549: Don't Market More, Matter More: Why Resonance Beats Reach, With Jay Acunzo

Jan 5, 2026

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What good is reach if you don't have resonance?

In this transformative episode of Business of Story, host Park Howell sits down with Jay Acunzo to explore why clarity isn't enough for brand stories and how to transform expertise into influential public voice through premise development.

--- ABOUT JAY ACUNZO ---

Jay Acunzo is an author, speaker, and public speaking coach who helps experts become stronger public voices. He's written books about creativity and storytelling, and he's traveled the world giving keynotes to marketers and managers, dentists and designers, leaders and landscapers.

His clients include bestselling authors, mainstage TED speakers, startup founders, and seven-figure coaches and consultants. Brands like Salesforce, GoDaddy, Zillow, and Mailchimp have trusted Jay to support some of their most visible projects.

He began his career in sales and marketing at Google and HubSpot, and his own journey as a speaker has been featured in 3 different books.

Jay's philosophy challenges conventional marketing wisdom: don't market more, matter more. Think resonance over reach. Don't be the best, be their favorite.

--- WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER ---

✓ What a premise really is (and why it's different from a tagline, mission, or niche)

✓ The resonance over reach philosophy and why it creates more business impact

✓ How resonance works (using physics to understand the urge to act)

✓ The narrative argument framework: six beats that move audiences from skepticism to action

✓ Laddered messaging structure: We Want → We Need → We Hope

✓ Story 2.0: Why process alone isn't enough (you need practice and posture too)

✓ The critical difference between clarity and strength in brand storytelling

✓ How to develop your premise through iteration (not instant perfection)

✓ Why focus is something you pick, but clarity is something you build

✓ Real examples: How Jay helped Anne Handley refine her premise for ASAP: As Slow As Possible

✓ Premise examples from James Clear, Simon Sinek, Michelle Warner, and more

✓ How to apply premise thinking to products and services (StoryCycle Genie case study)

--- KEY FRAMEWORKS REVEALED ---

NARRATIVE ARGUMENT (6 Beats):

What are their goals?
What's their current approach?
What are the problems with that approach?
What root cause do you see?
What change do they need?
How do they implement it?

LADDERED MESSAGING (3 Phrases):

• We Want: Meet people where they're at • We Need: Your premise/philosophical change • We Hope: The grand transformation

STORY 2.0 (3 P's):

• Process: Story structure and frameworks • Practice: Regular creation and refinement • Posture: Seeing yourself as a storyteller

--- MEMORABLE QUOTES ---

The goal is not to market more, it's to matter more.

What good is awareness if you don't have affinity? What good is reach if you don't have resonance?

Don't be the best, be their favorite.

Clarity doesn't mean strength. Clarity doesn't mean efficacy.

Focus is something you pick. Clarity is something you build.

--- ABOUT BUSINESS OF STORY ---

The Business of Story podcast helps business owners and marketers master the art of storytelling to grow their brands and create meaningful impact. Hosted by Park Howell, creator of the StoryCycle System and ABT Framework, each episode features expert guests sharing proven strategies for business growth through authentic narrative.

Whether you're building a brand, leading a team, or developing your public voice, Business of Story delivers the frameworks and insights you need to make your message matter.