Business of Story

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.

Join Jason Leong, co-founder and CEO of Pocketsmith, as he redefines personal finance by transforming anxiety into confidence through storytelling. He discusses the innovative 'time machine for money' concept, which allows users to forecast their financial futures. Explore inspiring customer stories, like a dyscalculia user mentoring her community and a father-son relationship healed by financial clarity. Leong emphasizes the importance of household CFOs and how Pocketsmith adapts like Lego to fit individual needs, empowering users to take control of their financial narratives.

In this Business of Story episode, Park Howell interviews Femi Oke, distinguished international journalist with 30-plus years at BBC, CNN, NPR, and Al Jazeera, and co-founder of Moderate the Panel. Femi shares professional moderating techniques including how she stopped a president mid-speech at the United Nations, ninja methods for redirecting verbose speakers, re-engagement tactics for drifting audiences, and why authentic recovery creates connection. Discover the audience-centered mindset that eliminates nervousness, preparation protocols that enable confidence, and improvisational readiness that turns disasters into highlights. Learn how classical storytelling wisdom applies to modern business communication for presentations, panels, and client meetings. Femi offers Business of Story listeners 10% off Moderate the Panel services. Craft your brilliant brand story strategy in minutes, not months, and instantly create compelling content that converts customers with the StoryCycle Genie™ #StoryOn! ≈Park

Mark Schaefer, author of How AI Changes Your Customers, discussing research from 300 global futurists on artificial intelligence's impact on customer behavior, marketing strategy, and business success through 2035. Learn the dual content strategy for optimizing both AI algorithms and human connection. Craft your brilliant brand story strategy in minutes, not months, and instantly create compelling content that converts customers with the StoryCycle Genie™ #StoryOn! ≈Park

In Business of Story Episode 530, Park Howell interviews Greg Logan, author of Creating a Blockbuster Brand and founder of Narrativity, who's worked with companies like Google and Adobe to transform brand storytelling. Greg reveals Hollywood's 27 Genres framework that aligns brand stories with audience emotional reality through classical storytelling wisdom with modern technological precision. Discover how to identify your audience's genre preference, use enemy and superpower thinking for magnetic brand differentiation, and defeat brand indifference through systematic genre alignment. Learn the proven formulas that create blockbuster brand appeal and drive measurable business results for marketing leaders seeking competitive advantage. Craft your brilliant brand story strategy in minutes, not months, and instantly create compelling content that converts customers with the StoryCycle Genie™ #StoryOn! ≈Park

Jen Moss is the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of JAR Podcast Solutions, a leading branded podcast agency working with clients like Amazon, lululemon, Cirque du Soleil, Wharton, and Deloitte. A former radio producer, journalist, and award-winning writer, Jen brings decades of storytelling experience to every show she touches. She's worked with CBC, Roundhouse Radio, and the National Film Board of Canada's Digital Studio. She's written for theater, film, new media, and short fiction—and now brings that creative depth to brand content. She's also a creative writing instructor at the University of British Columbia, where she teaches the next generation of podcast storytellers. Craft your brilliant brand story strategy in minutes, not months, and instantly create compelling content that converts customers with the StoryCycle Genie™ #StoryOn! ≈Park

Alane Boyd, Co-CEO of Biggest Goal (Workday Ninja), explores how to avoid burnout, reach mental clarity, and increase lifetime value of your clients with better, scalable systems through automation. Craft your brilliant brand story strategy in minutes, not months, and instantly create compelling content that converts customers with the StoryCycle Genie™ #StoryOn! ≈Park

In this engaging conversation, Kyle Gray, a world-class presentation coach and founder of StoryEngine, discusses how to transform deep expertise into magnetic authority through storytelling. He shares his journey from musician to storyteller and explains how experts can effectively communicate their value. Gray outlines three essential story types for creating compelling presentations and provides a step-by-step process for crafting authority stories. Listeners will discover practical tips to resonate with their audience and enhance their storytelling skills.

Alice Heiman, Chief Sales Energizer, shares why random acts of AI, using Ai for the sake of AI, is stalling your sales and how a real human-centric strategy first approach will always win out over artificial intelligence. Craft your brilliant brand story strategy in minutes, not months, and instantly create compelling content that converts customers with the StoryCycle Genie™ #StoryOn! ≈Park

Laura Ries is a world-famous brand marketing expert, positioning strategist, and bestselling author of THE STRATEGIC ENEMY (Wiley, Sept 16, 2025). As chairwoman of global consulting firm RIES, she continues the legacy of her late father Al Ries, the positioning pioneer and co-author of Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind – one of the world's best-selling marketing books of all time. Laura has led RIES for more than 30 years, traveling to over 60+ countries to consult with clients and speak on positioning. She is the co-author (with Al Ries) of five groundbreaking books that reshaped modern marketing—including The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding and The Fall of Advertising & The Rise of PR, and author of Visual Hammer. Craft your brilliant brand story strategy in minutes, not months, and instantly create compelling content that converts customers with the StoryCycle Genie™ #StoryOn! ≈Park