The Story Effect

Your customers can leave you over a weekend. So can your best people. So what makes anyone stay? Scott Wozniak went from child actor and musical theater major to youth pastor to the strategy guy at Chick-fil-A. In that role he spent half his time behind the scenes at the best companies in the world. Then he took a leap of faith, left the job he loved, and built Swoz Consulting, a firm that helps b...

I've had incredible conversations with CEOs, Navy SEAL psychologists, ghostwriters, cancer survivors, neuroscientists, pro athletes, and every one left a mark. This is me, solo, sharing the 50 things that changed how I lead and how I live. I revisited every voice that's shaped The Story Effect and pulled the one lesson from each that stayed with me, then added five more from my own year of writing...

Adam Miller walks into a room and somehow everyone in it feels like they belong there. Here's the thing you should pay attention to: the research says that his instinct might be the single biggest predictor of how long any of us actually lives. Adam is an organizational development leader at Lockton whose entire career, including his own consulting practice, traces back to a single ten-word axiom:...

You hit the milestone everyone wanted, and the voice in your head only got louder. Now you have to be even better, and some quiet part of you is terrified you won't be. Michael Levin has been called the Michael Jordan of ghostwriting: more than a thousand books, New York Times bestsellers, a screen credit for Disney, and a client list of billionaires, CEOs, and world-changers he mostly can't name....

We've gotten good at blaming the environment. Especially at work. David Lapin has sat with people who kept their humanity intact inside concentration camps and Hamas tunnels. And he has a much harder question for the rest of us. Lapin has been teaching leadership authenticity and vulnerability since long before the rest of the world caught up. A consultant, advisor, and author of Lead by Greatness...

Randall Tucker, Chief Community and Belonging Officer at Mastercard, has been welcomed into palace conversations in Europe and restaurant kitchens at 2 a.m., and he'll tell you the exact same thing gets him through both doors. It isn't polish. It's the willingness to show up as exactly who you are. From a dirt road in rural southern Virginia to a global career leading belonging and inclusion work...

Your team is nervous. AI is coming for the copy, the campaigns, the creative. And here's the uncomfortable part: it can do a lot of it. Dan Roth's argument is sharper than "the robots can't." It's that the copy AI hands you is the copy that makes you sound like everyone else. Dan has spent his career in the trenches of communications, from local TV spots to direct-response advertising, to internal...

Somewhere in your family there's a story only one person still remembers. When they're gone, it's gone, and no amount of Googling brings it back. Danielle knows this one firsthand. That ache is what Roy and Yvette built a business around. As founders of Lifebook Memoirs, they've captured personal and corporate legacies across more than 40 countries, 20,000+ books and counting. Additional Resources...

There's a difference between sacrifice and torture. Sacrifice is doing something for a known period of time and for a clear end in mind. Without either, sacrifice becomes torture." That's the quote that made Stephen "Shed" Shedletzky quit his miserable corporate job and start the career he actually wanted—which led to 10 years on Simon Sinek's team, a book on speak-up cultures, and a worldview tha...

If you've ever clenched your jaw in a meeting, said "sounds good!" while screaming inside, and then come home only to bite your spouse's head off, this episode is for you. Karen Thrall, executive coach and author of Lose Your Sht At Work*, has spent her career coaching leaders through their tempers, their silence, and everything in between. She joins Danielle for a conversation that gets personal...

High performers have a formula. Outwork. Out-execute. Don't unravel what's working. Danielle lived this for years, until the formula stopped working at the next level. Enter Matt Dickerson. Founder of Coaching for Clarity, ICF-certified executive coach, and author of a book born out of his own imposter syndrome. In this conversation, Matt explains what coaching actually is (hint: it's not mentorsh...

The WSJ and NYT are talking about it. It's all over LinkedIn and social media. Storytelling seems to be trending more than ever. Danielle wanted a global gut check, so she connected with Rob D. Willis, a coach, trainer and storytelling advisor to have a real conversation about storytelling and why leaders and businesses should care more than ever. Rob is a storytelling social media influencer (Dan...

High performers have a lot in common. We go hard. We fight for control. And sometimes, we're brutal to ourselves (and others.) Leading with love can sound too soft. But Joe Terry has proven it might be the secret to unlocking the next level of your life. Joe's stories from making it to the NFL to leading Culture Partners, co-authoring his first book, Surrender to Lead, and competing in Ironman Wor...

Why are some vacations so memorable and others are so meh? Casey Prentice, entrepreneur and real estate investor, has it figured out. When he creates a destination, he thinks of the entire experience—how it feels when you arrive, how you're treated throughout the hotels, how many steps it takes to get an ice cream nearby—eveything. Oftentimes, the moments you remember are unplanned, imperfect and...

If you want to be a better communicator, one who creates connection and inspires action, you have to listen to this. Christopher Barger, who worked with General Motors and IBM, gives you the secrets. You will be better at it by the end of the episode. Additional Resources: Connect with Christopher: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherbarger/ Connect with Danielle: The Story Effect http://thesto...

He's back. The first repeat guest on The Story Effect, Eric Jorgenson, author of The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, is back to talk about his new book, The Book of Elon, available now. You might think you know what Elon Musk is about, but have you really zoomed out to see beyond the headlines? Every story has a lesson. This story is an invitation to see the world differently. Additional Resources: Co...

We need more joy in our lives. Andrew Cannon gives some practical tips and undeniable insight that will change the way you think about joy in your own life.   Additional Resources: Connect with Andrew: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cannonandrew/   Connect with Danielle: The Story Effect: http://thestoryeffect.com/ Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellekrischik Instagram:  http://instagram.c...

It's happening. AI is already here, already integrating into our existence in many facets of our lives. We could resist and fear it. Or, we could let it be what it is while we become more human. Learn how presence, connection, laughter and love will keep us wiser as AI makes us smarter, from Jeff Burningham, author, entrepreneur and investor and Founder and Chairman at Peak Capital Partners.   Add...

Don't spend another dollar on a company event before you listen to this. Rob Adams, CEO and Partner of Bishop-McCann can share with you what people love, remember and don't care about. He has been measuring joy for large corporate events and has the formula down to a science. The right experiences will give you so much more than you realize.   Additional Resources: Connect with Rob: https://www.li...

Ed Freeman is a brilliant thinker, notable for his award-winning book, Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach, first published in 1984 and reissued in 2010 by Cambridge University Press. He has a delightfully different way of preparing business students for the real world, so much so, it might challenge the way you think as a leader. Additional Resources: Connect with Ed: https://www.linkedi...

Sometimes we resist change because we're comfortable. Other times, it's because of fear. But as Jack Swift says, fear feeds on fear. To be an effective, successful leader today, there are some new ways of thinking and leading to consider. Jack is an entrepreneur, serves on many boards and advises companies and leaders to navigate growth, especially as the world is changing with AI. Additional Reso...

If you're navigating the next level in your career, this episode will help you feel like you're not alone. As a Leadership Coach and consultant, Jenna Washneiski gives incredible advice and insight to become the leader you were meant to be—without losing yourself along the way. The Story Effect: How Storytelling Creates Connection and Drives Performance launched on November 21 — but this book has...

We're hitting "replay" and raising a mug of cocoa! ☕️🎄 Each year, our PeopleForward Network team takes a full holiday break to rest, be with our people, and come back recharged for the new year. So this week, instead of a brand-new episode, we're sharing one of our all-time favorite conversations for you to enjoy again. Curl up, press play, and soak in the inspiration while you enjoy your own ho...

Danielle's book, The Story Effect, is full of real stories—including stories from some of her podcast guests. As this episode celebrates one year of her show, she reveals who made it into the book and how it all came together. And she included a special message to surprise her husband, Mike. Buy The Story Effect Now on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/2s4c57up   Additional Resources: Connect with Danie...

In this episode, Danielle and Mike look back on how it all began — the projects that shaped their partnership, the lessons learned along the way, and the moments that made the work worth it. It's a rare behind-the-scenes look at the friendship, business, and belief system that built Knight—and inspired The Story Effect itself.   The Story Effect: How Storytelling Creates Connection and Drives Perf...