The Storytelling Lab

"Most nonfiction books could’ve been blog posts—but fiction sticks with you for life." — Nathan Baugh Is fiction just entertainment—or is it the best self-help you’re not reading? In this episode, Rain Bennett sits down with storyteller, writer, and World Builders creator Nathan Baugh to talk about the power of fiction in a world obsessed with productivity, optimization, and self-help checklists....

"The drugs we've accepted in society—alcohol, nicotine, caffeine—were chosen for productivity, not well-being." — Paul Austin What if the stories we’ve been told about psychedelics were wrong? In this episode, Rain Bennett sits down with Paul Austin, founder of Third Wave and Psychedelic Coaching Institute, to explore how microdosing and intentional psychedelic use are helping people heal, focus,...

"It's not just what you say—it's how you say it. And who you're saying it to." — Esther Oyetunji What makes a story unforgettable? At this year’s Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in Durham, North Carolina, Rain Bennett spoke with three sets of storytellers, each using a different medium, subject, and method—but all working toward the same goal: to move their audience. In this special episode,...

"You have to give yourself permission to be terrible at being a business owner when you start." — Keenya Kelly In a world where social media platforms change by the week, how do you stay visible, build a loyal audience, and run a profitable business? Keenya Kelly has done just that—amassing over 500,000 TikTok followers and building a thriving brand across multiple platforms. In this episode of Th...

"It's not the frame of your house that makes it a beautiful home—but without it, the house falls apart. It's the same with your story." — Rain Bennett What if we told you that some of the best stories of all time—from Toy Story to Finding Nemo —were all built on the same simple 8-step framework? In this episode of The Storytelling Lab, Rain breaks down the Story Spine , a storytelling structure or...

"Social media isn’t just a tool; it’s an opportunity to co-create stories with your audience. They don't need more information. They need insights, emotion, and most importantly, connection." - Cyndi Zaweski Building a supportive community as a solopreneur, artist, or small business owner can feel overwhelming—especially if you’re an introvert. In this episode of The Storytelling Lab, Rain Bennett...

"South Park’s creators cracked the code on storytelling, and their method will instantly improve your stories." - Rain Bennett In this episode of the Storytelling Lab podcast, Rain discusses the common pitfalls that storytellers face, particularly the challenge of tying together various elements of a story to maintain audience engagement. But there is a simple yet powerful storytelling principle t...

"You've got to get out of your own way. Put yourself out into the world, and just give it to the universe. Lean into the space shared with the world." — J. R. Martinez In episode 184 of The Storytelling Lab podcast, J.R. Martinez, a best-selling author, keynote speaker, and actor, shares his inspiring journey of resilience and personal growth after being injured in the military. As Martinez recoun...

"We so rarely stop and realize when we're in good fortune. We don't understand when we're in ill fortune that we won't be there forever. It's just part of the shape of our story." — Rain Bennett In this episode of The Storytelling Lab podcast, Rain Bennett delves into Kurt Vonnegut's "Eight shapes of stories" theory, emphasizing its relevance in understanding the simplicity of storytelling, both i...

"A great story will always win and find its home and its place in the world. So get better, do better, be better. And if you're in it to win it, then you stay with it and you evolve." — Rodes Phire In this episode of The Storytelling Lab, Rodes Phire, an independent filmmaker, dives deep into her directorial debut film, Farewelling , and shares her insights on the challenges and triumphs of indepe...

"It's okay for you to use inspiration from other stories that have been there. The point is for you to know how do you tell your story differently" — Rain Bennett In this episode of The Storytelling Lab, Rain dives into the emotional arcs of stories, drawing from his experience as a filmmaker and author. He discusses the six emotional story shapes artificial intelligence identified through Project...

"You have to show up every day and produce because you need the reps. And that is because you need the data from those reps. You can't take one shot in the dark—one stab at it with your one idea—and it not work out, and learn anything valuable from that experience." - Rain Bennett In this episode of the Storytelling Lab podcast, Rain Bennett shares his personal journey as a storyteller and screenw...

"Once I found my way through the jungle of social media, I found that when I was authentic and spoke from my heart, it resonated with a tribe. That was my tribe." — David Griffiths In this episode of The Storytelling Lab, host Rain Bennett sits down with David Griffiths, a successful content creator and musician, to delve into the power of authentic storytelling. David's journey was profoundly inf...

"You're hiring me because you believe I know better, and you shouldn't hire me if you don't think that." - Pia Silva In this episode of The Storytelling Lab, branding expert Pia Silva shares her expertise on building authentic brand identities for small service-based businesses. Pia emphasizes the importance of crafting branding based on the genuine experiences of the client, rather than creating...

"All companies need chief storytellers. If you don't know where to find them, hire a former journalist." - Sarah Hill In this episode of The Storytelling Lab, Sarah Hill, the Chief Storyteller and CEO of Healium, shares her journey from journalism to entrepreneurship, highlighting the transformative power of immersive storytelling experiences. Sarah Hill's journey into immersive storytelling began...

"Variation is the first key to keeping people engaged. Visual variation, tonal variation, variation in shots, variation in speed and pace and tempo, and all of that. When you become monotonous, you become boring. When your story becomes boring, people will tune out." In episode 176 of The Storytelling Lab, Rain delves into the art of storytelling, highlighting the crucial role of tension in captiv...

"Yes, it is about you, but it's always about you through the lens of your audience. So think about that as you're crafting the Our Story section." In this episode of The Storytelling Lab, host Rain Bennett delves into the critical role of storytelling in branding and marketing. Through a thorough analysis of various brand stories, including those of a bourbon company, coffee bean company, cooler c...

"I refuse to listen to the 'I need $25,000 to go make something.' You might need $25,000 to make that thing that you're talking about, but go make something else, you know?" - Luke Barnett In this episode of The Storytelling Lab, filmmaker Luke Barnett shares valuable insights on the art of storytelling and the practicalities of bringing creative visions to life. He challenges the misconception th...

The labyrinth, while it may be a metaphor for sociocultural conflicts, the choices you have to make at home in your culture in order to succeed, which have consequences. While that works there, it also works as psychologically, because it's an inward journey." - Douglas Burton Growing up in the 80s, Douglas Burton was immersed in a world of iconic films that ignited his imagination. From Star Wars...

"Tension is the driving force behind any good story. You need to do is understand that it is a constant ebb and flow of tension. You're increasing the tension and you're releasing the tension. That is the rhythm of storytelling. That's all storytelling is, is cause and effect." - Rain Bennett In this episode of The Storytelling Lab podcast, Rain Bennett dives into the captivating storytelling tech...

"It was my moment in the universe to make this wrong a right, and I knew I had the skills to do it." - Betsy Hester Betsy Hester's journey into the world of true crime storytelling began during her 25-year teaching career, where she instilled in her students the importance of critical thinking and fact-based research. It was the haunting tale of the Little Rascals daycare scandal that deeply affe...

"The next revolution in information won't be about knowledge. It will be about implementation, because we all know so much more than we're able to put into practice." - Jyoti Guptara Curious about how a novelist and business storyteller found their way to a cutting-edge technology summit? Discover how this unexpected journey led to a groundbreaking intersection of creativity and AI. Jyoti Guptara,...

"I just felt like we didn't have enough storytellers for brands on LinkedIn. Storytelling is the new deal and brands are lacking when it comes to writing stories. So I decided to just focus more on writing stories for brands, just to let them know that we are not doing that boring content anymore." - Zainan Olanrewaju If you're feeling overwhelmed and struggling to find your unique storytelling st...

"Understanding and controlling the story that you tell yourself is the absolute most important story that you will tell. However, it is often the most overlooked and the most neglected story in your arsenal." - Rain Bennett If you're overwhelmed by the negative self-talk in your head, constantly comparing yourself to others and struggling to execute your goals, you are not alone! The battle with s...

"Storytelling is about a lot of honesty and being aware that your audience, depending upon who they are and where they're from, when you say a word or a phrase, they may interpret that differently than what you think you heard." —Nelson Farris In this episode of The Storytelling Lab, Nelson Farris, the Chief Storyteller at Nike, shares his 50 years of experience and insights on effective storytell...