’re a Masterchef fan, this is a story for you! And as you’ll hear, you could us...

Welcome to another episode of Anecdotally Speaking! We were slow to record a new episode this week (our apologies!). Instead, we’re celebrating International Women’s Day by sharing one of our favourite stories about a phenomenal woman, a record-breaking solo sailor, Lisa Blair. Shawn first heard this story in an interview with Lisa on ABC Radio. You can listen to the same ABC Conversations episode...

This week, Mark has another aircraft story for us. But don’t hesitate over the play button. Indranil Chakraborty (IC), our Anecdote Partner based in India, recently shared this story on his website, and it was simply too good not to retell on Anecdotally Speaking!  IC found this story in Todd Rose’s book, The End of Average: How We Succeed in a World That Values Sameness: https://buff.ly/3ZbKXWi....

Having spent 20 years in the airforce, Mark is always intrigued by a story from the aviation industry. In 166 – Don’t let money be your purpose, he shared a story about how focusing on money made Boeing responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people: https://buff.ly/3DJKJh0 In this episode, he shares the story behind another crash, which has some valuable lessons. It suggests that because it’s e...

This week on Anecdotally Speaking, Shawn shares a story he heard Ron Howard tell on an episode of the SmartLess podcast: https://buff.ly/3XlDJgV Similar to 173 – Knowledge can come from any source with Maria Marenco (https://buff.ly/3XCoVL8), it suggests that ideas can come from anywhere, so you should foster a culture that encourages sharing them. Ron Howard directed Apollo 13 (https://buff.ly/30...

This week, it’s Shawn’s turn to tell a story! He shares one about idea adoption that he read in Billy Oppenheimer’s newsletter, SIX at 6: https://buff.ly/3HE0SFw. Shawn refers to this video of the Run-DMC and Aerosmith collaboration: https://buff.ly/2TJoDBe And he mentions the book, Walk This Way: Run-DMC, Aerosmith, and the Song that Changed American Music Forever: https://buff.ly/3lcCGlW Shawn a...

Welcome back to another episode of Anecdotally Speaking! This week, Mark shares a story that was told to him in a recent coaching call. It illustrates how we can miss the big picture when we focus on one detail, but you could also use it to encourage that person in your life to read the instructions! As this story comes from a current Anecdote client, we have changed some details to deidentify the...

This week, Shawn tells a 1-minute story shared by Kurt Vonnegut, the author of Slaughterhouse-Five, in a poem he wrote as a tribute to Joseph Heller, his friend and fellow author, after he passed away. The New Yorker first published the poem (https://buff.ly/3R1RDTP) in 2005.  Despite its short length, the story prompts Shawn and Mark to discuss what makes a good story and how long stories should...

Welcome to Anecdotally Speaking and our first episode for 2023! We kick off the New Year with a special guest, Maria Marenco (https://buff.ly/3iCnihZ). Maria is a member of the Anecdote Partner Network and describes herself as a Spanish scientist and storytelling trainer based in Stuttgart, Germany. Mark first heard the story he shared in episode 170 – One person can change the world (https://buff...

Welcome to the last episode of Anecdotally Speaking for 2022, our holiday special! We’re taking a short, three-week break, but we will be back to add more stories to your repertoire on Tuesday, the 17th of January, 2023! This week, Mark shares a story about feedback featuring professional footballer Lionel Messi. He and Shawn were inspired to share it after seeing Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Good...

Welcome to the second last episode of Anecdotally Speaking for 2022! Keep an eye out for our holiday special next week before we take a short break! This week, Shawn shares a story he heard over Christmas drinks (thank you, Garry Ryan!), which prompted him to pick up Bob Chapman’s book, Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family: https://buff.ly/3USpr5W It ill...

Welcome back to another episode of Anecdotally Speaking! Our apologies that this episode is being released later in the week than usual. In this episode, Mark shares a story that he says is close to his heart, given he spent 20 years in the airforce as a logistics officer. He and Shawn find it makes several business points, and you can sign up for our emails via our podcast webpage to receive them...

Welcome to another replay episode of Anecdotally Speaking! We’ve spent the past week planning for a big 2023, so this week, we’re replaying our last episode of 2021! Shawn shares a story he heard from Mike Adams, our Head of Story-Powered Sales. And after discussing it as per our usual episode format, Shawn and Mark talk about stories and the festive season! We are just about to enter December!

Rob joins Shawn again this week and hears Shawn tell a story about Captain Cook, scurvy and sauerkraut, which Shawn found in The Status Game by Will Storr: https://buff.ly/3AylhsR The story may sound familiar to our regular listeners, as Shawn also told it in episode 138 – Scurvy sailors served sauerkraut: https://buff.ly/3Ix0dV5 But Rob and Shawn’s discussion differs from Mark and Shawn’s in the...

This week, we welcome Rob Grundel back to Anecdotally Speaking! Rob will be joining us for two episodes while Mark is on leave. Rob gets straight into it, sharing a story from Jason Alexander, who you might know better as George on Seinfeld (https://buff.ly/3UPphxj). Jason told the story on You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes (https://buff.ly/3TyS6wm), where Rob first heard it. It’s stuck with him...