Strategic Storytelling

Does your story contribute to your strategy? Is your story a part of your brand?

You get all kinds of advice to "be sure your content includes a story."

The real question is, what is the purpose of your story? Will you motivate people to buy? Or are you telling the story to get people to like you more? Or do you want to build their trust, so they believe you'll solve their problem?

In this episode of the Strategic Storytelling podcast, you'll get three questions to ask about your story. The answers help you understand if you have a real business story. Are adding value to your business strategy? Or are you adding more fluff?

For instance, Harry and Elaine are both money coaches. Harry is an Educator. Elaine is a role model. They're in the same field, but they'll have very different stories. 

To be effective, stories have to be believable. You'll get examples of unbelievable and believable stories.

Resources: FREE guide to story archetypes: What are archetypes and what is yours? Click here. Create content and tell stories to be believable. Click here. Sell with a story. Click here. Strategic Intensive: A 2-week sprint to solve your marketing challenges.

Calling yourself a "healer" brings special challenges in marketing. 

And in some ways, everyone is a healer. We all pay money to relieve our pain.

But when you call yourself a healer, people get confused. Just what do you do, anyway? You might be a reiki practitioner, EFT practitioner, a psychotherapist, a health coach...or just a "healer."  

But if you're a healer, how do you explain what you do? You may think everyone knows. But even if people think they understand, you've got a special twist. 

You also want to encourage people to choose YOU from your many competitors.

And the best way to achieve these objectives is to tell the right kind of story...the story that answers the questions nobody asks.

That’s what we’re exploring in this episode of the Strategic Storytelling podcast.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

Resources mentioned: 

The Strategic Intensive, my premier consultation offering. EFT Websites, a low-cost course about designing websites for healers Personal branding with stories, a course for people concerned about bragging too much.

Have you ever told a story -- a brilliant story! -- and your audience just looked at you blankly? They just didn't get it. Or they couldn't relate: they couldn't put themselves into the story. 

Stories succeed when people put themselves in the picture. They're in the airplane seat. They're in the room you're describing. They can feel the problem: their chest gets tight, their stomach hurts...it's real.

But here's the catch. It doesn't have to be a personal story. In fact, you can tell a personal story that leaves everyone cold.

In this video, I talk about 4 kinds of stories: personal and not relatable, relatable but not personal, not relatable and not personal...and last but not least: stories that are personal *and* relatable.

There's one archetype that gets away with stories that are neither personal nor relatable. And there's another archetype that tells personable, relatable stories. 

So before telling a story, ask yourself: Will my audience put themselves in this story? If they can't see themselves in the picture, your story will fail.

And if they can put themselves in the picture, you've got a winner, whether the story's personal or not. 

Come listen here. And if you like the episode, don't forget to leave a rating and a review, especially on Apple or Spotify.

RESOURCES AND MENtIONS:

FREE - The four archetypes (and a quiz to discover yours)

COURSE - From Storytelling to Story-Selling: Tell a story that brings sales.

Gabrielle Dolan mentioned in the podcast)

OTHER PODCASTS: Interview with a Role Model archetype, Cindy Bidar How to decide if the story you love will boost your business How to craft a selling story for your small business What is a celebrity archetype (and it's probably not you)  

“What niche am I supposed to target?”

That’s always a popular question when I meet a group of fellow business owners. Even if they’re experienced veterans, they wonder, “Did I let some people get away? Am I being too narrow in my focus?”

It’s a familiar struggle…and we keep going back to it. Even though we think we’ve got a niche we want to revisit. Men? Women? Married? Single? Age bracket?

Sound familiar?

In this episode of the Strategic Storytelling podcast, I have the answer: the clients backstory. 

What do they say when they come? What don’t they say?  

Most importantly, will they pay? And who’s picking up the tab?

What you’ll learn in this episode:

The toughest part of choosing a niche is finding their backstory. And I’ve got a product to help. Click here.   

I can also help you target your niche as you write the copy. We can do this in a 90-minute coaching session. Click here to learn more. 

Don't forget to subscribe and leave a rating and review! 

So you've got something to teach people. You're the only one...or one of the few.

But your audience isn't stupid. They know a lot already. Who likes being treated like a child...especially a stupid child? Who likes being treated like a newbie when you're not?   

In this episode of Strategic Storytelling, I'll show you three ways to use stories to get past the barrier. Instead of saying "you should do this," you can tell a story

 There's at least 3 ways to use stories to make your point: as examples, as a step-by-step story, and as a novelistic story you made up. They're all here, with examples.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

 Resources mentioned:

Common mistakes associated with creating a website (a guest post I wrote long ago)

Todd Rose’s book: The End of Average 

Chuck Rylant’s book: How to Be Rich

Relocation Strategy: Dealing with the stress of moving

“I have many happy clients. How can I get them to share testimonials?"  

That’s what my reader asked me when I was looking for new applications for. telling stories.

It's a complaint I hear from other service business owners too. Let's face it: if you're a small, service-based business, you need credibility. Nobody wants to be your first client!

In this episode of the  Strategic Storytelling podcast, I share the reasons people don't leave good testimonials. It'll help you navigate the challenge more easily.  Let's face it: writing a good testimonial is almost as hard as writing about yourself. Nobody teaches you how. So how can yours be better?

In this episode you will learn...

Resources mentioned:

Link to my infographic on testimonials

Course: What is a selling story Course: Content for credibility

Other episodes

Episode 64: These 2 stories bring in more sales Episode 108: Get credibility when you can't get a testimonial (because your service is too sensitive) 

There’s something appealing about telling stories. We all want to talk about what happened to us..especially the bad parts.  

But when you're writing for business, it's important to tell your story only when you have a purpose for that particular story. 

Too many people write stories for validation. They say, "My cat died. Here's how I feel." Or they say the business hit a wall. Here's what happened"

 There's a place to write about your business. Psychologists talk about it all the time. It's as effective (at least for some) as a therapy session. 

That's not what I'm talking about here. 

In this episode, you'll learn 

Resources mentioned:

Of the five archetypes I've identified, the Celebrity holds greatest awe and power. 

***If you're new to my community, you can download a free report featuring the five archtypes when you click here.

Think of Taylor Swift and think of those folks in People magazine. We don't want to BE a Celebrity, but we can learn from Celebrities. It's no accident that real celebrities tend to be spokespeople for all kinds of brands.

So now let's look at business. 

Chances are you'll meet a celebrity somewhere along your business journey. You'll be tempted to use them as examples along the way. 

But the truth is, you probably are not a Celebrity. You can't apply Celebrity strategies to your business..and win.

Join me on this fun podcast to learn about Celebrity archetypes -- what they are and how to use them in your business

As you know, I've got five story archetypes for basic branding for small, service-based businesses. You can learn more about them in my free report here.

http://cathygoodwin.com/archI talk a lot about the most common archetypes - the Role Model and Educator, and sometimes the Innovator. But I rarely talk about Celebrities or Passionate Advocates...with good reason.

You feel, "I'm already passionate about my work!" But that doesn't mean you're a true Passionate Advocate.

Advocates set limits on what they do. They have to be hard-nosed about it or they'll run out of time. Worse, their clients expect perfection, which they can never deliver.

Listen to this short podcast to learn why it's a good thing to be passionate about your work, but not to brand yourself on your passions! 

To get one-on-one help for your branding, let's talk! Cllck here to learn more.

We have lots of stories of celebration, where people talk about their wins. What we need are more stories of pulling the plug. 

For example, in this episode I talk about someone who decided not to get a drivers license. In a typical story, she'd try and try to pass the test. She'd spend hours studying. 

But in this story the woman decides she won't bother. She'll move to a city where she can take a car or just ride public transit or even walk.

A variation of this story is a "you can go home again" story. You can quit and then go back.

The original idea for this story comes from research psychologist Barry Staw. You can read his ideas in this article from HBR.

If you’re a service based solopreneur, entrepreneur or independent professional, your brand is YOU. Your About Page will be critical to your online success.

And yet, if you’re like most business owners, you’ll tell me the About Page is the most difficult page to write for your website. 

That’s because most people hate to talk about themselves. And business owners are people! It’s easy to feel like you’re boasting. It’s common to wonder, “Will I come across as an obnoxious jerk?”

The truth is, your About Page isn’t about you. 

Your About Page answers the client’s question: Why should I hire you and not someone else? 

You don’t need to share your life story. You probably don’t need to share your company’s mission. But if you do, you need to create a context.

 I’ll show you exactly how to frame your story and avoid the most common mistakes of About Pages.

 What you’ll learn in this episode:

Resources:

My course on finding your client’s backstory - Click here

My course on “Bragging 101” - How to find your personal brand by telling stories - Click here

My course on “Write your About Page” - Click here

Strategic Intensive - a 2 week sprint to overcome your biggest marketing challenge (which might be writing your About Page) - Click here.

Free webinar recording - Write your About Page with Stories 

When we think of business storytelling, most business owners think of stories as a way to relate to clients - and certainly I encourage that direction. You can use stories to engage clients, explain a complex offer, communicate your value, and much, much more.  

In this episode, we’re going to talk about another way to use storytelling. We look at 3 ways to use stories to help plan your next steps and develop your strategy.  These stories help grow your business, but you rarely share them with your clients. 

RESOURCES:

Enter the conversation in your clients' mind: a self-paced video course  

Planning With Stories Workbook - A fun way to set goals you'll actually achieve - Click here.

Podcast Episode on Finding your Backstory. 

Podcast Episode on Planning with Stories  

HBR article on Inspirational Stories 

Strategic Intensive: The 2-week sprint that can transform your marketing 

My website: http://CathyGoodwin.com 

Numbers make stories more vivid. When we say, "Apartment 101," you may get a picture in your mind of the door with the number.

But there's a downside. When you use numbers to suggest how you value something, your audience will be judging you. They assign their ow values to every story.

In this episode you will learn... ...how the vividness of numbers makes your story more clear (and how that can be a downside) ...how casual references to certain details will send a message to your audience (and it may not be the message you want them to hear) ...how context will be important to your audience's response to your story

Resources:

Strategic Intensive Program Background on story archetypes - FREE guide Understanding your client's backstory - FREE guide

Many service-based entrepreneurs tell me, “My services seem so ordinary! I want to create a sense of excitement among potential clients.”

It’s how lots of small business owners (including me) begin looking at their websites and sales letters.  

That doesn’t mean inventing wild stories or digging into your distant past for inspiration. Any story comes with hidden pitfalls and many people resist getting started.  

We can learn from a unique, creative experiment co-created by an anthropologist and a writer. They transformed ordinary thrift store purchases (none more than $2) into valuable objects that commanded high prices. 

Their secret? Writers were asked to invent stories surrounding each object. 

As business owners, we can learn from their story. 

Of course, business stories must be accurate. You can’t deceive your audience. But you can apply these principles to describe your offer. In fact, that’s what we do in a story that sells.  

What you’ll learn in this episode:

RESOURCES:

My self-paced video course: From Storytelling to Story-selling

My self-paced video course: Brand Your Business With Stories

“Borrow my brain” consultation on storytelling

FREE: 17 Surprising Ways To Use Storytelling For Your Business Growth - Click here.

MENTIONED IN THE PODCAST:

Original article about the Halston mug 

“Should I tell this story? I don’t feel comfortable sharing.”

Or

“I *really* feel I should tell this story, even if it makes me uncomfortable."  

If you’re like many of my clients, these questions arise when you’re wondering about sharing a story, especially a personal story. You feel deeply about the topic but you wonder if it’s a good idea to put it out there for all the world to see.  

You have doubts:

Recently I’ve heard expert marketers - people I respect - encourage others to follow their enthusiasm.

If you’re excited, there’s probably a good reason. Don’t let the idea die!  

But others will tell you to slow down. Do the research. Get feedback from colleagues you trust or mentors who will be honest with you.

The truth is, either scenario could be a win for you. You’re being guided by your intuition, which can speak to you in many ways. 

For some business owners, being hesitant to share that story is a big “GO” signal. They tend to resist good things.

For others, being enthusiastic is a “STOP” signal. (I’m one of those!) They tend to jump into something and later wish they hadn’t.

On this episode of the Strategic Storytelling podcast, I’ll give you a new way to think about your decision to share a story…or not. 

What you’ll learn in this episode:

RESOURCES:

One of the biggest challenges for a business owner is getting seen as a credible expert in your field…even a thought leader in your industry.

Last episode we focused on being seen as an expert. However, not everyone will promote expertise the same way. 

If you’re a Role Model, you want to continue to tell stories that support your promise, “If I can do it, you can do it.” If you’re an Educator, you demonstrate knowledge. You tell different stories.

The one thing you don’t do: you don’t follow the advice to “be vulnerable” when you’re telling a story to promote your expertise. There may be a place for those stories…but not now.

In this episode, you will learn how to promote your expertise within your archetype. You will recognize how other archetypes use stories. It’s not just your story, but the way you tell your story, that builds expertise.

RESOURCES and mentions:

Find your archetype here. FREE checklist.

FREE training to use the archetypes to position yourself as an expert.

Brand with archetypes.  

Podcast with Cindy Bidar (Role Model archetype)

Podcast with Ellen Finkelstein (Role Model)

Cindy  Bidar's Website

Ian Brodie's articles

Connie Ragen Green (product marketing example)

Christina Hills 

Note: Some links are affiliate links. 

“Every year I say I’m going to plan better. And it never happens.”

“I make great plans. But I never seem to finish carrying them out.”

“I’m a small business. My brand is ME…which means my planning is all about ME and what I’ll do. All the planning advice seems geared to big business.”

How many times have you said that?

If these scenarios resonate, you’re hardly alone. 

Planning can seem like a useless exercise. We attend planning workshops, make notes on our calendars, match tasks to dates ...and then nothing happens.

But as your business grows, you’ve probably been advised to get serious about planning. And yes, there IS a better way.

In this episode, I share...

...3 reasons why most planning doesn’t work (especially for small businesses)

...3 reasons why storytelling is a surprisingly useful planning tool 

...3 types of stories you can use for realistic planning (with examples)

...Why and how each type of story works 

...How to create a reward that will motivate you through the hard slog

RESOURCES 

The 12-Week Year by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington

Strategic Intensive Consultation for planning your business

90 Days To Complete Your Next Big Thing

Video Course: How to research your client’s backstory (and understand their motivation) 

If you liked this episode, don't forget to subscribe! Leave a rating and a review.

Almost every business coach on the planet will advise you to start telling stories. They’ll encourage you to use storytelling for your blog posts, email messages, and just about any content you create.

Deciding to tell a story is the easy part. Choosing a story that will help grow your business is much more difficult. That’s mostly because you get conflicting advice from different mentors. 

“Go ahead and share,” they’ll say. “Feeling uncomfortable? Get over it.”

Even more, your inbox is filled with emails from all kinds of marketers, each beginning with a story. It’s so easy to decide, “I’m going to create a story like theirs.”

Even worse, you can decide, “I have to stay away from storytelling. I could never tell a story like theirs.”

The truth is, business storytellers need a unique approach. You aren’t trying to sell tickets to a movie. You want to sell your products and services. 

The first thing a successful business storyteller does? They don’t think of themselves as storytellers. They’re business owners. They’re marketing strategists. 

In this podcast, I’ll share 3 essential tips to use storytelling to build your brand and your business. We’ll talk about…

…why you need to frame your stories as a business owner first  

…examples of stories that “stick” in a good and bad way (and why that’s critical to your success)

…why some business owners wish they could take back their stories (and you can avoid having this happen to you) 

This is the one podcast I’m recommending for any entrepreneur who’s decided to add storytelling to the marketing mix. It’s delivered in my usual direct style and guaranteed to rub at least several business owners the wrong way. 

RESOURCES & MENTIONS:

FREE download:  Story Archetypes

Strategic Intensive Consultation - Find the best way to use storytelling, given your archetype and your business. 

Video course: Replace Story-telling with Story-selling - Affordable course (no coupon needed)

Book: Grow your business one story at a time. Ebook on Amazon. 

Book: Intuition for business and career decisions. Ebook on Amazon. 

My website: CathyGoodwin.com

Contact: http://CathyGoodwin.com/contact

You’re a service-based business and the brand is YOU. So how will you keep growing your business while you’re taking some downtime?

For many of us, holidays mean vacation and downtime. We travel. We join family and friends.  You’ll attend special seasonal networking events. 

As a marketer for entrepreneurs, I see this time as an opportunity to make new and exciting connections. The least likely person will offer you a window of opportunity.

If you are a business owner, of course, you take your business with you. As a solopreneur, you ARE the business!

So when people ask, "What do you do?" What can you share with them that will explain what you do, so this will be the beginning of something new?

Often they’re completely clueless about your world. They may think you’ve completely lost your mind. They may wonder, “Why on earth would anyone do that? Who would buy from you?” 

That’s when you really, really need a good story. In this podcast, you’ll get ideas for developing what we call a concept story, with examples.

If you’d like my help in polishing up your own story, please check out the Strategic Intensive program. We will talk about the best way to describe your business and build your brand in a variety of places.

 RESOURCES:

Grow Your Business One Story At A Time is an ebook available on Amazon. You’ll learn more about different kinds of stories to use in business, and discover why business stories are very different from other kinds of stories out there.  

The Strategic Intensive is my most popular consulting program. Get more details here.

Do you have a project that you’d like to finish in 90 days? Click here to learn how I can help you get it done with a combination of marketing, business and accountability.

FREE guide: 3 Common Story Mistakes and the 1 Way To Fix Them. Click here.

When you meet prospects, live or virtually, they often want to know more about you and your services. 

Inevitably, they’ll ask for your website. Research shows 80% of buyers visit a website before making a purchase. 

But what if your website isn’t ready? You may have good reasons for waiting to build a website. In fact, you might (wisely) want to avoid starting too early…before you know your client’s backstory or before you head off on vacation.

Many business owners respond with an “Under Construction” page. That doesn’t do anything to build a following.

On this podcast episode, you’ll walk through 5 steps to develop your brand and your online presence before you build your website. 

You’ll also discover how to calculate the best time to start building your first website or implementing your website makeover.

 You will learn…

RESOURCES

Free training - Write your opt-in page to get more subscribers. Click here.

Earlier podcast: Email marketing with stories. Click here.

Free report: Discover your client’s backstory.  Click here.

Consultation to strategize your marketing: Click here. 

A content creator named Kaleigh Moore posted on social media: When working to improve yourself: Is it better to do it in a public forum and post about progress along the way, or to internalize it, hunker down, and sort of *sit down, shut up, and DO THE WORK* on your own?

This is a great question It really boils down to, “How will I tell my story?”

In this episode, you'll discover the pros and cons of sharing your story two ways. 

You can drip your story to your audience in real time. Or you can wait till the end and share your story as an accomplishment.

We'll explore the pros and cons of each choice.

Sharing in real-time will be extremely powerful. You attract and hold your audience's attention. On the other hand, each step of the journey becomes a mini-story. You need to build suspense as you continue.

We'll also look at the factors going into your choice: your brand, archetype and service. Sometimes a story will get in the way of your brand.

Finally, I prefer an alternative type of storytelling, which I'll explain at the end. It's extremely effective and creates a memorable listening experience.

Don't forget to leave a rating and a review!

RESOURCES:

My website - http://CathyGoodwin.com

FREE: Understand story archetypes and discover your own. Click here.

Connie Ragen Green - The Road Trip: An Entrepreneur’s Journey of Self-Discovery Click here.  A terrific example of sharing a journey in a book targeted to business owners.

Interview with Cindy Bidar - We talked about her moving story. Click here. 

Work with me on your business story - The Strategic Intensive

When you introduce yourself as a business owner, do you give yourself a title? Or do you jump right in to explain how you serve clients?

Many coaches tell you to skip the title. No need to identify yourself, they say. Clients don't care what you call yourself. They just want to know how you help.

Sounds good, doesn't it?

The truth is, the people sharing this advice most likely established their businesses many years ago. They need no introduction.

When you're introducing yourself on a podcast or attending a networking event, or even writing your About Page, the brand is YOU. You introduce yourself as The Company.

In classic hero’s journey stories the guide just appears. Cinderella’s godmother doesn’t have to explain why she’s there.

She doesn’t have to point out, “I can give you access to the ball. I’ll give you a gown, slippers and a stagecoach. But making small talk with royalty? Dancing gracefully at the ball? Making sure you’ve got all your possessions when you leave? Nope, that’s another type of coach. I’m in the image creation business.”

You, on the other hand, aren’t the only game in town. You’re competing with a handful of other professionals. 

Now let’s say you’re at a networking event. Or you’re a podcast guest. How will you be introduced?

To answer this question and add clarity to your stories, you need to know some basic psychological principles. You'll learn why and how to explain your identity. 

You'll also learn the 3-part introduction that helps you explain clearly who you are and how you help clients. 

Resources:

Build your brand with the Strategic Intensive consultation.

FREE: From story to standout brand. Click here.

Brand with stories course. Click here.

How to communicate your value by telling a story.

Stories make it possible to communicate your value without coming across as boastful, obnoxious or unbelievable.

Your story won’t just explain: your listeners will see themselves in the story and exclaim the words you’re waiting for: “I want what they’re having.”

When your story works, you’ll show how you deliver value. When a story falls flat, it’s often because the storyteller skipped to the ending. Recently I’ve been seeing short overviews that are called “case studies” when they’re not even fully developed stories. The storyteller presents the transformation as a “happily ever after” that was delivered by magic.

In this episode of the Strategic Storytelling podcast, we’re going to show exactly why you lose leads when you share an incomplete story. We’ll walk through two examples to demonstrate how to set up your story for business growth.

You’ve got the information; you just have to add it to your story

What you’ll learn in this episode:

What’s missing from a lot of stories you see in email campaigns

Why you need to show your role as “the guide” to be credible 

How to present a hero who will make your story more relatable 

Pitfalls of stories that leave out key details

Resources: The Strategic Intensive Consultation Ingredients of a Persuasive Story (video self-paced course)

3 common story mistakes (FREE)

"Dramatic stories in your emails? Not a good idea!"

That was the advice of a  marketing expert - not me! 

In particular, he said, emails that begin with an edgy dramatic story face two problems.

First, the story can overshadow your informational content. After all, people open your emails to get information and ideas they can use for their lives and their businesses.

Second, and most important, it's hard to relate to someone who comes with such a strong story. So the storyteller doesn't build relationships. Readers don't say, "That could be me!"

So...why do these stories seem to work for some business owners? Why do some apparently successful people keep using them?

Whenever you ask the question, "Why does this work for them and not me?" you almost always find an answer when you explore the story archetypes.

==> If you're not familiar with story archetypes, click here to download a free resource to understand the archetypes and find your own.  

Celebrity archetypes promote their personalities by sharing strong stories. Yet even if you're not a celebrity, anyone can learn from the celebrity approach to marketing. 

In this episode, I share five tips for promoting your personality, based on the way celebrity archetypes communicate. 

You'll also come away with a better understanding of why certain stories work for some business owners...but flops for others.

Resources:

What's Your Archetype? Explanation and Quiz - Click here.

Strategic Intensive Consultation - Click here.

Content for Credibility - Video Course. Click here.

My website. Click here.

Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to grow your business, especially if you are a small, service-based business where you are the brand.  These days we're hearing a lot about how to use stories to improve your email marketing. There's a lot of nonsense out there, such as "You have to start with a story." But you'll find some good marketers too.

In this podcast episode, you'll get 3 tips for using stories effectively in your emails. You'll get examples of email stories that annoy the reader. You'll also get examples of stories that work. You'll also get a better understanding of what's meant by "personal" stories.

It's one of my shorter podcasts, tightly packed with information. I'm curious to know how you use stories in your emails and how you can use these tips.

This podcast follows Episode 117 where I interviewed Cindy Bidar, a popular and very successful business coach. You can learn more about Cindy here. 

Other resources:

Free guide to the story archetypes.

My flagship consultation program, the Strategic Intensive.

My book, Grow Your Business One Story At A Time (free with Kindle Unlimited)

There's a lot of confusion about branding for small businesses and solopreneurs. Your brand influences the stories you tell, the promises you make, and even the advice you give your clients.

Cindy Bidar has achieved considerable success in a relatively short time frame. Her brand builds on her story archetype - the Role Model.

Cindy didn't set out to brand with this archetype. Very few people even know this framework exists!

But, like many successful businesses, her marketing consistently reflects this archetype. She shares personal stories to support her promise, "If I can do it, you can do it." Her decision to start her business was based on this principle.

You'll enjoy Cindy's warm, down-to-earth style as we dig into her storytelling decisions and reveal how she uses stories to build her marketing success. 

Some highlights from the episode: 

9:23 - how Cindy decides what to share and what to hold back on

11:48. “That’s my sweet spot!"

13:20 - Ask this question when you’re having trouble coming up with ideas for emailing your list (I've never heard this one before)

14:40 - "Best way to write interesting content? Do interesting things.” 

15:30 - Using Julia Cameron’s “artist date” to refill the well

17:15 Deciding what to discuss and not discuss (the key is business alignment)

18:30 - Common story mistakes in email marketing (based on bad advice)

20:20 - What Cindy teaches that's completely in sync with the role model archetype

21:30 - The heart of Cindy’s message about success…”If I could share just one thing…”

24:30 - When Cindy just got started: what was her guiding principle

30:00 - You don't want to hear, "That's not what I signed up for."

32:00 - The Big Takeaway

Website: CindyBidar.com

Cindy's Membership Site (I'm a member)

Learn about story archetypes here on this page.

Julia Cameron - The Artist’s Way

Dorie Clark - Entrepreneurial You  

Dorie Clark - The Long Game

Christina Hills 

Connie Ragen Green 

Consultation with Cathy Goodwin: The Strategic Intensive

90-Day "Get It Done" with Cathy Goodwin

When you purchase through my links, I may receive a commission. 

When you're a small service-based business, you are the brand ... and you deliver the value to your clients. Prospective clients come to you with the question, "Can you really do the job?"

They want to know about you as a person, because you're not a big faceless company.  If you're a solopreneur, they have to believe in you. You don't come with the implied authority of a big company.

Why are you qualified?  How committed are you? Are you a dilettante, trying things out? Or will you be there for me when I need you?

It's not enough to say, "I'm amazing. Of course, i can help you." In fact, these abstract promises work against you. In this episode, you'll discover how these questions arise. You'll hear two kinds of stories to answer these questions.

We're not talking about fantasy stories here. We're talking about using stories ethically to promote your services, based on your real skills and talents. 

RESOURCES: 

Podcast episode "Business Credibiity" with Mitchell Levy. 

My online video course, Content for Credibility. Use the code AUGCRED50 for a 50% discount (expires Sep 20, 2023). FREE report: 17 Surprising Ways To Use Stories To Grow Your Business 

Business owners, especially those with small businesses that offer professional services, often get advised to, "Make your mess your message." 

This is awful advice for marketing. The original "mess to message" comes from psychologists, who meant, "Your mistakes are telling you something! You need to stop and pay attention."

They didn't mean, "Make your mess your business message." 

They weren't thinking of entrepreneurs.

This episode shows how sharing your mess can backfire as well as how well-chosen personal stories can support your growth. I refer to a book, The Road Trip, that's especially effective.  

If you liked this episode, be sure to visit my kindle book on Amazon - Grow Your Business One Story At A Time. Stop by my website and say hello! 

When you're a service-based entrepreneur, your brand is YOU. You are selling yourself. And, as you know, the best way to do this is with a story.

Your best story may be an origin story - the story of how you got started. And you're often advised to present your struggles and hardships. 

But is that a good approach? What will most impress your clients and customers?   Research studies addressed the question, "What impresses employers and investors most?" They compared stories that focused on hard work with stories that focused on natural talents.

In this episode, you'll discover 3 reasons why focusing on natural talents may bring you more clients (although many people believe the opposite is true). 

You'll get a recipe for presenting yourself using these insights - without bragging or self-promotion. 

RESOURCES:

Article Link 

Free Report on Story Archetypes Podcast Episode Featuring Nicole Lewis-Keeber - How A Story Can Traumatize Your Audience

Strategic Intensive Consultation 

Content creation is one of the most important activities of a business owner, especially for online marketing. 

As a prolific writer myself, I've found that anyone who writes a lot will sooner or later experience a challenge: how can I find ideas for my next article? 

That article might appear as a blog post or be recorded as a podcast episode.

It's the same problem I had when I was first doing comedy. You write your own material and it's tough.

For comedy, I was advised to "get mad and get even." Something that annoys you can be transformed into knock-it-out-of-the-park material. I give a couple of examples (carefully chosen for a G-rated podcast) in this episode.

It works equally well for business owners, especially if you're an Educator archetype. Role models benefit from sharing personal stories or even personal anecdotes. Educators get clients when they create aha moments that lead to new ways of learning.

Still, all archetypes can use stories to make a point and this method works well when your well of ideas feels very, very dry.

When you read articles by others in your field, you'll usually find some that make you mad. They're sharing ideas that could best be described as "cockamanie" if you want to be polite. Sometimes they're just ridiculous and unusable. Sometimes they leave out a key point, such as promising you'll earn thousands of dollars. from a single article or ebook.

Now you can turn your annoyance into an article, providing useful and often novel information. You've got a great article - even a memorable one. Your listeners gain from the advice. And you're back to being in agood mood. 

RESOURCES:

FREE: Archetypes for branding your small business  - click here.

My podcast featuring Cindy Bidar (a Role Model archetype) will air in September. 

Strategic Intensive consultation - available beginning September 20, 2023.

Stories, by definition, evoke emotions. Strong stories encourage your audience to see themselves in your story. 

But what does your audience experience when you share a story about your own struggles? 

Maybe you want them to get the message, “I’ve been there.”

Maybe you offer a service to clients who seek help for difficult, sensitive problems. Maybe you’ve struggled in your own business and you want to demonstrate, “I’m human.”  

How will your story land with your audience? Will you inspire them or inadvertently create an uncomfortable response?

To answer this question, we can turn to Nicole Lewis-Keeber, The Business Therapist. 

Nicole is passionate about the impact of small “t” trauma on businesses and she's trained and certified with Brené Brown’s Dare To Lead™ methodology. She's one of the few professionals who combine therapeutic processes with business coaching, helping entrepreneurs gain emotional and well as financial sustainability.

In this podcast episode, Nicole explains how a story can inadvertently trigger strong negative emotions. She provides a framework and guidelines for sharing a difficult story when it’s appropriate to your offer and your audience. 

Tune in to discover…

…key points to consider as you incorporate storytelling in your business  

…essential questions to ask when sharing a difficult story seems appropriate - even essential - to your marketing

…what can trigger an audience’s negative emotions as they listen to your story

…why the wrong story can come across as manipulative (and change your relationship with your audience forever)

…when and how you might consider “trigger warnings” before sharing a hard story

…why you can replace a struggle story with a joyful story

It’s a subject we rarely discuss but it’s important in today’s dynamic marketing environment. Nicole is one of the few professionals who combine an understanding of psychological trauma with the realities of entrepreneurship. 

Listen to Episode 112 here and you’ll come away with the understanding to choose the right story for your business and manage your shares when the topic becomes sensitive.  

RESOURCES: Business Therapist Nicole Lewis-Keeber Consultations for storytelling - the Strategic Intensive FREE guide to understanding your prospective client's backstory - Click here

As marketers - especially copywriters - we're taught to begin a project by asking, "What does the client need?" 

Copywriting training usually includes a list of basic needs, such as "finance" and "love."  

We get copywriting templates that encourage the question, "Are you struggling with..."

But what if you offer a service that's not about struggle? Spa services? Wardrobe consulting? Interior design? Bridal consulting? These business owners often wonder how to promote services that involve pleasure, not pain? It may seem odd to encourage clients to buy something that isn't urgent.

I wondered that, too, when I started copywriting. 

But then I learned it was important to listen to the client's backstory. Often something that seems totally unnecessary - even silly - can fill an important role in the client's life.

That's the subject of today's podcast. 

RESOURCES: FREE - Find the client's backstory. Click here.

Nail your client's motivation to buy (course) - Click here.

Copywriting Basics - a Udemy course - Click here.

Copywriting Review - Click here.

Strategic Intensive consultation - Click here.

It's happened to every consultant or coach. 

A client shows up, enthusiastic and ready to rock and roll.

But then they stop cold. They realize they're not Cinderella and you're not the fairy godmother. You won't just wave a wand. They have to contribute to the work. 

Even if they've paid you, you're frustrated. You succeed when your client succeeds. No ethical professional wants to deal with a roster of clients who started and then stalled partway through. 

With a service business, the relationship works in two ways. The client chooses you. You choose the client.

Compare this version to the traditional hero's journey. 

The hero gets into big trouble. There's no way the hero can do anything to improve the situation.  

The guide appears spontaneously. 

Think of Cinderella and the fairy godmother. Cinderella didn't interview fairy godmothers and choose the best one.

Nor did the godmother choose Cinderella, who was hardly the ideal client. Leave the ball by midnight? No thanks. She's taking her chances.

Unlike Cinderella's godmother, you have to screen your clients. You don't want to end up with a client who will hire you, not do the work, and then tell the world you're an incompetent consultant. 

A true selling story will help you craft your story so you'll communicate the kinds of clients you want and discourage the rest. 

This episode shows you how to design a story to clarify exactly the kinds of clients you'd like to work with. You'll understand why the process is mutual - the client hires you and you choose your clients.

RESOURCES:

FREE - Discover what motivates your clients - Click here.

Self-paced video course - Discover exactly how to discover your client's motivation. Click here.

Self-paced video course - From Story-Telling to Story-Selling. Click here.

Here's something I see often. You're trying to explain a service to your clients. They don't get it.

So...you tell them more about you. Your "why." Your origin story.

And you tell them more about your process. What are the steps. What's the intake process.

And they're still not clear on your offer.

our solutions may not have existed last year...or you may have created a solution that nobody else offers.

Sometimes I've seen clients make it even harder for clients to figure out what they do. If you create a title like, "Business Activity Specialist," or promise to "make chaos disappear," your audience has no clue.

The way to explain your services is to use 2 kinds of stories.  I go into detail - with examples - in Podcast Episode #109 of the Strategic Storytelling Podcast. It's short and direct, with lots of examples...and I'd love to know what you think.

 RESOURCES

The Strategic Intensive Program - a 2-week sprint to transform your marketing. Click here to learn more.

FREE report to find the client's backstory. Click here to download.

Self-paced video course on Learning Your Client's Backstory. Discover what's going on in the client's mind when they show up to work with you. 

It’s not a secret that potential clients get nervous before they decide to hire you. They know they’re taking a risk, especially if you’re a small business and they aren’t coming from a referral.

They’re looking for reasons to trust you. Ideally, they’d find social proof - several warm, obviously genuine, signed testimonials from previous clients. -

But you can’t always get those testimonials. Sometimes you’re too new. Sometimes you provide a service where clients don’t want to identify themselves. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a first name and a city.

You understand. Some services are sensitive and so are some people.

How else can you communicate your knowledge, experience, and approachability?

The truth is, you can build trust and build relationships by the way you create your content. It’s not about the words. It’s in the stories you tell, the way you describe your services, and the context of your presentation. 

RESOURCES

Link to my relocation book 

FREE guide to your client's backstory

My course on credibility (with the 6 pillars of content credibility) - Use code CRED30 for your 

Nicole Lewis-Keeber

Sally Hogshead Fascinations

If you can get a testimonial - free guide for helping your clients write one

If you’re marketing online, you probably know, “The money is in the list.” 

To grow your list in today’s market, you almost always need to offer your prospective clients something of value such as an ebook, a recording, or an invitation to a webinar or workshop. This offering is known as a lead magnet (sometimes also called a “freebie” or “free giveaway”).

Your lead magnet has two purposes: to attract prospects to sign up and also to screen prospects so you get a list of qualified leads. 

On Strategic Storytelling Podcast Episode #107, you'll discover...

…how to tell if your business requires a lead magnet

…when to start writing your lead magnet

… what to do before you start writing your lead magnet

… how to avoid the most common mistakes in positioning your lead magnet

…what kinds of stories to use in a lead magnet.

RESOURCES:

My podcast on stages of awareness (essential for choosing your topic)

Lead Magnet Makeover Course - Replace your tired old lead magnet with a list building asset (course by Cindy Bidar via my affiliate link)

Copywriting Review - Get a detailed review of your lead magnet and website with steps and suggestions.

Strategic Intensive - Work with me to design a lead magnet that will support your brand and attract targeted subscribers. 

Don't forget to leave a rating and review! 

What makes a story grab your audience’s attention?

With all the stories going around, it’s hard to make a story stand out. Just opening my email today, I got a handful of stories about people who took a cruise, went gardening, took the kids to the beach, went to the dentist, went for a medical checkup (with a little TMI) and …well you get the idea. 

Each story was designed to hook my interest. Most marketers - let’s face it - get the same advice. Just tell a story. People will listen. You’ll engage with them. That’s all you have to do.

But some stories capture our attention and go viral.

We can use an analogy from the news media. The story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos has gone extremely viral. If you get hooked, you'll find all kinds of stories, videos, podcasts, and more. 

Yet other stories about medical actions don't capture our attention. Several years ago, NPR investigated the Merck company's role in popularizing bone density tests. Few people read the story. When they do, they don't get hooked.

In this podcast episode, you'll learn about specific factors that make a story go viral, in business or in the news media. 

You'll also learn to recognize stories that can only be called cringeworthy...stories that are destined to disappear, and frankly the storyteller hopes they'll be buried forever.

Finally, you'll get examples of memorable business stories, by real people that combine persuasiveness with staying power. You'll see the contrast between those strong stories and the stories that would be better left untold.

When I work with clients, we focus on finding a story that will not just be memorable, but will support their brand and build credibility. Click here to learn more about my flagship program, the Strategic Intensive.

FREE guide - 3 common storytelling mistakes (and the 1 simple way to fix them) The Merck Company story is reported here by NPR. 

You're writing copy to target your ideal clients. But they may not be ready to hear you. They may not know they have a problem; they may not be ready to look for solutions.

You may have heard of the 5 levels of awareness identified by iconic copywriter Eugene Schwartz. You write copy differently - and share different stories - depending on the client's level of awareness.

In this episode, we do two things.

First, you'll discover the 5 levels of customer awareness and recognize them in the client's backstory.

A prospective client who's not aware she has a problem will bring one type of backstory. Her story changes when she's identified the problem and chooses from two or three possible solutions.

As you listen to clients' backstories you discover their level of awareness. You can fine-tune your targeting.

Additionally, our clients have different levels of marketing awareness - something that's not covered in the original 5 levels. Some clients are hearing pitches from half a dozen different competitors. Some are completely new to your industry and to marketing pitches from you and your competitors.

Their experience with marketing changes the way they respond to your message...and may lead to downright skepticism. I've experienced this myself when I hear a tired old pitch from someone I've thought about hiring.

Resources

The notion of "levels" originally appeared in Eugene Schwartz's book, Breakthrough Advertising. It's now out of print, hard to find, and expensive.

I've discussed client backstories on various podcasts, most recently in an interview with Shawn Fink (Episode 100).

You can learn more from my free report on client motivation.

Go in-depth with the self-paced video course, The Client Advantage. Use coupon code CLIENT30 to take an additional 30% off the published price.

Take a deep dive into your marketing, find your story, and start revising your copy with the Strategic Intensive. A fast and friendly way to transform marketing for small service-based businesses.

And if you like what you hear, go ahead and leave a rating and a review on Apple (preferably) or wherever you listen to podcasts.

You know you need a change. A new direction in business...maybe a whole new business. A new career. A major move from corporate to entrepreneurship.

You might be changing because well, it's time! Or you might be facing pressures from yourself or your market. You change. Your market changes. You're facing west and they're heading east, or vice versa.

I've gone through many transitions myself, and coached others through theirs. It's rarely smooth or easy. These three stories keep coming up:

Crawling when you need to run Flying when you need to take the bus Going native when you signed on to be a tourist

In this episode you'll gain an understanding of each story, with lots of examples.  Most people identify with one story. Mine is, I tend to jump right into something instead of moving more slowly.

I've had quite a few clients who got hooked on their "temporary" career and couldn't go past it...they went native.

If you'd like to explore further these transitions, the Strategic Intensive is the best place to start. It's more than a consult: we get into action and help you move quickly.

 I also have an audio program where I interviewed 12 business owners on their transition from side hustle to success. They tell it like it is! Click here to learn more - and you can grab it at a special price for now. 

And if you found this episode helpful, you may know someone who's in a transition and could benefit from these ideas. I'd be especially grateful if you'd leave a rating and a review on Apple (preferably) or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Business storytelling is just one more tool in your marketing bag. But sometimes it's harder to be objective about storytelling decisions than about other business decisions, such as whether to attend a networking event or how to price your new offer.

In this episode, we explore a common challenge among business owners. You have a story you REALLY like. You're eager to share it. 

Someone advises, "Maybe that's not the best story for your business right now."

You resist. After all, you're really attached to this story. 

And that may be a sign you shouldn't tell the story. We see a similar phenomenon among writers who get attached to phrases, metaphors and, yes, stories. It can be hard to let go...and yet that's exactly when you should.

In this episode I suggest 3 questions you can ask to decide if this story is really so perfect you shouldn't resist...and when it's time to realize you're too close and too attached.

References and resources:

Natalie Goldberg's books (they've been around and are worth discovering): Writing Down the Bones Thunder and Lightning (she talks about the chicken story here)

Self-paced video course on Persuasive Storytelling (use code SPRING40 for a discount while this message is visible). 

Strategic Intensive to choose your story.

FREE: 3 Surprising Ways A Copywriter Can Grow Your Business - Ebook to download.

Does someone want to connect with you on LinkedIn? Do you get messages like these: “It looks like you’re doing some pretty amazing things with storytelling.”

“I’d love to learn more about your journey to success.”

“Let’s get to know each other better.”

"I'm a huge fan of what you're doing."

Or even...

It was amazing meeting you at [event] and learning about your company. The conversation on [related topic] was pretty interesting and knowledgeable. I am looking forward to knowing more about you and your exciting role.

On the surface, these messages sound like they're interested in YOU.

But when you look more closely, they're formulaic templates. They're not about you at all. They could be sent to anyone.

The truth is, they're presenting an outline of a story...not a real story.

In this podcast episode, we explore what's wrong with these messages and some easy ways to connect by focusing on the story of your target connection.

My LinkedIn account: https://linkedin.com/in/cathygoodwin

Learn about finding the client's story with this free guide - https://cathygoodwin.com/baggage

Business decisions and career decisions will be influenced by the way you tell a story. When you tell an old story because "everyone knows this" you make choices with less successful outcomes. 

In this episode, we review the retirement story as an example.

Many (maybe most) people make career and business decisions in the context of a retirement story. It's the story they've heard all their working lives. 

In this episode we review two of the most common retirement stories: "I have to wait till I retire" and, "If you retire you must be old." 

When you question these traditional stories you can choose to build your business with a new story. You find that when you replace the word "retirement" with "transition," you find many new possibilities. 

Most importantly, your business looks different. You'll hear examples of successful business owners who shifted the direction of their business as they changed their retirement story. 

1:06 - the traditional story and why it doesn’t work 

1:40 -why that story creates problems and negative experience

2:50 - creating a vision board

3:06 - 2 ways the story gets told - and what’s wrong with each one

4:55 - why saying “transition” instead of “retirement” leads to a new story

5:45 - why “I have to wait till retirement” is a story and what to do instead

8:00 - how your story affects your decisions

8:40 — what you can do if you’re not sure what to do next

9:40 - Story of Olga Kotelko who became a track-and-field star at age 77

10:25 - Recap of 2 stories 

“There’s a gap between what I know they need and what they think they need.”

As a service-based business, you probably recognize this problem. 

For instance, you know your clients mostly need to build their confidence. They need to jump in and take action. 

But when they come to you, they say, “I don’t have the right technology.” Or “I need to learn copywriting.”

That's the topic of this episode, where I interview Shawn Fink. 

Shawn has a unique positioning strategy. She focuses on coaching her clients to find the courage and clarity to make significant life changes.

Shawn's business explains exactly why we need to respond to the client's backstory. Clients rarely know just what they need or even what they want. The coaching process begins with the backstory but then morphs in surprising directions.

Clients rarely arrive with the statement, “I know what I want and how to get there. I need the courage to move forward.” 

Shawn’s marketing has to integrate her unique offer with the client’s backstory. 

We first learn a little about Shawn's coaching goals and the beliefs that underlie her work with clients. Next, we take a closer look at the client's backstory. We talk about why you need to separate the client's perspective from the offer when you plan your marketing.

Some highlights: 

6:04 – Clients face a choice when the next step seems scary: uplevel or pivot. 

11:34 – Begin a discussion of the client's backstory.

18:50 – From backstory to marketing story

21:40 – Dealing with the different backstories: each is unique but you can find a common thread that drives your marketing.

27:16 -  Generic tips on "being brave"  to leave with our listeners

29:12 – Shawn rejects the common advice to feel the fear and do it anyway. It's BS, she says...and here's what to do instead. 

34:94 - Don't miss the thoughts Shawn wants to leave with out listeners.

Resources: http://ShawnFink.com 

http://CathyGoodwin.com/baggage - Learn more about backstories and the 3 steps we covered. 

You've got a great story for business...and you're ready to write "The End." But it's rarely a good idea to end your business story this way. When you're writing a story to sell,  you'll get more results with a story that ends with the client's transformation.

In this podcast episode, we'll talk about how to show your client reached a transformation. You'll discover ... how to tailor the transformation to be meaningful to the clients you're trying to attract; ...why it's important to frame the story as a "to" rather than a "from;" ...some examples of selling stories from other service-based business owners.

Resources mentioned: Self-paced video course on how to tell a story that's designed to sell Udemy course on storytelling that explains why CInderella doesn't make a good business storyThe Ebook Grow Your Business One Story At A Time:  Click here.

When you're a solopreneur or small service-based business, the brand is YOU. The stories you tell will contribute to your brand and position, even when you're not intending to brand with them. A casual story gets remembered and follows you everywhere.

I've observed several business owners over the years. As their businesses grow, they become more established. They develop a group of loyal followers who respect them as professionals.   With this new position comes a certain freedom. Over and over, we see established professionals sharing details of their personal lives. 

These people are smart. If they'd shared too much too early, their audience would have been turned off quickly. They'd have been labeled as unreliable or worse. Now these stories add a new dimension to their brand. They seem more approachable and more relatable. 

In this podcast episode, you'll hear about some business owners who made the shift in their storytelling as they became more established. One business owner, Connie Ragen Green, is particularly easy to follow because she's written so many books. We can see how she goes from being "strictly business" to combining business with personal stories, and ultimately to books that totally focus on the personal.

In my own world, I was "strictly business" myself. However, last year I wrote a book about fighting the stereotypes of aging. This book grew out of my experience as a marketer and writer, but it's not about business. 

I'd be interested to hear your experiences as a business owner who's experienced growth.  Do you find yourself sharing more comfortably (and more personally) as you grow your business?

Resources and references

Learn about story archetypes here.

Connie Ragen Green has many books on Amazon.  Connie Ragen Green - The Road Trip: An Entrepreneur’s Journey of Self-DiscoveryConnie Ragen Green - In Pursuit of Healthy-ness Connie Ragen Green- Intersection of Hope and Synchronicity Dorie Clark - The Long Game Angela Duckworth - Grit Cathy Goodwin - Aging in Sneakers

This podcast looks at 3 ways your website resembles an Easter egg:

(1) Websites, like Easter eggs, rarely last forever.

After working with dozens of business owners to create a compelling, “stand-out” online presence, I’ve discovered that the most constant success factor is a willingness to change. Your website may need change for several reasons - you, your market, your environment and more.

(2) Websites, like Easter eggs, are fun to decorate, so it’s easy to forget what’s under the shell.

(3) Websites, like Easter eggs, can be hidden away and found only during a treasure hunt. Good for eggs. Bad for websites.

On the podcast, you'll discover creative ways to deal with each of these challenges as you create your website.  

Resources: 

Free report to download: http://CathyGoodwin.com/webplan

Critique/review of your website: http://mycopy.info/yourtweak

Copywriting support for your website: http://cathygoodwin.com/writeweb

Your client says, "I don't want to work with you anymore."

Or they disappear.

What can you do? 

You can try to find out why they've left. Usually, that's a lost cause. Some clients don't know why they left. Some don't want to hurt your feelings. Some fear confrontation.

Your client has a story. You just don't know - and you may never know - what it is.

Even worse, they won't answer questions like, "How can I make things better?" Why should they? That's work. Hire your own coach or hold a focus group.

This podcast explores the similarity between personal and business breakups, especially when you're ghosting. 

The truth is, breaking up and being ghosted may be just what you need for your business. 

Starting at 9:25 you'll get 3 very specific ways to deal with a business breakup - especially what to do before it happens so you minimize the damage.

Free report: What motivates your client? Three keys to finding their story.

Being a podcast guest brings many rewards. You open up opportunities. You get exposure in several ways. 

Small podcast? You still benefit. 

Link to the interview on your website. Your prospective clients get a new view of how you think and speak. 

Besides, you never know if just one juicy prospect is listening to that podcast - someone who's hearing about you for the first time, who'd never know about you any other way.

Podcast hosts get lots of pitches - even those with small audiences.  Most of those pitches are pretty awfful. That's because guests are making assumptions about the host's story. 

In this episode, we'll help you bridge the gap. You'll know how to pitch by responding to the host's backstory - what they're really thinking.

If you own a service business, you probably know this already: Writing a book can bring you exposure, credibility, and ultimately, more clients. You get transformed from "business owner" to "thought leader." 

On this podcast, Jane Tabachnik talks about an essential component of authorship: "finding your why". She explains what this really means: it's not about your psychological needs, but rather about relating to your audience. 

We talk about the 2 types of whys - for the author and for the audience. 

Jane considers this element so important, she won't work with authors who come with no understanding of their "why."

You'll also learn about a forthcoming summit from Jane on the topic of marketing your book. I have a session on using stories to write and promote your book. The summit is free for a limited time. Get the details here.   

You'll find lots of lists of "website mistakes." This episode introduces 3 common mistakes that can be fixed with storytelling.

For one thing, you need to be sure you're telling the right story - consistent with your clients' backstory and your own archetype.

You may get advised to choose certain websites as models of good marketing. They're usually great websites - but they won't work for you. 

You'll get lots of examples of websites that use the right stories (and a few that don't).  

Resources mentioned here: 

Free download - Marketing Archetypes Free download - What Motivates Your Client Blog Post - Hardest mistake to fix when you create a website     Designers and marketers tell you why to start with copywriting.  Consultation: Strategic Intensive "Tweak and Critique"  - video review of your website 

Should you swear when you're onstage for your business? The answer is, "sometimes." Only one of the five archetypes can get away with swearing...and I'll explain which one.

For the other archetypes, swearing can backfire.

Your audience may want you to swear, but you can't make assumptions. 

And swearing seems stronger in certain settings, such as the written word and in one-to-one settings.

One caveat: Avoid "lazy" swearing. Even people who swear like sailors (to use an outdated saying) will be annoyed. We see this a lot in standup comedy, where it doesn't get a laugh. We need to recognize lazy swearing in business, too, where it sends the wrong message. 

Enjoy the episode! Don't forget to leave a rating and a review. Visit my website, https://cathygoodwin.com, to get more info on storytelling, marketing, and copywriting. 

If you've been following the soap opera saga of British royalty Harry and Meghan, you know they generated some explosive content. Apparently, they were surprised at the reaction of their many readers and listeners.  Most business owners don't share worldwide fame, but many have amassed a large following of admirers.

Any business owner - or anyone who shares a story - can get reactions they totally didn't expect when they planned the communication. One way I work with clients is to plan stories so you won't deliver surprises and get unexpected reactions to your best stories.

In this episode, I share 3 ways you risk getting an unexpected surprise from your story. You'll also discover simple steps you can take to avoid these reactions, while you still get your point across.

The story archetype framework can help you create a consistent message for your small business when the brand is YOU. You can download a free guide to the story archetypes.

Your download includes a short quiz to help you identify your own story archetype. You can begin using it immediately!

Business storytelling can be used to explain a concept, describe what you do, or show why you're so passionate about serving your clients.

Business storytelling can also be used for "story-selling:" you craft your story to appeal to buyers and motivate them to take action.

In this episode of Strategic Storytelling, you'll see an example of the way we can transform a "good enough" story into a strong story that delivers sales. We'll work with a story that was submitted to me by a workshop participant. The business owner (a financial executive - a corporate controller, to be exact) found a need for a product she could create. She needed a story to get prospective customers involved and motivated. Her first story was not bad...but you'll see what we did to make it even better.

Don't forget to subscribe! Leave a rating and a review. 

If you'd like to work with me to power up your story (or find the best one to use), we can begin with a Strategic Intensive program. Click here to learn more.  You can also work with me on writing your copy, where we incorporate stories. Click here to learn more about how I write or help clients write their own copy.  Download my FREE guide to the most common storytelling mistakes (and the one big fix for all three). 

As an entrepreneur, you've probably heard the saying, "A Confused Mind Doesn't Buy." So when you're thinking of expanding your business to encompass your new interests, you may wonder: Do I have to hold back on something I really care about?

I often see this with clients who have been in business a while. As you grow, your interests expand. For instance, on this podcast, I talk about a business coach who used to be "strictly business." She'd talk about sales, marketing, and accounting. Mention "mindset" and she'd insist, "My clients don't tolerate that woo-woo stuff."

After several years of success, she began working with affiliates and writing her own books on topics like gratitude, wellness and even spirituality.  Secondly, as you build a following, your audience takes a new interest in you. They want to know more about the way you think. You've earned so much credibility, you'll get followers when you talk about topics that once seemed far removed from your business identity.

So you might try integrating your new interests into a new, more powerful story. Far from creating confusion, you may find your audience treasures your complexity.

If you'd like my help on creating your new story, check out the Strategic Intensive - a consultation program where we build a foundation for your marketing. Click here to learn more.

In the podcast, I refer to the story archetypes. You can learn more (and discover your own archetype) with a free download at http://CathyGoodwin.com/arch

The authors mentioned are Tim Ferriss, Arlie Hochschild and Chris Guillebeau. 

Entrepreneurs and small business owners often believe the sequence "Idea --> Create Offer --> Start Marketing." It sounds logical, doesn't it?

Truth is, if you wait till you've got a finished product, you've waited too long. You need to get some signs of success before committing to production and creation.

There's a good section in a book published several years ago, with the memorable title of A Year Without Pants. That was pre-pandemic, before the days of widespread telecommuting.  The author worked for the company that made Wordpress.com. They created marketing materials before they implemented features, which raises the question, "How do you write about something that doesn't exist?"

I encourage my own clients to do things when they launch a new product or service - before creating the program or product itself. First, write the sales letter. Second, tell a story about the product from the client's perspective.

In this short episode, you'll learn more about how to make it happen. You'll save a lot of trouble when you get ready to market your new offer. Your copywriter will love you.

The book: A Year Without Pants. Free download: Understanding Your Client's Motivation. Video course: Step-by-step to enter the conversation in your client's mind.  Work at your own pace.

My website: https://CathyGoodwin.com

When I moved to Philly almost 12 years ago,  I had to decide what to keep and what to toss. I was tempted to follow the maxim, "When in doubt, throw it out."  But over time, I've learned that sometimes taking something along will actually save time and space in the future.

Moving to a New Year also encourages the question, "What do we take along? What do we leave behind? And what do we add to our new life?"

My recommendations may seem counter-intuitive, but they're based on my experience working with busy, successful solopreneurs and independent professionals. What I've found is that each of these tips actually expands your opportunities because you become more energized, more alive, and just more of who you are.

References: My course on moving from a side hustle to a full-time business: Click here.Chris Guillebeau's book on side hustles. One-to-one consultations on business strategy and branding. Click here.

Just after I recorded this podcast, a marketing coach popped up in my inbox with advice to share your story of personal trauma. Yep, another Cringe of the Day.

You can't miss the Harry & Meghan story, which is one big cringe for many of us. But if you pay attention, you'll see many successful business owners who are doing the same thing: baring their souls because they think it's a wise move.

And where do they get their insights? From coaches like the one who just popped up. They tell you to share your personal stories...and sometimes it's hard to say no.  Harry & Meghan have publicists, interviewers, and ghostwriters egging them on. Ordinary business owners have to contend with podcast hosts, bloggers, and event organizers.  

This podcast episode highlights 3 mistakes that are so easy for business owners to make. And you'll learn what to do instead, namely, tell a story that supports your brand and plays to your strengths.

Download my free report on branding: http://mycopy.info/brandsteps

Ask me about one-on-one consulting to tell your story and grow your business. 

As a small business owner, you're unabashedly in business because you want to earn revenue. Often that means increasing prices in order to reach your realistic profit goals. 

So how do you announce a price increase? 

Reviewing what's out there, I found two strategies. One is to share your "why." The other is to associate your price increase with an increase in value.

Each of these strategies assumes a story about you - and a backstory about your clients.  But...is that backstory accurate? Is there a better story to tell? Or do you need a story at all?

In this episode you'll discover why these popular strategies can alienate your clients. This topic is controversial and I'd love to get your perspective. What do you recommend, as a marketer and as a client?

Leave a comment and don't forget to subscribe! To learn more about finding your client's backstory, you can download my free guide here.

Mentioned in the podcast:

Episode #82 -  How to respond when someone projects their story intro your narrative  Apple Spotify Stitcher Other platforms

Utpal M. Dholakia in Harvard Business Review

Hubspot - Let Customers Know About A Price Increase 

Forbes - Chris Kille article on price increases

Go through your inbox and you’ll find yourself responding to messages with, “I bet whoever wrote this is blushing beet red by now. The word ‘cringeworthy’ was designed for this.” 

We’ve all made at least one cringe-creating mistake and I bet you’ve seen plenty of examples, too.

In my experience, these mistakes don’t happen because business owners don’t know any better. The problem is, we get busy and we take good advice out of context. We apply a piece of advice that’s great for someone else’s marketing story archetype…but dangerous to ours. 

We’re encouraged to knock out a blog post in fifteen minutes or less. I’m a pretty fast writer but I make cringeworthy mistakes when I do that. I have to review…and review again.

We’re told to begin with a story of something embarrassing so we appear vulnerable. Who can forget that email about the person who lost their underwear at an inopportune moment? 

We’re told to be controversial. Take a stand. Criticize your industry. Take aim at the competition. We’re not warned, “But don’t come across like a victim.”

We’re told, “Don’t give away the store. Don’t share too much.” We’re not warned, “Don’t leave your audience thinking you’re a scam artist.”

In the right context, each piece of advice can be extremely useful. 

If you’re a Role Model Archetype, you’ll share your own struggles – more accurately, how you conquered those struggles to become a success. 

If you’re a Celebrity archetype you’re probably not reading this email…but you can get away with a lot. Celebrities attract passionately loyal followers who want them to be outrageous. 

Celebrity archetypes can get away with a lot…and Role Models are next. If you’re not familiar with story archetypes, download this free guide.  

On this podcast, you won’t just learn about mistakes. (That would be mistake #3). You’ll discover how to fix them…especially the third: you’ll find a rare example of how to turn snark into strategy. 

More mistakes? Look up Podcast Episode #81 on networking mistakes. Apple Spotify Your favorite platform

Learn more about storytelling when you visit my website and purchase my kindle book: Grow Your Business One Story At A Time.

If your services relate to problem-solving, I’m willing to bet that few people will call you for an appointment until they’ve experienced a sharp defining moment. Psychologists call these experiences “crystallizing moments” as things come together clearly.

We often think of “last-straw moments” as pretty extreme, such as the person who wakes up in jail with no memory of how he got there. But game-changing moments feel huge to the client, not necessarily to anyone else.

These last-straw moments are also called "crystallizing moments." A lot of things come together and your client realizes, "Something has GOT to change, right now." That's usually when they call you.

In this short episode, you'll get several examples of these "last straw" moments with tips on how to incorporate them into your content creation.

Learn more about collecting your clients' last-straw moments when you download this free guide: Understand What Motivates Your Clients.  http://CathyGoodwin.com/baggage

Read my kindle book - Grow Your Business One Story At A Time

Visit my website CathyGoodwin.com to learn more about becoming a better copywriter and content creator. 

And don't forget to subscribe and leave a review! 

When you tell stories, you influence your audience. In business and in life, you're encouraged to share stories that reflect your audience's reality. 

But all too often, you're faced with someone who projects their reality onto your story.

In this episode, I'm joined by Nicole Lewis-Keeber, a life coach who's also a licensed therapist, with special expertise in trauma. She will explain how foisting a story on your listener can create a great deal of harm. It can even be considered a micro-trauma.

I was inspired to create this podcast when I read comments in a Facebook group, Community of Single People: people who are happily single with no interest in changing their status.

They reported therapists and doctors who seriously advised them, "If you just start dating and get married, your problems will go away." Nicole dismisses this story as nonsense. Bringing a new person into your life, she says, can add even more problems! 

Even worse, these authority figures are projecting their story into someone else's narrative. 

If you're single without children, they assume your story will be, "I'm lonely and depressed." That's their belief about single people - a belief, Nicole says, will be created and reinforced by the surrounding society.

It's not just about being single.

If you're older than sixty, your story must be, "I'm weak and frail and helpless...and maybe broke, too."

If you're a new business owner, your story must be, "I don't know how to do anything and I'll probably fail."

These stories are especially harmful when we hear them from authority figures (such as doctors and therapists), who are supposed to be the experts.

They're also harmful when we hear them from friends and coworkers. We don't want to make them feel bad or disrupt a relationship. But when a coworker expresses dismay at a single coworker's life, she's imposing her story: "Being alone on a holiday will make you feel depressed." The single person's real story is, "I clove being alone on holidays and wouldn't want it any other way."

At 17:00 Nicole talks about the ways these forced stories can create trauma. Some even create negative trauma adaptations, with the need to cope through substance abuse and self-destructive actions.   

At 21:54 - Nicole suggests appropriate ways to respond when someone forces their story into your narrative. She encourages us to be direct and not accept the forced story. 

Nicole can be found at https://nicole.lewis-keeber.com/

Whether you’re looking for a content creator, a designer, or an accountant, most likely you won't start with a search engine. You'll ask around before you get serious.

The WSJ recently wrote about a corporate trend: avoiding the usual job posts in favor of queries to a well-connected thought leader.

Alas, all too many business owners think of networking in terms of The Coffee Date. If you’ve been in business awhile, you’ve probably got enough Coffee Date Stories to fill a comedy set at a business-oriented comedy show.

On this podcast, I share a few stories of networking gone wrong. Some of them feature experienced marketers who should know better…or just had a very bad day. 

Even better you’ll discover how to use stories to make sure you connect effectively, so you don’t waste your time and theirs. 

And you’ll learn a technique I found in Dorie Clark’s excellent book, The Long Game, on how to respond to that inevitable question: “Can we get together and talk about our businesses?” Not surprisingly, she’s far more tactful than I am.

If you’d like to learn more about backstories, you can download my free report, How To Learn What REALLY Motivates Your Clients. 

I also have a course on this topic. Use the coupon LISTEN20 to get a 30% discount. 

Just browsing and enjoying the content? Click here to buy me a virtual coffee.  

"Your copywriting needs to be edgy!" is the advice I've given for years. 

I could have added, "And your books need to be even more edgy!" 

For a good part of summer and fall of 2022, I worked on a book with a message. The book grew out of my standup comedy sets, where I used humor to send messages that fight stereotypes about being single and growing older. Audiences remember stories - especially light-hearted stories. 

I got distracted from some parts of my business, but I also learned many lessons that apply to business writing as well. 

This episode tells the story of how I came to write this book. You'll also discover 5 lessons I learned from writing this book, with examples and, of course, stories. The language in this episode is (as always with me) completely G-rated. I don't mention the title, which contains a mild swear word. You can read the trigger warnings and order the book at http://CathyGoodwin.com/agebook

As I say in the podcast, the book originally was targeted to women around 35; it's turned out to be popular with Millennials as well as women over sixty. And almost half of my reviews on Amazon are coming from men. That was one of the biggest surprises. 

I have a website to support the book - http://AgingInSneakers.com 

For background, I recorded an earlier episode on edgy copywriting:  Click here for Apple. Click here for Spotify. 

Or just look for Episode #77 from wherever you are now. 

When I work on content strategy for lawyers, financial planners, and other professional service businesses, they point out that they can’t promise their clients a “win.” Lawyers can’t promise they’ll win court cases, financial planners can’t promise they’ll make you rich, and real estate agents can’t guarantee your home will sell in 30 days. Life coaches can't promise you'll reach all your goals.

Some services try to create a strong personality.  They write brash copy so they sound like a version of Tony Soprano.You can't make false promises or exaggerate. 

Other services go to the opposite extreme. They tiptoe around their brand by following the industry standards. They make copycat websites. They don't stand out in the online world. And they don't communicate value to their clients.

In this episode you'll discover 3 ways to differentiate yourself by focusing on service delivery, not outcomes. You can use the 5 story archetypes as a guide. 

You probably know that storytelling can be fun. And you probably know storytelling can be the most important tool in your marketing kit. 

But how do you evaluate what you're really getting from telling that story? 

In this podcast we look at your investment in storytelling: the time you take to plan your story (and most business owners don't plan enough); the cost of any training of consultation; and finally, the opportunity cost: when you use stories in your content, you give up opportunities for straight information, alternative stories, and more.

On the "return" side, you'll find many ways to benefit from storytelling. We'll just look at 3: reinforcing your brand, enhancing the value of your offer, and clarifying what your clients will gain.  

You'll gain a greater appreciation for storytelling, and hopefully you'll get answers to the question, "Is storytelling just a lot of trendy fluff? What's the benefit to the bottom line?"  

Free download - The surprising way to discover what really motivates your market - Click here.

BTW - the link to the "pants" story is  https://www.banterist.com/ebay_dkny_mens_1/

I get a lot of questions about edgy copy because it’s popular today - for all the wrong reasons. Business owners want content that startles and grabs attention. And there’s a lot of pressure to write like you talk…and make that talk informal...sometimes with words that can get you in trouble with the content filters.

But…is that always a good thing? We want copy that’s bold … but is this the way to stand out?

The answer is "Absolutely yes!" for some businesses...but not for most.

The truth is, the best edgy copy is relatable to your audience. For some businesses, that means using language that would make a sailor (or a Tony Soprano) blush with shame. For others, it might be ultra-feminine language, so sweet it might as well be written in pink. 

This episode shows you how to give your content the edge so you become irresistible to your ideal audience. You sort out your best followers and the others realize, "Hey, this isn't my scene." And that's a good thing. 

Related podcasts: Episode #30.  Apple. Spotify.  FREE download. Discover what *really* motivates your market. Click here.

Quiet quitting - means you tell a story beginning, “I’m not paid enough to do this."     

Quiet quitting has been around a long time.  I know many people who did the bare minimum to avoid being fired or keep their business going.

In this episode, we explore the full story behind quiet quitting. You'll also discover a better story to tell - a way to change your Quiet Quitting story into a Strategic Success story. 

Success might come from doing less....or doing more even when the rewards aren't easily found.

This episode demonstrates how you can understand a concept more easily when you start with a story. Learn more when you download my free report on storytelling for branding: http://mycopy.info/brandsteps

And if you'd like to get a better understanding of business storytelling, check out my kindle ebook Grow Your Business One Story At A Time. 

When I started my copywriting business on the Internet, lots of my competitors were writing on the back of their business cards: “Free 30-minute consultation.”

It was an effective strategy that led to many long-term, profitable client relationshps.

Today we’re seeing a backlash.

“I offer a free report on my business card,” says one business coach. “If I offer a free session, people think I’m selling.”

He’s probably right. We hear the word “free call” and our sales radar starts to ping.

We also see a backlash on low-end programs — the first step in some funnels — and offers that include free consultations.

To many people, a “free call” means a sales pitch. And they’re scared.

Prospects consider your consultation — free or paid — in the context of their backstory.

In this episode we review 3 common backstories your client tells herself when she hears the words, "Free Session." 

Free offer - http://cathygoodwin.com/baggage

Course: http://cathygoodwin.com/clientadvtc  coupon listen20 

Looking for more creative blog post ideas that attract hungry readers? You'll find a zillion bundles promising to help...with tired titles like, "Behind the scenes of my business" or "5 mistakes I'll never make again."

Writing a blog post is like making a sandwich.

Using a template is like, "Begin with 2 slices of bread." For a great sandwich you need filling.

When you start with your prospect's backstory, you start with the filling. You can go back and add. the bread - the structure - later.

In this episode you'll discover how one story gives you lots of ideas for blog posts that deliver mouth-watering content to a hungry audience. 

To learn more about filling your client's needs, download this free report: What REALLY Motivates Clients to Buy From You.  http://CathyGoodwin.com/baggage

You can also sign up for my course - The Client Advantage - when you click here: http://CathyGoodwin.com/clientadvtc  Use the coupon code LISTEN20 to take $20 (29%)  off the published price.

"I've heard this all before." "You sound just like everybody else in your field." "I can't remember...what did you say again?"

Content creation takes work. Nobody wants to hear those responses after putting in effort to create what should have been a remarkable blog post, web page, podcast or landing page.

In this episode we talk about specific ways to achieve originality in your message. In particular, we'll talk about the importance of creating a framework as a container for your message.

Once you've established a framework your messaging becomes infinitely easier. When I established my 5 story archetype framework, I was able to create content more easily. I was also able to help clients with branding questions. 

Resouces: 

Podcast on voice  - Episode 37 Listen on Apple Listen on Spotify Listen anywhere - search for Episode 37

Course on credibility

You want to grow a business ... but what happens when you keep telling yourself stories keep you from moving forward? Stories that seem so real and vivid you never think to question them?

The truth is, comfort zones are just too ... comfortable. 

Mike Krupit is an entrepreneur who's consulted with many companies over the years. Mike now supports business owners and entrepreneurs who are serious about developing profitable businesses.

Mike talks about how we can get out of our way when we recognize these stories that hold us back.  He points out that we're encouraged to be open and authentic...but we need the right kind of authenticity. Balancing openness with professionalism holds the key. 

Sources on the call: Herminia Ibarra - The Authenticity Paradox (HBR article Mike uses with his clients) 

Herminia Ibarra - Working Identity  - book on Amazon

Mike can be found at https://www.trajectify.com/contact-us

Many organizations are still struggling to rebuild community after the pandemic forced everyone apart.

Alex Hillman is the founder of Indy Hall, one of the first coworking spaces in Philadelphia. He had to answer the question, "How do you keep a space-based community together when the space goes away?" 

In this episode, Alex shares stories that show why Indy Hall coworking is far more than a piece of real estate.  He shows how the community helps members find their way, grow and change. 

Around 28:40, he shares some advice on choosing the best stories to tell - not necessarily stories of your most impressive success. 

Alex is an entertaining and sought-after speaker. Enjoy your time with this episode! Reach Alex at indyhall.org or his email, alex@indyhall.org and share what resonated with you. 

Thinking of starting or growing a blog? This episode breaks down the steps - which are not what most marketers will tell you. You'll save a lot of time (and enjoy a more successful blog) when you stop and ask just a few extra questions.

To discover your marketing archetype (which helps you create a blog consistent with your marketing style), download this free report - http://cathygoodwin.com/arch

Branding consultants and courses often try to learn from big-name consumer products , such as beer and cola drinks.  

Small service-based businesses run into trouble when they try to copy the big guys - like a petite female competing with big, muscular power lifters in a weight training class.

Big brands wear their brands like beach towels. Small business branding starts when you take off the towel.

This episode uses a fun summer metaphor to highlight the difference between large and small business branding...and why your whole approach to branding has to be different.

Learn more in my book, Grow Your Business One Story At A Time. I have a free guide to branding for small business, which you can download here.

Visit my website, http://CathyGoodwin.com, for more resources - free and for sale. 

Don't forget to rate and review this podcast episode! 

Ellen Finkelstein uses email marketing to grow her list. She sends out emails every day - 7 days per week - and each email begins with a story from her own everyday life. 

Ellen is what I'd call a role model archetype. That means her promise is, "I'm just like you. If I can do it, you can do it." She uses stories to build profitable relationships with her very large,  responsive list.  In this episode you'll discover Ellen's system for... ...choosing which stories to include in her emails ...finding stories when nothing seems to appear ...deciding what to leave out of her email stories. We also talked about how her Role Model archetype influences her marketing.  You can learn more about Ellen at her website,  ChangeTheWorldMarketing.com 

Storytelling has been a big business buzzword for a long time. Small business owners frequently are encouraged, "Learn to tell stories!" or even, "You can't market without storytelling in the 21st century!" Of course there's a backlash. We're hearing criticism of storytelling. It's fake. Companies use stories to come across as warm and fuzzy when they're cold as ice. People are tired of hearing stories. 

There's some truth to those criticisms...and we can learn from them. But...stop telling stories? That's another...story. This episode explains.

Download your free guide to the 3 Common Storytelling Mistakes (and the 1 Fix You Can Apply).  http://cathygoodwin.com/mistake 

Episode #22 explains what I mean by "concept story." For a deeper explanation of concept stories, hero's journey and other stories, look up my book: Grow Your Business One Story At A Time.  Don't forget to subscribe and leave a rating as well as a review. Drop by my website and say hello - http://CathyGoodwin.com 

You plan your next offer -a program or product.

Some business owners get an idea and dive right in. I’m in this category. We execute fast…and wish we’d taken more time to plan.  

Others like to nail every detail. They want to be crystal clear on the step-by-step systems. They lose time by overthinking. 

I call these categories the "jumpers" and the "clingers." They tell different stories. They operate differently. And they can be extremely successful. The challenge is step beyond your comfort zone to try a different style...or to leverage your current style for maximum productivity. 

That's what we talk about in this episode: using your work style to be more productive on your own terms. 

I'm Cathy Goodwin and my website is http://cathygoodwin.com

Small businesses get the "too expensive!" objection all the time. In this episode we dive into the client stories that might drive these objections. 

Sometimes the clients don't "get" your value - but sometimes your offer conflicts with their story. I share some recommendations to help you deal with these objections more productively and profitably. Learn more about getting inside the client's mind with this free guide - http://cathygoodwin.com/baggage I also work with clients through the Strategic Intensive.  

Certain story templates are more effective when it comes to attracting more clients and generating more sales.

Is it because they create more intense conflict? 

The surprising answer is, "No."

In his book, Story Paradox, Author Jonathan Gottschall reveals a stunning fact: the higher the level of poetic justice on a TV show, the higher it performs in the ratings. 

In this episode of Strategic Storytelling, you'll discover the real reason these stories work...and you'll be able to apply these insights to your own business. 

  Jonathan Gottschall's book, The Story Paradox explores the darker side of storytelling.

My ebook, Grow Your Business One Story At A Time, explains how to use storytelling purposefully for business growth. 

Visit my website for more resources.

… 

Without credibility, you can't have a successful business. That's the lesson from Mitchell Levy, a Global Credibility Expert. 

In this episode, Mitchell explains why credibility is important. He identifies some surprising indicators of credibility, such as being coachable, being a servant leader and showing up.  We also talked about using stories to reinforce credibility (and how the wrong story can kill your credibility fast).  We came up with some memorable examples! 

This episode will give you a new perspective on how to use credibility as an essential source of business growth.  Mitchell can be reached at http://mitchelllevy.com  My course on credibility: http://cathygoodwin.com/credcourse

As a new business owner, I was advised to share stories that would build the know, like, and trust factor.   I soon discovered 3 types of stories that had the opposite effect. They created distance, confused my audience, and left them saying, "That's bizarre." You'll discover why these types of stories don't work (and what to do instead).  Mentioned: Relocation book on Amazon Free report on understanding clients Free report on story archetypes

A lot of business owners have been told, "Stories entertain and captivate your audience."  

If you buy that, you're not getting the full power of storytelling. Stories can support for your strategy and simplify your marketing.

That's the big difference between personal and business stories. Personal stories might get an appreciative laugh, but business stories can do so much more. Anyway, your business audience might not be amused by your personal stories.

I've referenced the topic indirectly. This episode clearly shows the difference between personal and business stories - and how strategizing your story helps you go beyond entertainment to reach your business goals. 

Discover 17 ways storytelling can help grow your business with this free guide: http://mycopy.info/17ways

We hear a lot about rebranding. Bt what happens when you take your business in a new direction? Or direct your energy toward a new target market?  This episode introduces 3 steps you need to rebrand profitably with a new story.  Find your story archetype here

Online course creation has become a major industry. If you're a business owner, your course gives you new opportunities to grow your business, find clients and gain credibility. 

Designing a course can be challenging. How do you know what to include? How do you figure out how to sequence the modules? 

Explore a new way to design your course by starting with a story. You'll appeal to more students and have fun with the process. 

My course on course creation is  http://mycopy.info/createyourcourse Use the code COURSE50 for a 50% discount as a thankyou for listening.

Free guide: 17 surprising ways to grow your business with storytelling http://mycopy.info/17ways 

Creating your story is just the first part storytelling. You also need a way to tell your story. 

As a business storyteller, your goal is to get listeners and readers involved in your story. They will see themselves in your story. They will want to jump in and join the story.

Or realize "this isn't my story" and go elsewhere, saving you both some time.

Learn more about storytelling when you download 17 Surprising Ways to Grow Your Business With Stories - free when you click here: http://mycopy.info/17ways

Enjoy the podcast - and don't forget to leave a rating and a review, preferably on the Apple website. 

Most stories will attract attention. Small business owners need to go beyond attracting attention to create stories that attract and persuade. 

How do you attract your ideal clients? Create a story with elements they can relate to. A story that helps them see themselves in the story.  

How do you do this? It's a pretty simple tweak, actually... but you have to decide consciously to structure your story this way. 

This episode shows you how.

To better enter the conversation in your client's mind, download my free guide - http://cathygoodwin.com/baggage 

If you like this podcast, don't forget to leave a review and subscribe!  From Cathy Goodwin - cathygoodwin.com 

They're not paying attention to your content? No surprise: there's a lot of noise in the background.  This episode (based on my new course - http://cathygoodwin.com/credcourse ) introduces the 2 factors that influence credibility...illustrated with a story. When classical violinist Joshua Bell agreed to a journalism-inspired gig ... not on a concert hall, but on a subway station in Washington DC. Why was he ignored in the subway? This story holds clues to getting your message heard on the crowded Internet. You might also like my free report - Understanding Your Client's Motivation to Buy - http://cathygoodwin.com/baggage

Business storytelling works like a muscle. When you need a story, you have to be ready.

Just as you do workouts and exercises to be ready to play tennis or basketball, you need to exercise your storytelling muscles so you'll be ready when you need a story. 

You don't always need a story - but when you need one, you need to have the skills to choose and tell that story. 

Just as your gym workouts prepare you for basketball, these exercises prepare you for the storytelling event that makes a difference.  Free download: 17 surprising ways to use storytelling for business - http://mycopy.info/17ways

When you’re new to your business or career field, you might be asking yourself, “Am I really qualified to do this?”

Your friend, mentor or coach assures you, “Of course! You know more than you realize.” 

They might even say, "You have impostor syndrome!: 

Are they right Do you suffer from impostor syndrome? Or are you being encouraged to be an impostor?

How. can you tell? Look to the truth of your story.

Frankly, most of us have been impostors at one time or another. When you’re just getting started, it’s easy to tell yourself, “I’ll fake it till I make it.” You may not even realize you're doing it.

On the other hand, a lot of qualified business people have trouble claiming their true and powerful stories. 

What are the signs of an impostor? Some of them may surprise you! 

Does this episode resonate? Let me know in the comments or send me a message.

Mentioned in this podcast: 

Episode  45: Your connect the dots story 

Episode 37: Why story has more impact than voice   

5 story archetypes – http://cathygoodwin.com/arch 

The long game  - http://cathygoodwin.com/clarklong 

Yes - you should include vulnerability in your business story. But not YOUR vulnerability: it's about your clients. 

The experts don't tell you to bare all. They associate vulnerability with being brave. They tell you to be very choosy about your audience.  You do need to know enough about shame and vulnerability to enter the conversation in your client's mind. Clients can feel vulnerable when they call you - no matter what you offer. 

Understand their fear by digging through their baggage.  Learn more at http://cathygoodwin.com/baggage And forget everything you've heard about "being vulnerable" in business. 

When you get an "aha moment" (almost what used to be called a "Eureka moment") you see the world a new way. Maybe you ask a new question. Maybe you see a way to reconcile conflicting viewpoints. Above all, you get a surprise.

This episode shows 3 ways a story can create an aha moment. When you create this kind of moment, you find your readers or listeners often are more willing to listen to you with an open mind...or discover an important lesson on their own.

Learn more about the role of storytelling in marketing from this free report - http://mycopy.info/17ways 

Small businesses can be urged to come up with a catchy headline, slogan or product name.

But what does a "catchy" slogan do for us?? For a big brand of cola or sportswear, a catchy tag line may stand out.

Small businesses don't have time. Clients make decisions by clicking a mouse. They don't see our ads on television and magazines. We have to go for "persuasive," even "profitable" content. 

Instead of being catchy, focus on entering the conversation in your client's mind. I explain more in my free report -  http://cathygoodwin.com/baggage

Don't forget to leave a rating and a review - help the podcast continue to grow! 

You share "your story" -- especially a personal story--and you get backlash.

Often that story will be the *one* story your audience will hear about you. You're judged (fairly or not) by that one story. 

Inspired by the Ted Talk, Danger of a Single Story, this episode shows why you need to realize that any story can become your branding story. You'll be identified by the story, which can become distorted. 

Your audience reviews your story through the lens of their backstory. I have a free report on finding your client's backstory - http://cathygoodwin.com/baggage  Some unusual examples here! Tell me what you think.  Please leave a rating and review - preferably on Apple - and share widely. 

In your business story, you're the guide and your client is the hero.

In traditional stories, the guide just appeared to save the hero's life, money, or dream. Cinderella's godmother showed up spontaneously; Luke Skywalker finds one Yoda.

There's a hidden step to your own business hero story. In this episode, you'll learn about the 7 steps in Donald Miller's Storybrand framework, based on my interpretation of his deservedly popular book. We apply the steps to a fairy tale hero - Cinderella - and a contemporary business client.

We'll have some fun imagining Cinderella's godmother promoting herself for the role as she competes against other godmothers. 

The godmother (and you) need to understand the client's backstory. You can download a free guide to help you enter the conversation in the client's mind: http://cathygoodwincom/baggage

Enjoy the episode!   

Storytellling for business doesn't work like storytelling for movies and novels. You start with different ingredients and you assemble them strategically.

Persuasive stories don't follow the "beginning, middle, and end" structure. They don't follow the "and then one day" style of improv either. They're designed to show how you help clients. They don't leave you feeling good. They leave you feeling, "I want what they're having." I mentioned a couple of free guides: Enter the conversation in your client's mind: http://cathygoodwin.com/baggage Discover your story archetype:  http://cathygoodwin.com/arch If you like this episode, please don't forget to leave a rating and a review. We're still in the early stages and I'd love to connect with you. 

Entrepreneurs rarely find their businesses by walking a straight line. They move from lawyer to professional organizer, from corporate exec to life coach, or from police officer to financial planner.  As they pivot, prospects ask skeptically, "Are you really qualified to do this?”

They won’t connect the dots for you. That’s why you need a story that shows exactly how you got from there to here.

This episode walks you through 4 parts of a successful connect-the-dots story…a story that won’t just satisfy curiosity, but helps you position yourself as an expert…and relate more effectively to prospective clients.

References to archetypes are explained in this free guide. Learn how to speak directly to your target market with this course and tips for personal branding with stories 

Small service businesses walk a fine line in branding. They don't want to blend in with everyone else (like "little boxes" of the famous song).

But sometimes it's tempting to go to the other extreme: an original name to describe your service. 

The middle bear approach - not too hot or too cold - begins by telling a story that resonates with your client's story. We're all hard-wired to categorize. Your challenge is to help the client find a way to understand what you do, yet differentiate from the competition. 

That's what we cover in this episode.  The free ebook mentioned is http://cathygoodwin.com/baggage