The StoryBrand Podcast

As a business leader, you've got to pay attention to what's going on in the world. But with 24-hour news cycles, constant outrage, and endless "hot takes," it can feel impossible to truly understand the issues. To help us make sense of it, Don sits down with CNN analyst Kirsten Powers for an honest and nuanced conversation about how we can process the news in complex times.

If you lead a business, you're constantly negotiating -- even if you don't realize it. Make sure no one's taking advantage of you, with help from today's guest. Chris Voss is a former FBI hostage negotiator, and he understands the neuroscience that drives any negotiation. He sits down with Don to help us apply those tactics in our everyday lives as business leaders. If you want to approach your next deal with confidence, don't miss this episode.

As the Governor of Tennessee for the last eight years -- and a successful business leader before that -- Bill Haslam knows a lot about leadership. In this special episode of the Building a StoryBrand podcast, he joins Don for an earnest and inspiring conversation. Whether you lead in the public or private sector, you'll find practical wisdom that'll sharpen your leadership skills.

How did one family-owned business crank out a 90% conversion rate (!!!!) for their golf course fertilizer -- even when their product cost more than their competitors'? They showed their prospects how great life could be once they buy -- and they did it in a wild and wonderful way. David Pursell, the CEO of Pursell Farms, tells the whole story this week on the podcast. It'll inspire you to think creatively about your sales process, too.

What will your customer miss out on if they don't buy your product or service? That's the power of "FOMO" - or "Fear of Missing Out." And as marketers, it's critical that we create it -- without resorting to cheap fear tactics. That's why we're excited to have Matt Ford on the podcast. He's the creative force behind experience-driven marketing campaigns for Hulu, Adidas (among others) that customers don't want to miss out on. Learn how you can apply this powerful strategy to your own brand!

It's no secret that a strong call to action is key for creating great marketing material. But what does it look like to actually craft a call to action that people respond to? To help answer that question we invited our Director of Marketing, Tyler Ginn, to join the podcast for this week's episode. He sits down with Don and JJ to break down a successful email campaign and gives you practical tips for creating calls to action in your marketing that will get a response. Plus, find out which type of salesperson is statistically proven to be the most successful (hint: the answer will probably surprise you).

The Ritz-Carlton is one of the most iconic brands in the world. And on this episode of the podcast, we welcome the visionary who built it, Horst Schulze. He shares the practical strategies he used to do it. How to craft a compelling vision. How to make sure all your employees share that vision. Plus, the four key objectives every successful business pursues in order to succeed. It's a masterclass in authentic branding and visionary leadership from a man who knows exactly what it takes to excel at the highest level -- and what he shares will help you excel, too.

We all need to know how to conduct great interviews. Whether you're hiring, networking, doing customer discovery, or even dating, you need to be able to ask questions that solicit meaningful answers. On this episode of the podcast, Donald Miller talks with master interviewer Dean Nelson about what questions to ask, how to listen, and more. Don't miss this super practical episode!

Want to make your brand's messaging exponentially more powerful? Learn how to define a villain for your customers. That's because our brains are hard-wired to pay attention to negative things -- threats, villains, potential losses. On today's episode, Mike McHargue (a.k.a. "Science Mike") explains the science of why this happens. And don't worry -- he uses simple terms we can all understand and apply to our businesses without being manipulative.

What are you selling? Your quick answer may be "real estate" or "jewelry" -- but to really connect with customers, you need to understand the deeper value you offer them. You don't sell real estate, you sell peace of mind. You don't sell jewelry, you sell confidence. Join us on this episode for a deep dive into defining what your customer really wants. First, Don and JJ talk about why we need to understand our customers' desires. Then, Don interviews advertising executive Aaron James about real-world ad campaigns that have done just that. If you want to give yourself a big advantage as we start 2019, this is the episode for you!