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One of my favorite things about speaking all over the country is seeing cultural obsessions. ๐Ÿ‘‡ Aug 05, 2024

I love how passionate Skamania County is about Bigfoot.ย 

Plus, itโ€™s been a huge boon to the economy there.ย 

They literally sell anything and everything with Bigfoot on it.ย 

Have you embraced what your area is obsessed with?ย 

This could be a specific food, sports team, or historical figure.ย 

It might he...

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I'm thrilled to have been featured on the latest Stories From the Top podcast episode! ๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Aug 02, 2024

A huge thank you toย ย Matthew Scuraย for having me on and for the engaging conversation.ย 

We delved deep into how storytelling can be a powerful tool for building stronger relationships, creating a greater impact, and enhancing engagement in business.

If you're interested in learning how to leverage sto...

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Several years ago, I went to a bachelor party at the Borgata in Atlantic City. Aug 01, 2024


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, โ€œthat's the worst thing that could happen to a rookie gambler.โ€

โ€œWhat do you mean,โ€ I asked.

โ€œNow ...

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Three years ago, I made a decision. ๐Ÿ˜ฌ Jul 31, 2024

At the time, it was a huge risk.ย 

I made the decision while staring at El Capitan (in Yosemite) with my wife.ย 

For those of you who aren't aware, a climber named Alex Honnold free-soloed the mountain, meaning he climbed without any ropes.

He was asked why in the world he would do such a thing, and he...

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โ€œNewspapers are meant to be read on the way to the trash can.โ€ ๐Ÿ‘‡ Jul 30, 2024

I remember my Dad telling me that when I was growing up because I was reading a lot of newspapers and magazines.

His point was to read more material (like novels and non-fiction), where the author put more time and energy into writing.

Social media is even lower-level writing than newspapers.

You may...

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โ˜•๏ธ The corporate culture at Starbucks was... Jul 30, 2024

...formed from an inspirational story that Howard Schultz continually shared early on in his career.ย 

He would often tell team members of his significant financial struggles growing up and how challenging it was for him.ย 

These stories empowered the company to do everything they could to develop and...

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10x Leader | Stories With Traction Podcast Jul 26, 2024

SHOW NOTES:

SUMMARY: In this episode, Stephanie Crowe and Matt Zaun talk about growing your leadership skills.

STEPHANIE CROWE BIO: Stephanie is the CEO of Learn.net. She is also a Best-Selling Author and Speaker.

For more info on Stephanie:
LinkedIn
Website

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

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Have you ever heard of powdered butt syndrome? Jul 26, 2024

Essentially, if you're old enough to have changed the diaper of the messenger, you shouldn't listen to them.ย โ€œToo young.โ€

The problem is the rate at which information accelerates.

The โ€œkids of todayโ€ know how to utilize new business tools that older generations overlook.ย 

My 10-year-old has taught me...

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I studied storytelling for over a decade, so you donโ€™t have to. Jul 25, 2024

Here are 5 powerful things that Iโ€™ve learnedโ€ฆ

1)ย From Anxiety to Excitement: When you share a story with your team, lean into your excitement instead of focusing on your anxiety. It's not just about telling stories; it's about living them in the moment, infusing every word with genuine passion and en...

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The silence was deafening, and then you could hear my feet running...๐Ÿ‘‡ Jul 23, 2024

I was on a treadmill at my gym when the severity of the Great Recession was announced on the news.ย 
ย 
Everyone was in shock, and they quietly listened to what all the TVs around them were saying.ย 
ย 
I kept running.
ย 
I remember running faster and faster and hearing the words of my fath
...
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What I learned from touring Motown Recordsโ€ฆ Jul 22, 2024


ย 

In the late 1950s, a Ford Motor Plant worker named Berry Gordy noticed something.ย 

On the assembly line, scrap metal would go down one side, and on the other end, a beautiful car would be assembled.ย 

What if you could do the same with musiciansโ€ฆ?

Gordy was a part-time songwriter who barely made ends...

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I learned how to drive in my parentโ€™s minivan while in high school. Jul 08, 2024

Let me tell you, I was not excited to be driving that Dodge Caravan every day during my senior year.ย 

You should have heard all the names I was called.

My Dad said, โ€œtake the kids' bullying and turn it into an opportunity.โ€

I took out all the back seats and turned it into something fun.

I went from โ€œM...

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A couple of years ago, I made a goal of going to every presidential museum. Jul 06, 2024

So far, I've been to...

-George Washingtonย 
-Thomas Jefferson
-James Buchanan
-Abraham Lincolnย 
-Rutherford B. Hayes
-Woodrow Wilson
-Warren G. Harding
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Richard Nixon
-Jimmy Carter
-Ronald Reagan
-George H. W. Bush
-George W. Bush

...museums.ย 

Each one fascinates me becau...

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Iโ€™ve given 379 talks. This is something I wish I would have known years ago... Jul 05, 2024

...how to warm up a room.ย 

Your talk begins long before you open your mouth.ย 

Talking to a room of 50 people or less? If you have time, shake every hand in the room before you begin your presentation.ย 

Speaking at a conference in front of thousands of people? Go to a bunch of sections in the room and s...

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๐ŸŽ† Happy 4th of July! ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ Jul 04, 2024

Recently, my son Elliot and I visited the Liberty Bell, one of the most iconic symbols of American independence and freedom. ๐Ÿ›Ž๏ธ

5 insights about the bellโ€ฆ

1) Inscription: It bears the inscription from Leviticus 25:10: "Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof." This ...

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Hope you like your hit of dopamine.๐Ÿ‘‡ Jul 03, 2024


So many content creators on LinkedIn want โ€œlikes.โ€

No strategy.ย Just fluff.ย 

I know someone who has 1,000,000+ LinkedIn followers, and their business is struggling.ย 

I also know someone with 10,000 followers, and their business is thriving.ย 

The difference?ย One posts for clicks.ย The other posts with s...

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Today, I cried tears of joy. Jul 02, 2024

Some of you might call me a sap, and that's okayโ€ฆ

โ€ฆI'm celebrating 3 incredible years of podcasting!

It's become one of my favorite mediums to share information.ย 

If you had told me years ago that I'd reached 125+ podcast episodes, I would have laughed in disbelief!ย 

"Me? A podcaster? You're kidding, ...

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What's a weird goal you've had for years? Jul 01, 2024

Here, I'll go first...ย 

I grew up close to Route 1. Since I was a kid, I told myself that one day, I'd drive all the way to the end of that road.ย 

For me, it was symbolic...starting and then finishing a journey.ย 

Well, I got my chance. I was asked to speak at a retreat in the Florida Keys.ย 

I flew int...

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My youngest son helped me launch the Stories With Traction movement. ๐Ÿ‘‡ Jul 01, 2024


From January - July in 2019, I set up a mock workshop in my house.ย 

My only audience members were my son and his stuffed bear.ย 

I'd give my workshop to the two of them for hours every day.ย 

Thinking to myself, one day, it won't just be to my boy and his bear but to audiences all over the world.ย 

For 7...

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Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin Group... Jul 01, 2024

...which is comprised of hundreds of companies, regularly gathers his executives and asks them to share stories. ๐Ÿ‘‡ย 

Branson said, โ€œtelling a story is one of the best ways we have of coming up with new ideas.โ€ย 

He has found this practice so powerful that, in the past, he has often invited staff to hi...

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We often hear that itโ€™s wise to... Jul 01, 2024

...be a โ€œgood listener,โ€ which is solid advice, but why do we talk so much about the importance of listening?ย 

Why donโ€™t we talk about the importance of being a โ€œgreat watcher?โ€ย 

Communication is 80% body language.

If we learn to watch an individualโ€™s body language correctly, we will pick up on whatโ€™...

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In order for YOU to stand out in today's world (filled with noise), YOU will need to share a ton of content. Jul 01, 2024


Here's what I promise YOU...

๐Ÿ‘‰ YOU will offend people; it's inevitable
๐Ÿ‘‰ Not everyone will relate to what YOU share
๐Ÿ‘‰ YOU will question if you should continue to share your ideas

Here is my encouragement to YOU, do NOT stop posting content just because some people don't like what YOU post.

In the last ...

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