
The Storypowers Podcast
The show about the power of stories, the people who tell them, and why you should be doing it too.
This is where I talk to speakers, storytellers, marketing and communication experts to understand how they use stories to get their messages across, engage and inspire people to action.
New episodes every Monday!
I’m a keynote speaker, author, emcee, and story coach.
You can connect with me on LinkedIn, where I post daily (or as close to that as my children will let me), and on storypowers.com
Latest episodes

Feb 21, 2021 • 20min
The Story Behind 50 (!!) Episodes of The Storypowers Podcast
Episode 50. The Story Behind 50 (!!) Episodes of The Storypowers Podcast
Welcome to The Storypowers Podcast, the show about the power of stories, the people who tell them and why you should be doing it too. I’m your host, keynote speaker and storytelling coach, Francisco Mahfuz.
In celebration of having made it to 50 episodes, this is a solo episode where I take you behind the scenes to figure out how we got here, what were the lessons learned and where the show is going next. I hope you enjoy it!
If you like the show, please leave us a rating on Apple podcasts, share it and SUBSCRIBE! The support is very much appreciated. And please send me your comments on what you'd like to hear on future episodes.
You can connect with me on LinkedIn, where I post daily (or as close to that as real life will let me), and on storypowers.com. You can also check out my book "Bare: A Guide to Brutally Honest Public Speaking" on Amazon.

Feb 14, 2021 • 1h
The Sommelier of Company Culture (and Stories) with Mike Ganino
Episode 48. The Sommelier of Company Culture (and Stories) with Mike Ganino
What's the relationship between wine and story? What is company culture, what isn't, and how does story change that? Why do you need to look for WTF moments to share (it's not what you think!)?
Welcome to The Storypowers Podcast, the show about the power of stories, the people who tell them and why you should be doing it too. I’m your host, keynote speaker and storytelling coach, Francisco Mahfuz.
My guest today is Mike Ganino.
Mike is a storytelling and communication expert who hosts The Mike Drop Moment podcast. He is the author of Company Culture for Dummies and has been named by Global Guru as a top 30 Culture Speaker. Now he uses his broad business experience and his many years as Executive Producer of TEDxCambridge to teach storytelling, presence, and public speaking to some of the biggest names and brands like Disney, the American Marketing Association and Uber.
You can find him at mikeganino.com.
If you like the show, please leave us a rating on Apple podcasts, share it and SUBSCRIBE! The support is very much appreciated. And please send me your comments on what you'd like to hear on future episodes.
You can connect with me on LinkedIn, where I post daily (or as close to that as real life will let me), and on storypowers.com. You can also check out my book "Bare: A Guide to Brutally Honest Public Speaking" on Amazon.

Feb 7, 2021 • 57min
What's Your Story Really About? with Ruby Peru
Episode 47. What's Your Story Really About? with Ruby Peru
Are you reading your own story wrong? What's the inner story and why does it matter? What's the mistake most people make when they think of their life - and how can you avoid it?
Welcome to The Storypowers Podcast, the show about the power of stories, the people who tell them and why you should be doing it too. I’m your host, keynote speaker and storytelling coach, Francisco Mahfuz.
My guest today is Ruby Peru.
Ruby has spent decades as a ghostwriter of memoirs and other nonfiction for clients, and she is the best-selling author of Bits of String too Small to Save. She was also featured by Kirkus Reviews in the "Indy Authors to Watch" list.
You can find her at rubyperu.com.
If you like the show, please leave us a rating on Apple podcasts, share it and SUBSCRIBE! The support is very much appreciated. And please send me your comments on what you'd like to hear on future episodes.
You can connect with me on LinkedIn, where I post daily (or as close to that as real life will let me), and on storypowers.com. You can also check out my book "Bare: A Guide to Brutally Honest Public Speaking" on Amazon.

Jan 31, 2021 • 56min
The Truths of the Storyteller with John Zimmer
Episode 46. The Truths of the Storyteller with John Zimmer
What are the four truths a storyteller needs to master? How much truth should a story have, and how much can it deviate from what actually happened? What are the five Fs that will help you find your stories?
Welcome to The Storypowers Podcast, the show about the power of stories, the people who tell them and why you should be doing it too. I’m your host, keynote speaker and storytelling coach, Francisco Mahfuz.
My guest today is John Zimmer.
John is a sought-after international speaker who delivers powerful keynotes and helps organizations and individuals become more effective communicators.
His clients include Nokia, Roche and the World Health Organization. He also teaches public speaking in a number of Executive MBAs across Europe, and his blog, Manner of Speaking, has been recognized as one of the leading online resources in the field of public speaking, presentation skills and communication.
You can find him at mannerofspeaking.org.
If you like the show, please leave us a rating on Apple podcasts, share it and SUBSCRIBE! The support is very much appreciated. And please send me your comments on what you'd like to hear on future episodes.
You can connect with me on LinkedIn, where I post daily (or as close to that as real life will let me), and on storypowers.com. You can also check out my book "Bare: A Guide to Brutally Honest Public Speaking" on Amazon.

Jan 25, 2021 • 58min
Master the Hollywood Secrets of Presentation with Ted Frank
Episode 45. Master the Hollywood Secrets of Presentation with Ted Frank
Why do most presentations suck? How can movie storytelling techniques help you get to the heart of your audiences? What is story-staging, and how can you use that to make unforgettable presentations?
Welcome to The Storypowers Podcast, the show about the power of stories, the people who tell them and why you should be doing it too. I’m your host, keynote speaker and storytelling coach, Francisco Mahfuz.
My guest today is Ted Frank.
In decades of working in corporations, he got tired of seeing great ideas go to waste and people lose their sense of purpose because they couldn’t present successfully.
Now Ted runs his own strategic story consulting firm, teaching people movie-storytelling techniques to get to the heart of their audiences. The companies he works with make cars (Porsche, Fiat Chrysler) they make toilet paper (Georgia-Pacific), and they make shows about cars and toilet paper (Netflix).
You can find him at tedfrank.net.
If you like the show, please leave us a rating on Apple podcasts, share it and SUBSCRIBE! The support is very much appreciated. And please send me your comments on what you'd like to hear on future episodes.
You can connect with me on LinkedIn, where I post daily (or as close to that as real life will let me), and on storypowers.com. You can also check out my book "Bare: A Guide to Brutally Honest Public Speaking" on Amazon.

Jan 18, 2021 • 53min
Telling Creative Stories that Work with Dan Knowlton
Episode 44. Telling Creative Stories that Work with Dan Knowlton
What stories attract potential customers - and what stories convert them? Is there a right type of story to tell at different parts of the sales process? How can you use stories to keep an audience engaged when you're presenting on stage?
Welcome to The Storypowers Podcast, the show about the power of stories, the people who tell them and why you should be doing it too. I’m your host, keynote speaker and storytelling coach, Francisco Mahfuz.
My guest today is Dan Knowlton.
Dan is the co-founder of Knowlton, a Video & Social Media Marketing Agency that is bridging the gap between driving trackable results for brands and producing social media content audiences queue up to see.
He is also an international keynote speaker and co-host of the Business Anchors podcast.
You can find him on LinkedIn and at knowltonmarketing.co.uk.
If you like the show, please leave us a rating on Apple podcasts, share it and SUBSCRIBE! The support is very much appreciated. And please send me your comments on what you'd like to hear on future episodes.
You can connect with me on LinkedIn, where I post daily (or as close to that as real life will let me), and on storypowers.com. You can also check out my book "Bare: A Guide to Brutally Honest Public Speaking" on Amazon.

Jan 11, 2021 • 53min
Find A Relatable Perspective through Story with Chris Watson
Episode 43. Find A Relatable Perspective through Story with Chris Watson
Why are stories so important in sales? What is the Story Equation and how do you use it? How can storytelling allow you and your audience to travel through time?
Welcome to The Storypowers Podcast, the show about the power of stories, the people who tell them and why you should be doing it too. I’m your host, keynote speaker and storytelling coach, Francisco Mahfuz.
My guest today is Chris Watson.
Chris is the Strategic Sales & Storytelling Expert for Dale Dupree’s The Sales Rebellion, an organisation dedicated to changing the game in the sales world.
He also works directly with individuals and teams building a library of stories to increase their customer & buyer conversations.
You can find him on LinkedIn, at thecriswatson.com and thesalesrebellion.com.
If you like the show, please leave us a rating on Apple podcasts, share it and SUBSCRIBE! The support is very much appreciated. And please send me your comments on what you'd like to hear on future episodes.
You can connect with me on LinkedIn, where I post daily (or as close to that as real life will let me), and on storypowers.com. You can also check out my book "Bare: A Guide to Brutally Honest Public Speaking" on Amazon.

Jan 3, 2021 • 1h 7min
The Vampire Science of Storytelling with Dr. Paul Zak
Episode 42. The Vampire Science of Storytelling with Dr. Paul Zak
What can blood tell us about storytelling? Why is liking a story a terrible way of deciding if it's a good one? How can we use science to make our stories more effective?
Welcome to The Storypowers Podcast, the show about the power of stories, the people who tell them and why you should be doing it too. I’m your host, keynote speaker and storytelling coach, Francisco Mahfuz.
My guest today is Dr Paul Zak.
Paul is a scientist, entrepreneur, best-selling author and speaker.
His two decades of research have taken him from the Pentagon to Fortune 500 boardrooms to the rain forest of Papua New Guinea.
During this ongoing journey, Paul discovered the neurochemical oxytocin as the key driver of trust, love, and morality, and he is one of the pioneers of using neuroscience to quantify the impact of movies, advertising, stories, and consumer experiences.
His latest book is Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High Performance Companies.
You can find him on getimmersion.com.
If you like the show, please leave us a rating on Apple podcasts, share it and SUBSCRIBE! The support is very much appreciated. And please send me your comments on what you'd like to hear on future episodes.
You can connect with me on LinkedIn, where I post daily (or as close to that as real life will let me), and on storypowers.com. You can also check out my book "Bare: A Guide to Brutally Honest Public Speaking" on Amazon.

Dec 27, 2020 • 59min
From the Church to the Stage and Back with Malachi Talabi
Episode 41. From the Church to the Stage and Back with Malachi Talabi
How far can you get if you're talented, but not trained? What lessons can you take from speaking in church to a broader audience? Why do some speakers sound robotic and how do you avoid that?
Welcome to The Storypowers Podcast, the show about the power of stories, the people who tell them and why you should be doing it too. I’m your host, keynote speaker and storytelling coach, Francisco Mahfuz.
My guest today is Malachi Talabi.
Malachi is the 2011 UK & Ireland Toastmasters International speech champion and that year he placed 3rd in the world semi-final in Las Vegas.
He has been certified as a World Class Speaking Coach by the great Craig Valentine and is the author of Smash It with a Story, But I’m Not Funny! and Public Speaking Hacks.
Today Malachi helps entrepreneurs and Leaders tell unforgettable stories and give profitable presentations.
You can find him on LinkedIn and on his blog, publicspeakinghacks.com.
If you like the show, please leave us a rating on Apple podcasts, share it and SUBSCRIBE! The support is very much appreciated. And please send me your comments on what you'd like to hear on future episodes.
You can connect with me on LinkedIn, where I post daily (or as close to that as real life will let me), and on storypowers.com. You can also check out my book "Bare: A Guide to Brutally Honest Public Speaking" on Amazon.

Dec 20, 2020 • 54min
You're Not Your Story with Chris Duffin
Episode 40. You're Not Your Story with Chris Duffin
How can we relate to extraordinary stories? Should your stories do the talking on your behalf? What happens when your stories are no longer true to who you are now?
Welcome to The Storypowers Podcast, the show about the power of stories, the people who tell them and why you should be doing it too. I’m your host, keynote speaker and storytelling coach, Francisco Mahfuz.
My guest today is Chris Duffin.
I’ve had some heavyweights on this show, but no one fits that description as literally as Chris does. He’s an inspirational speaker and the best-selling author of The Eagle and the Dragon: A Story of Strength and Reinvention.
But Chris is also the Only Man in history to Squat + Deadlift 1000lbs, which makes him arguably one of the strongest men in the world.
You can find Chris at christopherduffin.com.
If you like the show, please leave us a rating on Apple podcasts, share it and SUBSCRIBE! The support is very much appreciated. And please send me your comments on what you'd like to hear on future episodes.
You can connect with me on LinkedIn, where I post daily (or as close to that as real life will let me), and on storypowers.com. You can also check out my book "Bare: A Guide to Brutally Honest Public Speaking" on Amazon.