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.)
Storytelling: How to Captivate Your Prospects and Grow Your Business
Humans. We all love a good story. Especially if they're true. Ever watched a movie based on a true story? This weekend, I found myself engrossed in "Big Miracle." It's based on the true story of the international effort to rescue a family of grey whales in 1988 off...
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What Small Biz Owners Can Learn from Superbowl Ads (Besides How to Waste Ungodly Amounts of Money)
I must confess: beyond the pleasures that come with watching a slew of manly men in tight pants run around and get sweaty, I'm not really a fan of football. I watch to support Mr. Perfect's interests and because (let's face it) he's holding the remote. What I DO love...
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Over-Exposed: When Too Much Marketing is Bad for Business
It happens about the same time every year. We all get a barrage of emails and see a tsunami of ads, blog posts, and offers for a certain program that starts with a B. Affiliate marketers -- even people we trusted! -- were hawking their bonuses left and right, and...
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Can You Fail-proof Your Business?
(Hint: Not Bloody Likely) You've all heard Ben Franklin's infamous quote: "...in the world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes." Yes, we've got a slew of new technology now, but unless there's a magic spell I missed, I'm pretty sure you still...
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How Well Do You Tell Your Brand’s Story?
This past weekend I attended (via simulcast) Andrea Lee's Lasting Lead Generation event. It was three days of fabulous teaching, coaching and delivery of actionable content. And I gotta say, she really knows her stuff! One of the first exercises she had us do was to...
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Marketing: It’s Not What You Think (and, Why Knowing the Truth Matters)
During our mentoring wrap-up call last week, I asked Zeus for some feedback. I wanted to know what I might've done better or differently during our time together -- something that could've possibly made a bigger difference to him and his marketing efforts. One of the...
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The Doctor Who Guide to Content Regeneration (and more!)
And now, for something completely different... Most of you know I'm a bit of a sci-fi geek. Usually, I keep that kind of stuff on Twitter and Facebook. After All, you're here for the food porn photos, am I right? Well, sometimes, you gotta break the routine just a...
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Create a Truly Memorable Brand Story: 8 Tips to Help You Get the Most Impact
8 Maids a-Milking It’s Day 8 of the 12 Days of Branding. If you missed any of the series thus far, you can find them here. In today’s installment we look at unexpected ways to build an impactful and memorable brand. You've heard the phrase, "Milking it," right? It...
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When You Just Need to Get ‘Er Done! Employees vs. Independent Contractors
You're at the crossroads. (And I totally feel your pain.) We both know there aren't enough minutes in the day to finish up all that work on your plate. Clients are trying to track you down. And the emails and phone calls are coming in faster than you can respond. And...
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A Story of Big Whys and Secret Desires
Another entrepreneurial story from our series... Secret desires, we all have them. by Blaze Lazarony of Blaze a Brilliant Path Many people keep their desires locked up close to their heart. Some of us are brave enough, in time, to speak them out loud. I’m a big fan of...
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Don’t Ask Them to Follow You. Follow THEM First.
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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Perform a Random Act of Kindness
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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Five Tips for Writing Clear Marketing Copy
Just Say No to “Fast Food” Marketing: 10 Tips for Healthy Marketing on a Budget
When you're really hungry, it's easy to opt for fast-food. It's cheap and it's quick, and it gets the job done. But a Whopper isn't beef bourguignon. There's about a 2-hour difference in the time it takes to create them. The Whopper costs a whole lot less because The...
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An Appetizing Guest Post Pitch: The Perfect Ingredients
A Guest Post by Rohan Pawale of WebHostingDeals.org I’m an big fan of guest posts. I love how they allow me to reach out to new bloggers and build relationships with them. Anything and everything about guest blogging excites me, and considering the latest advice Tea...
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Designing a Brand that Works: 6 Key Eye-Catching Elements
It’s Day 6 of the 12 Days of Branding. If you missed any of the series thus far, you can find them here. In today’s installment we'll look at the six key elements of using design to create memorable visual representations for your...
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Are You Smokin’ a Joint (Venture)? Why Collaboration MUST Come First
I've been doing a lot of hanging out with freakishly cool kids. (Have you noticed?) First came the Word Carnival carnies. (An ever-growing close-knit tribe of bloggers who write for the small biz crowd.) We've been together for almost nine months now. Then came the...
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Social Media is Bullshit: An Interview with the Author, Brandon Mendelson
Meet Brandon Mendelson (aka BJ Mendelson), an ex-marketer whose recently published book, "Social Media is Bullshit," has been getting mostly favorable reviews. (A lot of the flack comes from folks who make a living from social media.) You can listen to the interview...
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Needs and Desires: How to Use a Focus Group to Uncover the Good Stuff
Stuck in research land again? Trying to get inside the mind of your Ideal Client? Maybe you've heard about this thing called a "focus group" and you thought, Yeah, that's what we need to do! Mmmm. Perhaps. A focus group can be helpful. It can also take you down a...
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The Goldlilocks Zone: How Many Times Should You Share Your Offer?
Julia leaned back in her chair and watched her laptop power-up. Coffee. It was 5:42 in the morning. And coffee was about the only coherent thought she could muster. She opened her Google calendar. What time is that appointment again? She had a 10:30 call with a...
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The True Meaning of Your Unique Value Proposition (and How to Explain it Like a Pro)
It's Word Carnival time again! In this month's episode we learn all about the dreaded Unique Value Proposition (or USP), why it's so deceptively hard to figure out, and how you can nail it without having an emotional breakdown. Jargon is for jerks. Ninnies. Lazy...
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A Pumpkin with a Plan (Or, How to Quit Being a Slave to Your Business)
Every once in awhile, a book comes along that really makes sense. This? Yep, this is definitely one of them. If you've read Mike Michaelowicz's The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, then you're already familiar with his friendly and accessible style, his sense of humor,...
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Am I Doing My Marketing Right?
I'm currently conducting a 13-week teaching/gamification experiment called "Prosperity's Kitchen." It's an online class for solopreneurs to learn the ins and outs of marketing themselves in the digital world. The twist? It's structured like a reality TV competition....
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My Big Why: On Motives, Mentors, and Defining Moments
This post first appeared on TheWordChef.com in October 2013. When our Word Carnival group decided an homage to parenthood and business was in order (congrats on your new son, Nick!), I felt a little lost about how I might approach this month's theme. Then I remembered...
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Behind the Scenes of AmyTV
Some of you may have seen Amy's video series, Content Marketing Stripped. She's created a total of 20 videos so far -- each one a gem filled with storytelling, humor and value. Perhaps (like me), you found yourself giggling out loud and sharing the videos with your...
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The Shy Business Owner’s Guide to In-Person Networking
In today's post, I address a question from Caroline Nash of Carolee Crafts (at least 2 other readers asked about this, so I knew it was really important): I'm very shy and fine on a keyboard, but face to face I freeze. Small talk and I do not mix, and I end up...
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Engagement from Scratch: An Interview with Danny Iny
Danny Iny, co-founder of Firepole Marketing, has put together a fabulous new book called "Engagement from Scratch: How Super-Community Builders Create a Loyal Audience and How You Can Do the Same!" Contributors to his book include folks like Brian Clark of...
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