Seth Godin Dissects a Signature Story

43 snips

Oct 21, 2024

Seth Godin, a renowned storyteller and bestselling author, dives deep into the art of storytelling and its power in business. He shares a captivating 'super-story' about recumbent bikes, discussing its evolution and how it shapes perceptions in communities. Seth highlights the importance of pedagogy and posture for storytellers, emphasizing how authenticity and strategic thinking enhance narratives. With a lively exchange of tales, Seth and his host reveal how personal connections and status affect storytelling in the digital age.

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ADVICE

Memorization and Embodiment for Speakers

To become a professional speaker, memorize hours of content from someone you admire.
Embody their techniques, but develop your own unique style, don't copy them.

INSIGHT

Storytelling as Teaching

Storytellers must act as teachers, guiding their audience with empathy and understanding.
Effective stories leave breadcrumbs, enabling the audience to arrive at their own conclusions.

ADVICE

Don't Steal the Revelation

When teaching with stories, don't reveal the conclusion prematurely.
Let your audience discover the insights themselves.

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Today, it's a total treat as the one and only Seth Godin takes us into how he thinks about storytelling and the intersection of strategy and story, and then we hear him dissect a signature story. Plus, Seth and I trade stories in the back half of the episode—business storytelling nerdery on full display.

Seth is a world-renowned storyteller and thought leader, a legendary keynote speaker who helped disrupt the format, and the bestselling author of more than 20 books, including Purple Cow, The Practice, and This Is Marketing. His brand new book, This is Strategy, is available now.

Together, Seth and I discuss his delightful story about recumbent bikes. This "super-story" has found its way into Seth’s work repeatedly for over a decade. We discuss ‌the evolution of this story, how he conceptualizes status and affiliation, and why focusing on pedagogy as a storyteller is essential.

Also in the episode: why the idea of your posture matters for storytellers, the role of the storyteller today (and why tiny stories make a big impact), and how can you make yourself, your work, and your stories truly stand out.

RESOURCES:

Learn more about Seth at his website and read his blog

Buy a copy of Seth's new book, This Is Strategy

Subscribe to Jay's newsletter at jayacunzo.com

Join Jay's membership program for business storytellers and service providers, the Creator Kitchen

Follow Jay on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Threads

Produced by Ilana Nevins

Cover art designed by Blake Ink

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ABOUT JAY:

Jay Acunzo is an author, speaker, and differentiation-and-thought leadership consultant on a mission to help you make what matters to your career, company, and community. He's an advisor to experts, execs, and entrepreneurs who want to resonate deeper with others, not just reach them. To do so, he helps you turn your expertise into IP and your IP into differentiated messaging, exceptional speeches, and celebrated creative projects, equipping you with the communication techniques and power of today’s top thought leaders—because he believes in standing out through substance and stories, not hollow hype.

A leading voice in B2B content marketing for many years thanks to his roles at brands like Google and HubSpot, companies like Mailchimp, Salesforce, Wistia, and GoDaddy have turned to Jay to strengthen their storytelling, while dozens of individual authors, speakers, consultants, and service providers hire Jay as their dedicated thought partner and exec. producer to help develop their premise, IP, speaking, and shows.

Jay lives in the Boston area with his family as a proud Yankees and Knicks fan. In the 60 seconds per week he's not creating stuff for work or making his kids laugh, he likes to shoot hoops, sip nice bourbons, cook with his wife, and daydream about telling stories like that of his storytelling hero, Anthony Bourdain.