...James Buchanan.
That's according to many historians.
What's interesting is that Buchanan was one of the most prepared presidents in history.
He was:
A soldier
A prominent lawyer
U.S. Congressman
U.S. Senator
Secretary of State
Minister to Russia
Minister to the U.K.
However, he was not:
good at ...
I kinda like this place, so let’s not destroy it.
Have a great week!
In the darkness of April 14th, 1865, John Wilkes Booth's bullet pierced Lincoln's head, altering the course of our nation's history.
The weight of the moment was intense as doctors rushed to attend to President Lincoln, but the severity of his wound left little hope.
Amidst the chaos, a crucial d...
1–2 Minutes and in under 20 Seconds.
Here’s When to Use Each...
One of the biggest questions I hear about storytelling is: How long should my story be?
The answer depends on your situation, but here’s the key: people’s attention spans are shorter than ever, so your stories must be concise and inten...
If not, you're missing out on a huge opportunity to learn and improve your organization!
Asking something as simple as, "What's exciting you right now, and what's angering you right now?" can give you a ton of feedback you could be missing.
Want your team to solve more problems? To be more creat...
It wasn’t just a ship disaster; it was a moment that revealed the profound depths of human character.
Among the passengers were millionaire John Jacob Astor IV and Isidor Straus, co-owner of Macy's (one of the largest American department store chains at the time). Both men had wealth that could have...
... Dan Koval is always reminding me to not only work hard but to play hard, too! 👇
Sometimes, we get so caught up in the go, go, go that we forget to slow down and actually enjoy life.
This week was awesome! I conducted 4 strategic storytelling workshops in Cleveland for some incredible business le...
Let’s break it down. 👇
If you’ve been following my work, you’ve likely heard me discuss the importance of a Storybank—a systematic way to document and organize your stories for maximum impact.
But the big question is: How many stories do you actually need?
The answer depends entirely on your “why.”
Why...
...it is about how every small detail can significantly affect customer behavior. 👇
For example, consider how some brands have adjusted the positioning of their characters' eyes on packaging.
Design teams have made subtle adjustments in supermarkets, where products are displayed on multiple shelves, ...
I believe that the answer to that question is a resounding YES.
Over the years, I’ve worked with hundreds of politicians, executives, and entrepreneurs who try to surround themselves with people who make them feel good.
Some will go to staggering lengths to surround themselves with people who just s...
I’ve seen it happen. Someone aspiring to a VP role shares a deeply personal story about being mistreated by a boss or about joining a job that wasn’t what they expected. While the intent might be authentic, what is the result? Crickets from recruiters missed opportunities or even backlash.
The soluti...
It was one of the best cheeseburgers I've ever had, too.
“Wait, what?!” you say. I thought this was the company that says, Eat Mor Chikin?!”
Yup. Well, they used to serve burgers, and the one that started it all (in Hapeville, GA) still does.
What's wild about this to me is that they served burge...
Actually, to “make it anywhere,” it takes solid mentorship…
…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 ...
...my favorite Irishman in the world, Josh Rudegeair.
He positioned three podcasts that hit #1 in the United States!
Yup, you read that correctly. Josh Rudegeair is the mastermind behind getting not one but three podcasts to hit #1 on Apple Podcasts!
When you discover there are 3,000,000 podcasts; ...
She was concerned about her speech impediment.
What she didn't realize is that 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 o...
One thing sticks out more than anything...
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 ...
Join the club!
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 thes...
...I’ve gotten questions on how to utilize storytelling in personal branding.
The problem is that most people lack strategy regarding the stories they share.
Since personal branding is incredibly important for business leaders, I did multiple episodes with MICHELLE B GRIFFIN on this topic.
You ca...
...Dan Mott so much.
Valid thought. 😂
He’s such a systems, structure, and statistics person; he can come off as a bit of a nerd. 🤓
Regardless, you need to understand your targets to tell the right stories.
I learned the most effective LinkedIn framework from Dan Mott.
This quarter, I hit a huge busin...
It took me a while to truly grasp the magnitude of these words, but here they are...
“𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.”
👆 Read that again.
No wonder you're so stressed.
In business, we often place unrealistic expectations on everyone and everything.
Stop doing that. ✋
...she made a decision that would change everything: The cycle stops with me.
Growing up in a dysfunctional home, Tami knew struggle intimately.
As a teen mom, she faced relentless adversity, navigating life with limited resources and overwhelming uncertainty.
But she refused to let her daughter exper...
Why?
Because you achieved all of your 2025 business goals, and it’s worth people hearing about.
The reporter asks you all you’ve achieved…
…and just like that, the floodgates open.
With each word, each milestone recounted, it’s as if you’re painting a picture of incredible triumph.
The challenges you ...
...knowing you still had a week until payday.
Now, imagine being in a new state with no support system, a newborn baby, and a husband deployed in the Air Force.
For Tami M. Cole, this wasn’t just a rough patch. It was her reality.
💬 “That's fear. That's terror. At times, I would ask myself, ‘How did I...
Stories With Traction Blog
