I took my 11-year-old son on a trip to the White House, inspired by one of his school projects.Â
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When he kept talking about the building, I thought, "Why just talk about it? Let's go see it!" His reaction? "Are you serious, Dad?" You bet I was!
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Years ago, my father taught me that to truly understa...
So far, I've been to...
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-George WashingtonÂ
-Thomas Jefferson
-James Buchanan
-Abraham LincolnÂ
-Rutherford B. Hayes
-James Garfield
-Grover Cleveland
-William McKinley
-Woodrow Wilson
-Warren G. Harding
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Richard Nixon
-Jimmy Carter
-Ronald Reagan
-George H. W. Bush
-Geor...
My son Elliot and I visited the Liberty Bell, one of the most iconic symbols of American independence and freedom. đď¸
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5 insights about the bellâŚ
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1) Inscription: It bears the inscription from Leviticus 25:10: "Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof." This inscript...
Let me take you back to a time when I was the furthest thing from a confident public speaker.Â
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Iâd just landed a new job, one I thought would involve very little human interaction. Perfect, right? After all, Iâd failed my public speaking course in college. My first speech was such a disaster that I ...
These two words changed  David B. Nast's life, and they might change yours, too.
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đď¸ This is just one gem from my latest conversation with  David B. Nast, CEO of Nast Partners.
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David's story is a wild ride from rock stages to writing 21 novels before sunrise to coaching CEOs by day.
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We unpack:
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Why ...
I grew up close to Route 1. Since I was a kid, I told myself that one day, I'd drive all the way to the end of that road.
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For me, it was symbolic...starting and then finishing a journey.
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Well, I got my chance. I was asked to speak at a retreat in the Florida Keys.
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I flew into Miami and drove the w...
On June 29, 2007 (18 years ago today), Apple launched the first iPhone.
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This caused a generational addiction.
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Millennials
Gen-Xers
Baby boomers
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...all addicted to a device in the palm of their hands.
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The invention ripped peopleâs attention spans from the frame.
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Because of this, people need to tell s...
For Richard BransonâŚeverything.
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The founder of Virgin Group (a business empire with hundreds of companies) routinely gathers his executives, not just to crunch numbers, but to tell stories.
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Branson once said:
âTelling a story is one of the best ways we have of coming up with new ideas.â
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Heâs taken ...
...was taken with my cell phone. Yes, I stopped to take it all in.Â
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I love speaking in the Seattle area!
P.S. This is not AI, and no image filter was used. It's just that beautiful!Â
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P.P.S. Speaking of speaking, if your organization is interested in learning strategies for inspiring your team and p...
Here's the brutal truth that I learned...
âĄď¸ None of these posts led to new businessÂ
âĄď¸ These posts sucked up way too much of my time
âĄď¸ Some of these posts did not contribute to my mission
Today, I have zero desire to go viral.
Playing the âlikes and engagementâ game is a slippery slope.
I...
He gave Bob Iger an out.
Minutes before Disneyâs $7.4 billion acquisition of Pixar was about to go public, Steve pointed to Bob and said:
âCan we go for a walk?â
Bobâs first thought?
âHeâs backing out. He wants more money. This is bad.â
But as they sat down on a bench, Jobs placed his arm on the backrest...
...to inspire those around you instead!
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Here are some thoughts to help you motivate others to buy into your ideas:
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đ. đđźđťđ˛đđđ đśđ đđľđ˛ đŻđ˛đđ đ˝đźđšđśđ°đ.
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You do NOT need to make up situations and lie to communicate persuasively. By being authentic and real with people, youâre putting yourself in a positio...
They have a story awareness problem.
Itâs not that you donât have stories to tell.
Itâs that youâre not catching them while theyâre happening.
Comedians like Jerry Seinfeld walk through life asking,
đ âWhereâs the funny in this?â
Great leaders should ask,
đ âWhereâs the story in this?â
-That awkward Zoom...
...I've always wanted to go to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
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I told myself, if I ever get to the Cleveland area, I'm going to the museum.Â
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This year, I had the opportunity to conduct four strategic storytelling sessions for business leaders in "The Land."Â
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So you know where I went...
If youâve ever muttered those words while leading a team, building a business, or just trying to make progress, youâre not alone.
Frustration is a signal.
Itâs your brain waving a flag that says:
â ď¸ âThis isnât working. Somethingâs off. Find another path.â â ď¸
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In my latest podcast episode, I sat down wi...
Imagine encountering someone whose charisma is so potent that you are eager to follow their suggestions. There exist individuals whose persuasive abilities are so formidable that they can inspire action in just about anyone. Now, picture yourself wielding this same power. Envision a scenario where...
Those words hit like a punch to the gut.
Because they were true.
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For the first 4 years of my oldest sonâs lifeâŚ
I neglected him.
Not intentionally. I wasnât cruel.
I was just busy. Focused. Obsessed with growth, with metrics, with winning in business.
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The sad part?
I donât remember much of those early ye...
...bedtime or blockbuster movies? Think again. In todayâs fast-paced, tech-driven world, storytelling isnât just important; itâs critical. Hereâs why:
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đąÂ Technology
In 2007, the first iPhone was launched. A few years later, it revolutionized how we live, communicate, and engage. Suddenly, we werenât j...
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SHOW NOTES:
In this episode, Matt Zaun sits down with David Frederiksen, Petra Coach and founder of PatientFocus, to discuss the often-overlooked struggles business leaders face when transitioning from doing the work to leading the team. David shares lessons from launching a company that chang...
This year of podcasting has been incredible so far! Excited for you to hear whatâs to come in the months ahead, but in the meantime, check out some of the highlights:
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Launch, Grow, Thrive with  John H. Wilson, PhDÂ
How to be Great at Public Speaking with  Matthew Scura
The Secret to Strategic Storyt...
So far, I've been to:
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-George WashingtonÂ
-Thomas Jefferson
-James Buchanan
-Abraham LincolnÂ
-Rutherford B. Hayes
-James Garfield
-Grover Cleveland
-William McKinley
-Woodrow Wilson
-Warren G. Harding
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Richard Nixon
-Jimmy Carter
-Ronald Reagan
-George H. W. Bush
-George...
If not, itâs time to start one. A StoryBank is one of the most powerful tools any organization or individual can have. Like a traditional bank account, you make deposits now to make valuable withdrawals later.
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đ What is a StoryBank?
Itâs a systematic way to document the powerful stories you share. Ev...
...I aimed to study the most innovative companies, not just what they built, but how they built it.
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One company that fascinates me more than most?
Pixar.
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The animation studio behind Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Up, Inside Out, and a dozen others that made grown adults cry.
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But Pixar isnât just about an...
Could you imagine all the sleepless nights?Â
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All the tossing and turning?
All the stress?Â
All the fear?
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Why? WellâŚ
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-He was defeated for Illinois state legislator in 1832.
-He started a business only to see it go under.Â
-He lost his run for Congress in 1843 and again in 1848.
-He lost his bid to becom...