Business of Story

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.

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