...he has a raspy voice. I love Bob Dylan. I think he is one of the best lyricists of all time. 

Who’s right? We both are. 

My wife has run sound for hundreds of concerts, so she has an incredible ear for pitch and tone.

I’ve written for dozens of politicians and business leaders and obsess over word...

Post 1: had 2 likes and 1 comment 

Post 2: had 3,694 likes, 213 comments, and 87 reposts

Guess which one landed me the most business?

Believe it or not, it was post 1. 

You see, the person who commented found the content specifically relatable to him, and he ended up being a huge client. 

“Popular” posts...

I hate my mom. 

She’s ridiculous. 

Did you ever say that growing up? 

I might have said that a couple of times when I was a teen. 

Not truly realizing the gift my mother gave me.

My mom is the most strategic person I’ve ever met. 

Her planning, strategy, and attention to detail would put mo...

Over the years, as a culture, we've diluted the value of Mother’s Day.

Hallmark and flower shops win, but as a society, we lose. 

We don't talk enough about the value of STRONG MOMS! 💪

Early celebrations of Mother’s Day were forged in blood, sweat, and tears, and that's not an over-exaggeration. ...

It took me years to figure out that not everything should be at the top of my to-do list. 

Then I met  📍Penny Zenker - The Focusologist, and she transformed my understanding of priorities.

Thanks to her insights, my work life improved, and I also stopped having nightmares about overflowing email inbox...

Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville was a key figure in French Louisiana's history. 

From founding Fort Maurepas to establishing New Orleans, Bienville's vision and leadership shaped the region's development. 

As governor four times, he navigated challenges and left a lasting impact, earning him the t...

...watching marketing videos on YouTube.  

This little guy has taught me how to be a better marketer!  

Think about it; he doesn’t have an Ivy League degree, he hasn’t graduated from high school, heck, this kid is only in 4th grade, but he’s taught me concepts I never even thought of regarding mar...

Don't be something for everyone; be something to someone. 

Ever heard of a sales funnel? Top of funnel is "likes" and rainbows. Once people get to the end, they become clients. 

We're talking about less than 1% of people who consume your content. 

If 99% of the world hates you, but 1% buys, every finan...

Recently, after one of my strategic storytelling workshops, a gentleman in the audience pulled me aside. 

60-year-old man. CEO of an extremely successful company. 

He was sobbing and had to hug me. 

For the first time in his life, he realized he had to start telling people his story. 

He told me he w...

“Amazon has a terrible business model.”

Back in 2008, I was at a conference where a “thought leader” gave a presentation on how “Amazon will be out of business soon.” 

If I had invested $10,000 in Amazon stock right after that talk, I would have $626,668.80 today. 

Just because some people don’t beli...

”prove them wrong,” and I find these posts somewhat confusing.  

I don't do my work to prove anything to anybody.  We’ll always have people that don't believe in what we do; that's part of life.  

Regardless, people’s opinions don't feed my family, so I don't give a lot of thought to the negativit...

It's a lie and could hurt your business. 

Here is what I mean...

When people say, ”give it 100%,” what they are saying is ”give it your all,” but you can't do that all the time.

We have high productivity times and high creativity times during the day, and they happen in spurts. 

For instance, my high...

I’m excited to share the April lineup:

Apr 5 - Storytelling FAQ Episode with ✒️Claire M. Davis🖋️
 
Apr 12 - The Inferiority Complex of Leaders with Mike Thorne
 
Apr 19 - The Story of Culbertson Resources Inc. with Ui Culbertson

Apr 26 - How to be a TEDx Speaker with Bobby Umar

Just hit episode # 125! It...

SHOW NOTES:

SUMMARY: In this episode, Bobby Umar and Matt Zaun discuss how to land, create, and leverage a TEDx talk.

BOBBY UMAR BIO: Bobby is the CEO of DYPB (Discover Your Personal Brand) and he is a 5 times TEDx speaker.

For more info on Bobby:
LinkedIn
Website

MATT ZAUN BIO: Matt is an award-winning...

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 lives. ...

...James Buchanan.

That's according to many historians.

What's interesting is 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 see...

SHOW NOTES:

SUMMARY: In this episode, Ui Culbertson and Matt Zaun talk about Ui’s upbringing and how it positioned her for the business world.

UI CULBERTSON: Ui is the President and CEO of Culbertson Resources Inc.

For more info, check out Culbertson Resources Inc. HERE

MATT ZAUN BIO: Matt is an awar...

My friend, Lance Sven, had just completed the Boston Marathon when he heard an explosion. (April 15, 2013 - 11-years ago today!)

He was two blocks away from the bombing when it happened.

The year before this race, he ran the New York City marathon.

That was the year NYC canceled its race due to the ...

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 dec...

In our quest for personal and professional growth, understanding and embracing our core values is not just beneficial; it's essential. This detailed exploration aims to guide you through discovering these values, enhancing your storytelling capabilities, improving your professional engagements, and ...

SHOW NOTES:

SUMMARY: In this episode, Mike Thorne and Matt Zaun discuss Mike’s TEDx Talk, what leaders can do to unpack their early childhood trauma, and how to create a culture that’s not afraid to ask for help.

MIKE THORNE BIO: Mike is the Founder and Managing Partner of Trust Inside, a business me...

1 ) The "start with why" mantra will actually hold you back when it comes to LI. I know too many people that spend forever trying to figure out their "why." This is a time suck, and your why doesn't even matter when you first start out, so just freakin' post. I started creating a lot of content Sept...

I wanted to appear smart.

So, I wrote like I was writing to my professors.  All academic.

My boss at the time told me, “Do you want to sound smart, or do you want to make sense?"

Great storytellers value clarity above complexity.  👇

If you were to take Ernest Hemingway’s work (a great Nobel Priz...