Change Your Story, Change Your Life

MUSIC POWER Here is one dictionary definition of music:   vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion. That’s an acceptable definition, but it doesn’t capture the essence of music power. It doesn’t hint at the power of music to heal, transform, and even, to save lives. Music power embraces all of t...

HIDDEN STORIES There are silent hidden stories all around you. They are in your home. your office, anyplace that you repeatedly spend time in.  Does that sound wacky? It is profoundly true.  This short episode explores the hidden stories in familiar objects that we own. The question to ask is, “Do they own you?” I’m not making this up. I’m sharing insights from a powerful b...

MASTER YOUR TIME Are you time’s master or it’s slave? That is, without a doubt, the most important question to ask yourself right NOW! I didn’t use all caps on the word now just for dramatic emphasis. I did it because now, today, this moment in history is the age of exponential digital technology. The digital world can offer you paradise on earth – if you understand its rul...

DRAMATIC STORYTELLING Should you use dramatic storytelling in all our communication? Yes, if you want to captivate your audience and make an impact with your words. This episode reveals the secrets of dramatic communication in the work of David Mamet, acclaimed playwright and screenwriter. It’s amazing how much you can learn from one page of a famous Mamet play, American Buffalo.  You will h...

FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN Everyone fears the unknown. Yes, that includes you and me. Today’s podcast guest is Ali Boone. She has created success on her own terms. She was able to do that by facing down her fear of the unknown. Her journey took her from a corporate job as an engineer (the known) to her entrepreneurial adventure as a real estate investor (the unknown). It was scary, tough, and worth...

STORYTELLING SECRETS This episode reviews and pulls together all of the storytelling secrets you learned about in this podcast. I call them storytelling secrets because so many people don’t use them when they communicate and sell. You’ll learn the important elements of all great stories firsthand when you listen to this episode. You will experience them in action. You will hear the riv...

BEYOND DIABETES Today’s episode deals with a sensitive issue. Our guest is Lyle Haugen, a fascinating man who overcame a life threatening injury and won his battle against Diabetes 1. Our topic is sensitive because Lyle took control of his own health when the medical advice he was following was not helping him improve his quality of life. He took bold steps and went beyond diabetes. I’...

SOCIAL COMPARISONS Social comparisons are deadly. And in today’s world we fall prey to them all the time. Social media and the Internet are powerful resources that can enrich our lives – if we use them intentionally. Here’s what I mean. We can build a business empire with social media. We can find great prospects, leads, and strategic partnerships online. But, what can happen whe...

LIMITLESS MINDSET I grew up constantly hearing that a sign of maturity is to know your limitations.  I believed it. And it’s nonsense. Most of the time, you will allow your doubts to define your limits. Once you accept a limit in your mind, it becomes your story; it become your reality. You become an “I can’t person.” Today’s guest is an “I can person.” Sh...

YOUR MUSICAL STORY Your musical story refers to the rhythm, the pace, and the feelings that your intentional communication creates. This episode will stimulate your creativity and allow you to feel storytelling with your heart and your whole body. It will get you out of your head. You will hear three short pieces of jazz music by the legendary saxophonist, John Coltrane. the are from his famous al...

GO GIVER You’ve heard of a go getter. So, what’s a go giver? Not the opposite of a go getter. The opposite of a go giver is a go taker. This episode is not about an amusing word game. It’s an interview with a brilliant man whose views on the world transform lives. His name is Bob Burg, an accomplished and recognized speaker, author, and a sales/mindset trainer. As an author, his...

PRESENTATION TEMPLATE This episode gives you a powerful template for creating any kind of presentation (live, webinar, YouTube video, you name it). I call it the Frankenstein Presentation Template because you will build your presentation the way Dr. Frankenstein built his monster. Sounds crazy, I know. This is far from crazy. This presentation template will take the guesswork out of creating compe...

MILLIONAIRE CHOICES Millionaire choices don’t begin with the choices you make about money; they begin with the choices you make about life. Here’s what I mean. Abundance and wealth creation are the result of the belief that outer circumstances do not control the choices you make in life. If life deals you a bad hand, you can still win the game by playing the cards you have with imagination, desire...

CLIFFHANGERS Cliffhangers are endings in stories that leave an audience in suspense.  The term cliffhanger originated in the 1930s from early film serials in which episodes ended with characters in desperate situations such as hanging off the edge of a cliff. This episode explores why and how you can use cliffhangers in all your communication. The reason to use them is simple and obvious. You do i...

WALK YOUR TALK “Commitment is doing the thing you said you would do long after the mood you said it in has passed.” That quote is by George Zalucki, an international icon of self development. It is also one of today’s guest’s favorite quotes. Our inspiring guest is Ray Higdon, a seven figure earner as a former network marketer and now as an internationally recognized networ...

IN LATE, OUT EARLY You’ve learned about how to create a strong hook to open your stories in a previous episode. Now, we will take a deeper dive into the subject. Learning how to grab people’s attention immediately is vital to  your success as a storyteller. You can get everything right after your opening, but if that opening is weak, they will never experience your story. This is parti...

KILLER WORD Are you a prisoner to a simple word that you hear every day? Many people are. It’s a common word that we all use and take for granted. And, it’s a killer word. Literally. The word is DECIDE . Here are two dictionary definitions of decide: Come to a resolution in the mind Make a choice from a number of alternatives In this episode of one word stories, you’ll discover t...

STORY ENDINGS How do you create impactful story endings? Most of you are business storytellers; you use stories to communicate persuasive sales messages. Those can be live presentations, webinars, sales letters, face-to-face, one-on-one sales, even phone conversations – any communication designed to move people to some kind of buying decision. All of those qualify as stories. You can begin s...

YOU ARE YOUR STORY You don’t have to believe that you are your story. But, why wouldn’t you choose to believe it? If you don’t like your current life, and you choose to say, “That’s the way it is. That’s reality, and I must accept it,” you will be right. You won’t be right because it is an objective truth. You will be right because the words you say...

SHOW, DON’T TELL How do you feel when someone tells you do something? If you’re like me, you resist their command. You pull back, and, most probably don’t do what you’ve been told. No one likes to be bossed. On the other hand, it feels great when you choose to do or buy something because it excites you and feels right for you. Show, don’t tell is a powerful storytelli...

AMAZON FORTUNES Many people dream of making Amazon fortunes. Maybe you have a secret, or not so secret, desire to be an Amazon millionaire. Today’s guest has created his seven figure income by winning the game of selling on Amazon. Lucky for you, he teaches others how to do it. You don’t have to be wiz-kid, a marketing genius, or super salesperson to hit the Amazon jackpot. Today&#8217...

UNIVERSAL STORIES What are universal stories? They are stories that speak to the deepest human needs. Stories that have a strong universal element create empathy and connection. Business stories that are universal attract and win new clients and customers. This episode teaches you how to harness the element of universality in your business storytelling. FOUR MOVIES WITH UNIVERSAL STORIES Rocky &#8...

ARE YOU DELUSIONAL? You’ve probably heard the expression, words are weapons. But I’ll bet you don’t know just how dangerous they can be. It’s not because you’re dumb. It’s because you and I use words all the time. So, we take them for granted. This episode challenges your perception of one particular word that can be very dangerous. It can and does control most...

CONFLICT IN STORYTELLING Conflict in storytelling is a vital element to all great stories. In fact, you won’t a story if you do not introduce and develop conflict from beginning to end. Why? Because people get involved and remain engaged in your story when it takes them on a journey toward the resolution of conflict. Think of conflict in storytelling as a powerful tool to create and sustain...

GLORY STORY There is always a story behind someone’s glory. It’s usually a tough one. Achievement and success must be earned. When they are, that’s rich. Today’s episode is about a highly successful millennial entrepreneur. An online marketer and business coach named Marquel Russell. His success is impressive. His determination and grit to achieve success are inspiring. His...