Why That Worked – Presented by StoryBrand.ai

You don’t get to meet an astronaut everyday. They’re really special people who beat terrific odds (less than 1%) to get where they are. So what an honor it is to have Astronaut Jerry Linenger on the podcast. He was sent on some of the most dangerous and historical space missions of all time. Jerry has faced mechanical malfunctions, fires and system failures all while in space. While you might not have to put out a space fire this week, we all have faced extreme pressures before. The principles Jerry used to accomplish his missions won’t only work for him. They’ll help you bring a stronger sense of purpose to your business, too — no matter what the odds are. http://buildingastorybrand.com/74

As consumers, we admire disruptors like Netflix, Uber, and Apple. But as a business leader, disruption can cause you to lose sleep at night. You’ve got to stay ahead of the competition or you might get left behind. In this episode of the Building a StoryBrand podcast, Donald Miller sits down with Whitney Johnson to talk about how to prepare your team to manage change in an age of disruption. She’s an expert on this topic and gives you some strategies to help you feel competent and confident in the dynamic business realm you work in. http://buildingastorybrand.com/73

How much can poor customer service cost you? The answer is more than you think. Donald Miller sits down with Todd Duncan, author of The $6,000 Egg. A best-selling author and thought-leader in the sales industry, Todd outlines five scenarios that illustrate the five rules of spectacular customer service. When you apply them, you’ll bring in loyal customers and create trust in your company.   Customer service is the bedrock of your brand. If your team takes ownership of your company’s values and delivers wonderful service to your customers, you’ll see exponential growth in your business. You’ll also discover that almost every aspect of your company runs smoother. http://buildingastorybrand.com/72

How can a professional storyteller help you grow your business? Simple. Business is about persuading people to buy your products or services. And, psychologists tell us that storytelling is the most effective method of persuasion. So, you’re going to need effective storytelling to grow your business.   In this episode of the Building a StoryBrand podcast, Donald Miller sits down with professional storyteller Tricia Rose Burt to talk about 3 super powerful principles you need to tell a great story. You can apply these to almost any communication you use in your business. When you understand these principles of story, your marketing will become much more persuasive and your sales will grow. http://buildingastorybrand.com/71

If you’ve ever seriously thought about starting a business of your own, you’ve probably discovered how difficult it is to get good advice on how to do it. What you need is a map, a blueprint, of how to get from your cubicle to doing what you love. And you need to know how to make money at it. Because, let’s face it, making a good living is an important part of your security and happiness. This week, Donald Miller sits down with Dorie Clark, author of Entrepreneurial You, on the Building a StoryBrand podcast. Dorie’s interviewed over 50 highly successful entrepreneurs about how they’ve monetized doing something they care about, and she’s going to share with us all their secrets. You’re going to learn the 3 key phases to develop your startup. By the time you’ve moved through these phases, you’ll be making good money and doing what you love. http://buildingastorybrand.com/70

You’re going to retire someday. And we’re not talking about just a few years of your life. People are living longer. More people will live to 100 than ever. So you might be in financial stress for a good 20 to 25 years of your life if you don’t make some changes. Worse, you could end up becoming a burden to the people you love the most. That’s not a pretty picture, but there’s some good news. Donald Miller sits down with Chris Hogan, the author of Retire Inspired, on the Building a StoryBrand podcast. He calls his book “America’s wake-up call” and his goal is to motivate you to think about retirement now and think about it differently. http://buildingastorybrand.com/69

Do you feel like no matter how hard you work, you’re always behind? The worst part is you know of highly productive people who have time for everything important — family, health, friends and business. Nothing has to be sacrificed upon the altar of success. So, what are their secrets? Today’s podcast guest will reveal them. Charles Duhigg, the author of Smarter Faster Better, used to be sitting in the same place you are now. He had achieved an incredibly successful career, but was still miserable. His daily life whizzed by in frantic activity that left him feeling empty. Charles began investigating these highly productive people who go on vacation, spend time with family, and pursue a fulfilling work life. What he came up with will help you increase your productivity and reclaim your life. http://buildingastorybrand.com/68

Does running your business feel like you’re caught in a whirlwind? That ringing phone, the unexpected appointment, the stuff piling up from last week? Urgent matters keep popping up. All the while, more important things like growing your company gets pushed aside. You know the answer lies in getting help from your team, but trying to get your team to do something new in the midst of the whirlwind is extremely difficult. Today, you’ll discover the solution to that problem. Donald Miller sits down with Chris McChesney, co-author of The 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX). Trying to change the behaviors of the people around you is one of the biggest challenges you’ll ever face. With the 4 Disciplines of Execution, you can rest assured you’re implementing a system that is tested and proven. Once everyone is moving together in one direction, you and your team will no longer be tending to urgent matters only. Instead, you’ll be achieving goals and moving the company forward in exciting ways. http://buildingastorybrand.com/67

If you have an important, high-stakes presentation that needs to move people en masse in a given direction, Nancy Duarte is the person you’d call. She’s written, visualized, and helped people deliver some of the world’s greatest talks. Her Guide to Persuasive Presentations is the best-selling Harvard Business Review guide ever. And if you haven’t seen Nancy’s TED talk — where she lays Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech over Steve Jobs’ Apple iPhone release and shows you how they’re essentially the same talk — then I don’t know where you’ve been in the last six years. So I can’t tell you enough how honored I am to have Nancy as our guest on this week’s episode of Building a StoryBrand podcast. Nancy gives you the tools you need to make your presentation resonate. She’s going to show you how to carefully examine and craft seven different sections of your presentation before stepping up on stage. http://buildingastorybrand.com/66

This week my new book Building a StoryBrand is out! If you’ve been wanting to clarify your message pick it up today at Amazon or Barnes and Noble! That said, if you don’t want to order it because reading hurts your brain, there’s a distant, distant second option I recommend. And that’s to listen to this week’s podcast because this week, J.J. and I shamelessly plug the book by going through it point by point. It’s like the audiobook but with a laugh track! The main reason I wrote the book is because I wanted to make marketing easy and I believe it accomplishes that task. To get the best points, though, you’ll have to buy the book to get. I’m no dummy. Anyway, I hope you read these ideas, apply them and make loads of money. And I hope they make you want to buy the book to make even more. http://buildingastorybrand.com/65