You’re playing the clicks game, not the cash game.
Don't post:
➡️ Boring case studies
➡️ Cliché motivational quotes
➡️ Articles that don't relate to your target audience
Instead:
➡️ Share your stories
➡️ Share your mistakes and lessons learned
➡️ Share something interesting, for crying out loud
Don't post...
Eventually, he was removed from that situation, and though his physical scars healed, he had a lot of mental anguish.
He told me once that the worst part of the situation was not that his dad hit him but that he ignored him.
Getting drunk was more important to his father than giving him the time of ...
When Amazon started (1994), Barnes and Noble had been in business for 121 years. What if Jeff Bezos would have said...
...”people will never buy books online - these large bookstores have been around forever!”
Today, Barnes and Noble wishes they would have done what Bezos did.
Right now, you have ide...
Not the neck pain, but the moments leading up to it. Those seconds right before you hit another car feel like minutes.
It's almost as if time slows down.
Sometimes, in those split seconds, we have time to think.
I remember asking myself, ”did I care for my family enough?
Was I a good friend?
Was ...
SHOW NOTES:
SUMMARY: In this episode, Robin O’Donovan and Matt Zaun talk about how songwriters embrace creativity and how you can do the same thing when it comes to your storytelling ability.
ROBIN O’DONOVAN BIO: Robin is the founder of My Energetic Tribe Coaching, where she focuses on helping people ...
I’ll be doing 2 strategic storytelling workshops there!
My goal for the audiences: massive change.
If they utilize the concepts shared, they will:
-boost sales
-enhance internal communication
-and create a vibrant company culture
…all through the power of strategic storytelling. 🗣
The next 72 hours are...
Like so many people, I remember watching in horror as I saw the Twin Towers fall on the news.
Hopelessness.
Sadness.
Shock.
But then something happened in the month that followed that was simply amazing...
People started to come together in a big way.
Community.
Strength.
Support.
It was incredible.
It's...
Yesterday, the Eagles beat the Patriots.
When it comes to great stories, we need a foe.
People love struggle/victory stories.
In business, we want it to be easy, but that doesn't give us a good story.
Just like in sports, where your competitors actually motivate you and make you stronger...
...we need...
Even though she's been gone for a while, I still regularly think of the lessons she taught me.
She was one of the most empathetic individuals that I've ever met.
-Her empathy was forged in struggle since she experienced tremendous financial pain during the great depression.
-She got pure joy out of s...
I once knew a sales director of a multi-billion dollar company that had an interesting interview strategy.
Once a candidate would get through multiple rounds of interviews, he would take each of the top candidates out to lunch to ”get to know them better.”
If an individual took longer than a few m...
This shouldn’t surprise us, though.
If you understand the patterns, you can solve the cube…
…just like if you can understand the patterns of connection through storytelling, you can inspire your audience.
Planned. Timed. Mastered.
Do you know the patterns of storytelling?
-what stories will you tell?
-...
You're nuts for not focusing enough on your ideal clients.
In 2007, Joshua Bell (one of the best musicians in the world) played music in the NYC subway on a violin worth $3,500,000.
Out of 1,097 people that passed by, only 7 actually stopped and listened.
Two days before this experiment, he sold out ...
PODCAST SHOW NOTES:
SUMMARY: In this episode, Erica Rankin and Matt Zaun talk about what it took to make Bro Dough what it is today.
ERICA RANKIN BIO: Erica is the Founder & CEO of Bro Dough, which is Canada’s first better-for-you edible cookie dough.
For more info, check out Erica here:
https://www.lin...
...I set up time before my workshop to unpack the stories of that area.
What's the history?
What are the sights?
Sports teams people support?
I learned research strategy from my mother, who taught me to always have more data points than not.
You can always cut out what doesn't matter once you have it...
PODCAST SHOW NOTES:
SUMMARY: Many people have asked me over the years, “who is your favorite speaker, Matt?” The Speaker that I’ve learned the most from and who has had the largest impact on my career has been Ryan Avery. Having him on the Stories With Traction podcast was an honor and privilege.
RY...
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 Prize-winni...
I’ll be doing 2 strategic storytelling workshops there!
My goal for the audiences: massive change.
If they utilize the concepts shared, they will:
-boost sales
-enhance internal communication
-and create a vibrant company culture
…all through the power of strategic storytelling. 🗣
The next 72 hours are...
We’re constantly on the lookout for… 👇
…others’ mistakes.
This mindset is bogus!
Creating an environment that tries to be mistake-free will crush your organization’s creativity.
Stop focusing on your team’s mistake and how it's “hurting your business,” and teach them to utilize mistakes for g...
Whether you loved or hated him, President Johnson possessed a fascinating capability...genius-level strategy.
I used to spend countless hours studying how Johnson would play congress like a game of chess.
Though some of his tactics were brutal, I respect how much long-term thought he put into acco...
Here are 37 things I've learned over the years...
1. Everyone on the planet (even super successful people) have some form of an inferiority complex
2. Great copywriting is a superpower
3. Share powerful stories to get your point across
4. Fight as hard as you can to be your ideal, healthy weight
5. Rea...
Here is the most important framework that I learned...
1. You have to understand your Ideal Client Persona (ICP).
2. You share stories that relate to your ICP.
3. You engage (comment, "like," etc.) with your potential clients.
4. You network (virtual coffee/meet IRL) with your potential clients.
5. You ...
SUMMARY: In this episode, Terence Farrell and Matt Zaun discuss how our hobbies can make us more creative in life and business.
TERENCE FARRELL BIO: Terence served as a Chester County Commissioner for 12 years, and before that, he was the Recorder of Deeds for 8 years. Today, he is the President of ...
Quick, let's go listen to a story of someone who has it all together and has never struggled in their lives...
.
.
...said no one ever.
Why is that?
When it comes to great stories, we need a foe.
People love struggle/victory stories.
In business, we want it to be easy, but that doesn't give us a good st...
Stories With Traction Blog
Over the weekend, I spoke in the Florida Keys. 28th strategic storytelling workshop of 2023, and 1st spousal retreat! It was awesome! Flew into Miami, and drove the entire Overseas Highway. Literally got to the end of Route 1. It was incredibly gorgeous. Love speaking all over the country, me...