Too many leaders STILL think “culture” is just HR fluff. Spoiler alert: It’s not.
Culture can make or break your business.
In the latest episode of Stories With Traction, I sat down with Sel Watts, founder of wattsnextpx, to unpack why Culture needs to be treated like a business driver, not an afte...
…COPYWRITING!
Fun fact: I don't have the biggest LinkedIn following, and I don't need to.
So many people get so hung up on “likes,” followers, and comments that they fail to speak directly to their prospects.
Most of my posts that convert to sales have very little engagement.
In business, my comp...
I've had to work with a lot of clients recently and deprogram them. 👇
They were leaders getting poor marks on communication with their staff through surveys.
“They don't know how to talk.”
“They don't know how to listen.”
Go figure. They speed up podcasts.
They're not training their mind on how...
”I treat the janitor like I treat the CEO,” and that's noble, but sometimes, these same people will completely destroy themselves with criticism.
So, though they value the lives of others, they don't consider their own life.
You treat everyone else with dignity and respect - why do you treat you...
SHOW NOTES:
In this episode, Matt Zaun sits down with Sel Watts, founder of Wattsnext PX, to discuss the essential role of culture in business growth. Sel challenges the common perception that culture is just a "fluffy" HR concept, arguing instead that it is a strategic business driver that dire...
I don’t think it should just be one day.
I’m constantly sharing my business goals with my sons and daughter.
I make them part of the process.
Not only do they get excited about being involved, but my kids learn important business skills that they’ll be able to utilize for the rest of their live...
...James Buchanan.
That's according to many historians.
What's interesting is that Buchanan was one of the most prepared presidents in history.
He was:
A soldier
A prominent lawyer
U.S. Congressman
U.S. Senator
Secretary of State
Minister to Russia
Minister to the U.K.
However, he was not:
good at ...
I kinda like this place, so let’s not destroy it.
Have a great week!
In the darkness of April 14th, 1865, John Wilkes Booth's bullet pierced Lincoln's head, altering the course of our nation's history.
The weight of the moment was intense as doctors rushed to attend to President Lincoln, but the severity of his wound left little hope.
Amidst the chaos, a crucial d...
1–2 Minutes and in under 20 Seconds.
Here’s When to Use Each...
One of the biggest questions I hear about storytelling is: How long should my story be?
The answer depends on your situation, but here’s the key: people’s attention spans are shorter than ever, so your stories must be concise and inten...
If not, you're missing out on a huge opportunity to learn and improve your organization!
Asking something as simple as, "What's exciting you right now, and what's angering you right now?" can give you a ton of feedback you could be missing.
Want your team to solve more problems? To be more creat...
It wasn’t just a ship disaster; it was a moment that revealed the profound depths of human character.
Among the passengers were millionaire John Jacob Astor IV and Isidor Straus, co-owner of Macy's (one of the largest American department store chains at the time). Both men had wealth that could have...
... Dan Koval is always reminding me to not only work hard but to play hard, too! 👇
Sometimes, we get so caught up in the go, go, go that we forget to slow down and actually enjoy life.
This week was awesome! I conducted 4 strategic storytelling workshops in Cleveland for some incredible business le...
Let’s break it down. 👇
If you’ve been following my work, you’ve likely heard me discuss the importance of a Storybank—a systematic way to document and organize your stories for maximum impact.
But the big question is: How many stories do you actually need?
The answer depends entirely on your “why.”
Why...
...it is about how every small detail can significantly affect customer behavior. 👇
For example, consider how some brands have adjusted the positioning of their characters' eyes on packaging.
Design teams have made subtle adjustments in supermarkets, where products are displayed on multiple shelves, ...
I believe that the answer to that question is a resounding YES.
Over the years, I’ve worked with hundreds of politicians, executives, and entrepreneurs who try to surround themselves with people who make them feel good.
Some will go to staggering lengths to surround themselves with people who just s...
I’ve seen it happen. Someone aspiring to a VP role shares a deeply personal story about being mistreated by a boss or about joining a job that wasn’t what they expected. While the intent might be authentic, what is the result? Crickets from recruiters missed opportunities or even backlash.
The soluti...
It was one of the best cheeseburgers I've ever had, too.
“Wait, what?!” you say. I thought this was the company that says, Eat Mor Chikin?!”
Yup. Well, they used to serve burgers, and the one that started it all (in Hapeville, GA) still does.
What's wild about this to me is that they served burge...
Actually, to “make it anywhere,” it takes solid mentorship…
…and that’s been my secret weapon for years.
One of my incredible mentors, who has fundamentally changed my life, is Rob Chenoweth.
Today is his birthday! 🥳
Happy Birthday to one of the wisest men I've ever met.
It was fun hanging out in ...
...my favorite Irishman in the world, Josh Rudegeair.
He positioned three podcasts that hit #1 in the United States!
Yup, you read that correctly. Josh Rudegeair is the mastermind behind getting not one but three podcasts to hit #1 on Apple Podcasts!
When you discover there are 3,000,000 podcasts; ...
She was concerned about her speech impediment.
What she didn't realize is that sometimes our greatest “weaknesses” can actually be our greatest strengths.
Because of her condition, she was forced to focus on every interaction she had with people, and this practice paid off in huge dividends.
One o...
One thing sticks out more than anything...
To successfully market yourself (or your company), you need...
👉 To have a unique point of view.
And to tell the world about it.
Over and over and over again.
- remix your ideas
- reuse your content
- repeat your core message
It's not complicated.
But you have to ...
Join the club!
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝟳 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲...👇
1. 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗮 𝗜𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 didn’t publish her first novel until she was 65 years old. She wrote an additional 12 novels after that. A successful television series was built around her books.
2. 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁 created the first thes...
Stories With Traction Blog
