…and it was all worth it.

The audiences were incredible and committed to implementing the strategies.

The food was delightful.

The winter wonderland was breathtaking.

Next stop: Chicago.

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...

Before my son, Elliot, turned 6-years-old, I had him listen to all of MLK’s speeches. I told Elliot, “If you can become a great orator, you can change the world.” This doesn’t just go for my son but for all of us.

I’ve spent a lot of time researching how MLK was...

...”I treat the janitor like I treat the CEO,” and that's noble, but sometimes, these same people will completely destroy themselves with criticism.

So, though they value the lives of others, they don't take their own life into account. 

You treat everyone else with dignity and...

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 musicians…?

Gordy was a part-time songwriter who barely made...

EPISODES MENTIONED IN INTRO:

Stories of Leadership
How to Get Involved in Politics
How to Build a Legacy
How Hobbies Make You More Creative
Strategic Networking

SUMMARY: In this episode, Terence Farrell and Matt Zaun discuss how you can use strategic storytelling with intentionality in business to...

What’s up with that number? I’ll explain in a moment. First…

Our journey…

- November of 2020, Claire Davis and I connected on LinkedIn. 

- We had a “discover call” and found out we were focused on similar things in business. 

- We started having...

The journey to becoming a masterful storyteller is often embarked upon as a New Year's resolution. However, this well-intentioned practice is riddled with pitfalls. Astonishingly, 92% of people who set New Year's resolutions fail to see them through. This begs the question: why set yourself up...

Before reading it, I didn't know much about our 37th President. 

Though Nixon had major flaws, he was a very interesting figure in American history.  

I was intrigued by Nixon’s level of unorthodox strategy he utilized throughout his entire life, his charming...

I was on a treadmill at my gym when the severity of the Great Recession was announced on the news. 

Everyone was in shock, and they quietly listened to what all the TVs around them were saying. 

I kept running.

I remember running faster and faster and hearing the words of my father,...

Don’t focus on company core values, at least the words of those values; focus on your company core stories that exemplify your core values!

Prove to me the values you say you have.  Storytelling paints the picture. 

Share more stories! 

Wanna build a story right now?  Answer this question…

"What are you about?"  Don’t just tell me one of your values; paint a picture through a brief story. 

Here, I’ll go first.  One of my business values is flexibility.  I do everything I can to be...

  Stupid question.  Huh?  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...

SHOW NOTES:

PODCAST SUMMARY: This conversation was recorded in person in Spokane, Washington, with Claire Davis.  Claire and Matt discuss concepts on how you can be a great storyteller.

CLAIRE DAVIS BIO: Claire is a branding consultant who helps people write their stories.  The Stories...

 …and you probably guessed it, I’m flying back to… 

TEXAS!

In fact, my travel calendar will start and end with Texas this year.

This time, I’ll be going to Houston.

My goal for the audience: massive change. 

If they utilize the concepts shared,...

She taught me the secret to losing weight! 

You can do this too! 

3-years ago, I hired  Aly Di as my fitness coach.  Not only did she ask me my why behind wanting to lose weight, but she asked me to go five levels deep... 

. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭?

...

92% of everyone who sets one fails, so why in the world would YOU set yourself up for failure?!

Don’t set New Year’s Resolutions; set specific daily habits that will lead to what you want.

YOU will WIN!

P.S. I fell asleep at 11 pm last night. I'm officially an old man. What time did...

One of my neighbors smokes 3 packs of cigarettes a day. 

He knows that it's terrible for his health, but having better health was never a motivation for him. 

So, I went the financial route with him. 

I asked him how much money a pack of Marlboros goes for these days. 

Around $10...

Three months down the line, the dog gave birth to six puppies. Six months later, the dog was pregnant again, and nine months on, it gave birth to another dozen puppies. The pattern continued.

On the 18th month, the dog approached the elephant, questioning, ”Are you sure that you are...

This year had some mighty highs and some deep lows.

I had more self-growth than ever before. I also battled major challenges that caused a lot of anguish. 

My business significantly increased. I also went through extreme frustration to pull that off. 

At times, I felt like the greatest...

PODCAST EPISODE MENTIONED IN INTRO: The Storytelling System

PODCAST SUMMARY: In this episode, Claire Davis and Matt Zaun talk about “content buckets” and ideas for story prompts.

CLAIRE DAVIS BIO: Claire is a branding consultant that helps people write their stories.  If it...

... “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...

Took out someone I respected; that was where I wanted to be in life, to breakfast. 

Told him my future dreams.

He said, “I'll give you a 1% chance of success; more than likely, you’ll fail and won't make it.” 

“Being a professional speaker takes more grit than...