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

In this blog post, I dive into strategies to foster growth as a leader, a storyteller, and an individual. These methods are crucial for navigating the chaos and adversity characteristic of our era. I will focus on three core principles: 

• listening 
• local engagement
• and leveraging...

Claire M. Davis talks about structuring stories for maximum impact, and I talk about "Heroes” vs. “Villains” in business storytelling.

Check out the podcast here | https://www.storieswithtraction.com/swtpodcast

The documentary celebrating his life was one of the few movies I cried through.

 
During his 35+ year run, Mr. Rogers taught millions of children (and adults!) about what it meant to be a good neighbor.

He held our hands through some of the darkest times in U.S. history, telling us to...

When social media hits reality, you get crapped on. Is this post meant to be funny? No. It's a warning shot.

When used with intentionality and specific strategy, social media is a business tool that will radically help your organization.

However, there are a lot of bs'ers on social media....

SHOW NOTES:

SUMMARY: In this episode, Dr. Anthony Lee and Matt Zaun discuss what makes someone a leader of leaders.

DR. ANTHONY LEE BIO: Dr. Lee is the President and CEO of Westcliff University and has led the institution through incredible growth for the last 16 years. Under his leadership, each...

Feb 2nd - FAQ Episode with Claire M. Davis

Feb 9th - Executive Search with Evan Sparks

Feb 16th - Beating Burnout with Matt Zinman 

Feb 23rd - Leader of Leaders with Dr. Anthony Lee

Episode number 117 with Claire M. Davis launches on Mar 1st, and I can’t think of a better way to...

...James Buchanan.

That's according to many historians.

What's interesting is 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 seeking...

...I'm obsessed with going to Presidential museums, and I’ll be going to every single one before I die. So far, I've been to...

-Thomas Jefferson
-Abraham Lincoln 
-Rutherford Hayes
-Warren Harding
-Franklin Roosevelt
-Lyndon Johnson
-Richard Nixon
-Jimmy Carter
-Ronald Reagan
-George H....

SHOW NOTES:

SUMMARY: In this episode, Matt Zinman and Matt Zaun talk about how to retain top talent by focusing on beating burnout in an organization.

MATT ZINMAN BIO: Matt is the founder and CEO of ZU Publishing, INC., author of Z-isms (Insights to Live By), and a speaker who focuses on beating...

Growing up, my mother taught me that when you do something you love, you won’t even consider it work.

Well, this week, I was in heaven.

Conducted strategic storytelling workshops in Chicagoland.

I love doing these sessions and could do one every single day and not get bored.

Hey,...

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...

1 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐬 (*especially ones with Abraham Lincoln ) Every time I post a selfie, I get 3x the reach of a normal post.

2 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞

Sharing an authentic story where you position someone else as the hero will get you lots of traction.

3 𝐇𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬

The first few lines of text are extremely...

…Chicagoland!

Excited to speak at Creeden & Associates tomorrow.

We’ll be talking about how to…

-boost sales
-enhance internal communication
-and create a vibrant company culture

…all through the power of strategic storytelling.

The next few days will be awesome!


Have...

It got me thinking about what separates winning organizations.

How do some crush their sales goals and create a vibrant company culture?

Business teams that go the distance know how to utilize storytelling.

Wanna score major wins? Get good at sharing stories…

Talk about your failures...

Years ago, Meyer Friedman (a cardiologist) recommended something to his highly stressed patients who were at greater risk of developing heart disease.

He told them to take the longest line at the grocery store to practice inner peace.

Sounds simple, huh?

A peaceful mindset comes with practice.

...

SHOW NOTES:

SUMMARY: In this episode, Evan Sparks and Matt Zaun talk about CRG, executive search, and the future of work.

EVAN SPARKS: Evan is the Director of National Search at CRG.

For more info: Website and LinkedIn

MATT ZAUN BIO: Matt is an award-winning speaker and storyteller who empowers...

In 2016, a good friend told me to be more active on LinkedIn.

I laughed at her since I always viewed this platform as a glorified resume site.

I was wrong.

By using LI with a specific strategy, my business grew more in the last few years than I ever thought possible.

Don’t make the same...

In this post, I share methods for crafting a robust and impactful story and how to use your real-life stories by considering your story's intention, timing, relatability, and structure. 

Intention 

Consider your intention when telling a story and recounting your life...

No, not his 200,000,000 house in Beverly Hills.

The house he started Amazon in.

I was speaking at a company in Bellevue, and his old house was literally down the street, so I had to see it for myself.

This garage is where Amazon was launched.

Today, it’s the 5th most valuable company on the...

President Reagan possessed a fascinating capability...the ability to command the attention of his audience.

I used to spend countless hours studying how Reagan was able to be the orator he was. 

Whether you loved or hated him, there is no denying that his public speaking skills were off the...