Storytelling




SSC 1.2 :: The Meeting

SSC 1.2 :: The Meeting

Julia stood on the sidewalk, the letter in her hand. She looked at it again and then searched the storefronts for a matching address. There IS no 404. Am I even on the right street? She craned her neck to read the street sign. Hmm. West Burnside. It’s the right...
It’s All About YOU

It’s All About YOU

(and WHO is that, exactly?) And now for something completely different. Rather than hear from me, I’d like to get to know you. Here’s how to play: Introduce yourself and your business to the rest of the world in a comment below. Include any links to your...
If You Had Clients Like These…

If You Had Clients Like These…

…You’d Be in Love, Too Few business owners are as lucky as I am. I don’t talk about them often enough, but I have some of the BEST clients in the world. Each of them are doing amazing things — changing and shifting, growing into more confident...
Features vs. Benefits: The Stories that Produce Sales

Features vs. Benefits: The Stories that Produce Sales

The $64,000 question is: Do your customers want to buy what you're selling? If you've done your homework (i.e., market research), and you know without a doubt that your product or service is something people need and/or want, yet you still fail to generate sales, then there's something missing in your marketing messages. In short, you're not "speaking" your customer's language (either online or in person).
Behind the Scenes of AmyTV

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...
The Francophile Who Refused to Quit

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...
Storytelling à la Reality TV: What The Next Food Network Star can teach you about marketing

Storytelling à la Reality TV: What The Next Food Network Star can teach you about marketing

I'm normally not drawn to reality TV shows. I'll admit a wee addiction in the past -- especially the early years of American Idol and The Apprentice. But I nipped those habits in the bud after a few seasons. It was easy. I just cancelled my cable. But at the beginning of this year, I moved in with my boyfriend and rediscovered my love of reality TV through The Next Food Network Star. The main idea of the show is to find the next FN "star" (while also promoting FN and its current cast). But here's what you can learn from watching...
What’s on Your Marketing Plate?

What’s on Your Marketing Plate?

Eating healthy can sometimes be a tricky thing. Especially if you've got a sweet tooth. Or a penchant for all-things-fried. When we don't make good choices, we end up feeling pretty miserable. And not just because we can't see our feet any longer. It really sucks when your bottom line won't fit into your favorite jeans! The same is true for your marketing. Your website (and the other channels you use to promote yourself) need to have just the right balance of ingredients in order to keep a healthy number of customers and prospects at your table.
SSC 1.1 :: The Invitation

SSC 1.1 :: The Invitation

Julia stood in the same spot she always came to when she wanted to disappear. The young adult stacks were in the far corner of the upstairs level. It was the quietest section of the store and easy to hide there. Usually. She stared at the shelf in front of her,...
Your Business is Like an Artichoke

Your Business is Like an Artichoke

Have you ever been seduced by a vegetable? I have. And her name is Artichoke. What is it about her that draws me in? She’s beautiful, sensual and earthy all at once. She has hidden mysteries, layers of “meaty” stories, and a delicious interior that...
A Business Storytelling Manifesto

A Business Storytelling Manifesto

This isn’t just another bandwagon. This is truly important stuff. Especially if you’re a mission-driven entrepreneur who has some world-changing ideas, products, or services. You know that business IS personal. That it SHOULD be personal. How else will we...
Simplify a Complicated Branding Story

Simplify a Complicated Branding Story

In preparation for the launch of Story Bistro, I reached out to my readers and asked for your best storytelling questions. At least half of the ones you sent were a variation on this one: I work in two distinct areas. How can I incorporate them both into my story? Or...
Book Review: Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook

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....
Book Review: Epic Content Marketing

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...

50% complete

FREE DOWNLOAD: About Page Starter Recipe
Leave your email below
to download my free questionnaire:
We guarantee 100% privacy. Your email address is safe with us.