

Anecdotally Speaking
Shawn Callahan & Mark Schenk
Welcome to our podcast, Anecdotally Speaking. Each week we tell a business story, talk about why it works and discuss where you might tell it at work. Our aim is to help you build your story repertoire.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 26, 2022 • 16min
154 – Less is more
Don’t put everything into your stories. You’ll overwhelm or distract your listener. Listen to hear how cutting a scene from the original King Kong kept audiences engaged.
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Jul 18, 2022 • 20min
153 – Focus on your goal
Sometimes you must ignore what’s happening around you and focus on your goal. Listen to hear how this strategy helped Julia Louis-Dreyfus survive breast cancer.
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Jul 11, 2022 • 18min
152 – Present a united front
Present a united front to avoid bad outcomes. Listen to hear how Ryan Reynolds and his brothers avoided their father’s fury.
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Jul 4, 2022 • 15min
151 – Balance performance and engagement
Successful leadership requires a balance of performance and engagement. Listen to hear how a Country Head improved his numbers without his number one salesperson.
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May 30, 2022 • 10sec
Anecdotally Speaking’s mid-year break
Anecdotally Speaking is taking a short mid-year break so that we can produce some exciting new content! We’ll be back on the 5th of July.
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May 17, 2022 • 32min
150 – In praise of small stories
A slight change in mindset can improve your entire day. Listen to hear some examples of small stories that have a big impact.
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May 9, 2022 • 30min
Replay 112 – FedEx helicopter story absolutely positively flies
If you give your employees guiding principles rather than rules, they will do amazing things. We replay Doug Keeley’s favourite business story of all time.
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May 2, 2022 • 19min
149 – Natural selection of the fittest story
If you want to change someone’s mind, you need to find a range of stories, not just one. Listen to hear how Charles Darwin formulated and gained support for his theory of evolution.
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Apr 28, 2022 • 25min
148 – When sense takes flight
Your decisions can have unintended consequences, so give them careful consideration. Listen to hear how one man’s decision caused the deaths of millions of people.
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Apr 19, 2022 • 17min
147 – The chemistry of hot and cold states
Context and emotional state determine success, so when stakes are high, consider simulating the scenario as best you can. Listen to hear how a premier league soccer coach did just that.
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