“What excites you to get out of bed in the morning?”

Here, I’ll go first... 

My kids motivate me beyond what I could ever imagine. 

Especially since they know my goals, they constantly remind me of what I need to do. 

Whenever I hit a business goal, I take all three...

Back in 2008, I was at a conference where a “thought leader” gave a presentation on how “Amazon will be out of business soon.” 

If I would have invested $10,000 in Amazon stock right after that talk, today I would have $626,668.80. 

Just because some people...

So many content creators on LinkedIn want “likes.”

No strategy. Just fluff. 

I know someone with 1,000,000+ LinkedIn followers, and their business is struggling. 

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

The difference? 

One...

It’s incredible how many people compare themselves to others. 

No wonder we have a society that’s so depressed. 

This phenomenon is only magnified through social media. 

Do the best with where you are. 

Have you grown more as a person? 

What small successes have...

Recently, after one of my strategic storytelling workshops, a gentleman in the audience pulled me aside. 

60-year-old man. CEO of an extremely successful company. 
He was sobbing and had to hug me. 

For the first time in his life, he realized he had to start telling people his...

This is the spot where John F. Kennedy was assassinated. 

61 years ago today. 

I had the honor and privilege of speaking in Dallas a couple of months ago.
 
After I flew into DFW, I had to stop by the JFK assassination spot. 

For years, I studied our 35th president. 

How could...

There’s something incredibly fascinating about how massive companies often have the humblest beginnings. 

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...

𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠. (I haven't missed a single day of posting in 4 years) Russell Brunson inspired me to post on LI everyday. He said, “do something every single day without fail, and you’ll see radical growth in your business.” He was more...

You're not focused on S$&%#. 

No, not that s-word. You're not focused on... 

STORIES! 

Say it, “s-t-o-r-i-e-s!”

Your clients don’t want to be read a slide deck; they want a reason to believe in your product/service and YOU!

You’ll connect with them over...

It’s hard for me to believe. It really is.

Just like everyone, when covid hit, I shifted how I was sharing info. 

I turned to LinkedIn. 

As funny as it is now, I had a tough time making my first LinkedIn post. Must have wrote and rewrote that sucker a dozen times.

So why is the number...

At least, that’s what hundreds of people said early on. 

Countless bankers rejected the Mickey Mouse concept! 

But guess what? Walt Disney is hailed a genius today. 

In fact, this year is the 101st anniversary of Walt Disney Studios! 

Just because some people don’t...

...how awesome you are is the moment you lose.

Your prospects don't care about that.

They care about what you can do for them.

You need to share stories that your prospects relate to. 

Make your clients the hero - not you.

At least not right away. 
.
In 1945, Soichiro Honda lost everything due to World War II. His business was completely demolished.

You know what he did? 

He took a year off. 

He focused on creative thoughts. 

He focused on his friendships. 

He focused on planning.

The...

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 nonfiction) where the authors put more time and energy into their writing.

Social media is even lower-level writing than newspapers....

While speaking in Erie, I asked someone what their favorite restaurant was, and without hesitation, they yelled, “Like My Thai!”

Naturally, I had to investigate after a recommendation like that. And let me tell you, it did NOT disappoint!

Mike Augustine, the owner and chef of Like...

...and then 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 me that you actually believe in it. 

Most companies are all talk. 

They write out their “company values” to check a box.  

None of their employees could actually tell you all the company values since they're so forgettable. 

Paint a picture of your...

SHOW NOTES:

SUMMARY: In this episode, Kevin Connor and Matt Zaun talk about how storytelling can be woven into print material and how you can get print to work for you.

KEVIN CONNOR: Kevin is a partner at Modern SBC.

Some of the projects that Modern SBC routinely works on:

- Copywriting and content...

”...when I tell you to jump, you ask how high! When I tell you to do something, you do it, period!” She forced me to listen to her out of...

.

...FEAR!

.

My other Grandmother, on the other hand, would tell me why she wanted me to do certain things. 

She showed me how much she...

...my content produces 2 million+ impressions each year. Has for the last four years. This isn’t bad, but it’s not great either. Meaning anyone can do it. 

This led to tens of thousands of people checking out my profile. 

Profile views lead to inbound messages inquiring about...

A perfect example of that was when 3M decided to place money inside the advertising casing at a bus stop in Vancouver.

The case was covered at the edges with a 3M product, Scotchshield.
“If you break it, you can keep it!”

Hundreds of people attempted to break the glass, and none were...

But our 8th President, Martin Van Buren, is someone we can all learn from. He was the first president in U.S. history to create a bit of a content machine (in-person speeches back then). 

He set up a system that supported his objectives and worked it relentlessly. 

We can do something...

1) Share powerful stories that connect 
2) Let your competitors drown in numbers

P.S. Recently, I launched a free 5-Day Storytelling Challenge aimed at helping individuals master the art of storytelling.

Whether you're looking to boost sales, enhance marketing, or captivate audiences in...

None of these posts led to new business
These posts sucked up way too much of my time
Some of these posts did not contribute to my mission

Today, I have zero desire to go viral. 

Playing the “likes and engagement” game is a slippery slope. 

Instead of trying to go...