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When Richard and Maurice McDonald sold this restaurant to Ray Kroc for $2.7 million... Mar 26, 2024

...many in the business community thought Mr. Kroc was an idiot. 

Why on earth was he so interested in buying a burger joint (for that amount of money)?!

Ray Kroc saw something that most didn’t at the time: the long-term value of McDonald’s.

Today, the company is worth 191...

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Great leaders have a personal development budget that is a lot bigger than their entertainment budget. Mar 25, 2024

They invest in workshops, books, and courses and will do everything possible to improve themselves.

Through this development, they will work on their storytelling ability and emotional intelligence and master their management style.

They want to learn how to be better listeners, techniques for...

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People lose interest in companies that operate with little passion and creativity. Mar 22, 2024

Even still, there are some great people working in organizations like this, and they’re itching to make a difference. 

The key to unlocking enthusiasm in a stale company is connecting through storytelling. 

When we share stories, we are building trust with those around us and...

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Many years ago, a French poet named... Mar 22, 2024

...Jacques Prévert happened to meet a blind beggar in the street. 

Jacques asked him how things were going. 

Bad, the beggar replied – he hadn’t heard a single coin land in his hat all day. 

Jacques, a poor writer, didn’t have cash to spare, but he offered to...

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The Story of Intelassist | Stories With Traction Podcast Mar 22, 2024

SHOW NOTES:

SUMMARY: In this episode, Chris Stokes and Matt Zaun discuss Intelassist and the future of work in the United States.

CHRIS STOKES BIO: Chris Stokes is the VP of Client Success and Partner at Intelassist, a remote staffing company based in Manila, Philippines.

For more info, check out...

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“If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.” Actually, to “make it anywhere,” it takes solid mentorship… 👇 Mar 18, 2024

…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 NYC last year.


Wanna crush your goals? It...

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Process vs. Outcome Stories | Stories With Traction Podcast Mar 15, 2024

 

SHOW NOTES:

SUMMARY: In this episode, Orly Zeewy and Matt Zaun talk about ideal clients, an empathy map, and process vs. outcome stories.

ORLY ZEEWY BIO: Orly is the Founder of Zeewy Brands, where she helps make the fuzzy clear and shows people how to cut through the noise.

For more info on...

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She approached me after my talk. 👇 Mar 14, 2024


She was concerned about her speech impediment.

What she didn't realize is 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...

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I've posted on LinkedIn thousands of times. One thing sticks out more than anything... Mar 13, 2024

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 get comfortable repeating yourself.

As...

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Frustrated that you're not where you want to be in life yet?! Join the club! Mar 12, 2024



𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 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 thesaurus...

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Some of you wonder why I respect Dan Mott so much. Mar 11, 2024

Valid thought. 

He’s such a systems, structure, and statistics person; he can come off as a bit of a nerd. 

Regardless, to tell the right stories, you need to understand your targets. 

I learned the most effective LinkedIn framework for doing this through Dan Mott.

This...

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Today is the Oscars.  🎥 Mar 10, 2024

 
What continues to amaze me every year are the actors who win but didn’t properly prepare remarks.

They blow an opportunity to have a microphone in front of millions of viewers.

Instead of inspiring people, instead of recognizing others who have helped them, they stammer.

...
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John Wayne had such a powerful personal brand that Joseph Stalin wanted to assassinate him. 👇 Mar 09, 2024

No joke.

Stalin thought Wayne’s brand was too powerful and was influencing too many Americans that he wanted him dead.

People often wonder how powerful a brand can be—case in point.

Tomorrow is the Oscars. It was cool seeing John Wayne’s Academy Award up close.

Who are you...

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How to be More Creative | Stories With Traction Podcast Mar 08, 2024

SHOW NOTES:

SUMMARY: In this episode, Barbara Zerfoss and Matt Zaun discuss creativity and how someone can position themselves to have a surge of ideas.

BARBARA ZERFOSS BIO: Barbara was a former Marketing Vice President for a multi-billion dollar global corporation. Today, she is a Vistage Chair...

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Happy International Women’s Day to my... Mar 08, 2024

...wife, daughter, mother, and sister!

I've learned so much from each one of you, and I'm blessed to have you in my life.

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Imagine this: a reporter steps into your office with a smile and a notepad in hand. 👇 Mar 07, 2024

Why?

Because you achieved all of your 2024 business goals, and it’s worth people hearing about!

As you sit with the reporter, you’re not bound by today's constraints; you’re basking in the glow of your future accomplishments.

The reporter asks you all you’ve...

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I'll be dead soon. Mar 06, 2024

We all will, actually. Life is quick. 

This is the first thing my kids are to do once I'm gone…

…whether I pass away in 5 years or 50. 

They are supposed to listen to my podcast, Stories With Traction.

The content is built for leaders, and they are being raised to lead....

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“Are you an introvert or an extrovert, ” she asked. Mar 06, 2024

My response was, “I’m vanilla ice cream.”

“Huh?”

“Vanilla ice cream goes with peach cobbler or chocolate drizzle. I'm an extrovert when I need to be an extrovert, and I’m an introvert when I need to be an introvert. 

I'm an ambivert. 

I'm vanilla...

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In the last few weeks, I’ve seen a lot of posts regarding... Mar 06, 2024

...people using LinkedIn to get results in business.  The problem is a lack of strategy. 

Since LinkedIn is such a powerful platform, I did a series regarding LI with  RACHEL SIMON.

In these episodes, she shared a lot of insights that will help you up your LI game.

Check out...

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How to outperform 99.9% of salespeople: Mar 06, 2024

1) Share powerful stories that connect 
2) Let your competitors drown in numbers

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Resilience in Motion: Running Towards Success Amidst Adversity Mar 03, 2024

In this blog post, I dive into strategies to foster growth as a leader, a storyteller, and an individual. These methods are crucial for navigating the chaos and adversity characteristic of our era. I will focus on three core principles: 

  • listening 
  • local engagement
  • and leveraging...
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Check out this 15-minute Storytelling FAQ episode. 👇 Mar 01, 2024



Claire M. Davis talks about structuring stories for maximum impact, and I talk about "Heroes” vs. “Villains” in business storytelling.

Check out the podcast here | https://www.storieswithtraction.com/swtpodcast

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Exactly 21 years ago today, Mr. Rogers died. 👇 Feb 27, 2024

The documentary celebrating his life was one of the few movies I cried through.

 
During his 35+ year run, Mr. Rogers taught millions of children (and adults!) about what it meant to be a good neighbor.

He held our hands through some of the darkest times in U.S. history, telling us to...

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Show me your P&L statement! 👇 Feb 26, 2024

When social media hits reality, you get crapped on. Is this post meant to be funny? No. It's a warning shot.

When used with intentionality and specific strategy, social media is a business tool that will radically help your organization.

However, there are a lot of bs'ers on social media....

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