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She donated her entire 51 million fortune to charity when she passed in 2007… May 30, 2024

Anita Roddick was not only one of the richest women in the UK during the 1990s but also one of the most generous.

She didn’t stash her cash in a secret vault like Scrooge McDuck. Nope, the more money she made through her company, The Body Shop, the more she funneled into causes she cared about.Ā 

Anita...

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7 things that have increased my profit by 25% May 28, 2024

In January, I readĀ Ā Craig Andrews’s book Make Sales Magical. Little did I know it would transform aspects of my business.Ā I had to haveĀ Ā CraigĀ on theĀ Stories With TractionĀ Podcast to share his concepts.Ā Here are some of the points that we talked about…

1) š—–š—¼š—³š—³š—²š—² š——š—®š˜š—² š—¦š˜š—æš—®š˜š—²š—“š˜†Ā Ā ā˜•ļø: Forget the hard sel...

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Make Sales Magical | Stories With Traction Podcast May 24, 2024

Ā 

SHOW NOTES:

SUMMARY: In this episode, Craig Andrews and Matt Zaun discuss Craig’s book, Make Sales Magical.

CRAIG ANDREWS BIO: Craig is the Principle Ally and Founder of Allies4me, which is a marketing agency that helps companies find strangers and convert them into high-paying customers.Ā  In addit...

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My wife hates listening to Bob Dylan. She says... May 24, 2024

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

Who’s right?Ā We both are.Ā 

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...

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Check out these numbers… May 14, 2024

Post 1: had 2 likes and 1 commentĀ 

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.Ā 

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

ā€œPopularā€ posts...

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I hate my mom. May 12, 2024

I hate my mom.Ā 

She’s ridiculous.Ā 

Ā 

Did you ever say that growing up?Ā 

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

Not truly realizing the gift my mother gave me.

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

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

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Tomorrow is Mother’s Day, and it's a day that we’ve destroyed as a society.Ā  May 11, 2024

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.Ā 

We don't talk enough about the value of STRONG MOMS! šŸ’Ŗ

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

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She changed my perspective on "time management," and my productivity soared... šŸ‘‡ May 10, 2024

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

Then I metĀ Ā šŸ“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...

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Today is the day that is remembered for the founding of New Orleans. May 07, 2024



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

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

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

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Today is my oldest son’s 10th birthday! What you don’t know, is my kid is obsessed with... May 07, 2024


...watching marketing videos on YouTube.Ā Ā 

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

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...

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Oh, no! Everyone loves you. Your business is going to suck. šŸ‘‡ May 06, 2024

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

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

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

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

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He was sobbing and had to hug me. May 03, 2024


Ā 

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

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

He was sobbing and had to hug me.Ā 

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

He told me he w...

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ā€œAmazon has a terrible business model.ā€ May 02, 2024

ā€œAmazon has a terrible business model.ā€

Back in 2008, I was at a conference where a ā€œthought leaderā€ gave a presentation on how ā€œAmazon will be out of business soon.ā€Ā 

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

Just because some people don’t beli...

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I've seen many posts recently that say... May 01, 2024

ā€prove them wrong,ā€ and I find these posts somewhat confusing.Ā Ā 

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

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

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Don't give it 100% Apr 30, 2024


Ā 

It's a lie and could hurt your business.Ā 

Here is what I mean...

When people say, ā€give it 100%,ā€ what they are saying is ā€give it your all,ā€ 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.Ā 

For instance, my high...

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What makes a great podcast? Great guests! Apr 26, 2024

I’m excited to share the April lineup:

Apr 5 - Storytelling FAQ Episode with āœ’ļøClaire M. DavisšŸ–‹ļø
Ā 
Apr 12 - The Inferiority Complex of Leaders with Mike Thorne
Ā 
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...

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How to be a TEDx Speaker | Stories With Traction Podcast Apr 26, 2024

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...

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Today is ā€œTake Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.ā€ Apr 25, 2024


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. ...

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The worst President in U.S. History was… Apr 23, 2024


...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 soldierĀ 
-A prominent lawyer
-U.S. Congressman
-U.S. SenatorĀ 
-Secretary of State
-Minister to RussiaĀ 
-Minister to the U.K.

However, he was not:

-good at see...

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The Story of Culbertson Resources Inc. | Stories With Traction Podcast Apr 19, 2024

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...

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3 people killed and 264 injured. Apr 15, 2024


My friend,Ā Lance Sven, had just completed the Boston Marathon when he heard an explosion.Ā (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 ...

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Today, we remember a pivotal moment in American history as we reflect on the passing of President Abraham Lincoln on April 15, 1865 Apr 15, 2024

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...

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The Role of Values in Shaping Our Lives Apr 12, 2024

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 ...

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Last year, I stumbled upon a TEDx talk on YouTube that completely blew me away. Apr 12, 2024

The speaker's vulnerability, storytelling, and authenticity quickly earned a spot as one of the best TEDx talks I've ever listened to.

That is why I’m so excited to share this podcast episode with you.Ā My guest, Mike Thorne, is the speaker in that TEDx talk!
Ā 
Mike wears many hats: Founder and Managin...

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