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How Stories Happen podcast

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How Stories Happen

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·

  Jay Acunzo  

What does it take to resonate? On How Stories Happen, experts, entrepreneurs, and business leaders dissect their signature stories piece by piece. We explore how they found and developed their ideas, how they might improve even still, and how they use a story to show up with greater impact and influence. Hosted by Jay Acunzo.

What does it take to resonate? On How Stories Happen, experts, entrepreneurs, and business leaders dissect their signature stories piece by piece. We explore how they found and developed their ideas, how they might improve even still, and how they use a story to show up with greater impact and influence. Hosted by Jay Acunzo.

 

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#21

“Now is the time to double down on your story” I Shez Mehra, creative entrepreneur and DJ

This is a special episode of the show. I’ve partnered with Intuit Mailchimp as part of a limited series called B2B Storytelling Stars. You can watch as I coach 3 marketers and experts on group calls and 1:1s, helping them craft their premises, messages, and stories. Get all 6 videos plus a storytelling template, free and ungated, at [https://jayacunzo.com/stars] (https://jayacunzo.com/stars) To cap off the series, each storyteller will appear on How Stories Happen for their very own episode, featuring the story we began developing behind the scenes together.  Kicking things off is Shez Mehra, one of the world’s foremost experts in sound and music used by brands to create memorable, cohesive experiences. He leads The 194 Group and has worked with Nike, Sephora, Google, Ford, Microsoft, and others. He’s also a partner in the software company Raina Music, which helps retail and hospitality brands with their music experiences. Shez shares a moving story of the power of music, talks about his lifelong obsession with music and sound (and what we can learn from his years as a DJ crafting his sets), and together, we dissect the pieces of his signature story to get more specific, to pivot from a personal story to a relevant message to clients, and to stick the landing of a story well-told.  WATCH THE SERIES: STORYTELLING STARS For all 6 videos (3 group coaching calls and 3 one-on-ones), plus a free template associated with each (no forms required), visit [https://jayacunzo.com/stars] (https://jayacunzo.com/stars) RESOURCES: Connect with Shez on [X] (https://x.com/shezmehra?lang=en) , [Linkedin] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/shezmehra/?originalSubdomain=ca) , and [Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/wristpect/) Subscribe to my newsletter at [ jayacunzo.com] (https://jayacunzo.com/) Join the [Creator Kitchen] (https://creatorkitchen.com/) membership Follow me on [LinkedIn] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/) , [Instagram] (https://instagram.com/jacunzo) , or [Bluesky] (https://bsky.app/profile/jayacunzo.bsky.social) This episode was produced by [Ilana Nevins] (https://www.ilananevins.com/) Cover art designed by [Blake Ink] (https://www.blakeink.com/) *** ABOUT JAY: [Consulting] (https://jayacunzo.com/) [Speaking] (https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes) [Contact] (https://jayacunzo.com/contact) [Books] (https://jayacunzo.com/books) I help business leaders become stronger speakers and storytellers. The goal isn’t to get in front of your audience. The goal is to ensure they care. While others agonize over reach, your ability to resonate helps you compete on the influence of your ideas, not the volume of your marketing. With my clients, I help clarify + differentiate their message, craft their thinking and expertise into a distinct premise and IP they own, and develop signature speeches and stories to influence, inspire, and drive results. After starting at brands like Google and HubSpot, I’ve helped organizations like Mailchimp, Salesforce, Wistia, and GoDaddy, plus dozens of individual authors, founders, execs, consultants, and creators with their storytelling and public speaking. I live in the Boston area with my family as a proud Yankees and Knicks fan (yes, I’m in enemy territory). In the 60 seconds per week I’m not creating stuff for work or making my kids laugh, I like to shoot hoops, sip nice bourbons, cook with my wife, and daydream about telling stories like my storytelling hero, Anthony Bourdain. Say hi via [jayacunzo.com] (https://jayacunzo.com) ... Read more

09 Dec 2024

38 MINS

38:43

09 Dec 2024

#20

The 2 questions (and a quote) that helped me most in 2024

As another year comes to an end, we often reflect backwards, because hindsight is 20/20. But what we don’t often realize is that sometimes when you have that clarity of sight, you'll want to close your eyes, rub your temples, maybe let your head fall to the table. Because you’re amazed at how you just… couldn’t… see it.  That was me, all year long, but I finally see clearly again, and I want you to avoid the same frustrating slog I endured between 2020-2023. That’s why in this solo episode I’m sharing the two questions (and a quote) that made all the difference for me in 2024. I hope these will help you, too. I’ve lovingly crafted these questions for you, so that you can avoid years of the being stressed out, frenetic, reactive and busy without knowing what the heck you’re doing. As for the quote? That’s from the master. RESOURCES: Subscribe to my newsletter at [ jayacunzo.com] (https://jayacunzo.com/) Join the [Creator Kitchen] (https://creatorkitchen.com/) membership Follow me on [LinkedIn] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/) , [Instagram] (https://instagram.com/jacunzo) , or [Bluesky] (https://bsky.app/profile/jayacunzo.bsky.social) This episode was produced by [Ilana Nevins] (https://www.ilananevins.com/) Cover art designed by [Blake Ink] (https://www.blakeink.com/) *** ABOUT JAY: [Consulting] (https://jayacunzo.com/) [Speaking] (https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes) [Contact] (https://jayacunzo.com/contact) [Books] (https://jayacunzo.com/books) I help business leaders become stronger speakers and storytellers. The goal isn’t to get in front of your audience. The goal is to ensure they care. While others agonize over reach, your ability to resonate helps you compete on the influence of your ideas, not the volume of your marketing. With my clients, I help clarify + differentiate their message, craft their thinking and expertise into a distinct premise and IP they own, and develop signature speeches and stories to influence, inspire, and drive results. After starting at brands like Google and HubSpot, I’ve helped organizations like Mailchimp, Salesforce, Wistia, and GoDaddy, plus dozens of individual authors, founders, execs, consultants, and creators with their storytelling and public speaking. I live in the Boston area with my family as a proud Yankees and Knicks fan (yes, I’m in enemy territory). In the 60 seconds per week I’m not creating stuff for work or making my kids laugh, I like to shoot hoops, sip nice bourbons, cook with my wife, and daydream about telling stories like my storytelling hero, Anthony Bourdain. Say hi via [jayacunzo.com] (https://jayacunzo.com) ... Read more

02 Dec 2024

18 MINS

18:00

02 Dec 2024

#19

"Your brain is a straight line machine" I Melanie Deziel, author and speaker

Signature stories aren’t just stories you tell a lot. They’re stories you’d sign your name to. In this episode, author and speaker Melanie Deziel shares a story that went from nerve-wracking to heart-wrenching the more she told it, as she found ways to tell it her own way (and as new details emerged from the story). Mel is my cofounder in our Creator Kitchen membership, and this interview was part of the miniseries that helped me pilot How Stories Happen. The thing is, when you pilot something, you’re often piloting THREE somethings, so we should rethink the ways we actually test, validate, and improve those somethings.  That’s a lot of somethings, but hey, this episode has everything. Or at least a handful of really freaking good somethings.  We're putting on display the hidden details, tiny choices, and emotional moments, as we seek to go beyond telling stories to instead BECOME storytellers. RESOURCES: Learn more about Melanie at her [website] (https://www.melaniedeziel.com/) Subscribe to Jay's newsletter at [ jayacunzo.com] (https://jayacunzo.com/) Join Jay and Mel’s membership program for business storytellers and service providers, the [Creator Kitchen] (https://creatorkitchen.com/) Follow Jay on [LinkedIn] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/) , [Instagram] (https://instagram.com/jacunzo) , or [Threads] (https://threads.net/@jacunzo) Produced by [Ilana Nevins] (https://www.ilananevins.com/) Cover art designed by [Blake Ink] (https://www.blakeink.com/) *** ABOUT JAY: [Consulting] (https://jayacunzo.com/) [Speaking] (https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes) [Contact] (https://jayacunzo.com/contact) [Books] (https://jayacunzo.com/books) Jay Acunzo is an author, speaker, and differentiation-and-thought leadership consultant on a mission to help you make what matters to your career, company, and community. He's an advisor to experts, execs, and entrepreneurs who want to resonate deeper with others, not just reach them. To do so, he helps you turn your expertise into IP and your IP into differentiated messaging, exceptional speeches, and celebrated creative projects, equipping you with the communication techniques and power of today’s top thought leaders—because he believes in standing out through substance and stories, not hollow hype. A leading voice in B2B content marketing for many years thanks to his roles at brands like Google and HubSpot, companies like Mailchimp, Salesforce, Wistia, and GoDaddy have turned to Jay to strengthen their storytelling, while dozens of individual authors, speakers, consultants, and service providers hire Jay as their dedicated thought partner and exec. producer to help develop their premise, IP, speaking, and shows. Jay lives in the Boston area with his family as a proud Yankees and Knicks fan. In the 60 seconds per week he's not creating stuff for work or making his kids laugh, he likes to shoot hoops, sip nice bourbons, cook with his wife, and daydream about telling stories like that of his storytelling hero, Anthony Bourdain. ... Read more

25 Nov 2024

41 MINS

41:43

25 Nov 2024

#18

A repeatable system for stronger ideas and stories

"You have a real gift," we say to our storytelling heroes. But do they? Storytelling is a skill. Communicating with greater impact is a craft. It’s not something anyone is gifted. It’s something we all can master. Today, it’s just me, Jay. Hello! I’m trying a solo episode, sharing my favorite trick for stronger ideas and stories. Be forewarned: this trick involves sharing your thinking publicly. Not “building in public,” as many like to talk about doing, but by aerating your thinking to sharpen it. So what “thinking” are you aerating? A very specific kind. To communicate in ways that resonate does NOT require you to experience a lightning strike insight or sensational story. This isn’t about doing something grand and newsworthy either.  No, this trick requires us to do something which our society doesn’t often teach, but it’s free and easy to start. RESOURCES: Subscribe to Jay's newsletter at [ jayacunzo.com] (https://jayacunzo.com/) Join Jay's membership program for business storytellers and service providers, the [Creator Kitchen] (https://creatorkitchen.com/) Follow Jay on [LinkedIn] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/) , [Instagram] (https://instagram.com/jacunzo) , or [Threads] (https://threads.net/@jacunzo) Produced by [Ilana Nevins] (https://www.ilananevins.com/) Cover art designed by [Blake Ink] (https://www.blakeink.com/) *** ABOUT JAY: [Consulting] (https://jayacunzo.com/) [Speaking] (https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes) [Contact] (https://jayacunzo.com/contact) [Books] (https://jayacunzo.com/books) Jay Acunzo is an author, speaker, and differentiation-and-thought leadership consultant on a mission to help you make what matters to your career, company, and community. He's an advisor to experts, execs, and entrepreneurs who want to resonate deeper with others, not just reach them. To do so, he helps you turn your expertise into IP and your IP into differentiated messaging, exceptional speeches, and celebrated creative projects, equipping you with the communication techniques and power of today’s top thought leaders—because he believes in standing out through substance and stories, not hollow hype. A leading voice in B2B content marketing for many years thanks to his roles at brands like Google and HubSpot, companies like Mailchimp, Salesforce, Wistia, and GoDaddy have turned to Jay to strengthen their storytelling, while dozens of individual authors, speakers, consultants, and service providers hire Jay as their dedicated thought partner and exec. producer to help develop their premise, IP, speaking, and shows. Jay lives in the Boston area with his family as a proud Yankees and Knicks fan. In the 60 seconds per week he's not creating stuff for work or making his kids laugh, he likes to shoot hoops, sip nice bourbons, cook with his wife, and daydream about telling stories like that of his storytelling hero, Anthony Bourdain. ... Read more

04 Nov 2024

23 MINS

23:36

04 Nov 2024

#17

Designing a New Signature Talk Beat by Beat with Justin Moore (Founder of Creator Wizard, Author of ...

It's time for a new edition of "Is This Anything?", the miniseries where friends and clients join me to work out new drafts and ideas for upcoming pieces and projects. In this episode, I help Justin Moore design his signature talk, beat by beat. Justin is the founder of Creator Wizard, which helps creators secure more and better brand deals to grow their businesses. Through trainings, coaching, and his signature course, Justin has made a name for himself in the creator economy. For both his book and for the next wave of growth that he sees for his business, involving a slightly new group of buyers, Justin wants to develop a talk capable of earning him the main stage, not just breakouts, where he's up against multiple speakers at the same time slot.  Together, we work through a structure you can use to develop your speeches. We discuss the differences between breakouts and keynotes, virtual and in-person, and why Justin needs his "higher-order idea" or the idea BEFORE the ideas he's known for already, in order to inspire action in his audience and grow his business through speaking. It's a rare look at the speech development process with two established creative voices, with one entrepreneur playing coach and the other the vulnerable but committed student. I hope this is both enjoyable and useful to your speaking journey! RESOURCES: Learn more about Justin's business at [creatorwizard.com] (https://creatorwizard.com) Get a copy of Justin's book [Sponsor Magnet] (https://www.creatorwizard.com/sponsormagnet) , or join the waitlist now (coming in January 2025) Subscribe to Jay's newsletter at [ jayacunzo.com] (https://jayacunzo.com/) Join Jay's membership program for business storytellers and service providers, the [Creator Kitchen] (https://creatorkitchen.com/) Follow Jay on [LinkedIn] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/) , [Instagram] (https://instagram.com/jacunzo) , or [Threads] (https://threads.net/@jacunzo) Produced by [Ilana Nevins] (https://www.ilananevins.com/) Cover art designed by [Blake Ink] (https://www.blakeink.com/) *** ABOUT JAY: [Consulting] (https://jayacunzo.com/) [Speaking] (https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes) [Contact] (https://jayacunzo.com/contact) [Books] (https://jayacunzo.com/books) Jay Acunzo is an author, speaker, and differentiation-and-thought leadership consultant on a mission to help you make what matters to your career, company, and community. He's an advisor to experts, execs, and entrepreneurs who want to resonate deeper with others, not just reach them. To do so, he helps you turn your expertise into IP and your IP into differentiated messaging, exceptional speeches, and celebrated creative projects, equipping you with the communication techniques and power of today’s top thought leaders—because he believes in standing out through substance and stories, not hollow hype. A leading voice in B2B content marketing for many years thanks to his roles at brands like Google and HubSpot, companies like Mailchimp, Salesforce, Wistia, and GoDaddy have turned to Jay to strengthen their storytelling, while dozens of individual authors, speakers, consultants, and service providers hire Jay as their dedicated thought partner and exec. producer to help develop their premise, IP, speaking, and shows. Jay lives in the Boston area with his family as a proud Yankees and Knicks fan. In the 60 seconds per week he's not creating stuff for work or making his kids laugh, he likes to shoot hoops, sip nice bourbons, cook with his wife, and daydream about telling stories like that of his storytelling hero, Anthony Bourdain. ... Read more

28 Oct 2024

43 MINS

43:33

28 Oct 2024

#16

Seth Godin Dissects a Signature Story

Today, it's a total treat as the one and only Seth Godin takes us into how he thinks about storytelling and the intersection of strategy and story, and then we hear him dissect a signature story. Plus, Seth and I trade stories in the back half of the episode—business storytelling nerdery on full display. Seth is a world-renowned storyteller and thought leader, a legendary keynote speaker who helped disrupt the format, and the bestselling author of more than 20 books, including Purple Cow, The Practice, and This Is Marketing. His brand new book, This is Strategy, is available now. Together, Seth and I discuss his delightful story about recumbent bikes. This "super-story" has found its way into Seth’s work repeatedly for over a decade. We discuss ‌the evolution of this story, how he conceptualizes status and affiliation, and why focusing on pedagogy as a storyteller is essential.  Also in the episode: why the idea of your posture matters for storytellers, the role of the storyteller today (and why tiny stories make a big impact), and how can you make yourself, your work, and your stories truly stand out. RESOURCES: Learn more about Seth at his [website] (https://www.sethgodin.com/) and read his [blog] (https://seths.blog/) Buy a copy of Seth's new book, [This Is Strategy] (https://seths.blog/tis/) Subscribe to Jay's newsletter at [ jayacunzo.com] (https://jayacunzo.com/) Join Jay's membership program for business storytellers and service providers, the [Creator Kitchen] (https://creatorkitchen.com/) Follow Jay on [LinkedIn] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/) , [Instagram] (https://instagram.com/jacunzo) , or [Threads] (https://threads.net/@jacunzo) Produced by [Ilana Nevins] (https://www.ilananevins.com/) Cover art designed by [Blake Ink] (https://www.blakeink.com/) *** ABOUT JAY: [Consulting] (https://jayacunzo.com/) [Speaking] (https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes) [Contact] (https://jayacunzo.com/contact) [Books] (https://jayacunzo.com/books) Jay Acunzo is an author, speaker, and differentiation-and-thought leadership consultant on a mission to help you make what matters to your career, company, and community. He's an advisor to experts, execs, and entrepreneurs who want to resonate deeper with others, not just reach them. To do so, he helps you turn your expertise into IP and your IP into differentiated messaging, exceptional speeches, and celebrated creative projects, equipping you with the communication techniques and power of today’s top thought leaders—because he believes in standing out through substance and stories, not hollow hype. A leading voice in B2B content marketing for many years thanks to his roles at brands like Google and HubSpot, companies like Mailchimp, Salesforce, Wistia, and GoDaddy have turned to Jay to strengthen their storytelling, while dozens of individual authors, speakers, consultants, and service providers hire Jay as their dedicated thought partner and exec. producer to help develop their premise, IP, speaking, and shows. Jay lives in the Boston area with his family as a proud Yankees and Knicks fan. In the 60 seconds per week he's not creating stuff for work or making his kids laugh, he likes to shoot hoops, sip nice bourbons, cook with his wife, and daydream about telling stories like that of his storytelling hero, Anthony Bourdain. ... Read more

21 Oct 2024

43 MINS

43:20

21 Oct 2024

#15

“Is this ANNything?” Ann Handley and Jay Acunzo Work Out New Drafts

This week, we’re joined by our first-ever recurring guest. The brilliant Ann Handley (WSJ bestselling author of Everybody Writes and globally touring keynote speaker) joins us for a very special episode of “Is This Anything?”, the mini-series, where friends and collaborators join me to work out new ideas, unproven drafts, and hidden ideas to see if it is, in fact, anything. But because it’s Ann, we’re renaming it Is This ANNything. Get it? Do you get it? (If you didn’t like that, you’re really not gonna like this episode…) First, we discuss a story we co-wrote on Threads, sharing back and forth posts to build on each others’ previous ideas. [Read that story here] (https://www.threads.net/@jacunzo/post/C9LDhZ6OlYZ?xmt=AQGzexGzDRrp-58lB7LfJpYBnpf_z_IuOv4fdn37AulR4g) (you need to click into the first Thread for the threading to make sense. Oh, Threads…) Then, we share drafts of our newsletters, each at different stages, and workshop improvements. It’s a refreshing look at two prolific writers and speakers (and one bestselling author!) in the middle of their process. [Read Jay’s final newsletter version here.] (https://jayacunzo.com/blog/20-truths-of-my-creativity) (Ann has not written the draft publicly as of this episode’s publish date.) Listen to Ann’s first appearance on How Stories Happen as she dissects a published piece: [“How do we all sign our work?” - Episode 3 with Ann Handley ] (https://jayacunzo.com/blog/how-stories-happen-episode-3-ann-handley) RESOURCES:⚫  Learn more about Ann at her [website] (https://annhandley.com/) and subscribe to her [newsletter] (https://annhandley.com/newsletter/)   ⚫ Follow Ann on [LinkedIn] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhandley) and [Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/annhandley/?hl=en) ⚫  Buy Ann’s book, [Everybody Writes] (https://annhandley.com/books/) 🔵 Subscribe to Jay Acunzo's newsletter at [ jayacunzo.com] (https://jayacunzo.com/) 🔵 Join Jay's membership program for business storytellers and service providers, the [Creator Kitchen] (https://creatorkitchen.com/) 🔵 Follow Jay on [LinkedIn] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/) , [Instagram] (https://instagram.com/jacunzo) , or [Threads] (https://threads.net/@jacunzo) 🟢 Produced by [Ilana Nevins] (https://www.ilananevins.com/) 🟢 Cover art designed by [Blake Ink] (https://www.blakeink.com/) ABOUT JAY: [Consulting] (https://jayacunzo.com/) [Speaking] (https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes) [Contact] (https://jayacunzo.com/contact) [Books] (https://jayacunzo.com/books) Jay Acunzo is an author, speaker, and differentiation-and-thought leadership consultant on a mission to help you make what matters to your career, company, and community. He's an advisor to experts, execs, and entrepreneurs who want to resonate deeper with others, not just reach them. To do so, he helps you turn your expertise into IP and your IP into differentiated messaging, exceptional speeches, and celebrated creative projects, equipping you with the communication techniques and power of today’s top thought leaders—because he believes in standing out through substance and stories, not hollow hype. A leading voice in B2B content marketing for many years thanks to his roles at brands like Google and HubSpot, companies like Mailchimp, Salesforce, Wistia, and GoDaddy have turned to Jay to strengthen their storytelling, while dozens of individual authors, speakers, consultants, and service providers hire Jay as their dedicated thought partner and exec. producer to help develop their premise, IP, speaking, and shows. Jay lives in the Boston area with his family as a proud Yankees and Knicks fan. In the 60 seconds per week he's not creating stuff for work or making his kids laugh, he likes to shoot hoops, sip nice bourbons, cook with his wife, and daydream about telling stories like that of his storytelling hero, Anthony Bourdain. ... Read more

14 Oct 2024

48 MINS

48:14

14 Oct 2024

#14

“We’re both the heroes and the villains in our own stories” | Chase Jarvis, Photographer + Entrepren...

Why is candor essential for a good story? How brutally honest should you actually be in sharing a story with the world?  The great Chase Jarvis brings us into his story of self-discovery, with the many twists and turns his professional career has taken, as he works through how to best tell that story ahead of his next book tour.  Starting in second grade when his entrepreneurial spirit was snuffed by his teacher, Chase works to find acceptance by pursuing the “best” path forward, before realizing that maybe it’s not the best path for him. It’s a story that’s brutally honest, surprising, and carefully crafted so that listeners get an intimate look at the real Chase Jarvis and the themes of his book. Chase is an award-winning photographer, entrepreneur, and the author of “Never Play It Safe," and he's widely considered to be one of the leading voices advocating for the importance of creativity in work, life, and society today. Together, Jay and Chase extract the various blocks that create the flow of Chase's story, exploring what makes certain segments most compelling and how to best drive the story forward. They discuss how great stories are built, rather than experienced, and the importance of allegory versus illustration. Whether you’re an aspiring author, artist or entrepreneur, this episode will compel you to slow down, reflect, and connect to your own unique path forward and all the stories that have shaped you and your work.  RESOURCES: ⚫ Learn more about Chase at his [website] (https://chasejarvis.com) , or listen to his podcast, [The Chase Jarvis LIVE Show] (https://chasejarvis.com/project/chase-jarvis-live-podcast/) ⚫ Follow Chase on [X] (https://x.com/chasejarvis) and [Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/chasejarvis/?hl=en) ⚫ Buy Chase’s book, [Never Play It Safe] (https://chasejarvis.com/never-play-it-safe/) 🔵 Subscribe to Jay Acunzo's newsletter at [ jayacunzo.com] (https://jayacunzo.com/) 🔵 Join Jay's membership program for business storytellers and service providers, the [Creator Kitchen] (https://creatorkitchen.com/) 🔵 Follow Jay on [LinkedIn] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/) , [Instagram] (https://instagram.com/jacunzo) , or [Threads] (https://threads.net/@jacunzo) 🟢 Produced by [Ilana Nevins] (https://www.ilananevins.com/) 🟢 Cover art designed by [Blake Ink] (https://www.blakeink.com/) *** ABOUT JAY: [Consulting] (https://jayacunzo.com/) [Speaking] (https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes) [Contact] (https://jayacunzo.com/contact) [Books] (https://jayacunzo.com/books) Jay Acunzo is an author, speaker, and differentiation-and-thought leadership consultant on a mission to help you make what matters to your career, company, and community. He's an advisor to experts, execs, and entrepreneurs who want to resonate deeper with others, not just reach them. To do so, he helps you turn your expertise into IP and your IP into differentiated messaging, exceptional speeches, and celebrated creative projects, equipping you with the communication techniques and power of today’s top thought leaders—because he believes in standing out through substance and stories, not hollow hype. A leading voice in B2B content marketing for many years thanks to his roles at brands like Google and HubSpot, companies like Mailchimp, Salesforce, Wistia, and GoDaddy have turned to Jay to strengthen their storytelling, while dozens of individual authors, speakers, consultants, and service providers hire Jay as their dedicated thought partner and exec. producer to help develop their premise, IP, speaking, and shows. Jay lives in the Boston area with his family as a proud Yankees and Knicks fan. In the 60 seconds per week he's not creating stuff for work or making his kids laugh, he likes to shoot hoops, sip nice bourbons, cook with his wife, and daydream about telling stories like that of his storytelling hero, Anthony Bourdain. ... Read more

07 Oct 2024

38 MINS

38:22

07 Oct 2024

#13

"If all knowledge is experience, all wisdom is framework" | Laura Gassner Otting, Keynote Speaker & ...

What is a super-story? And how can you flex yours to fit different audiences, mediums, or conclusions? That’s what we dive into today with powerhouse storyteller, Laura Gassner Otting. Laura takes us into a small story about her first time decorating a Christmas tree with her husband’s family. Initially horrified by the chipped ornaments and tattered boxes, she grew to love these mismatched decorations. It’s a story about finding meaning in often unexpected, imperfect places—and it's full of callbacks and insights helping LGO serve thousands of attendees at events across the globe where she speaks. Laura is a bestselling author, keynote speaker, and executive coach. She’s a regular contributor to Good Morning America, the TODAY Show, Harvard Business Review, and Oprah Daily. She also served as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton’s White House, founded an international search firm, and has a superpower in seeing others’ greatness and reflecting it back to them.  Together, Jay and Laura discuss her effective use of "the specific," finding wisdom in frameworks, and how LGO draws from her time in politics to imbue her speaking with musicality. Plus, they talk about the importance of having rounded edges to end in stories, how to immediately become relatable to your audience, and the art of using callbacks. Whether you’re an aspiring author or keynote speaker, executive coach or entrepreneur who teaches through content, this episode will motivate you to resonate more deeply with your stories as you show up to any audience, in any medium.  RESOURCES: ⚫ Learn more about Laura at her [website] (https://lauragassnerotting.com/) and watch her viral [TED Talk] (https://www.ted.com/talks/laura_gassner_otting_why_doesn_t_success_bring_happiness?subtitle=en) ⚫ Follow Laura on [TikTok] (https://www.tiktok.com/@heylgo) or [Linkedin] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/heylgo/) ⚫ Buy Laura’s books, [Wonderhell] (https://www.wonderhellbook.com/) , [Limitless] (https://www.porchlightbooks.com/product/limitless-how-to-ignore-everybody-carve-your-own-path-and-live-your-best-life--laura-gassner-otting/isbn/9781940858760) , and [Mission Driven] (https://www.amazon.com/Mission-Driven-Moving-Profit-Purpose/dp/193749862X)   🔵 Subscribe to Jay Acunzo's fortnightly newsletter at [ jayacunzo.com] (https://jayacunzo.com/) 🔵 Join Jay's membership program for business storytellers and service providers, the [Creator Kitchen] (https://creatorkitchen.com/) 🔵 Follow Jay on [LinkedIn] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/) , [Instagram] (https://instagram.com/jacunzo) , or [Threads] (https://threads.net/@jacunzo) 🟢 Produced by [Ilana Nevins] (https://www.ilananevins.com/) 🟢 Cover art designed by [Blake Ink] (https://www.blakeink.com/) *** ABOUT JAY: [Consulting] (https://jayacunzo.com/) [Speaking] (https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes) [Contact] (https://jayacunzo.com/contact) [Books] (https://jayacunzo.com/books) Jay Acunzo is an author, speaker, and differentiation-and-thought leadership consultant on a mission to help you make what matters to your career, company, and community. He's an advisor to experts, execs, and entrepreneurs who want to resonate deeper with others, not just reach them. To do so, he helps you turn your expertise into IP and your IP into differentiated messaging, exceptional speeches, and celebrated creative projects, equipping you with the communication techniques and power of today’s top thought leaders—because he believes in standing out through substance and stories, not hollow hype. A leading voice in B2B content marketing for many years thanks to his roles at brands like Google and HubSpot, companies like Mailchimp, Salesforce, Wistia, and GoDaddy have turned to Jay to strengthen their storytelling, while dozens of individual authors, speakers, consultants, and service providers hire Jay as their dedicated thought partner and exec. producer to help develop their premise, IP, speaking, and shows. Jay lives in the Boston area with his family as a proud Yankees and Knicks fan. In the 60 seconds per week he's not creating stuff for work or making his kids laugh, he likes to shoot hoops, sip nice bourbons, cook with his wife, and daydream about telling stories like that of his storytelling hero, Anthony Bourdain. ... Read more

30 Sep 2024

43 MINS

43:11

30 Sep 2024

#12

Working out a new TED Talk with Simone Stolzoff, Author & Journalist

Go inside the development of a brand new TED Talk, as Jay offers notes to friend Simone Stolzoff on his v1 draft. Simone is the author of The Good Enough Job and a journalist whose writing has been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and more. This is the first episode of a new bonus episode of How Stories Happen called "Is This Anything?" which we'll occasionally run in our off weeks. During this miniseries, you'll hear Jay and friends actively develop and work through new material for stories, speeches, and other projects. In this miniseries debut, Simone shares an 8-minute TED Talk draft as he prepares for the big day, and Jay offers some notes to strengthen the content, insert callbacks and other framing devices, and tighten the talk track. Simo responds in-kind with vulnerable sharing, piercing questions about what might make more sense, and brand new ideas brainstormed on the fly. It's all in the name of actively developing the speech from raw material into something special. Because that's how stories happen. (Whispers) hey that's the name of the show! RESOURCES: ⚫ Learn more about Simone Stolzoff and join his newsletter at [simonestolzoff.com] (https://www.simonestolzoff.com/) ⚫ Follow Simone on [Instagram] (%20https://www.instagram.com/thepizza_bagel/) or [LinkedIn] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/simone-stolzoff-5a16b648/) ⚫ Buy Simone's book, [The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work] (https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-good-enough-job-reclaiming-your-life-from-your-work-simone-stolzoff/18774272?ean=9780593538968) 🔵 Subscribe to Jay Acunzo's fortnightly newsletter at [ jayacunzo.com] (https://jayacunzo.com/) 🔵 Join Jay's membership program for business storytellers and service providers, the [Creator Kitchen] (https://creatorkitchen.com/%20) 🔵 Follow Jay on [LinkedIn] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/) , [Instagram] (https://instagram.com/jacunzo) , or [Threads] (https://threads.net/@jacunzo) 🟢 Produced by [Ilana Nevins] (https://www.ilananevins.com/) 🟢 Cover art designed by [Blake Ink] (https://www.blakeink.com/) *** ABOUT JAY: [Consulting] (https://jayacunzo.com/) [Speaking] (https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes) [Contact] (https://jayacunzo.com/contact) [Books] (https://jayacunzo.com/books) Jay Acunzo is an author, speaker, and differentiation-and-thought leadership consultant on a mission to help you make what matters to your career, company, and community. He's an advisor to experts, execs, and entrepreneurs who want to resonate deeper with others, not just reach them. To do so, he helps you turn your expertise into IP and your IP into differentiated messaging, exceptional speeches, and celebrated creative projects, equipping you with the communication techniques and power of today’s top thought leaders—because he believes in standing out through substance and stories, not hollow hype. A leading voice in B2B content marketing for many years thanks to his roles at brands like Google and HubSpot, companies like Mailchimp, Salesforce, Wistia, and GoDaddy have turned to Jay to strengthen their storytelling, while dozens of individual authors, speakers, consultants, and service providers hire Jay as their dedicated thought partner and exec. producer to help develop their premise, IP, speaking, and shows. Jay lives in the Boston area with his family as a proud Yankees and Knicks fan. In the 60 seconds per week he's not creating stuff for work or making his kids laugh, he likes to shoot hoops, sip nice bourbons, cook with his wife, and daydream about telling stories like that of his storytelling hero, Anthony Bourdain. ... Read more

25 Sep 2024

49 MINS

49:56

25 Sep 2024

#11

“A perfectly competent character is boring” | Nat Eliason, Author & Essayist

Telling stories about your life feels fraught. How do you weave together a story that is deeply personal to you and others, contains the right amount of tension without being too dramatic, and feels both gripping and accessible for your audience?  In the case of our guest today, Nat Eliason, his story is about the moment he went from investing hundreds of dollars to having $10 million of his own money on the line, plus more than $100 million of others under his purview, when the whole system was hacked. Nat recently published his first book, “ [Crypto Confidential: Winning and Losing Millions in the New Frontier of Finance] (https://www.amazon.com/Crypto-Confidential-Winning-Millions-Frontier/dp/0593714040) ,” and in this episode, he dissects the choices he made writing his prologue (which he shared with more than 20 people to get right). Together, Jay and Nat dissect Nat’s thrilling story, unpacking how he grounded the drama, making it feel authentic and relatable, while still embracing the primacy and recency effects in storytelling. Plus, they discuss strategies for getting more valuable feedback on your creative work, Nat’s decision to focus on such a dramatic moment for his prologue, and how to effectively combine educational or technical concepts into a story in a way that doesn’t lose or bore readers. Whether you are an aspiring author, give keynotes, write articles, or record multimedia content, this episode will make you look a bit closer at how your favorite stories are told—from the very first hook to a perfectly placed detail to the closing line that makes you realize that although the story was specific … it was profoundly universal.Resources: ⚫ Follow Nat on Linkedin: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nateliason/] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nateliason/) ⚫  Follow Nat on X: [https://x.com/nateliason] (https://x.com/nateliason) ⚫ Visit Nat’s website: [https://www.nateliason.com/] (https://www.nateliason.com/) ⚫ Subscribe to Nat’s Substack: [https://blog.nateliason.com/] (https://blog.nateliason.com/) 🔵 Work with Jay to develop and differentiate your IP and stories: [ https://jayacunzo.com/] (https://jayacunzo.com/) 🔵Join his Creator Kitchen membership: [https://creatorkitchen.com/] (https://creatorkitchen.com/)   🔵 Follow Jay on LinkedIn: [ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/) 🔵 Follow Jay on Instagram: [https://www.instagram.com/jacunzo/] (https://www.instagram.com/jacunzo/) 🟢 Produced by Ilana Nevins: [https://www.ilananevins.com/] (https://www.ilananevins.com/) 🟢 Cover art designed by Blake Ink: [ https://www.blakeink.com/] (https://www.blakeink.com/) 🟢 Find and support our sponsors: [ https://jayacunzo.com/sponsors] (https://jayacunzo.com/sponsors) ... Read more

16 Sep 2024

42 MINS

42:27

16 Sep 2024

#10

What it takes to craft a signature story | Susan Boles, CFO, Business Strategist & Podcaster

What should you include or omit to ensure your stories carry your message, resonate with others, and deliver something that could only come from you? That’s the challenge we encounter today.  In this special episode, Jay is joined by a favorite client, Susan Boles, to work through a draft of a signature story, which emerged on the back of their months-long work together developing Susan’s premise of “calm is the new KPI.” They apply Jay’s Align-Agitate-Assert structure, and they find the two biggest opportunities to improve the story. Susan is the founder of Beyond Margins and host of the podcast of the same name. She teaches entrepreneur clients how to optimize their business for quality of life, not just profit margin, by making calm their focus and their literal KPI. In the episode, Jay and Susan dissect her emerging, signature story involving Rand Fishkin, founder and CEO of SparkToro and, previously, founder and CEO of Moz. When one piece of the story runs too long, Jay shares some pointers for how to shorten it without sacrificing the story’s power, and the duo figure out what insights can be extracted and delivered from the story to teach and inspire Susan’s audience. Whether you’re crafting your next keynote or fine-tuning your leadership communication skills, this episode will have you immediately elevating your storytelling in ways that illuminate insights others remember, share, and apply to their work or lives. Resources: ⚫ Follow Susan on LinkedIn: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesusanboles] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesusanboles/)   ⚫ Listen to Beyond Margins: [https://podcast.beyondmargins.com/] (https://podcast.beyondmargins.com/)   ⚫ Subscribe to Beyond Margins Newsletter: [https://beyondmargins.ck.page/21380f9bae] (https://beyondmargins.ck.page/21380f9bae)   🔵 Work with Jay to develop and differentiate your IP and stories: [ https://jayacunzo.com/] (https://jayacunzo.com/) 🔵Join his Creator Kitchen membership: [https://creatorkitchen.com/] (https://creatorkitchen.com/)   🔵 Follow Jay on LinkedIn: [ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/) 🔵 Follow Jay on Instagram: [https://www.instagram.com/jacunzo/] (https://www.instagram.com/jacunzo/) 🟢 Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: [ https://shareyourgenius.com/] (https://shareyourgenius.com/) 🟢 Cover art designed by Blake Ink: [ https://www.blakeink.com/] (https://www.blakeink.com/) 🟢 Find and support our sponsors: [ https://jayacunzo.com/sponsors] (https://jayacunzo.com/sponsors) ... Read more

19 Aug 2024

53 MINS

53:15

19 Aug 2024

#9

To tell stronger stories, understand yourself first | Ryan Hawk & Brook Cups, Coauthors of The Score...

Storytellers often face a paradox: to connect deeper externally, you have to turn deeper internally. You have to know yourself and get more honest with how you think and feel than others might be comfortable doing themselves. That often means we have to stop caring what people think of us quite as much. In this episode, we meet Brook Cupps and Ryan Hawk, coauthors of the book The Score That Matters. We talk about how they collaborated on their book together and how they use stories to inspire and lead others. Brook is the head boys basketball coach at Centerville High School in Ohio, while Ryan hosts the popular podcast, The Learning Leader Show. What makes their partnership one of a kind—and what you'll hear in this episode—is the blend of practical coaching wisdom, deeply personal ideas, and storytelling finesse. The story we dissect comes from Brook, who shares how he transformed his coaching approach after a pivotal moment with his daughter, which shifted his entire philosophy. Ryan chimes in with insights from his own journey, emphasizing the importance of inner growth, values, and deliberate practice. It's a refreshing look at storytelling and the tough things we need to embrace first, which then allow us to become more effective communicators and leaders. BONUS: Hear Jay and Ryan on Ryan's podcast, discussing the art and science of hosting great interviews: [https://learningleader.com/episode/330-deconstructing-the-art-science-of-interviewing-with-jay-acunzo/] (https://learningleader.com/episode/330-deconstructing-the-art-science-of-interviewing-with-jay-acunzo/) ⚫ Check out Ryan Hawk’s podcast, The Learning Leader Show: [https://learningleader.com/] (https://learningleader.com/) ⚫ Learn more about Brook Cupps and Blue Collar Grit: [https://www.bluecollargrit.com/about-us.html] (https://www.bluecollargrit.com/about-us.html) ⚫ Get Ryan and Brook's book, The Score That Matters: [https://www.amazon.com/Score-That-Matters-Excellence-Yourself-ebook/dp/B0CGZ8HRXD] (https://www.amazon.com/Score-That-Matters-Excellence-Yourself-ebook/dp/B0CGZ8HRXD) 🔵 Follow Jay on LinkedIn: [ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/) 🔵 Subscribe to Jay’s newsletter: [ https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter] (https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter) 🔵 Learn about Jay’s coaching and consulting: [ https://jayacunzo.com/] (https://jayacunzo.com/) 🟢 Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: [ https://shareyourgenius.com/] (https://shareyourgenius.com/) 🟢 Cover art designed by Blake Ink: [ https://www.blakeink.com/] (https://www.blakeink.com/) ... Read more

05 Aug 2024

42 MINS

42:44

05 Aug 2024

#8

“You have to work against people assuming they know how this goes” | Danielle Bayard Jackson, Author...

How do we compress our lifetime into their runtime? When we’re asked to explain our backgrounds and bios, we need a structure, some practice, and a few anecdotes at the ready. Because our story has to pull triple-duty: clarify who we are, build credibility, and teach whatever it is we’re there to teach. In this episode, author, PR agency founder, and friendship expert Danielle Bayard Jackson reveals the simple way she responds to that simple question: “How’d you get here?” Together, we break it apart into component pieces and re-build certain aspects, spotting ways to customize the story to the specific audiences Danielle speaks to as a speaker and service provider. You’ll walk away with a new framework for crafting your own gripping answer to the personal background question (“MBAS” – Mission, Background, Anecdote, Summary), and you’ll get a glimpse into the craft of two communicators reaching geeky levels of appreciation for what it takes to resonate with our words. Danielle is the author of the new book, Fighting for Our Friendships: The Science and Art of Conflict and Connection in Women's Relationships. Resources: ⚫ Follow Danielle on LinkedIn: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellebayardjackson/] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellebayardjackson/)   ⚫ Follow Danielle on TikTok: [https://www.tiktok.com/@thefriendshipexpert] (https://www.tiktok.com/@thefriendshipexpert)   ⚫ Visit Danielle’s website: [https://www.daniellebayardjackson.com/] (https://www.daniellebayardjackson.com/)   🔵 Subscribe to Jay’s newsletter: [ https://jayacunzo.com/] (https://jayacunzo.com/) 🔵 Join the Creator Kitchen membership for storytellers: [https://creatorkitchen.com/] (https://creatorkitchen.com/)   🔵 Follow Jay on LinkedIn: [ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/) 🔵 Follow Jay on Instagram: [https://www.instagram.com/jacunzo/] (https://www.instagram.com/jacunzo/)   🟢 Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: [ https://shareyourgenius.com/] (https://shareyourgenius.com/) 🟢 Cover art designed by Blake Ink: [ https://www.blakeink.com/] (https://www.blakeink.com/) 🟢 Find and support our sponsors: [ https://jayacunzo.com/sponsors] (https://jayacunzo.com/sponsors) ... Read more

22 Jul 2024

50 MINS

50:20

22 Jul 2024

#7

“I could tell this story in 1950 or 2024” | Scott Monty, Exec. Coach and Speaker

While everyone scrambles to learn the new trends and act like a futurist, it’s the folks who understand what parts of this work are timeless – because they’re based on human nature – that are most powerful of all.  Storytelling is one such thing. It’s been a constant throughout the history of humanity. Why? Because although the world changes in many ways, human nature is one thing that doesn’t change much at all. So says our guest today, Scott Monty, and it’s part of what makes Scott such an inspiring storyteller – and a leadership advisor, consultant, and coach who has worked for and with brands like Ford, Google, IBM, Adobe, and Walmart. In fact, thanks to his work helping pioneer all things social media at Ford Motor Company, The Economist named Scott #1 on its list of social business leaders. In this episode, we hear Scott dissect a signature story piece by piece, taking us into the executive team meeting from his time at Ford and how storytelling helped him thwart – then win over – his archnemesis, the curmudgeonly CFO at the time.  After hearing the story, we identify the three tentpoles that help it stand up, plus identify details that could improve – and we hear why the moments that don’t seem to advance the action are actually the most important pieces for this story to resonate deeper. Scott’s brand is about the idea of timeless leadership – and he effortlessly quotes philosophers and leaders from centuries past to help make his points, both on the show and everywhere he shows up. Resources: ⚫ Follow Scott on LinkedIn: [ ] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/randfishkin/) [https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottmonty/] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottmonty/) ⚫ Subscribe to Scott’s newsletter, Timeless & Timely: [https://www.timelesstimely.com/] (https://www.timelesstimely.com/) 🔵 Follow Jay on LinkedIn: [ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/) 🔵 Subscribe to Jay’s newsletter: [ https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter] (https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter) 🔵 Learn about Jay’s coaching and consulting: [ https://jayacunzo.com/] (https://jayacunzo.com/) 🟢 Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: [ https://shareyourgenius.com/] (https://shareyourgenius.com/) 🟢 Cover art designed by Blake Ink: [ https://www.blakeink.com/] (https://www.blakeink.com/) 🟢 Find and support our sponsors: [ https://jayacunzo.com/sponsors] (https://jayacunzo.com/sponsors) ... Read more

08 Jul 2024

53 MINS

53:20

08 Jul 2024

#6

“Words can do WHAT?! Are we serious right now?!” | Tucker Bryant, Poet & Keynote Speaker

How do we craft a metaphor that works? More importantly, perhaps, how do we ensure the metaphors we use pivot to the audience to teach them something in their lives or work, without them getting lost? Do we overtly explain the lesson? Imply it? Some combination? It’s a delicate dance, and few do it like Tucker Bryant. Tucker isn't just a keynote speaker; he's a poet who has taken the stage everywhere from corporate boardrooms to major conferences, importing what he knows from the world of verse to the world of business innovation. After working at Google, Tucker transformed his own unique perspective and skill as a poet into keynotes that grip audiences by the thousands, leaving lasting impressions on everyone from marketers to HR pros to C-suite executives. In this episode, we dive into Tucker's signature story about a young poet named Robert. We find a macro-level shape to the metaphor and apply it back in the audience’s more literal world, before re-working some of the story to add some drama, tension, and lessons — all to make Tucker’s message feel inescapable and irresistible to audiences. We talk pacing, pivoting, and probably a third-P (and why lists of three really matter when we list examples.) (For real, that’s in there.) Whether you're looking to deliver a powerful speech, tighten your brand's message, or inspire action in your next conversation or piece of content, this episode is for you. Resources: ⚫ Follow Tucker on LinkedIn: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tuckerbryant/] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tuckerbryant/) ⚫ Tucker’s site: [https://www.tuckerbryantspeaks.com/] (https://www.tuckerbryantspeaks.com/) 🔵 Follow Jay on LinkedIn: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/) 🔵 Subscribe to Jay’s newsletter: [https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter] (https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter) 🔵 Learn about Jay’s coaching and consulting: [https://jayacunzo.com/] (https://jayacunzo.com/) 🟢 Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: [https://shareyourgenius.com/] (https://shareyourgenius.com/) 🟢 Cover art designed by Blake Ink: [https://www.blakeink.com/] (https://www.blakeink.com/) 🟢 Find and support our sponsors: [https://jayacunzo.com/sponsors] (https://jayacunzo.com/sponsors) ... Read more

24 Jun 2024

47 MINS

47:28

24 Jun 2024

#5

“We congregate around emotional stories” | Rand Fishkin, CEO of SparkToro

The hardest question to answer when we show up publicly might be the simplest question we receive: “Tell me about yourself.” Who are you? How’d you get here? What’s your story? We then face a choice: we can make the story about us, or we can make it about the thing we’re there to say. We can make our own stories about the audiences we wish to serve, and we can do so without feeling like we’re bragging and even without any newsworthy moments in our past. Meet Rand Fishkin, cofounder and CEO of two companies (audience research platform SparkToro and indie video game maker Snackbar Studio). He’s an entrepreneur who’s navigated the roller-coaster of startup life, written an incredible book about it (Lost and Founder), and gone on the journey with hundreds of thousands of professionals following his every move. Rand has spoken at countless events, sharing his (often difficult) journey with audiences ranging from fresh-faced founders to seasoned veterans. In this episode, Rand shares his personal story as he’d present it from the stage, illustrating for us the power of stories the more “strategic” thinkers among us might think unwise to share: stories of failure, struggle, and genuine emotional turmoil. You’ll hear the power of having an "enemy" to galvanize your cause and attract your tribe, and why sharing failures and other difficult experiences can forge stronger connections and teach more valuable lessons than sharing wins and case studies. Rand’s style is a breath of fresh air in communities that rarely get so real, and it’s a big reason he resonates deeper than most. Jump into the conversation: (01:14) Meet Rand (10:43) Rand’s Story (18:46) Dissecting the Story Resources: ⚫ Follow Rand on LinkedIn: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/randfishkin/] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/randfishkin/) ⚫ Follow Rand on Threads: [https://www.threads.net/@randderuiter] (https://www.threads.net/@randderuiter) ⚫ Visit SparkToro: [https://sparktoro.com/] (https://sparktoro.com/) ⚫ Visit Snackbar Studio: [https://snackbarstudio.com/] (https://snackbarstudio.com/) 🔵 Follow Jay: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/) 🔵 Subscribe to Jay’s newsletter: [https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter] (https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter) 🔵 Learn about Jay’s coaching and consulting: [https://jayacunzo.com/] (https://jayacunzo.com/) 🟢 Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: [https://shareyourgenius.com/] (https://shareyourgenius.com/) 🟢 Cover art designed by Blake Ink: [https://www.blakeink.com/] (https://www.blakeink.com/) 🟢 Find and support our sponsors: [https://jayacunzo.com/sponsors] (https://jayacunzo.com/sponsors) ... Read more

10 Jun 2024

35 MINS

35:16

10 Jun 2024

#4

“How do we all sign our work?” | Ann Handley, Author & Keynote Speaker

When so many people are excited to create a higher volume of content, shouldn’t we think more about what gives our work greater power? That’s what our guest today understands better than most, and she draws that power from everyday moments she hunts out, like a squirrel finding nuts in the yard. Meet Ann Handley—she’s a best-selling author, a pioneer in content marketing, and a popular B2B speaker with a knack for imbuing ordinary moments with extraordinary meaning. Ann reveals her morning routine, her idea capture system, and most importantly, her process and practice of becoming a word-class noticer of stories during a time when so many people simply stuff a screen in their face or turn to cheat-sheets to produce generic content. In this episode, we dissect a signature story shared to her newsletter, Total Annarchy, which she sent to just over 50,000 readers. We zero in on a pivot point in the middle that makes the work resonate, and we find plenty of existential debates that unfolded in her writing process. Together, we discover how to connect with an audience on a more personal level and leave a lasting impression, ensuring your stories aren’t just heard but felt. The best part? You don’t need to experience anything groundbreaking for your words to hit hard. But you do need to become a notice. Jump into the conversation: (04:48) Meet Ann (19:36) Ann’s Story (26:21) Dissecting the Story Resources: ⚫ Follow Ann on LinkedIn: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhandley/] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhandley/) ⚫ Check out her website and subscribe to her newsletter here: [https://annhandley.com/] (https://annhandley.com/) ⚫ Read Ann’s book, Everybody Writes: [https://annhandley.com/everybodywrites/] (https://annhandley.com/everybodywrites/) 🔵 Follow Jay: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/) 🔵 Subscribe to Jay’s newsletter: [https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter] (https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter) 🔵 Learn about Jay’s coaching and consulting: [https://jayacunzo.com/] (https://jayacunzo.com/) 🟢 Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: [https://shareyourgenius.com/] (https://shareyourgenius.com/) 🟢 Cover art designed by Blake Ink: [https://www.blakeink.com/] (https://www.blakeink.com/) 🟢 Find and support our sponsors: [https://jayacunzo.com/sponsors] (https://jayacunzo.com/sponsors) ... Read more

27 May 2024

45 MINS

45:23

27 May 2024

#3

“A story needs a job to do” | Michelle Warner, Business Designer & Strategist

Our guest for this episode is rarely online. But when she is, she’s telling small stories with big meaning. Meet Michelle Warner—she’s a business strategist and consultant who architects business models and marketing strategies for clients who sell high-priced services. She also hosts the podcast Sequence Over Strategy—an idea that represents her entire platform’s differentiated premise, and one the story she brings to us today reflects. Michelle has founded multi-million dollar startups, raised capital the traditional way, and generally followed “the blueprint” for business growth before burning out and finding a new path forward. She is an independent consultant and educator who doesn’t need to rely on social media for growth. What I admire about Michelle is that she’s designed her life and work in a certain way—she’s intentional, genuine, and carefully curates anything she elects to spend time on. These characteristics are reflected in her life, in her work, and in the way she tells stories. In this episode, we dissect one of her signature stories she recently sent to her newsletter. It was well-received, but the ending needs work, and she recognizes there are some structural problems with the story. We work on that together to turn this into a signature story she can take with her everywhere, and we identify the job this story does for her audience and her business. You’ll get a deep look at the small changes that you can make to a story to communicate with greater impact. Jump into the conversation: (03:39) Meet Michelle (17:40) Michelle’s Story (21:28) Dissecting the Story (23:04) First, Last, Favorite Resources: ⚫ Listen to Michelle’s podcast: [https://www.themichellewarner.com/blog/sos001] (https://www.themichellewarner.com/blog/sos001) ⚫ Check out Michelle’s website: [https://www.themichellewarner.com/] (https://www.themichellewarner.com/) 🔵 Follow Jay: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/) 🔵 Subscribe to Jay’s newsletter: [https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter] (https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter) 🔵 Learn about Jay’s coaching and consulting: [https://jayacunzo.com/] (https://jayacunzo.com/) 🟢 Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: [https://shareyourgenius.com/] (https://shareyourgenius.com/) 🟢 Cover art designed by Blake Ink: [https://www.blakeink.com/] (https://www.blakeink.com/) 🟢 Find and support our sponsors: [https://jayacunzo.com/sponsors] (https://jayacunzo.com/sponsors) ... Read more

13 May 2024

52 MINS

52:12

13 May 2024

#2

“The only way to figure out a story is to tell it” | Andrew Davis, Keynote Speaker

I know a ton of storytellers and creators and entrepreneurs, but I know exactly zero other people who have learned how to do what they do from both legendary news broadcasters and Kermit the Frog. Meet Andrew Davis. He is a powerhouse business speaker who’s given speeches in 35 different countries, at more than 50 events every year. He speaks to audiences ranging from marketers and entrepreneurs to plumbers and physicians — and there may not be a storyteller who is this craft-driven and obsessed with telling amazing stories in the worlds of business, marketing, and customer experience. Andrew hosts a popular video series called the Loyalty Loop on YouTube, and he’s had a long career crafting stories of all kinds, including jobs as a producer for NBC and a writer for the news legend Charles Kuralt. As an entrepreneur, Andrew has built and sold a marketing agency, produced docuseries for brand clients big and small, and authored multiple books about marketing and customer experience. In this episode, we dissect one of his signature stories. It's been with him for almost ten years, and he can customize it across audiences and projects to arrive at basically any insight he needs to teach. It’s a rare look at how a true master of the craft executes the tiny things that create a big impact both for his audience and his business. Jump into the conversation: (06:27) Meet Andrew (14:18) Andrew’s Story (22:38) Dissecting the Story (39:02) First, Last, Favorite Bonus Video: 🎨 Watch a video animation of Andrew’s signature story: [https://jayacunzo.com/blog/how-stories-happen-episode-1-andrew-davis] (https://jayacunzo.com/blog/how-stories-happen-episode-1-andrew-davis) Resources: ⚫ Follow Andrew: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewdavishere/] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewdavishere/) ⚫ Explore his speaking: [https://www.akadrewdavis.com/] (https://www.akadrewdavis.com/) ⚫ Watch the Loyalty Loop: [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeegDFQqmxjBUpr5FCHzlpsKVyeEmPuf3] (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeegDFQqmxjBUpr5FCHzlpsKVyeEmPuf3) 🔵 Follow Jay: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/] (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/) 🔵 Subscribe to Jay’s newsletter: [https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter] (https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter) 🔵 Learn about Jay’s coaching and consulting: [https://jayacunzo.com/] (https://jayacunzo.com/) 🟢 Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: [https://shareyourgenius.com/] (https://shareyourgenius.com/) 🟢 Cover art designed by Blake Ink: [https://www.blakeink.com/] (https://www.blakeink.com/) 🟢 Video animation by La Hacienda: [https://www.lahacienda.media/] (https://www.lahacienda.media/) 🟢 Find and support our sponsors: [https://jayacunzo.com/sponsors] (https://jayacunzo.com/sponsors) ... Read more

29 Apr 2024

47 MINS

47:46

29 Apr 2024

#1

Introducing How Stories Happen: Business Builders Dissect Their Signature Stories Piece by Piece

Welcome to How Stories Happen, a show for business storytellers focused on standing out easier and resonating deeper through substance and stories, not hollow stunts. Each episode, an expert, entrepreneur, or world-class communicator breaks apart a single story piece by piece, sharing how they developed it and how they're using it to grow their brand and leave their legacy. Hosted by Jay Acunzo As Ira Glass said, “Great stories happen to those who can tell them.” He doesn’t mean worthy things only appear to those who are already masters of the craft. He means, this is in fact a craft. But if that's the case, shouldn't we learn storytelling by getting closer to the actual crafting? Enough theory and technique. This show puts on display the posture, process, and practice of incredible business storytellers. Storytellers don’t experience extraordinary things. They know how to imbue meaning into things that are ordinary. How do stories happen? They don’t. Life happens. Then you turn that INTO stories. I guess you could say great stories happen ON PURPOSE. I’m your host, Jay Acunzo. I’m an author, speaker, and podcaster, with more than 15 years of business storytelling experience. I’ve held marketing and editorial roles at Google, HubSpot, and ESPN. I’ve consulted Fortune 500 brands and hosted documentaries and podcasts for exciting startups, and I’ve traveled the world imploring builders of brands and communities to bridge the gap between what best practices claim you have to do and what your intuition is urging you to try. In all of that, I’ve spotted a problem with the way we learn story: it’s an abstraction. It’s external to us. We start seeking answers “out there,” when in reality, that’s not how stories happen. You don’t experience the extraordinary. You see meaning in the ordinary. EVERYTHING is inspiration in the hands of an effective storyteller. To understand that is truly the difference between “learning story” and actually being a storyteller. Join me in an original series where world-class storytellers break apart their signature stories and piece by piece, share how it was made, how they used it to support their cause, and how it might still get better. Because stories aren’t snapshots of life. Stories are built with intention. This show puts that intentionality on display, from inception to development, marketing and selling to growing a following or changing the world – everywhere being a storyteller empowers you to lead. You’ll walk away thinking more about the power of your words and less about the volume of your content. It has never been more urgent to become an effective storyteller, so you can stand out easier and resonate deeper than all the mediocrity flooding our world. Join us as we explore How Stories Happen. *** SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: 💌 [Playing Favorites] (https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter) is the newsletter from Jay about resonance, storytelling, differentiation, and getting off the content hamster wheel to make things that matter more (because when your work matters more, you can hustle for attention less). *** WORK WITH JAY: ✅ Jay consults entrepreneurs, execs, and expert-based businesses to help them develop stronger IP—your premise, storytelling, frameworks, and pillar projects—so you can differentiate easier and resonate deeper. You can't own your audience, but you can own an idea in their minds. [Learn more about Jay's consulting and coaching.] (https://jayacunzo.com) 👋 You can also [book Jay to speak] (https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes) to your organization or event. He's given keynotes in 25 states and 3 countries and delivered talks to audiences as big as 4,000 marketers and as intimate as 40 CEOs in a room, with clients including Harvard Business School, Zillow, Blackbaud, Dometic, James Hardie, Fidelity,  📚 You can also [explore Jay's books.] (https://jayacunzo.com/books) Jay writes business books with soul and story at the center, including Break the Wheel: Question Best Practices, Hone Your Intuition, and Do Your Best Work (2018) and The Creator’s Compass: The Journey to Make Your Audience's Favorite Things (2021). *** ABOUT JAY: [Jay Acunzo] (https://jayacunzo.com/) helps business leaders develop more original premises — the big ideas they become known for publicly. His work focuses on his core belief in prioritizing resonance first, not reach. After starting his career in media and marketing roles at Google and HubSpot, Jay authored the book about questioning best practices, [Break the Wheel] (https://jayacunzo.com/break-the-wheel) , toured as a professional speaker, giving keynote sin 25 states and 3 countries, and cofounded the mastermind for business storytellers, [the Creator Kitchen] (https://creatorkitchen.com/) . As an advisor, he’s worked with more than 200 individuals and teams to help them differentiate through the impact of their ideas, not the volume of their content. Past clients include Salesforce, GoDaddy, Wistia, Drift, and Help Scout, as well as hundreds of individual thought leaders and experts, including the author behind Google’s innovative employee training program and the performance coach who helped Kobe Bryant develop his Black Mamba persona. Jay is a proud New England resident, a troubled Knicks fan, and an obsessive grilled pizza chef. His grandest aspiration (though he’d say delusion) is to be the Anthony Bourdain of business storytelling. 💛 Keep making what matters! ... Read more

18 Mar 2024

09 MINS

09:21

18 Mar 2024