Welcome to the Story Bistro blog!
Our most recent posts have been cued up for your enjoyment. This month, our focus is on blooming and deepening our online relationships.
(See the footer at the bottom of this page to browse by category.)
The PB&J Guide to Building a Tasty Brand
Peanut Butter and Jelly. Two simple, timelessly appealing ingredients. Like most of us, you probably became a fan in childhood. Of the PB&J, I mean. I know it was the only thing my little brother would eat. Period. White bread, creamy peanut butter and grape jelly...
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From Guest Post to Published Author: An Interview with Beth Hayden of “Pinfluence”
Beth and I met last year in a guest blogging class taught by Jon Morrow, and it wasn't long before we'd hit it off. We've even managed to meet up in person a few times, and it's always an energizing exchange when we get the chance to talk. This interview was no...
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How To Write Fun and Engaging Survey Questions
This is a guest post by Josh Pigford Did you know that online surveys don't have to be boring? Gathering feedback is a necessary part of running a business, but the process doesn't necessarily have to be dull. Instead, surveys can be fun, engaging platforms where...
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Find Your Purpose in the Tiny Details and Make a Big Difference
Ever wonder what the heck your purpose is? You've got a little business that you'd like to grow and sometimes you wonder if anyone really cares, right? If what you're doing matters in the larger scheme of things? If what you have to offer would ever prompt someone to...
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The Manifesto: Why Your Business Needs One and How to Write It
I always encourage my clients to write a manifesto for their business. And no, I don't want you to write something creepy a la The Unibomber. This isn't about blowing people up. (Just their minds.) What I'm talking about here is clarity. Clarity for you. Clarity for...
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10 Best Books for Learning the Art of Business Storytelling
Unless you live under a rock, you've likely heard by now that using stories in your marketing is the Golden Ticket to business success. There are scads of blog posts and books out there all telling you WHY storytelling is so important: Stories help our brains make...
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Deep Fried Kool-Aid: a Marketing Parable
Build Your Brand and Your Business Without Cash (A True Story!)
When I first started my consulting practice I used a combination of just three funding sources: savings, credit cards and a little thing called barter. Bartering can be great fun -- especially when you find someone who has what you need and who needs what you have,...
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Is Your Ideal Client Trying to Tell You Something?
Last month in the Digital Dining Room we focused on Market Research. Specifically, how the heck do you find out what your Ideal Client is ready and willing to pay for? Because there's a difference between them needing and wanting something. Traditional business folks...
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How to Keep Bears from Eating Your Business
If you've ever been camping in bear country, you know the drill. Lock up your food. Keep your trash safely stowed. And for cryin-out-loud, don't feed the bears! When it comes to your business, it's also a wise idea to safeguard something important: your values. Why?...
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On Teaching: An Interview with Jennifer Louden
I stumbled on Jen Louden about a year ago, while researching different classes on teaching. I've found her credible and genuine and full of heart. She is an "A-lister" who doesn't take herself too seriously and is always willing to share something that matters. She's...
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Get People to Hate You
This post is part of the 30-Day Bloom Your Online Relationships Challenge. If you'd like to play along, you can sign up here (don't worry -- it's FREE). We're all working through these small, powerful actions together and sharing our questions, learnings and...
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Book Review: Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook
The Big Promise: How to tell your story in a noisy, social world. My biggest problem with this book is its core metaphor. Boxing? Blood sports? Knocking out your prospects? What the hell were you thinking, Gary? It took everything I had to just get through the intro....
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Heartfelt Letters: One Woman’s Entrepreneurial Story
Prior to launching Story Bistro, I reached out to Word Chef readers and asked them to share their stories of entrepreneurial highs and lows as a way to both teach and inspire. If you've got an interesting story, please get in touch. I'll be sharing more of these...
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What The Beatles Can Teach You About Telling a Story With Your Home Page
How can a rock supergroup who broke up 45 years ago help you tell the story of your business? Turns out, they can teach you a lot. I’m a huge Beatles fan, even though they split up before I was born (which would come as a surprise to my 7-year-old, who recently asked...
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30 Must Reads: My Best Marketing Reading List
I love to read (duh). And when I'm not reading supernatural romances, I'm devouring nonfiction business and self improvement titles. (Amazon loves me!) The following list encompasses some of my favorite, and most recommended titles in the field of marketing. I've...
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NaNoWriMo: Postcards and Love Letters from the Chef
November is National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo). And, even though I won't be working on my novel, I want to push myself to create some new writing habits. At first I thought I'd try my hand at short stories. But then I remembered my Box... I have a...
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6 Ways to Spice Up Your Copy Writing and Sell Without Even a Dash of Hype
This is a guest post by Marcia Yudkin If you hate screaming headlines, exaggerations and a hard sell, you may find it hard to know how to write copy that presents you and your offerings in an interesting way. Simply describing what you do in no-frills fashion may seem...
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10 Ways to Spice Up Your Writing and Let YOUR Voice Shine Through
Book Review: Epic Content Marketing
The Big Promise: How to tell a different story, break through the clutter, and win more customers by marketing less He's the head of the Content Marketing Institute, so Joe Pulizzi should know a thing or two about content marketing. And in this book, he gives plenty...
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The Francophile Who Refused to Quit
A CPA Dreams Big, Does the Math and Makes It Happen by Alecia Caine of Find Yourself in France My dream has roots in my childhood. I fell in love with the French language the first time I heard it in class when one of the mothers came in to teach us. I thought it was...
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Ask for Advice
This post is part of the 30-Day Bloom Your Online Relationships Challenge. If you'd like to play along, you can sign up here (don't worry -- it's FREE). We're all working through these small, powerful actions together and sharing our questions, learnings and...
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Uncorked: Anne Gillme Helps Expats Connect and Thrive
Welcome to our bi-monthly series: Corkers Uncorked. These are some of my most treasured interviews -- mostly because I get to know my readers (you!) on a whole different level. We focus on your astounding biz-related superpowers and origin stories. Bonus: you get to...
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Uncorked: Bonita Richter Says Size Doesn’t Matter
Welcome to Corkers Uncorked. These are some of my most treasured interviews -- mostly because I get to know my readers (you!) on a whole different level. We focus on your astounding biz-related superpowers and origin stories. Bonus: you get to learn more about your...
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How to be an Entrepreneurial Chef (not a Business Cook)
Dinner Conversations: Engage Your Fans Online
The Baconomics of Branding (or, How to Bring Home More by Being Different)
True story: Mr. Perfect and I are moving in together in 3 weeks. Sure. It's just across town. But the headaches are still the same: find just the right place; do gobs of paperwork; make tons of phone calls to various utilities; simultaneously pack-sell-or-trash...
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