
Why That Worked – Presented by StoryBrand.ai
Welcome to Why That Worked – Presented by StoryBrand.ai. Have you ever wondered why some brands, trends, or products become massive successes while others fade away? That’s exactly what this podcast explores. Hosted by Donald Miller, creator of the StoryBrand Framework, and co-hosted by Kyle Reed, each episode dives into the strategies behind the world’s biggest wins, breaking them down into clear, actionable insights you can use to create your own success.
Discover how to craft clear and effective messaging that works for your business at StoryBrand.ai.
Latest episodes

Jan 15, 2024 • 25min
#157: How to Stop Thinking Like a Victim and Become Your Own Hero
Join us on February 1 & 2, 2024 at Coach Builder Summit, the ultimate free livestream event all about helping coaches and consultants build and grow their businesses. Lock in your spot at CoachBuilder.com/CoachSummit. -- Many people feel stuck in their situation, often thinking they're victims of their circumstances. This mindset can make you feel like a loser because your motivation plummets and hopelessness tends to set in. As a result, it becomes hard to accomplish what you want in life. Not being able to move past this frustration and have a fulfilling life is an all-too-common problem. So how can you rewire your brain to think more like a winner and start getting what you want? In this episode, host Donald Miller talks about how to beat these challenges and set goals you can actually achieve. He opens up about his own story of how he changed from feeling like a failure to developing a winning mindset and finding amazing success. Exploring ideas from his book Hero on a Mission, he invites you to look at life in a brand new way especially as you begin the new year. You’ll learn how to shift from feeling like a victim to feeling like the hero of your own story. Listen in and get Don’s timely advice on changing how you see yourself and your ability to live a meaningful life. Click here to order and listen to the audiobook version of Hero on a Mission on Audible. -- START THE NEW YEAR WITH A WEBSITE THAT WORKS AND A CLEAR PLAN TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS! JOIN SMALL BUSINESS FLIGHT SCHOOL BY FRIDAY, JANUARY 19 AND GET A FREE ONE HOUR WEBSITE REVIEW BY ONE OF OUR CERTIFIED MARKETING EXPERTS: SmallBusinessFlightSchool.com STUCK TRYING TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS? SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION FOR A CHANCE TO HAVE DON COACH THROUGH IT ON THE SHOW: BusinessMadeSimple.com/Podcast PRE-ORDER COACH BUILDER THE BOOK AND TRANSFORM YOUR EXPERTISE INTO A LUCRATIVE CONSULTING CAREER: CoachBuilderBook.com/Podcast FIND AND FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/BusinessMadeSimple

Jan 8, 2024 • 34min
#156: Will Guidara Returns—Is Hospitality the Ultimate Competitive Advantage?
Join us on February 1 & 2, 2024 at Coach Builder Summit, the ultimate free livestream event all about helping coaches and consultants build and grow their businesses. Lock in your spot at CoachBuilder.com/CoachSummit. -- Business owners often find it hard to balance profitability with genuine customer care. If you’re too focused on getting things done quickly and making money, personal connections and customer service can often take a backseat. In a marketplace where business is often driven by the bottom line, how can you stand out by prioritizing relationships and exceptional customer service? In this episode, host Donald Miller welcomes Will Guidara back to the show. Will is the author of Unreasonable Hospitality and the former co-owner and manager of Eleven Madison Park, which became the #1 restaurant in the world. They discuss how to bring genuine care and top-notch service into any businesses, not just the hospitality industry. Their conversation goes beyond just business tips, exploring deeper ideas about the importance of caring for people in a world where respect for our fellow human beings seems to be slowly diminishing. Don and Will also answer and coach through listener submitted questions (submit your questions at BusinessMadeSimple.com/Podcast) around how you can incorporate unreasonable hospitality into your business. Has your faith in humanity been slipping lately? Tune in to learn how to respond to business challenges with care and compassion. -- STUCK TRYING TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS? SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION FOR A CHANCE TO HAVE DON COACH THROUGH IT ON THE SHOW: BusinessMadeSimple.com/Podcast PRE-ORDER COACH BUILDER THE BOOK AND TRANSFORM YOUR EXPERTISE INTO A LUCRATIVE CONSULTING CAREER: CoachBuilderBook.com/Podcast IF YOU'RE SERIOUS ABOUT IMPLEMENTING A PLAN TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS AND REVENUE, FLIGHT SCHOOL IS FOR YOU! JOIN NOW: SmallBusinessFlightSchool.com. FIND AND FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/BusinessMadeSimple

Jan 1, 2024 • 33min
#155: Alex Hormozi—Facing Economic Uncertainty Head-On (REPLAY)
Join us on February 1 & 2, 2024 at Coach Builder Summit, the ultimate free livestream event all about helping coaches and consultants build and grow their businesses. Lock in your spot at CoachBuilder.com/CoachSummit. -- With inflation and interest rates hitting recent highs, fears of a recession have been mounting around the U.S. For small business owners, the threat of an economic downturn can be terrifying. But it’s important to recognize that recessions aren’t rare events—they happen roughly every 5 to 10 years. That's why it’s crucial for businesses to be equipped with strategies for these tough times. So how can you make sure your business can be resilient during extreme economic fluctuations? In this episode, we're revisiting Donald Miller's conversation with Alex Hormozi, founder of Acquisition.com and author of $100M Offers: How To Make Offers So Good People Feel Stupid Saying No and $100M Leads: How to Get Strangers to Want to Buy Your Stuff. Alex shares 4 key steps to fortifying your business against an economic downturn so you can thrive during uncertain times. Tune in and learn how to adjust your finances and output to ensure that you make money (and don’t lose it) during a recession. Follow Alex on Instagram at Instagram.com/Hormozi. -- STUCK TRYING TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS? SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION FOR A CHANCE TO HAVE DON COACH THROUGH IT ON THE SHOW: BusinessMadeSimple.com/Podcast PRE-ORDER COACH BUILDER THE BOOK AND TRANSFORM YOUR EXPERTISE INTO A LUCRATIVE CONSULTING CAREER: CoachBuilderBook.com/Podcast IF YOU'RE SERIOUS ABOUT IMPLEMENTING A PLAN TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS AND REVENUE, FLIGHT SCHOOL IS FOR YOU! JOIN NOW: SmallBusinessFlightSchool.com. FIND AND FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/BusinessMadeSimple

Dec 25, 2023 • 15min
#154: Debunking the Myth of “Work-Life Balance” (REPLAY)
Join us on February 1 & 2, 2024 at Coach Builder Summit, the ultimate free livestream event all about helping coaches and consultants build and grow their businesses. Lock in your spot at CoachBuilder.com/CoachSummit. -- The concept of “work-life balance” often feels impossible, especially for business owners who can’t seem to switch off from work. Many people struggle to balance their job with their personal life, missing out on family events or relaxing downtime because of work demands. Constant stress and long work hours can have serious effects on your mental and physical health. They can lead to increased anxiety and feeling disconnected from family and hobbies. As we wrap up 2023, we're revisiting a past episode (#106: Why “Work-Life Balance” Isn’t Working For You) where Donald Miller provides a fresh take on work-life balance heading into the new year. He questions the common view that work and life can be perfectly balanced. Instead, he suggests that it’s something we all must continually evaluate and correct throughout our lives. Listen in and learn two reflective exercises that can help you understand what’s truly motivating your choices and how to reprioritize what matters most. -- STUCK TRYING TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS? SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION FOR A CHANCE TO HAVE DON COACH THROUGH IT ON THE SHOW: BusinessMadeSimple.com/Podcast PRE-ORDER COACH BUILDER THE BOOK AND TRANSFORM YOUR EXPERTISE INTO A LUCRATIVE CONSULTING CAREER: CoachBuilderBook.com/Podcast IF YOU'RE SERIOUS ABOUT IMPLEMENTING A PLAN TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS AND REVENUE, FLIGHT SCHOOL IS FOR YOU! JOIN NOW: SmallBusinessFlightSchool.com. FIND AND FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/BusinessMadeSimple

Dec 18, 2023 • 35min
#153: When the Going Gets Tough—How to Be Resilient in Business and Life
Join us on February 1 & 2, 2024 at Coach Builder Summit, the ultimate free livestream event all about helping coaches and consultants build and grow their businesses. Lock in your spot at CoachBuilder.com/CoachSummit. -- Life isn’t always fair. As business owners, we all face tough times, complicated situations, and people who make our journey even more challenging. These problems can make us feel stuck, unsure of how to move forward in our personal and professional lives. So what’s the best way to face hard situations head on and come out unscathed? In today’s episode, join host Donald Miller as he shares strategies to deal with the unfair moments, complex issues, and difficult people you’ll inevitably confront in business and life. You’ll learn practical tips to turn those conflicts into opportunities for growth. Listen in and find out how to navigate life's difficult moments and emerge a wiser, better human being! -- STUCK TRYING TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS? SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION FOR A CHANCE TO HAVE DON COACH THROUGH IT ON THE SHOW: BusinessMadeSimple.com/Podcast PRE-ORDER COACH BUILDER THE BOOK AND TRANSFORM YOUR EXPERTISE INTO A LUCRATIVE CONSULTING CAREER: CoachBuilderBook.com/Podcast IF YOU'RE SERIOUS ABOUT IMPLEMENTING A PLAN TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS AND REVENUE, FLIGHT SCHOOL IS FOR YOU! JOIN NOW: SmallBusinessFlightSchool.com. FIND AND FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/BusinessMadeSimple

Dec 11, 2023 • 27min
#152: AI Is Here to Stay—Here’s What Business Owners Need to Do Now
Join us on February 1, 2024 at Coach Builder Summit, the ultimate free livestream event all about helping coaches and consultants build and grow their businesses. Lock in your spot at CoachBuilder.com/CoachSummit. -- Artificial intelligence is here to stay and understanding how to use it is becoming non-negotiable. But many business owners and entrepreneurs are still figuring out how to make the most of tools like ChatGPT. In the meantime, they’re missing out on the multitude of benefits these technologies can bring, like generating new product ideas or making their work 10x easier. So how can you get past the confusion and start using AI to keep up with the ever-evolving business landscape? In today’s episode, host Donald Miller brings in Dr. J.J. Peterson, Head of StoryBrand and host of the Marketing Made Simple Podcast, to tackle the wild and often-complicated world of AI. They discuss how AI, especially ChatGPT, can be a colossal help in areas like creating content, coming up with ideas, and learning new things. This episode gives business owners practical advice on how to use AI tools effectively, without the overwhelm! Tune in and learn how to use AI to solve problems, connect better with your customers, and stay ahead in the marketplace. -- STUCK TRYING TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS? SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION FOR A CHANCE TO HAVE DON COACH THROUGH IT ON THE SHOW: BusinessMadeSimple.com/Podcast PRE-ORDER COACH BUILDER THE BOOK AND TRANSFORM YOUR EXPERTISE INTO A LUCRATIVE CONSULTING CAREER: CoachBuilderBook.com/Podcast IF YOU'RE SERIOUS ABOUT IMPLEMENTING A PLAN TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS AND REVENUE, FLIGHT SCHOOL IS FOR YOU! JOIN NOW: SmallBusinessFlightSchool.com. FIND AND FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/BusinessMadeSimple

Dec 4, 2023 • 29min
#151: Ask Amy Porterfield—Your Online Marketing Questions Answered
Join us on February 1, 2024 at Coach Builder Summit, the ultimate free livestream event all about helping coaches and consultants build and grow their businesses. Lock in your spot at CoachBuilder.com/CoachSummit. -- Many aspiring entrepreneurs find it hard to make the leap into the online business world. They see the potential in online courses or coaching but struggle with making good content, getting people interested, and selling their products and services. This often leads to a lot of hesitation and confusion that keeps would-be entrepreneurs stuck in jobs they hate for way too long. So we brought in one of our favorite experts to help you sort it all out! In this episode of Business Made Simple, host Donald Miller teams up with Amy Porterfield, author of Two Weeks Notice and leading expert on digital marketing and online course creation, to answer and coach through listener submitted questions including how to quit your 9-5, produce online courses, shift professional identities, and more. This episode is chock full of advice for anyone wanting to venture into the online business space. Tune in for expert insights on starting and growing a successful online business. Would you like Don to coach through your question like the ones featured in today's episode? Just go to BusinessMadeSimple.com/Podcast. Get free access to Amy's masterclass "How To Monetize An Email List In 4 Easy Steps" at AmyPorterfield.com/ListBuilding. -- STUCK TRYING TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS? SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION FOR A CHANCE TO HAVE DON COACH THROUGH IT ON THE SHOW: BusinessMadeSimple.com/Podcast PRE-ORDER COACH BUILDER THE BOOK AND TRANSFORM YOUR EXPERTISE INTO A LUCRATIVE CONSULTING CAREER: CoachBuilderBook.com/Podcast IF YOU'RE SERIOUS ABOUT IMPLEMENTING A PLAN TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS AND REVENUE, FLIGHT SCHOOL IS FOR YOU! JOIN NOW: SmallBusinessFlightSchool.com. FIND AND FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/BusinessMadeSimple

Nov 27, 2023 • 19min
#150: Don's Personal Strategies for Balancing Social Media
It’s our best Black Friday Deal ever! Get $100 off Business Made Simple when you sign up now at BusinessMadeSimple.com/BlackFriday. Join thousands of successful business owners who’ve used the 6-step plan to grow their small business. Visit BusinessMadeSimple.com/BlackFriday. to learn more and take advantage of our best offer of the year! -- Everyone has a love-hate relationship with social media these days. It’s great for staying in touch and laughing at cute pets, but it can also be a source of distraction and disconnection, especially in your personal life. Many find it hard to manage their time on social media, which can get in the way of real-world responsibilities. So, how can you enjoy social media without it taking over your life and getting in the way of your real-life friends and tasks? In this episode, host Donald Miller shares his personal strategies for balancing social media usage as a business owner, offering insights into how he limits his time on certain platforms while maximizing their benefits. You’ll learn practical tips to streamline your social media activities and still maintain an active, yet manageable, online presence. Tune in and discover how you can improve your social media habits and focus on what’s truly important. -- PRE-ORDER COACH BUILDER THE BOOK AND TRANSFORM YOUR EXPERTISE INTO A LUCRATIVE CONSULTING CAREER: CoachBuilderBook.com/Podcast IF YOU'RE SERIOUS ABOUT IMPLEMENTING A PLAN TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS AND REVENUE, FLIGHT SCHOOL IS FOR YOU! JOIN NOW: SmallBusinessFlightSchool.com. SUBMIT FOR YOUR CHANCE TO GET COACHED ON THE PODCAST: BusinessMadeSimple.com/Podcast FIND AND FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/BusinessMadeSimple

Nov 20, 2023 • 32min
#149: Tim Arnold—How to Lead Your Dream Team
It’s our best Black Friday Deal ever! Get $100 off Business Made Simple when you sign up now at BusinessMadeSimple.com/BlackFriday. Join thousands of successful business owners who’ve used the 6-step plan to grow their small business. Visit BusinessMadeSimple.com/BlackFriday. to learn more and take advantage of our best offer of the year! -- Are you struggling to get your team to click? In the world of work, getting everyone on the same page can feel like herding cats. Misunderstandings, conflicting ideas, and just not seeing eye-to-eye can turn your dream team into a group that barely gets things done. In an era where teamwork is the key to success, finding a way to make all these different pieces fit together is a puzzle many leaders are trying to solve. In today’s episode, host Donald Miller chats with Tim Arnold, author of Next Level Teamwork and a master in untangling the knots of team dynamics. Arnold brings a fresh perspective to the table, challenging the conventional ways of thinking about teamwork. He introduces a new teamwork concept that's all about embracing and managing the complexities within a team. Tune in and learn practical tips and insights to transform your team into a powerhouse of productivity and collaboration! Order Tim's book, Next Level Teamwork at TimArnold.ca/Books/. -- PRE-ORDER COACH BUILDER THE BOOK AND TRANSFORM YOUR EXPERTISE INTO A LUCRATIVE CONSULTING CAREER: CoachBuilderBook.com/Podcast IF YOU'RE SERIOUS ABOUT IMPLEMENTING A PLAN TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS AND REVENUE, FLIGHT SCHOOL IS FOR YOU! JOIN NOW: SmallBusinessFlightSchool.com. SUBMIT FOR YOUR CHANCE TO GET COACHED ON THE PODCAST: BusinessMadeSimple.com/Podcast FIND AND FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/BusinessMadeSimple

Nov 13, 2023 • 31min
#148: Jen Gottlieb—How to Build a Media Presence that Lasts
Pre-order Coach Builder, Donald Miller's new book, at CoachBuilderBook.com/Podcast and transform your expertise into a lucrative consulting career. If you pre-order right now at CoachBuilderBook.com/Podcast, you'll unlock amazing bonuses like the 90-minute audio summary of the book so you're immediately able to jump start your coaching career! -- Feeling invisible in the bustling marketplace? You're not alone. Many brands and businesses hustle hard but still stay hidden in the shadows of their flashier competitors. It's tough to get the world to take notice, and even tougher to figure out where to start. If you're tired of watching from the sidelines and ready to step into the spotlight so you can transform your reach and reputation, this is the episode for you. Today, dive in with guest host Dr. J.J. Peterson as he chats with publicity dynamo Jen Gottlieb, author of Be Seen: Find Your Voice. Build Your Brand. Live Your Dream. Together, they unpack the nuances of creating a media presence that truly resonates with your audience. Jen, with her proven track record in helping clients shine in the public eye, reveals actionable strategies to help you secure media placements that can catapult your business to new heights. Tune in to discover how to turn the media's gaze your way and unlock the power of publicity for your business! Order Jen's book, Be Seen: Find Your Voice. Build Your Brand at JenGottlieb.com/BeSeen/. -- IF YOU'RE SERIOUS ABOUT IMPLEMENTING A PLAN TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS AND REVENUE, FLIGHT SCHOOL IS FOR YOU! JOIN NOW: SmallBusinessFlightSchool.com. SUBMIT FOR YOUR CHANCE TO GET COACHED ON THE PODCAST: BusinessMadeSimple.com/Podcast FIND AND FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/BusinessMadeSimple