So far, I've been to:
Ā
-George WashingtonĀ
-Thomas Jefferson
-James Buchanan
-Abraham LincolnĀ
-Rutherford B. Hayes
-Grover Cleveland
-Woodrow Wilson
-Warren G. Harding
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Richard Nixon
-Jimmy Carter
-Ronald Reagan
-George H. W. Bush
-George W...
What makes a storyĀ stick? What makes it trulyĀ connect? Thereās a difference between storytelling thatās good and storytelling thatās unforgettable. And hereās the truth: the path to mastery isnāt glamorous; itāsĀ uncomfortable.
How to Get Better, Faster
If you want to supercharge your storytelling and ...
Where my youngest son was the 1st time the Eagles won the Super Bowl vs. now.Ā
At that time, I had just launched my speaking business and was really struggling.Ā
I told myself that I had to prove to my kids that some dreams are worth fighting for.Ā
Today, I get so many paid speaking requests that I...
Have you ever watched a TEDx talk and thought, "I could do that!" only to realize you have no idea where to start? Don't worry, you're not alone.Ā
Today, since itās his Birthday, I'm sharing insider tips from the one and onlyĀ Ā Bobby Umar, CEO of Discover Your Personal Brand and five-time TEDx speak...
Super Bowl XLI wasn't going to be played in the rain.Ā It was going to be played in a monsoon.Ā
...and while pro football players deal with the elements all season, rock stars do not. They have provisions in their contracts to avoid such calamities.Ā
Electricity and water don't mix particularly well....
Three years ago, I spoke in L.A. and stopped by SoFi Stadium during the Super Bowl festivities. As I watched the energy behind the game, it got me thinkingā¦
What separatesĀ winning organizationsĀ from the rest?
How do some businessesĀ crush their sales goalsĀ andĀ build a thriving company culture while o...
...Ronald Reagan, also known as the Great Communicator.Ā
President Reagan possessed a fascinating capability...the ability to command the attention of his audience.Ā
Whether you loved or hated him, there is no denying that his public speaking skills were off the charts.Ā
I spent time reflecting o...
Hereās the thing about creativity: if youāre not willing to look a little silly, it will be a tough road. And the same is true forĀ storytelling.
Whether youāre a C-suite executive or just starting out, tapping into your creative side is essential if you want to become a masterful storyteller. But cre...
Let me take you back to a time when I was the furthest thing from a confident public speaker.Ā
Iād just landed a new job, one I thought would involve very little human interaction. Perfect, right? After all, IādĀ failedĀ my public speaking course in college. My first speech was such a disaster that I l...
So far, I've been...
-George WashingtonĀ
-Thomas Jefferson
-James Buchanan
-Abraham LincolnĀ
-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
Each one fascinates me because theyāre al...
The Role of Values in Shaping Our Lives
Understanding and embracing our core values is not only beneficial but essential in our quest for personal and professional growth. This detailed exploration aims to guide you through discovering these values, enhancing your storytelling capabilities, impro...
...honor and privilege of speaking to Jewish business leaders in Chicago.Ā
They asked me to come in to process their family stories with them.Ā
I crisscrossed the area, speaking to 60 leaders in the Windy City.Ā
I heard some of the most incredible struggle/victory stories from these men and women Iāv...
Did you know the first McDonald's Drive-Thru was born out of necessity to accommodate soldiers at Fort Huachuca Army Base in Sierra Vista, Arizona?
Picture this: soldiers in their fatigues, stuck in their vehicles, craving a Big Mac but unable to enter the restaurant due to regulations.Ā
The restaur...
I told him, āš¶š³ šš¼š š°š®š» šÆš²š°š¼šŗš² š® š“šæš²š®š š¼šæš®šš¼šæ, šš¼š š°š®š» š°šµš®š»š“š² ššµš² šš¼šæš¹š±.ā
But this doesnāt just go for my son; this goes for all of us.Ā
Iāve spent an exorbitant amount of time researching how MLK was able to connect with his audience the way he did.Ā
Thatās why it was such an honor to speak in Atl...
Today, football fans will see a great playoff game, the Eagles vs. the Rams.
When it comes to great stories, we need a foe.
People love struggle/victory stories.Ā
In business, we want it to be easy, but that doesn't give us a good story.Ā
Just like in sports, where your rivals actually motivate you an...
Artists likeā¦
BeyoncƩ Knowles
Freddie Mercury
Taylor Swift
Have/had intentional, choreographed movements on stage. Walk this way, hold the mic like this, and look out at the audience in this way.
It's planned. All timed. And mastered.
Do you put intense preparation into presentations with your tea...
Think again. In todayās fast-paced, tech-driven world, storytelling isnāt just importantāitāsĀ essential. Hereās why:
š±Ā Technology
In 2007, the first iPhone was launched. A few years later, it revolutionized how we live, communicate, and engage. Suddenly, we werenāt justĀ usingĀ technologyāwe were addict...
In the late 50s, a Ford Motor Plant worker named Berry Gordy noticed something. On the assembly line, scrap metal would go down one side, and on the other end, a beautiful car was assembled. What if you could do the same with musiciansā¦?
Gordy was a part-time songwriter who barely made ends meet wh...
Essentially, if you're old enough to have changed the diaper of the messenger, you shouldn't listen to them.Ā āToo young.ā
The problem is the rate at which information accelerates.
The ākids of todayā know how to utilize new business tools that older generations overlook.Ā
My 10-year-old has taught me...
Even though she's been gone for a while, I still regularly think of the lessons she taught me.Ā
She was one of the most empathetic individuals that I've ever met.Ā
-Her empathy was forged in struggle since she experienced tremendous financial pain during the Great Depression.
-She got pure joy out of s...
...Copywriting.Ā
Fun fact: I don't have the biggest LinkedIn following and don't need to.
So many people get so hung up on ālikes,ā followers, and comments that they fail to speak directly to their prospects.Ā
Most of my posts that convert to sales have very little engagement.Ā
In business, my company...
...John A. Farrell and was fascinated. šĀ
Before reading it, I knew little about our 37th President.Ā
Though Nixon had major flaws, he was an interesting figure in American history.Ā
I was intrigued by Nixonās level of unorthodox strategy he utilized throughout his entire life, his charming charisma,...
How to warm up a room.Ā š„
Your talk doesnāt start when you grab the micāit begins long before you even open your mouth.
Speaking to a smaller crowd (50 or fewer)? Take the time to shake every single hand in the room. You'll build rapport and create a personal connection that will pay off when you get u...
Stupid question.Ā Huh?Ā
Well, most people use LinkedIn like old paper directions, when a lot of us have moved on.
If you use LinkedIn like a glorified resume when, in fact, it's a networking event on steroids...
You're still using old directions.
If you use LinkedIn to post your boring case studies ins...
Stories With Traction Blog
