Business of Story

Two weeks ago, I bought a pair of black wingtip shoes from the Johnston and Murphy store at Scottsdale Fashion Square. I noticed a pair of blue dress shoes that I had bought in Chicago six months earlier were marked down by $40. I mentioned this in passing to the cashier. When she rang up my new pair, she knocked $40 off of them. I wasn't looking for a deal. But she was empowered to give me one. That was the best $40 Johnston and Murphy could've spent on advertising in that moment. Because I am now telling you, and they have a loyal customer in me. We've heard customer loyalty discussed often, but it's not one associated with many modern-day brands. Therefore, on this week's show we're breaking down what customer loyalty really means and how you can build it with your brand story. Our guide is an expert at exploring the power of a shared brand narrative in building customer loyalty. Barry Kirk is the vice president of strategy at Maritz Loyalty, a consultancy that uses behavioral and decisions sciences to build customer loyalty for their clients. Barry uses a multi-loyalty framework to create ritual use of your offering by your customers. And he's sharing that with us, so you can use it too. Barry will explore where values and loyalty go hand-in -hand and differentiates loyalty marketing from the 80's versus today. Here's a hint: people don't choose based on the brand, but on the brand that provides the most compelling story. Give employees the opportunity to be human with their customers. After all, it's not all about having the best product, but on having the most compelling experience. —Barry Kirk Find out how you can turn your customers' loyalty from transactional to relational, and from passive to active. We're also getting a bit tropical in this episode. Barry will lead you inside the cobwebs of a fixture in American history and culture, a tiki bar, to share how it may be the ultimate expression of storytelling in business. So grab your mai tai and tune in. Become a Master Storyteller Grab your free copy of The 5 Stages of Grief in Telling YOUR Business Story: http://bit.ly/StorytellingTools Like what you hear? Bring Park to your next event.

The medium you choose determines the kind of message you will share to connect with your audience. And most of us use our analytical left brain approach to understand what drives our customers. But this only covers the behavioral side, and isn't encompassing the full picture of what customers want and need. Therefore, in this week's episode, discover a revolutionary way of understanding audiences and how to effectively communicate through Algorithm and Anecdotes. The answer will come straight from someone who has been using algorithm and codes since he was 13 – Pete Sena. Pete is the founder and Chief Creative Officer of Digital Surgeons, a design company that helps its partners design forward-thinking brands, business models and experiences. They design brand experiences for notable companies including Lego, The US Open, and Sabra. Pete believes that creativity and curiosity have the power to not only change people personally and professionally, but that it can also change the planet. "What better way to tell a story of who you are than how you express yourself, how you dress, how you show yourself to the world?" — Pete Sena What message is your medium sending, and are you using it effectively? Learn how Digital Surgeons' brand storytelling process leads with empathy to strengthen and enhance customer experiences and opportunities. They've mastered the art and power of using technology for storytelling. "I could shake my reality and others' reality by writing codes in the computer." —Pete Sena He takes us on a journey of how they did all of this with one of my favorite brands, Camelbak, the hearty hydration company that seems nearly ubiquitous with hiking and the great outdoors. Become a Master Storyteller Grab your free copy of The 5 Stages of Grief in Telling YOUR Business Story: http://bit.ly/StorytellingTools Like what you hear? Bring Park to your next event.

The way we typically consume stories is how they are told — starting from the beginning to the finale. But it's important to realize that not all stories are linear. Therefore, on this week's show, we're exploring a non-linear approach to telling stories using a variety of media channels to scale the same story. But the concern is if we tell the same story from a non-linear approach framed with different perspectives and media, will it be as effective? We'll get the answer straight from the man who pioneered transmedia storytelling, otherwise known as "Cine Experiences", Zeke Zelker. Zeke Zelker is an award-winning filmmaker who produced the first transmedia project, Pandemic, at the Sundance Film Festival. His current project, Billboard, goes beyond any movie experience as it is aired in a multitude of ways via different platforms. "Learn how to succeed by learning as you go." —Zeke Zelker Billboard is first featured in social media, then segues to live events and eventually evolves into a web series. Finally, it turns into a feature film, then a game, while different brands get to ride along the myriad events and utilize these platforms to showcase their own brand stories. In this week's episode, Zeke will share how his childhood experiences growing up in an amusement park shaped his unique perspective for transmedia storytelling. Through this approach, you can also co-create and tell a story creatively that's completely different from how other brands are doing it. "Take your ego out and listen to your audience. Test things, break things, make things." —Zeke Zelker As he relives the three major lessons he learned growing up in a Pennsylvania amusement park, Zeke shares his four phases of creation, which you can use as a guide to create your own brand stories through transmedia storytelling. Become a Master Storyteller Grab your free copy of The 5 Stages of Grief in Telling YOUR Business Story: http://bit.ly/StorytellingTools Like what you hear? Bring Park to your next event.

One of the most contentious issues among our political leaders is climate change, and the Green New Deal is furthering the conversation and the divide. But many leaders of purpose-driven brands are finding new ways to frame sustainability as a tremendous business opportunity. So how do you use your brand storytelling to open minds, especially when attempting to bring polarized worlds together? Bruno Sarda, Head of Sustainability at NRG, the country's leading integrated power company with a goal of creating a sustainable energy future, shares how he uses storytelling to open the hearts and minds of customers, legislators and students. He is also a professor for the Executive Masters of Sustainability Leadership at Arizona State University. Bruno will share the nuances of storytelling to help you find common ground with a contentious audience. It starts by minimizing negative impact and maximizing the positive through the stories you tell. Bruno will challenge your comfort zones and encourage you to look at sustainability in a whole new way. As he says, "Sustainability is not about doing without, but doing differently." Become a Master Storyteller Grab your free copy of The 5 Stages of Grief in Telling YOUR Business Story: http://bit.ly/StorytellingTools Like what you hear? Bring Park to your next event.

Why is happiness elusive? Why can't it be as easy as knowing what makes you happy and doing exactly that? Think about it. Later, you'll come to realize your important role in resolving this dilemma. In the pursuit of elusive happiness, we can use stories to connect even the greatest divides. It is a privilege to have Jonathan Haidt on this week's Business of Story podcast. Jonathan is an American social psychologist who wrote the book The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom. In this book, he explored the relationship between modern science and ancient philosophies like Buddhism and Stoicism. Using the metaphor of the elephant and the rider, he rationalized that the subconscious mind is constantly at war with our conscious mind. That's the reason why our actions are often the exact opposite of what we're thinking or feeling. What is it that divides us? Jonathan touches on the subject in his book The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided By Politics and Religion, showcasing how moral judgments arise from gut feelings, and why many of us have such different intuitions about right and wrong. In his new book, The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting Up a Generation for Failure, Haidt, with his co-author Greg Lukianoff, the president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, reveal how we can overcome the polarization we're now seeing in universities as the iGen. Or Gen Z, kids born in 1995 and beyond. How can we conquer this division through storytelling and link our worlds together? In this episode, find out how the stories we tell ourselves influence the varying truths we live in our everyday lives. How can you use storytelling to connect our internal and external divides? Become a Master Storyteller Grab your free copy of The 5 Stages of Grief in Telling YOUR Business Story: http://bit.ly/StorytellingTools Like what you hear? Bring Park to your next event.

In 1995, a convict of a federal drug case was given a reduced sentence of probation. Why? The judge saw a video of him taking care of his wife who was very sick. The video showed how his wife's entire life depended on him. Most importantly, it showed who will be affected most by the judge's decision -- the sick and dying wife who didn't have anything to do with the crime. That alone influenced the judge's decision because it appealed to his human side. That's the power empathy has. In this episode, hear more of these stories from my guest, Doug Passon. Doug is a defense-attorney-turned-filmmaker and founder of The Sentencing and Post-Conviction Film Festival. He shares how a story and a picture, when combined to bring out the truth, can lead to reduced sentencing. Even if sentencing doesn't pertain to your life at this moment, Doug will entertain and enlighten you through his documentaries that will make you look at some of the convicts in a different light. It reminds us that we don't have the whole picture; they are often depicted as "bad people", yet they are also humans with stories worth hearing. Learn how to induce empathy in your audience, which could persuade your listeners to make different decisions. Doug also shares the 3 primary elements to make a story cinematic. By knowing these elements, you can find a more compelling way to tell stories. Tune in to this week's show and learn a thing or two on how we can speak the truth, show the truth, and live out the truth surrounding people's life journeys. In doing so, we'll find out how to be more understanding and empathetic, helping us arrive at fairer judgments and sounder decisions. Become a Master Storyteller Grab your free copy of The 5 Stages of Grief in Telling YOUR Business Story: http://bit.ly/StorytellingTools Like what you hear? Bring Park to your next event.

Back in 2013, I was working with different executives for the Sustainability Leadership Program for Arizona State University. I was one of three speakers and after I was introduced, the executives' reaction was, "Oh, the soft skills guy!" Little did I know, there was already warfare between technical hard skills and communications soft skills. A recent report from the World Economic Forum revealed the 10 most in-demand skills in business according to LinkedIn. Hitting the top spots are creativity, persuasion, collaboration, adaptability and time management. Apparently, as technology advances, the employers' need for soft skills from their employees also advances. At the core of each of these skills is the ability to tell a clear and concise story. Our guest this week teaches us how to be an emerging, victorious voice in a noisy market by clarifying our message. Steve Woodruff is a professional coach and author of the book, Clarity Wins: Get Heard, Get Referred. He provides consultation services to professionals who need help discovering their perfect fit. Famously known as the King of Clarity, he believes that every business or professional needs focus and clarity of purpose. This is essential to advance in a noisy market. Steve teaches professionals how to have fresh focus and develop clear messaging. His goal is to get your voices heard and emerge. When you are truly heard, you captivate the right audience who will eventually refer you to new opportunities. The great news is that in order to master a critical soft skill, you only need to build on your communication capabilities through storytelling. When you master storytelling, you're hitting the jackpot in building on one of the most in-demand soft skills in these modern times: communication. Tune in and let's apply clarity in our messaging and business storytelling. Become a Master Storyteller Grab your free copy of The 5 Stages of Grief in Telling YOUR Business Story: http://bit.ly/StorytellingTools Like what you hear? Bring Park to your next event.

This week, we're doing something different from the past 179 episodes. It's my turn to be on the hot seat and my guest, Wanita Z-Fourie, will be the one asking the questions. In this show, we discuss how to use storytelling to grow your following. Wanita is an African Kiwi and a social media professional who founded The Online Business Academy and an annual Social Media Conference New Zealand, where I'm honored to be a speaker. She tours the world to speak and teach different businesses and organizations about social media marketing. Her travels became a great medium for her to experience the world first hand, which enabled her to learn different ways to tell a story with authenticity and integrity. Both qualities are essential in ensuring the success of storytelling in social media. On this show, Wanita will share how authentic storytelling is essential in growing your online following. She'll teach you how you can be genuine in your communication and still get your points across. You'll also learn how to tell stories based on what your heroes (aka your customers) really want and need, as part of your business branding. As we discuss how I grow my following on the Business of Story, I share the origin story of the Story Cycle System -- the 12 Steps in Campbell's The Hero's Journey, which I refined into 10 shorter steps to fit into the business world. Because when you focus on using the steps of the Story Cycle System, your social media marketing and communications can become easier by using your power of narrative intuition. Become a Master Storyteller Grab your free copy of The 5 Stages of Grief in Telling YOUR Business Story: http://bit.ly/StorytellingTools Like what you hear? Bring Park to your next event.

Have you ever been telling a story and your words failed you? And I don't mean that you didn't have a word for what you're thinking or feeling. Oh, no. You thought of the best word you could possibly think of. Still, it wasn't enough to express exactly what you wanted to communicate, or your audience wasn't understanding the message. Maybe you should have drawn it out. It turns out that doodling lines and shapes make an even more meaningful and unforgettable story. If you're like me, you probably think you don't have the chops to draw. Or, you're probably thinking, "How can shapes and stick figures add relevance to the words I'm saying? Or writing?" Fortunately, my guest this week, Lisa Rothstein, is a published New Yorker cartoonist and a featured author and illustrator in several best-selling books. She's an award-winning ad agency copywriter and creative director best known for the famous "Just Wait'll We Get Our Hanes on You" campaign that changed America's favorite underwear brand. Currently, she's co-author of the blog and upcoming book, The DaVinci Dilemma: How Multi-Talented People Can Get More Done And Get More Joy Out Of Life. She uses unique methods like cartooning to help corporations and entrepreneurs see their ideal clients, products, mission and brand stories in new and unforgettable ways. Today, she's guiding our hands to doodle with confidence. Lisa will help you discover a unique way of telling and expressing your story. Consider this a new option and means of expression. This way, we are able to explore different styles and techniques that can help us capture the most meaningful stories of our lives. Bottom line? It really doesn't matter if you're good at drawing. Words or pictures alone aren't as meaningful, so get out there and start doodling to help your audience truly understand your stories. Become a Master Storyteller Grab your free copy of The 5 Stages of Grief in Telling YOUR Business Story: http://bit.ly/StorytellingTools Like what you hear? Bring Park to your next event.

Sometimes, what should be a source of pride, financial security, and wealth for the family becomes a source of heartache, dysfunction, and conflict. The want for power and control is what separates families. This is why it is essential to have leadership coaches who can teach the essence of storytelling in building a successful family business. Years ago, I was a football game watching my son, where I met this week's guest, Pete Walsh. I was at a point in life contemplating whether I was stuck or if I was being nudged to a deeper calling. Little did I know that the universe was listening to my subconscious desires. Sometimes, you meet someone who can light the path for you and show you the way. Pete was that person for me, and has been instrumental in my transition from the advertising world to speaking and brand story workshops with Business of Story. Pete Walsh is a leadership coach who came from a prominent family business. He's also the author of the book Coach To Win The Leadership Game. Pete is a firm believer that a family doesn't just happen in the bloodline, it can also be in small groups: a group of people caring about one another, believing the same thing, pursuing the same goal, is a family. He also believes that when people come together and learn to have "productive conflict", build off each other's unique styles, then they can make a powerful team. Pete will teach us how to become a detached observer and a reflective practitioner so we can listen to the stories we are telling ourselves. He can push you out of your comfort zone and make you say, "That is not my story. This is my new story." In this episode, understand the important role of leadership storytelling in the attainment of success in business. Life is indeed short. And because it is, we are all encouraged to stop telling ourselves the wrong stories. Take responsibility for your happiness and live on the tagline: "destroy the competition, not the family." Become a Master Storyteller Grab your free copy of The 5 Stages of Grief in Telling YOUR Business Story: http://bit.ly/StorytellingTools Like what you hear? Bring Park to your next event.