Business of Story

Parker Howell, award-winning virtual reality filmmaker and director of Red Bull's first stereoscopic first-person V.R. music video, shares his experience in virtual reality storytelling and how to push the envelope with your brand storytelling.   Become a Master Storyteller Grab your free copy of The 5 Stages of Grief in Telling YOUR Business Story : https://businessofstory.com/telling-business-st...

Kylie Slavik, former slam poet gone "accidental digital marketer," shows you how long-form storytelling can generate millions of dollars for your clients in the fleeting online world.

You grow up in school writing stories paying attention to the structure of the stories you're telling. But when it comes to business, you may need to be doing just the opposite. Have you ever sat through a presentation that is packed full of statistics and numbers that it nearly puts you to sleep? We've all been there. Sometimes, no matter how passionate the presenter actually is, it gets drowned...

Nick Westergaard, author of Brand Now: How to Stand Out in a Crowded, Distracted World, describes how to craft a brand story that will help you rise above the noise using seven brand storytelling dynamics.

In 2011, Kelley O'Brien made an ironic transition: she left her career at a health agency to work for one of America's favorite guilty pleasures: Krispy Kreme. That's because Kelly, the former Director of Social Media at Krispy Kreme, is all about bringing joy to her customers, whether through an inventive community health center promotion, or planting a donut Easter egg in your Instagram feed.  A...

The power of anecdote is so great that it has a momentum all its own. No matter how boring the facts are, with a compelling brand story, you feel like you're on a train that has a destination. Those anecdotes are told using stories. Stories sell. And as an entrepreneur, your #1 job will be to sell yourself and your services or products to potential clients. There is no doubt that storytelling work...

By now, you know the importance of using inspiration, relatability in your stories. Still, it can be difficult to combine all three. Yet our guest, Michael Backes, has mastered it through the art of surprising and suspenseful story structures. Michael Backes is a brilliant man with many areas of expertise. Not only is he a storyteller, he is a screenwriter , co-founder of the American Film Institu...

If you are a leader of a purpose-driven brand, then you appreciate the growing industry of sustainability.  But many brands are still struggling with how to tell their corporate social responsibility narratives and their stories of sustainability - because they're too often focused on their efforts rather than their  outcomes .    Remember, your brand stories are not about what you make, but what...

Shawn Callahan, co-owner of Anecdote and co-creator of the Storytelling for Leaders and Storytelling for Sales deliberate practice programs, is an expert at helping people explore ways to put stories to work for their brand and in their business. In this week's episode, we're sharing ways to create a courageous and compelling business strategy story to take your brand and your people into new, exc...

We're all guilty of putting profits above people at some point in our lives. All too often, brand marketers forget that we're communicating with humans, not numbers. But success is often measured by how we impact the lives around us, and as storytellers we should always aim to connect with and help one another. Our guest today, Kris Herbert of Kingswood Skis, is extremely talented at bringing peop...

recognize when a story isn't authentic. But many storytellers struggle to find a narrative that they think is engaging and effective without resorting to fiction. Our special guest explores the intersection of journalism and storytelling, and the fine line between fact and fiction.  Robert Siegel is a world-renowned storyteller. For over 30 years, Robert was the iconic voice at National Public Rad...

In the age of the internet, we have endless story-sharing opportunities at our fingertips. With the click of a button, your brand story can be easily accessible to anyone, anywhere, at any time. But with this connection comes competition, especially when it comes to SEO. There are countless stories being told by millions of organizations, and it's a struggle to get noticed amongst your target audi...

For many organizations, the hardest part of telling their brand story is finding it. We experience so much every day that it's often difficult to realize which events are the pivotal ones that define our brand's story. more If you want to tell a fantastic story that truly connects with your customers, you have to stop looking for the story and start finding the scenes – those small moments that ch...

Every entrepreneur knows it's all about who you know. The universal truth is that running a business without help from friends is impossibly difficult. We have become so dedicated to spreading our name as far as possible, it's common for us to forget the true value of these connections. Our episode today is about reminding ourselves of the humans behind the brand and creating stronger business rel...

Our subconscious mind is one of our greatest mysteries. Sigmund Freud believed that the conscious mind is only the tip of the iceberg, and the enormous subconscious was an ocean of thoughts, feelings, memories, and instincts all meshing to create ourselves. As storytellers, we often think only of how our stories will be received by the conscious minds of the audience. But we may be missing out on...

Storytelling is the best way to share emotions. With the right story, your audience can experience any feeling the teller may share. Emotional appeal is the most powerful aspect of story brand marketing, but often we focus on the same emotions. There is an abundance of campaigns seeking to create hope, fear, even shame in their audience. This episode is focusing on an underutilized emotion: laught...

No matter what end of the spectrum you're on, politics is exhausting. In our world of fake news, Russian hacks, controversies, and conspiracies, the endless cycle wears us down. Almost every facet of our lives has become politicized, and with it, our society has become completely polarized. Even slight ideological differences can turn similar people into bitter enemies. We're stuck in a deadlock,...

The classic elevator pitch is the best way to make someone not care about you. There's nothing more effective at making your audience fall asleep than a rigid, over-rehearsed, inauthentic bit about yourself, and all too many business leaders rely on one. Your personal brand is the most important of all, and without a proper way to convey yourself and your service, you risk being ignored. But there...

Launching Business of Story two years ago at the young age of 55, I realized that I was the proverbial middle-aged-one-arm-paperhanger finding clients, serving their needs, marketing my wares and paying the bills. Personally, not a pretty story. Then I decided to add this podcast. Why not? I already wasn't sleeping at night. May as well use that time for something productive. Plus, it took my atte...

When I saw James Cameron's Titanic , I had a fairly good idea of how it would end. I knew the entire sequence of events of this historic voyage before I'd ever set foot in that theater. But once I was in, once I saw the incredible story being laid out before me, I knew that this well-known event was a timeless journey. When a story is told just right, you can experience it over and over with the s...

Businesses are quickly realizing the power of brand story marketing. When you have an authentic story with values your customers can relate to, your prospects of success skyrocket. But for many, crafting a story may seem like a difficult task. What do you focus on? Where do you begin? These questions are more common than you think, and to help you clarify your business' purpose and find your story...

There's only one way for someone to see through your eyes. When you listen to a story, a remarkable phenomenon occurs in your mind. Your brain begins firing off what is known as mirror-neurons, creating the sensation that you are actually living through that experience!  Storytelling is the most powerful method of communication because when the mirror-neurons activate, your audience will feel what...

You might not realize it, but right now you are in the middle of your own Hero's Journey. Your lifelong story of triumph, defeat, and resurgence has brought you to where you stand today, with your experiences and wisdom building your character. When we reflect on our journey, we often think of our own personal growth. But what about the impact we have made on our friends, family, peers and beyond?...

When it comes to sharing your story, there is nothing more important than creating an authentic connection. In order for the audience to live vicariously through the experiences and emotions of your story, it is critical for you to first humanize yourself and your cause. But when the focus shifts from connections to profit gain, we lose track of what made our brand story so powerful in the first p...

I just read a 2013 study on U.S. media consumption that said we consume 33 gigabytes of information per person consumer per day. That was five years ago. Imagine the growth in media consumption now. As business storytellers, we have more online channels than ever to share our messages. But your brand stories drown in this cacophony of communication unless you make your content marketing stand out....