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...

...said no one ever.
.
.
We know how important networking is to our success. So, why don't we focus on it more? Seriously, we know there are people out there who can help us achieve our goals, dreams, and desires, so why don't we make a strategic, intentional effort to connect with them? 

Wanna know a ...

Ever witnessed a "leader" bombing their staff meeting? It's like watching a train wreck! 🤦‍♂️

Don't be the office clown! Dive into the Stories With Traction podcast and ace your storytelling game. 🎙️

Master those presentations, and you'll be the office Einstein! 🧠

Give it a listen ➡️ https://www.stor...

EPISODES MENTIONED IN INTRO:
The Story of Westcliff
Leader of Leaders

SHOW NOTES:

SUMMARY: In this episode, Dr. Anthony Lee and Matt Zaun talk about Westcliff’s core values and the future of education regarding AI technology.

DR. ANTHONY LEE BIO: Dr. Lee is the President and CEO of Westcliff Universi...

Jan 5th - How to be a Great Storyteller with Claire M. Davis
 
Jan 12th - Intentional Storytelling with Terence Farrell
 
Jan 19th - Flip the Script with Lyndsay Dowd
 
Jan 26th - The Story of Westcliff with Dr. Anthony Lee

Feb 2nd - Storytelling FAQ Episode 1 with Claire M. Davis

Feb 9th - Executive Sear...

...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 billion dollars!  🤯


You ...

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 hel...

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 empowering them to buy ...

...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 write a sign that explained the beggar’s ...

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 Intel...

…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 all comes down to...

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 Orly:
Lin...

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 dividends.

One of her...

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 soon ...

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 thesaurus when he was ...

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 quarter, I hit a huge busi...

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 influencing through yo...

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 and...

...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.

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. 

Every time I produce an episode, ...