Business of Story #550: How to Use The Hero's Journey in Business and in Life, With John Bucher
Hero's Journey Mirrors Decision Neurology
- The Hero's Journey maps to how brains solve problems and make decisions, not just story structure.
- John Bucher says customers feel first, seek evidence second, then justify logically.
From Recording Arts To Storytelling
- John Bucher stumbled into storytelling in a college recording-arts class that turned out to be film and TV.
- That accidental path led him to Hollywood and a PhD studying why we repeat the same stories.
Two Business Paths To The Call To Adventure
- The 'Call to Adventure' often appears as two business paths: entrepreneur-driven dissatisfaction or manager-driven displacement.
- Both paths converge into similar stages of trials, mentors, and transformation.
This milestone 550th episode brings the Business of Story full circle to its foundational inspiration: Joseph Campbell and the Hero's Journey. Host Park Howell interviews John Bucher, PhD, Executive Director of the Joseph Campbell Foundation, revealing why the Hero's Journey is more than a story framework - it's a neurological blueprint for business success.
What You'll DiscoverThe Neuroscience of Storytelling
Modern research shows the Hero's Journey mirrors the exact neurological patterns your brain uses to solve problems. When you structure business communications around this framework, you're speaking the native language of human decision-making.
How Customers Really Make Decisions
John Bucher reveals the truth most businesses miss: Customers make emotional decisions first, gather evidence to support those feelings second, then justify logically third. As Robert McKee said, "The conscious mind is simply the PR department that justifies all the decisions the emotional subconscious mind makes."
This is why stories (which communicate feelings) are more powerful than data alone.
The Two Paths to Business Transformation
Discover how the "Call to Adventure" manifests differently for entrepreneurs versus managers:
• Entrepreneur's Journey: Driven by dissatisfaction, voluntarily leaves comfort zone, proactively pursues opportunity
• Manager's Journey: Forced by circumstances, faces organizational changes, adapts to involuntary transitions
Understanding both paths helps you connect with any audience.
Your Customer Is the Hero (Not Your Brand)
The positioning shift that transforms marketing from pushy to magnetic: Your brand is Yoda, not Luke Skywalker. You're the mentor providing guidance, not the hero seeking glory.
John explains: "We all trust ourselves more than we trust anyone else. When we create the framework for listeners to tell themselves the story, it's so much more powerful."
What You're Really Selling
"Chevrolet doesn't sell automobiles, they sell freedom." Customers don't buy based on specifications - they buy emotional stories about what products enable in their lives. You're selling transformation, not products.
From Intuitive to Intentional Storytelling
We're all natural storytellers, but there's a difference between intuitive and intentional storytelling. Learn how to replicate storytelling success consistently without becoming a story theorist.
The Hero's Journey as Life Instruction Manual
Christopher Vogler calls the Hero's Journey "an instruction manual for life." John Bucher agrees: "No matter how good things are going, bad times always come. That road of trials is something we all keep returning to."
The framework helps you recognize patterns, identify mentors, and embrace transformation as natural.
Guest ExpertJohn Bucher, PhD, is a renowned mythologist and story expert who has been featured on the BBC, the History Channel, the LA Times, The Hollywood Reporter, and numerous other international outlets. He serves as Executive Director for the Joseph Campbell Foundation and is a writer, storyteller, and speaker.
John has consulted and worked with government and cultural leaders around the world, as well as organizations such as HBO, DC Comics, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, A24 Films, Atlas Obscura, and The John Maxwell Leadership Foundation. He is the author of six influential books on storytelling and has worked with New York Times best-selling authors, YouTube influencers, Eisner winners, Emmy winners, Academy Award nominees, magicians, and cast members from Saturday Night Live.
Holding a PhD in Mythology & Depth Psychology, he integrates scholarly insights with practical insights, exploring the profound connections between myth, culture, and personal identity. His expertise has helped shape compelling narratives across various platforms, enriching the way stories are understood, told, and experienced globally.
Website: tellingabetterstory.com
Episode Highlights• The Deathbringer and Lifebringer Native American story that illustrates what you're really selling in business
• Why Joseph Campbell opposed dogmatic application of the Hero's Journey (and championed diverse adaptations)
• Park Howell's synchronicity experience: Lights flickering when mentioning Campbell's death anniversary
• How Park's career demonstrates multiple hero's journeys (agency founder at 35, story consultant at 55)
• The Refusal of the Call in sales: Why customer resistance is a natural stage, not permanent barrier
• John Bucher's accidental hero's journey (enrolled in music program, ended up in film/TV by mistake)
• The Fundamental Attribution Error and how it affects business communication
• Why the Hero's Journey is a form (not formula) - the tango dancing metaphor
• How to use storytelling language to create deeper listening and engagement
Resources MentionedQuick Introduction (3 minutes):
"What It Takes to Be a Hero" by Matthew Winkler (TED-Ed video) - Created by a teacher to help struggling teens understand they're not alone
Accessible Learning:
• "The Writer's Journey" by Christopher Vogler (5th edition)
• "The Power of Myth" book and PBS series with Bill Moyers (6 one-hour episodes)
• "Finding Joe" documentary
Deep Study:
• "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" by Joseph Campbell (1949 - warning: very arcane)
New Release:
• "Joseph Campbell on the Hero's Journey" - Joseph Campbell Essentials series pocket gift book (available on Amazon)
Business Application:
• Story Cycle System by Park Howell
• Venables Bell & Partners Audi campaigns (perfect 30-second Hero's Journey examples)
Key QuotesJohn Bucher on Decision-Making:
"When we understand story, we start to get shortcuts into the thinking of people behind how they make decisions."
On Campbell's Philosophy:
"Joseph Campbell was not a fan of dogma. He was interested in putting things out on the table for thoughtful engagement and good conversation."
On Story Power:
"Stories bypass the head and go straight to the heart. We've heard it all before in business - we're looking for different ways to bring information that hold just a bit of surprise."
Park Howell on Intentional Storytelling:
"We are all by nature intuitive storytellers. But you can become an intentional storyteller simply by understanding these frameworks."
On Story as Operating System:
"Storytelling is the software that drives the hardware of the operating system - our meaning-making machine in our limbic system, hippocampus, and amygdala."
ConnectJohn Bucher: tellingabetterstory.com
Joseph Campbell Foundation: jcf.org (weekly newsletter available)
Park Howell: businessofstory.com
Story Cycle System: businessofstory.com/story-cycle-genie
Related Episodes• Episode 425: The ABT Framework Explained - Mastering And-But-Therefore for Business
• Episode 380: Customer Journey Mapping with Story Frameworks
• Episode 510: Brand Archetypes in Action - Finding Your Authentic Voice
About Business of StoryThe Business of Story podcast helps business professionals, marketers, and entrepreneurs master the power of strategic storytelling. Host Park Howell, creator of the Story Cycle System, interviews world-class experts on applying narrative frameworks to business growth, customer engagement, and brand development.
Subscribe: businessofstory.com/podcast