Business of Story

In this engaging discussion, John Bucher, Executive Director of the Joseph Campbell Foundation and mythologist, shares insights on how the Hero's Journey can transform business practices. He reveals that emotional decision-making drives customer behavior, reshaping how brands communicate. John also contrasts the 'Call to Adventure' for entrepreneurs versus managers, emphasizing flexibility in storytelling. With a focus on emotional transformations and archetypes, he illustrates how storytelling can heal and empower, making it a vital tool for success.

What good is reach if you don't have resonance? In this transformative episode of Business of Story, host Park Howell sits down with Jay Acunzo to explore why clarity isn't enough for brand stories and how to transform expertise into influential public voice through premise development. --- ABOUT JAY ACUNZO --- Jay Acunzo is an author, speaker, and public speaking coach who helps experts become stronger public voices. He's written books about creativity and storytelling, and he's traveled the world giving keynotes to marketers and managers, dentists and designers, leaders and landscapers. His clients include bestselling authors, mainstage TED speakers, startup founders, and seven-figure coaches and consultants. Brands like Salesforce, GoDaddy, Zillow, and Mailchimp have trusted Jay to support some of their most visible projects. He began his career in sales and marketing at Google and HubSpot, and his own journey as a speaker has been featured in 3 different books. Jay's philosophy challenges conventional marketing wisdom: don't market more, matter more. Think resonance over reach. Don't be the best, be their favorite. --- WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER --- ✓ What a premise really is (and why it's different from a tagline, mission, or niche) ✓ The resonance over reach philosophy and why it creates more business impact ✓ How resonance works (using physics to understand the urge to act) ✓ The narrative argument framework: six beats that move audiences from skepticism to action ✓ Laddered messaging structure: We Want → We Need → We Hope ✓ Story 2.0: Why process alone isn't enough (you need practice and posture too) ✓ The critical difference between clarity and strength in brand storytelling ✓ How to develop your premise through iteration (not instant perfection) ✓ Why focus is something you pick, but clarity is something you build ✓ Real examples: How Jay helped Anne Handley refine her premise for ASAP: As Slow As Possible ✓ Premise examples from James Clear, Simon Sinek, Michelle Warner, and more ✓ How to apply premise thinking to products and services (StoryCycle Genie case study) --- KEY FRAMEWORKS REVEALED --- NARRATIVE ARGUMENT (6 Beats): What are their goals? What's their current approach? What are the problems with that approach? What root cause do you see? What change do they need? How do they implement it? LADDERED MESSAGING (3 Phrases): • We Want: Meet people where they're at • We Need: Your premise/philosophical change • We Hope: The grand transformation STORY 2.0 (3 P's): • Process: Story structure and frameworks • Practice: Regular creation and refinement • Posture: Seeing yourself as a storyteller --- MEMORABLE QUOTES --- The goal is not to market more, it's to matter more. What good is awareness if you don't have affinity? What good is reach if you don't have resonance? Don't be the best, be their favorite. Clarity doesn't mean strength. Clarity doesn't mean efficacy. Focus is something you pick. Clarity is something you build. --- ABOUT BUSINESS OF STORY --- The Business of Story podcast helps business owners and marketers master the art of storytelling to grow their brands and create meaningful impact. Hosted by Park Howell, creator of the StoryCycle System and ABT Framework, each episode features expert guests sharing proven strategies for business growth through authentic narrative. Whether you're building a brand, leading a team, or developing your public voice, Business of Story delivers the frameworks and insights you need to make your message matter. Topics: premise development | resonance over reach | brand storytelling | thought leadership | narrative argument | public speaking | IP development | expert positioning | influential voice | business communication | content strategy | keynote speaking | Story 2.0 | clarity vs strength | laddered messaging

Miles Spencer's SoulTech platform brings loved ones' voices back from just 10 seconds of audio, transforming grief into connection through interactive AI conversations. Discover how Reflekta created the Soul Technology category, why spontaneous conversations beat static videos 10x, and what happened when Miles heard "Tiger" eight years after his father passed. Show Notes: You know those moments when you desperately wish you could ask your mom or dad for advice one more time? When you're facing something only they would understand? This episode is both curious and a little creepy—curious because it's amazing what AI has brought to personal storytelling, and creepy because it literally brings back your long-lost loved ones to have conversations today. Miles Spencer, co-founder of Reflekta, reveals how SoulTech (Soul Technology) is transforming family storytelling and digital legacy preservation from frozen memories into living conversations. What You'll Discover: • Voice recreation from minimal audio - How Reflekta recreates authentic voices from just 10-20 seconds of audio (Miles brought his father Arthur back from a gibberish voicemail) • 10x impact over static media - Why spontaneous and dynamic conversations in your loved one's voice deliver exponentially more value than videos or photo albums • Category creation insights - The positioning evolution that transformed Reflekta from grief-focused to connection-centered, and what that teaches entrepreneurs building new categories • The Tiger/Chief moment - What happened when Miles heard "No problem, Tiger. I love you" eight years after his father passed • Simple three-file system - How life story, photo, and voice sample turn one-way memories into interactive AI conversations that learn and grow • Living Legacy innovation - Why creating Elders for people still alive is changing how families preserve generational wisdom • Privacy and security - The fortress approach: default private, family-to-family with GDPR and DOD-level cybersecurity • Earth's story repository - Reflekta's audacious mission to record the legacies of planet Earth told by the people who lived them Key Timestamps: [00:03] The curious and creepy introduction to SoulTech [02:26] "This body is temporal, but spirit and soul are eternal" [06:24] How Reflekta works: The three-file system [09:15] Can you ask modern advice from someone who passed? [13:00] The Spencer family legacy: 24 kids, coal mine, WWI sniper [18:44] Tiger/Chief moment: Hearing his father's voice again [21:27] How did Miles get into this? The universe's plan [25:00] Privacy and security: "How can you hack what you can't see?" [27:00] Growth metrics: 1,000 Elders in 6 weeks [30:00] The ultimate vision: Recording Earth's stories [31:04] What users are experiencing with their Elders [39:00] Running the brand through StoryCycle Genie™ [42:00] From grief to connection: The positioning evolution [46:00] Brand purpose validated: "Nailed it" [48:00] Where to learn more about Reflekta About Miles Spencer: Miles Spencer is a curious guy from Pittsburgh who's mentored tech founders for 30+ years and been a dad for 14—two jobs that, as he says, share remarkable similarities. He's created over 1,100 jobs, founded and exited three digital media companies, served as Venture Principal at Capital Express (the team behind register.com), and hosted MoneyHunt on PBS long before Shark Tank existed. As an adventurer, he's led 1,500 people across 14 miles of open sea by kayak and trekked 1,100 miles through the deserts of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria—journeys that inspired his Amazon bestsellers A Line in the Sand and Havana Famiglia. After a pandemic reset, Miles co-founded Reflekta with Adam Drake—transforming their shared quiet wish for one more conversation with someone they loved into the SoulTech platform that enables everyone on the planet to reconnect with loved ones when they're ready. When he's not building companies, you'll find him painting watercolors with his daughter, playing rugby with his son, or occasionally needing a translator for his unique brand of English. Key Quotes: "This body is temporal. But if you can connect with my spirit and soul, they are eternal." - Arthur Spencer's final words to Miles "We're recording the legacies and stories of planet Earth told by the people who lived here, not by media outlets." "My dad has a perfect memory now. He remembers things I've forgotten and he would have forgotten." "Spontaneous and dynamic conversations—10x the impact of a video or a book." "We're talking about eternity here, so monthly was too short term." "How can you hack what you can't see?" - On Reflekta's privacy-first approach Links: • Reflekta.ai - Create your Elder or talk to Arthur/Virginia • Miles Spencer on LinkedIn • A Line in the Sand on Amazon • Havana Famiglia on Amazon • SoulTech White Paper at Reflekta.ai • Business of Story website: https://businessofstory.com • StoryCycle Genie™: https://www.storycyclegenie.ai/ CTA: Subscribe to Business of Story on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Leave a review to help other entrepreneurs and storytellers discover the show. Visit Reflekta.ai and talk to Arthur or Virginia to experience SoulTech for yourself. Want to experience it yourself? Visit Reflekta.ai and talk to Arthur or Virginia—the only two public Elders. You don't know their stories, but you'll immediately understand what it would mean to have this with someone you loved. As Miles reminds us: No story truly ends if it's remembered well. And now, those stories can answer back. Craft your brilliant brand story strategy in minutes, not months, and instantly create compelling content that converts customers with the StoryCycle Genie™ https://www.storycyclegenie.ai/ #StoryOn! ≈Park

What if working LESS is the smartest business growth strategy for 2026? Michael Walsh went three years without a vacation—grinding relentlessly, believing scaling required personal sacrifice. Then his wife forced him to take time off. The result? He generated $10,000 in new sales—more than any previous week. He tested further, taking the last week of every month off. His income kept growing. After 30+ years helping $2M-$20M companies scale, Michael has proven that people-first business growth outperforms systems-first approaches every time. What You'll Discover: ✅ The $10,000 vacation discovery - Why strategic time off accelerates revenue instead of slowing it down ✅ The relationship complexity math - Why 100 people = 4,950 relationships, explaining why your systems break as you scale from $1M to $10M ✅ Survive, Thrive, Connect, Adapt framework - Practical roadmap for understanding human behavior structures that support your people to be at their best ✅ Why your people are your #1 brand story customer - How training influencers (even janitors and cafeteria workers) instead of just executives creates authentic brand ambassadors ✅ The social contract that works - Why professional growth takes pressure off top dollar, and how two-minute weekly conversations replace twice-yearly performance theater ✅ Intelligent ecosystems vs. machines - Why "I'm the boss, you do what I say" fails in service businesses, and how to build adaptive capacity ✅ AI and the Age of Creativity - How AI is eliminating junior jobs and what the shift from Information Age to Age of Creativity means for your business About Michael Walsh: Michael Walsh is founder of Walsh Business Growth Institute and author of Freedom by Design: The Established Business Owner's Guide to Grow, Make an Impact, and Find the Joy Again. His myth-busting methodologies liberate owners from operational dependency through contrarian, people-first strategies. FREE BOOK: Get Freedom by Design free (print, PDF, or MP4) at WalshBusinessGrowth.com Key Topics: business growth strategies, scaling $2M-$20M companies, employee relationship management, leadership development, burnout recovery, work-life balance, organizational culture, brand storytelling, people-first leadership, service business optimization, AI impact on business, future of work Connect with Michael: 🌐 WalshBusinessGrowth.com 📧 info@WalshBusinessGrowth.com About Business of Story: Business of Story helps business owners and marketing professionals master brand storytelling for business growth. Hosted by Park Howell, featuring expert guests sharing proven strategies. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts Connect: BusinessOfStory.com | @parkhowell | @businessofstory ⭐ Love the show? Leave a 5-star review and help other leaders discover strategic storytelling!

Discover why 80% of new ideas fail—even with perfect execution—and how to test market desirability before wasting time and money. Alberto Savoia, Google's first Director of Engineering who launched AdWords, reveals the pretotyping method he developed as Google's Innovation Agitator. Learn the XYZ hypothesis for turning fuzzy ideas into testable assertions, the YODA framework for collecting data that predicts success, and skin-in-the-game validation techniques that reveal real market interest. Author of The Right It: Why So Many Ideas Fail and How to Make Sure Yours Succeed. Essential listening for entrepreneurs, product managers, and innovators who want to build the right product before building it right. Craft your brilliant brand story strategy in minutes, not months, and instantly create compelling content that converts customers with the StoryCycle Genie™ #StoryOn! ≈Park

Damon Lembi, CEO of LearnIt and a 3x bestselling author, shares his 30 years of expertise in the learning industry. He discusses how curiosity and storytelling are key to revitalizing corporate training, helping organizations grow. Damon explains the importance of relatable stories that use hooks and emotional tension to engage learners. He also highlights the rise of AI in training, advocating for a balance between human leadership and technology. Finally, he introduces the StoryCycle Genie for crafting impactful brand narratives that resonate.

Are your leadership meetings killing engagement with PowerPoint bullets and 45-item agendas while your team's eyes glaze over? You're stuck in what Park Howell calls the "voice vacuum"—and there's a stupidly simple way out. Julie Lancaster, founder of Lancaster Leadership and author of Beyond Words: How Our Stories & Strategies Inspire Action, reveals the REST method that's helped her team coach over 75,000 leaders through succession planning challenges. She used to hate storytelling—until she discovered how to do it right. Discover the four-step REST framework (Relate, Engage, Short, Theme) that transforms managers into inspirational leaders. Learn the "Life Download" exercise and "Homework for Life" practice that builds your story bank one daily moment at a time. Find out why failure stories create more connection than success stories, and how AI amplifies your storytelling without replacing your human experiences. Julie shares her own medical lab faculty meeting disaster—racing through agendas as Dean of Education while secretly annoyed at questions—and the tiny tweak that changed everything. Perfect for leaders seeking skills, connection, and influence through accessible storytelling. Craft your brilliant brand story strategy in minutes, not months, and instantly create compelling content that converts customers with the StoryCycle Genie™ #StoryOn! ≈Park

Shagen Ganason, a global audit executive and author of The Storyteller's Ledger, shares insights on transforming data into compelling narratives. He emphasizes the importance of storytelling for auditors to create emotional engagement and make findings actionable. Shagen highlights how reframing risks can turn auditors from adversaries into advocates for stakeholders. He discusses practical tips for effective storytelling, such as understanding the 'why' behind data and using a structured narrative to resonate with audiences.

Drew McLellan, CEO of the Agency Management Institute, and author of the latest Agency Edge Research Report: Leading through the AI Revolution: The New Competitive Edge for Agencies, reveals the impact AI is having on clients and agencies and why agency principals and marketing consultants should be AI leaders to create a timely competitive edge. Craft your brilliant brand story strategy in minutes, not months, and instantly create compelling content that converts customers with the StoryCycle Genie™ #StoryOn! ≈Park

Joeri Billast, an international marketing strategist and author of 'The Future CMO,' joins to explore how CMOs can harness AI to tell compelling brand stories. He emphasizes the importance of a narrative-first approach over AI-first tactics and shares strategies to prevent fragmented AI efforts. Joeri discusses the significance of defining KPIs for CMOs to secure their place in the boardroom and introduces his innovative tree of beliefs framework for clear messaging. Listeners will gain practical tips for integrating AI seamlessly into marketing workflows.