SUMMARY: In this episode, Julia Soplop and Matt Zaun discuss Julia’s book, Information Crisis.

JULIA SOPLOP: Julia is an award-winning author of four books: Information Crisis: How a Better Understanding of Science Can Help Us Face the Greatest Problems of Our Time, Equus Rising: How the Horse S...

So, you’re ready to dive into the world of storytelling—awesome! You’ve crafted some great stories that reflect your brand, but here’s the big question: how do you know if your stories are working? Are they resonating with your audience? Are they helping you achieve your goals?

That’s where socia...

I don't, but I've found that C.A.T. is a powerful acronym for posting content on LinkedIn. Here's the concept...

C - Connect
A - Appreciate
T - Trust

Whenever you post something on LinkedIn, ask yourself...

Will my network connect with this?

Will they appreciate this?

Will it help me build trust wi...

Overjoyed by the abundance of food, it no longer needed to search for sustenance. It could happily live its life, munching away.

But after a few days of grain-filled bliss, the mouse reached the bottom of the jar. Suddenly, reality hit hard: it was trapped. 

No more grains. No way out. 

Now, the mous...

“If you're early, you're on time; if you're on time, you're late, and if you're late, you're an abomination.”

Then he had children. 🤣

His perspective changed real quick.

The archaic 9-5 clock-in, clock-out idea is not good business.

When I led a team, I told my staff, “I don't care what time you start w...

It took me 200+ talks before I felt comfortable speaking.

It took me 100+ articles before I felt comfortable writing.

It took me 50+ podcast episodes before I felt comfortable podcasting.

Want to feel more comfortable? 

Find excellent people like  John H. Wilson, PhD,  Vicky Russell, and  Amy Lynch, w...

Walt was the 4th child of Elias and Flora Disney. 

Elias was the carpenter, and Flora was the architect of their home. 

It cost Walt Disney’s parents $800 to build. 

Talk about humble beginnings?! 

You never know where the next great titan of industry will come from.

Happy Birthday Walt Disney! Thanks ...

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, “that's the worst thing that could happen to a rookie gambler.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Now ...

Ever wondered why some websites are lead magnets while others seem stagnant? The secret sauce is often a well-maintained blog. 

Here's why you should consider diving into the world of blogging:

1) Lead Magnet: Every blog post is a new chance to post strategic, intentional stories on your site that w...

...old, iconic Hamburger University in Oak Brook, Illinois, was awesome! 🌟🍔

For those who may not know, Hamburger University is McDonald's legendary training facility. It was founded in 1961 in the basement of a restaurant with just 14 students. 

Today (now at a different location), it’s a powerhous...

First, yes, I’m sitting in the exact seat Rosa Parks sat in that launched the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which happened 69 years ago today. 

Ok, here are three things I learned that I didn’t know.

1. The iconic picture of Parks you’ve seen in mass media does not show the seat where the protest started....

A few months ago, I shared my Powerfully Persuade Through Storytelling workshop with business leaders in Connecticut. 

I had to stop by the house of one of the best storytellers America has ever known.

While there, I saw firsthand something that many people talk about but don’t make part of their ro...

“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 of my kids out to celebrate. 

We deb...

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 don’t believe in your vision doesn’t mean th...

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 posts for clicks. The other posts with stra...

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 you achieved in the last couple of month...

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 story. 

He told me he was ...

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 this man connect with his ...

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 appreciate an...

➡️ 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 than right. My results from posting ...

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 the right story.

𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿...

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 5,553,030 so signi...

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 understand your idea doesn’t mean it...