The Elements of Story
(6/11/2018) I never thought I’d learn about business while sailing alone on a small boat at sea, but here’s the story: When I was a young man still in college, I found myself—quite through happenstance—in the company of an odd band of folks who lived aboard their sailboats in the free anchorage in Miami. The stories… READ ON
(6/11/2018) I never thought I’d learn about business while sailing alone on a small boat at sea, but here’s the story: When I was a young man still in college, I found myself—quite through happenstance—in the company of an odd band of folks who lived aboard their sailboats in the free anchorage in Miami. The stories… READ ONThe Time and Tempo of Storytelling
(10/1/2019) Great storytellers are masters of time and tempo. What is this mysterious thing called “time?” Does it flow at the same speed for everyone? If we encounter a life-threatening situation, time is a stream of cold honey. If we’re nervous or excited, time races. Look at nothing but a sea horizon for a week and… READ ON
(10/1/2019) Great storytellers are masters of time and tempo. What is this mysterious thing called “time?” Does it flow at the same speed for everyone? If we encounter a life-threatening situation, time is a stream of cold honey. If we’re nervous or excited, time races. Look at nothing but a sea horizon for a week and… READ ONShared Stories and The Next Generation
(9/16/2019) Hooray for Hollywood! Well … maybe; maybe not. Movies about rock stars’ journeys and superheroes (Is there really a difference?) may amount to no more than the latest money grab by motion picture studios and music labels (Is there really a difference?), but whether intended or not, baby-boomers like me who grew up on comic… READ ON
(9/16/2019) Hooray for Hollywood! Well … maybe; maybe not. Movies about rock stars’ journeys and superheroes (Is there really a difference?) may amount to no more than the latest money grab by motion picture studios and music labels (Is there really a difference?), but whether intended or not, baby-boomers like me who grew up on comic… READ ON“Pit of Despair” Stories
(9/3/2019) I watched Jannie Kruse give a short talk on “labels.” She talked about the categories we put ourselves in—how we label ourselves based on our upbringing, and about her stern and abusive grandfather. To make her point, she stuck a series of “Hello, My Name is...” labels to her blouse upon which were written the… READ ON
(9/3/2019) I watched Jannie Kruse give a short talk on “labels.” She talked about the categories we put ourselves in—how we label ourselves based on our upbringing, and about her stern and abusive grandfather. To make her point, she stuck a series of “Hello, My Name is...” labels to her blouse upon which were written the… READ ONReal Estate and Storytelling
(8/19/2019) Maria, a realtor attended one of my storytelling workshops at the suggestion of a mutual friend. “What does storytelling have to do with real estate?” she asked before the session started. Tell me about a property you’re excited about,” I replied. “I just got a listing for a 1937, two-bedroom, Dade County pine house in… READ ON
(8/19/2019) Maria, a realtor attended one of my storytelling workshops at the suggestion of a mutual friend. “What does storytelling have to do with real estate?” she asked before the session started. Tell me about a property you’re excited about,” I replied. “I just got a listing for a 1937, two-bedroom, Dade County pine house in… READ ONLost and Found Losers
(8/5/2019) Lost and found items create logistical challenges, but stories are always about people. The story of how (or whether) a person is reunited with a lost item they need or value determines the success of important business relationships. Create a story about your relationship with your customer—a person, or they’ll move on to conduct business… READ ON
(8/5/2019) Lost and found items create logistical challenges, but stories are always about people. The story of how (or whether) a person is reunited with a lost item they need or value determines the success of important business relationships. Create a story about your relationship with your customer—a person, or they’ll move on to conduct business… READ ONAvoid the Data-Dump Doldrums
(7/22/2019) Data-dump presentations are guaranteed attention-killers. Information is important, but storytellers make that information meaningful. Add PowerPoint slides full of tables and tiny type to create a particularly excruciating audience experience. The following statements are true. The description is accurate. But something’s missing. WordPress is a content-management platform used to drive over seventy-five-million websites. Written with… READ ON
(7/22/2019) Data-dump presentations are guaranteed attention-killers. Information is important, but storytellers make that information meaningful. Add PowerPoint slides full of tables and tiny type to create a particularly excruciating audience experience. The following statements are true. The description is accurate. But something’s missing. WordPress is a content-management platform used to drive over seventy-five-million websites. Written with… READ ONYou Can Keep Your Business Cards
(7/8/2019) I was talking with a friend at a business networking event when a man came plowing through the crowd doling out business cards as if he were handing out candy on Halloween. After the most cursory of introductions, he put a card in each of our hands, smiled, and moved on to interrupt the next… READ ON
(7/8/2019) I was talking with a friend at a business networking event when a man came plowing through the crowd doling out business cards as if he were handing out candy on Halloween. After the most cursory of introductions, he put a card in each of our hands, smiled, and moved on to interrupt the next… READ ONHobbyist or Professional? Be the Best in the World.
(6/24/2019) Hobbyist or professional? True professionals dedicate their lives to being the best in the world at whatever they do—not some day, but today—every day. Not try, do. I have played guitar almost every day for almost forty years. I play a variety of styles, have performed for paying audiences, know a good selection of jazz… READ ON
(6/24/2019) Hobbyist or professional? True professionals dedicate their lives to being the best in the world at whatever they do—not some day, but today—every day. Not try, do. I have played guitar almost every day for almost forty years. I play a variety of styles, have performed for paying audiences, know a good selection of jazz… READ ONConflict: Sailing the Storms of Life and Business
(6/10/2019) In storms of life and business, it requires immense energy to sustain conflict. Dangerous and destructive forces require attention and—at the appropriate times—resistance, but often the best strategy is to park and wait for the tempest to subside. A retail client came to me complaining that her competitor was offering sale prices that had been… READ ON
(6/10/2019) In storms of life and business, it requires immense energy to sustain conflict. Dangerous and destructive forces require attention and—at the appropriate times—resistance, but often the best strategy is to park and wait for the tempest to subside. A retail client came to me complaining that her competitor was offering sale prices that had been… READ ONSell Outcomes, Not Products
(5/27/2019) Sell outcomes. The products or services you exchange at the transaction stage of a business relationship might not be the most meaningful basis for describing what you offer. Before you print your next batch of business cards, think like a storyteller. All your competitors sell what you sell, but do they produce the same outcomes… READ ON
(5/27/2019) Sell outcomes. The products or services you exchange at the transaction stage of a business relationship might not be the most meaningful basis for describing what you offer. Before you print your next batch of business cards, think like a storyteller. All your competitors sell what you sell, but do they produce the same outcomes… READ ON