Iāve been in business forĀ 17 yearsĀ ā and honestly, it feels surreal to say that out loud.Ā
Looking back on my journey, Iāve noticed a pattern where I've had my best months.Ā
It wasnāt luck. It wasnāt a "magic strategy." It came down to one thing:Ā Simple Habits.
But let me be clear:Ā āSimpleā does NOT me...

...the first successful powered airplane in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.Ā
The Wright brothers spent four years researching and developing to pull off this historic moment.Ā
For years, Wilbur and Orville were labeled ācranksā and āfoolsā for even trying to create an airplane.Ā
Well, I'm very thankful t...

ā¦and you probably guessed it, Iām flying back toā¦Ā
.
.
.
TEXAS! š¤
In fact, my travel calendar this year started and will now end with Texas.Ā
This time, Iāll be going to San Antonio.Ā
My goal for the audience: massive change.Ā
If they utilize the concepts shared, they will:
-boost their sales
-enhance their...

1ļøā£Ā Building a Story System: Treat storytelling like a financial investment. Just as you build a bank account for stability, create a "Storybank" to accumulate and refine your stories for future use. It's all about strategic storytelling!
2ļøā£Ā Repetition and Practice: Practice makes perfect, right? ...
Ā

SUMMARY: In this episode, Julia Soplop and Matt Zaun discuss Juliaās book, Information Crisis.
JULIA SOPLOP: Julia is an award-winning author of four books: Information Crisis: How a Better Understanding of Science Can Help Us Face the Greatest Problems of Our Time, Equus Rising: How the Horse S...

So, youāre ready to dive into the world of storytellingāawesome! Youāve crafted some great stories that reflect your brand, but hereās the big question: how do you know if your stories are working? Are they resonating with your audience? Are they helping you achieve your goals?
Thatās where socia...
I don't, but I've found that C.A.T. is a powerful acronym for posting content on LinkedIn.Ā Here's the concept...
C - Connect
A - Appreciate
T - Trust
Whenever you post something on LinkedIn, ask yourself...
Will my network connect with this?
Will they appreciate this?
Will it help me build trust wi...

Overjoyed by the abundance of food, it no longer needed to search for sustenance. It could happily live its life, munching away.
But after a few days of grain-filled bliss, the mouse reached the bottom of the jar. Suddenly, reality hit hard: it was trapped.Ā
No more grains. No way out.Ā
Now, the mous...
āIf you're early, you're on time; if you're on time, you're late, and if you're late, you're an abomination.ā
Then he had children. š¤£
His perspective changed real quick.
The archaic 9-5 clock-in, clock-out idea is not good business.
When I led a team, I told my staff, āI don't care what time you start w...

It took me 200+ talks before I felt comfortable speaking.
It took me 100+ articles before I felt comfortable writing.
It took me 50+ podcast episodes before I felt comfortable podcasting.
Want to feel more comfortable?Ā
Find excellent people likeĀ Ā John H. Wilson, PhD,Ā Ā Vicky Russell,Ā andĀ Ā Amy Lynch, w...
ā¦has been my secret weapon for 10 years.Ā
Alright, hear me out...
This might soundĀ a littleĀ weird, but I made a game out of embarrassing myself. Yep, you read that rightāon purpose.
Hereās the thing: If you want to be a phenomenal communicator, you know it takes practice.Ā
But what if you could speed up...

Walt was the 4th child of Elias and Flora Disney.Ā
Elias was the carpenter, and Flora was the architect of their home.Ā
It cost Walt Disneyās parents $800 to build.Ā
Talk about humble beginnings?!Ā
You never know where the next great titan of industry will come from.
Happy Birthday Walt Disney!Ā Thanks ...

Everyone in our group sat down at the Blackjack table.
One of my friends, who was playing Blackjack for the first time, won a ton of money.
While getting up from the table, the gentleman next to me said, āthat's the worst thing that could happen to a rookie gambler.ā
āWhat do you mean?ā I asked.
āNow ...

Ever wondered why some websites are lead magnets while others seem stagnant?Ā The secret sauce is often a well-maintained blog.Ā
Here's why you should consider diving into the world of blogging:
1) Lead Magnet: Every blog post is a new chance to post strategic, intentional stories on your site that w...

...old, iconic Hamburger University in Oak Brook, Illinois, was awesome! šš
For those who may not know, Hamburger University is McDonald's legendary training facility. It was founded in 1961 in the basement of a restaurant with just 14 students.Ā
Today (now at a different location), itās a powerhous...

First, yes, Iām sitting in the exact seat Rosa Parks sat in that launched the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which happened 69 years ago today.Ā
Ok, here are three things I learned that I didnāt know.
1. The iconic picture of Parks youāve seen in mass media does not show the seat where the protest started....

A few months ago, I shared my Powerfully Persuade Through Storytelling workshop with business leaders in Connecticut.Ā
I had to stop by the house of one of the best storytellers America has ever known.
While there, I saw firsthand something that many people talk about but donāt make part of their ro...

āWhat excites you to get out of bed in the morning?ā
Here, Iāll go first...Ā
My kids motivate me beyond what I could ever imagine.Ā
Especially since they know my goals, they constantly remind me of what I need to do.Ā
Whenever I hit a business goal, I take all three of my kids out to celebrate.Ā
We deb...
Back in 2008, I was at a conference where a āthought leaderā gave a presentation on how āAmazon will be out of business soon.āĀ
If I would have invested $10,000 in Amazon stock right after that talk, today I would have $626,668.80.Ā
Just because some people donāt believe in your vision doesnāt mean th...

So many content creators on LinkedIn want ālikes.ā
No strategy.Ā Just fluff.Ā
I know someone with 1,000,000+ LinkedIn followers, and their business is struggling.Ā
I also know someone with 10,000 followers, and their business is thriving.Ā
The difference?Ā
One posts for clicks.Ā The other posts with stra...

Itās incredible how many people compare themselves to others.Ā
No wonder we have a society thatās so depressed.Ā
This phenomenon is only magnified through social media.Ā
Do the best with where you are.Ā
Have you grown more as a person?Ā
What small successes have you achieved in the last couple of month...
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 was ...

This is the spot where John F. Kennedy was assassinated.Ā
61 years ago today.Ā
I had the honor and privilege of speaking in Dallas a couple of months ago.
Ā
After I flew into DFW, I had to stop by the JFK assassination spot.Ā
For years, I studied our 35th president.Ā
How could this man connect with his ...

Thereās something incredibly fascinating about how massive companies often have the humblest beginnings.Ā
I love diving into their processes and discovering what makes them stand out in the marketplace.
Take McDonald's, for example. While I might never crave a Big Mac, I can definitely appreciate an...