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How to tell better stories | Matthew Dicks (Storyworthy)

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Dec 15, 2023

Guest

Matthew Dicks

Matthew Dicks, a best-selling author and storytelling expert, shares his insights on crafting compelling narratives. He emphasizes the transformative power of storytelling in business, highlighting how personal experiences can create emotional connections. Dicks discusses techniques like starting with the ending and maintaining audience engagement through humor. He also introduces his 'Homework for Life' practice, a method to capture meaningful moments for storytelling. Plus, he offers tips on overcoming public speaking nerves, making storytelling both relatable and impactful.

01:42:57

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Episode notes

00:00 / 00:00

Stories in Business

Use stories in business to be memorable and avoid mediocrity.
Stories connect with people emotionally, making your message stick, unlike dry facts or figures.

00:00 / 00:00

Personalizing Business Stories

Make business stories personal and relatable by including personal anecdotes.
This creates genuine connections with your audience and makes your message resonate.

00:00 / 00:00

Personal Interest Inventory

Develop a "personal interest inventory" to strategically reveal relatable aspects of yourself.
Subtly weave these personal details into your stories to enhance connection without oversharing.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Moments that Transform: The Heart of Storytelling

04:44 • 6min

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Mastering the Art of Storytelling

10:29 • 22min

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The Power of Storytelling in Business

32:20 • 20min

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Harnessing Humor in Business Storytelling

52:12 • 6min

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The Power of Storytelling in Business

57:54 • 22min

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Conquering Nerves and Embracing Storytelling

01:19:27 • 14min

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Unconventional Interviewing and Exciting Product Discoveries

01:33:34 • 3min

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The Power of Positivity in Storytelling

01:36:11 • 7min

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#23020

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I'll Show Myself Out

Jessi Klein

In 'I'll Show Myself Out', Jessi Klein hilariously challenges cultural myths and expectations around motherhood, delving into the humiliations, poignancies, and possibilities of midlife. The book features interconnected essays that explore life's cruel ironies, joyous moments, and bittersweetness with Klein's signature candor and humanity.

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• Mentioned in 3 episodes

The Tale of Despereaux

Kate DiCamillo

The Tale of Despereaux follows the adventures of Despereaux Tilling, a small mouse with large ears and a love for music, stories, and a princess named Pea. The story also involves a rat named Roscuro, who covets a world filled with light, and Miggery Sow, a serving girl with a simple yet impossible wish to be a princess. These characters' journeys intertwine as they navigate the castle, the dungeon, and each other's lives, exploring themes of bravery, kindness, and the power of light over darkness.

#4419

• Mentioned in 10 episodes

Happy-Go-Lucky

David Sedaris

In 'Happy-Go-Lucky,' David Sedaris reflects on the pandemic, his father's death, and various personal and public upheavals with his signature wit and sharp observations. The book includes stories about his walks during lockdown, his relationships with his family, and his experiences on the road, highlighting both the absurdity and the poignancy of these times. Sedaris tackles serious topics like loss, aging, and social unrest while maintaining his characteristic humor and irreverence.

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• Mentioned in 11 episodes

In the Heart of the Sea

The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex

Nathaniel Philbrick

In 'In the Heart of the Sea,' Nathaniel Philbrick recounts the tragic story of the whaleship Essex, which was rammed and sunk by an angry sperm whale in the South Pacific in 1820. The book details the crew's desperate struggle to survive in three small whaleboats, facing extreme conditions such as starvation, dehydration, and cannibalism. Philbrick uses accounts from the ship's crew, including those of first mate Owen Chase and cabin boy Thomas Nickerson, to provide a detailed and gripping narrative. The book also explores the broader context of Nantucket's whaling community and the impact of the Essex tragedy on American literature, notably inspiring Herman Melville's 'Moby Dick. '

#243

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Storyworthy

Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling

Matthew Dicks

In 'Storyworthy,' Matthew Dicks provides a comprehensive guide on the art of storytelling. The book is divided into three parts: Finding your story, Crafting your story, and Telling your story. Dicks shares his own stories to illustrate key points and offers tips and exercises to help readers improve their storytelling skills. He emphasizes the importance of identifying a 'five-second moment' of transformation or realization in every story and provides techniques for making stories engaging and memorable. The book is designed to help anyone become a better storyteller, whether for personal or professional purposes, and highlights how storytelling can deepen connections with others and enhance one's own life.

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The Comedian

Maria Bamford

Matthew Dicks is a best-selling author, columnist, blogger, podcaster, playwright, and teacher. He wrote my all-time favorite book on storytelling, Storyworthy. He is an elementary school teacher by day and by night teaches storytelling and public speaking to individuals, corporations, universities, religious institutions, and school districts around the world. He’s taught storytelling at Yale, MIT, Harvard, and Purdue, along with Amazon, Salesforce, Slack, Lego, and others. In this conversation, Matthew shares insights and techniques for effective storytelling, including:

• The benefits of good storytelling in business

• The five-second moment and why it’s so important

• Why you should start every story at the end

• How to build a vault of stories that can be deployed in business situations

• Tips on how to be funnier

• His life-changing “Homework for Life” practice

• Advice for dealing with nervousness in public speaking

• The power of saying yes

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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-tell-better-stories-matthew

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Where to find Matthew Dicks:

• Website: https://matthewdicks.com/

• X: https://twitter.com/MatthewDicks

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-dicks-84a95711/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4K0fcEJkzJLso5h6CN00LQ

• Storyworthy: https://www.storyworthymd.com/

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Where to find Lenny:

• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

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In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Matthew’s background

(04:27) The five-second moment

(10:29) Knowing the ending

(14:28) The importance of including a transformation

(15:59) The dinner test

(18:19) You can’t tell someone else’s story

(20:24) Vacation stories

(23:14) Adding stakes to the story

(25:12) The power of surprise

(29:20) The benefits of storytelling in business

(32:20) An example of adding stakes

(34:02) Storytelling in the workplace

(44:29) Using personal inventory to make stories relatable

(48:46) Four ways to keep people listening

(50:52) Using humor in business storytelling

(53:09) Advice for adding humor

(58:43) An example of how storytelling helped a biotech company sell product

(1:02:06) Advice for people who don’t want to become storytellers

(1:06:35) The power of “Homework for Life”

(01:15:26) Practical tips for starting Homework for Life

(01:19:28) Dealing with nervousness in public speaking

(01:24:42) Preparing for a talk or presentation

(01:25:24) The power of saying yes

(01:30:55) Lightning round

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Referenced:

• How ‘Star Wars’ answers our biggest religious questions: https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/04/21/how-star-wars-answers-our-biggest-religious-questions/

• When Harry Met Sally on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/When-Harry-Sally-Billy-Crystal/dp/B001Q556QG

• Persuasive communication and managing up | Wes Kao (Maven, Seth Godin, Section4): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/persuasive-communication-and-managing-up-wes-kao-maven-seth-godin-section4/

• Kurt Vonnegut’s 8 Tenets of Storytelling: https://www.themarginalian.org/2012/04/03/kurt-vonnegut-on-writing-stories/

• Vertigo on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Vertigo-James-Stewart/dp/B000I9YLXU

• Ocean’s Eleven on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Oceans-Eleven-George-Clooney/dp/B001EBV0JE

• David Mamet | JCCSF: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZOT1jCHfhI

• Pulp Fiction on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Pulp-Fiction-John-Travolta/dp/B005T3AX6E

• Charity Thief: Boston Moth StorySLAM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjrlGhAB4a4

• Boris Levin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/boris-levin-ab95404/

• Masha Reutovski on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/masha-reutovski/

• Top Three Steve Jobs Speeches: https://www.pcworld.com/article/482269/top_three_steve_jobs_speeches.html

• The Javits Center: https://www.javitscenter.com/

• Stranger Things on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80057281

• 1989 (Taylor’s Version) on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/64LU4c1nfjz1t4VnGhagcg

• Classic Sesame Street—one of these things is not like the other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCxrkl2igGY

• Homework for Life: https://matthewdicks.com/homework-for-life/

• Homework for Life | Matthew Dicks | TEDxBerkshires: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7p329Z8MD0

• Seth Meyers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth_Meyers

• David Sedaris on MasterClass: https://www.masterclass.com/classes/david-sedaris-teaches-storytelling-and-humor

• Happy-Go-Lucky: https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Go-Lucky-David-Sedaris/dp/0316392456

• A life of yes: Matthew Dicks at TEDxSomerville: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3TaQFcaMk4

• New York Comedy Festival: https://nycomedyfestival.com/

• In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex: https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Sea-Tragedy-Whaleship-Essex/dp/0141001828

• The Tale of Despereaux: https://www.amazon.com/Tale-Despereaux-Being-Princess-Thread/dp/0763680893

• I’ll Show Myself Out: Essays on Midlife and Motherhood: https://www.amazon.com/Ill-Show-Myself-Out-Motherhood/dp/0062981595

• You’ll Grow Out of It: https://www.amazon.com/Youll-Grow-Out-Jessi-Klein/dp/1455531200

• David Sedaris books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/David-Sedaris/author/B000AQ3YUW

• Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and the Quest to Belong Anywhere: https://www.amazon.com/Sure-Ill-Join-Your-Cult/dp/1982168560

• The Last of Us on HBO: https://www.hbo.com/the-last-of-us

• Barbie: https://www.barbie-themovie.com/

• Krinner tree genie on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Krinner-Genie-Christmas-Stand-Small-Green/dp/B081D78FTP

• Power Pod: https://powerpodshop.com/

• Nostalgia hotdog toaster: https://www.amazon.com/Nostalgia-HDT600RETRORED-Pop-Up-Toaster-Retro/dp/B005Q8X6IO

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Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.

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Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.

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