Filtrer par genre
Strategic Storytelling blends together the magic of storytelling with practical strategies for copywriting and marketing, especially creating content, branding, and planning. Forget about movies, bedtime stories, and fairy tales: Cathy Goodwin, an online strategist and published author, show you how business storytelling will directly impact your bottom line. No fairy godmothers allowed!
- 191 - 190 Win more clients with empathy (even if you haven't walked in their shoes)
Most business advice says: "Show empathy. Tell clients you've been there too."
But here's the truth: clients don't care if you've walked in their shoes. What they care about is whether you understand their challenges—and whether you'll treat them without judgment.
In this episode of Strategic Storytelling, you'll discover:
Why oversharing personal stories can backfire with clients.
The #1 rule of empathy that keeps clients from walking away.
Three practical ways to show clients you "get" them—through words, processes, and stories.
How to tell stories that build trust, respect your clients, and attract the right kind of business.
If you want to build stronger client relationships, win more business, and avoid common empathy pitfalls, this episode is for you.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Free guide: The 3 Most Important Stories Every Entrepreneur Needs.Click here.
Workbook: Cast the Characters of Your Business Story. Click here.
Fri, 22 Aug 2025 - 11min - 190 - 189 How To Sell A Service No One's Heard Of: Storytelling Strategies For Innovative Offers
How To Sell A Service No One's Heard Of: Storytelling Strategies For Innovative Offers
When you're offering something that's new to your audience—whether it's brand new to the world or simply unfamiliar to your audience—you face two major challenges: they're confused about what you offer and they don't see the value of the service.
In this episode of the Strategic Storytelling podcast, I will show you how to use story—not fluff, not oversharing personal problems—to create clarity, establish relevance, and communicate the impact of your offer.
You'll learn:
The three reasons prospects get confused about a new service (#3 is the most common reason for offering any service)
Real-world examples of small businesses solving this problem through stories (including those who should be using stories more than they are)
A five-point checklist to craft stories that educate and convert (not just any story will work)
If you're a service-based solopreneur or small business owner launching something innovative—or reintroducing an offer that's being overlooked—this episode is for you.
Resources:Downloadable Workbook: Cast the Characters in Your Business Story – Learn how to build strong stories using four essential roles: hero, guide, obstacle, and cheerleader. Click here.
Work With Cathy: Want help crafting a story that clarifies your unique offer? Click here to get started.
Fri, 01 Aug 2025 - 15min - 189 - 188 The ROI of Storytelling
What is the most important question to ask about storytelling? It's not "How much did this story express your feelings?" or "How much do you want to tell this story?" or even "What is the impact of this story?"
It's "What is the business purpose of this story?" Why am I telling this story? Whats the ROI of this story?
After all, when you tell a story in a business environment, you are investing time and/or money. Your story becomes a business tool. Is it worth what you invested?
In this episode, I give you 3 questions to assess the ROI of your story. I explain:
...What we mean by storytelling ROI (and why it's so important)
...Using stories to begin a financially rewarding relationship
...3 crucial steps to maximize your story's ROI
...The shift in storytelling mindset that changes everything
There's also a bonus tip at the end of the podcast to help you be more prepared with the right story.
RESOURCES:
Ebook (currently free) Three Essential Stories For Your Next, Best Client: Get Them Ready Before You Need Them Click here.
Previous podcast where I build a relationship from a story. Click here.
My most popular consulting program: The Strategic Intensive Click here.
My website. Click here. More ideas for business stories: 30 Business Storytelling Prompts To Find Your Next Story. Click here.
Fri, 25 Jul 2025 - 10min - 188 - 187 - The Ultimate Story Template - Based on a Cheesy Christmas Song
Storytelling can become more productive when you start with a template. And it's not easy to find templates for business stories. In this episode, we explore a surprising (and fun) story structure for service-based solopreneurs, adapted from a holiday classic and inspired by Ann Handley's Everybody Writes.
This story template covers a lot of bases. It's a variation of a success story. It focuses on the client, not the guide. It makes you think of your service as a problem-solving mechanism: What need do you fulfill?
You will learn… …what makes this such a good template …some differences between these fairy stories and business reality …how this structure connects the client's need with your service …how to adapt this template for a service-based solopreneur
And, as usual, it's short and to the point. No need to take notes: I've prepared a takeaway guide to your own version of this template.
RESOURCES:
Ann Handley's book - Everybody Writes Strategic Intensive - Solve that marketing problem. The Ultimate Story Template- download your personal guide to this story
RELATED PODCASTS:
Interview with Jaquette Timmons - Stories of a Financial Coach. Click hereWhich do people admire: Talent or Hard Work. Click here.
NOTE: I mentioned a story that seems patterned on Rudolph: Danger the Dogyard Cat.
Danger the dogyard cat
I found it when I was living in Alaska and it's still popular. The book was written by Libby Riddles, who was a real Alaska musher and the first woman to win the Iditerod, a grueling challenge for dogsled racing. In this children's book, ae feisty cat named Danger gets adopted from the pound. He has to confront all the sled dogs who initially don't take him seriously. Then one day there's a crisis and the team needs a leader to follow. I forget the exact details, but ultimately Danger the cat ends up leading the dogs and they win the race. Click here to learn more.
Thu, 17 Jul 2025 - 11min - 187 - 186 Don't Waste Your Origin Story: Turn It Into a Client Attraction Tool
If you've ever been asked, "How did you get started?" you know how often this question comes up in podcasts, interviews, networking events, and client meetings.
But instead of giving a throwaway answer to satisfy their curiosity, what if you could use that moment to attract your next best client?
In this episode, we explore how you can transform the most common origin story question into a powerful marketing tool. You'll learn how to frame your response to show your passion, uniqueness, and credibility—without sounding scripted or obnioxious.
You will discover:
Why most people waste their origin story—and how not to toss yours away Two origin story strategies: Show your passion or highlight your unique difference What to do if your origin story doesn't fit those categories A pro tip for "connecting the dots" between an unrelated past career and your current offer (so you increase your credibility) How to use your story as part of your website, podcast appearances, or live networkingResources:
Download the free guide: The 3 Essential Stories You Need for Your Next, Best Client. Click here for access. Want personalized help shaping your origin story to fit your strategy? Book a consultation by starting here.If you find this episode helpful: Please leave a review on Apple or Spotify. It helps others find the show—and helps you build a stronger storytelling strategy.
Fri, 11 Jul 2025 - 10min - 186 - 185 Turning Client Experience Stories Into Marketing Gold
We usually talk about the stories we tell about ourselves. We use stories to showcase our marketable qualities. We explain and promote our offers.
In this episode, we flip the script. We focus on getting other people to tell their stories. Often their stories will be essential for our own marketing.
For example, when you interview a podcast guest, you want that guest to tell an exciting story that will be memorable to your audience.
When you ask for a testimonial, you want a story about how you helped the client.
When you conduct client research or an intake interview, you want the client's uncensored point of view.
Too many entrepreneurs rely on generic "why" questions and end up with boring, same-old answers. Besides your own storytelling, you want to find a way to get others to tell their stories.
On this episode, you'll discover:
...Why "why" questions sabotage your interviews
...Questions to ask to spark meaningful, entertaining stories
...The four-part interview structure that produces the best stories
...Why you must avoid opinions and advice (and get good stories instead)
...How to understand why they might avoid hard-core truth in their stories
As always, please leave a review, preferably on Apple or Spotify. Let me know how you're using your client's stories in your marketing. What works? What doesn't?
Links & Resources:
Video Course: The Client Advantage – Use your clients' backstories to enter the conversation in their heads.
30 Prompts To Tell Your Business Story – $9
FREE: The 3 Stories You Need Before Landing Your Next Client
For a deep dive into research, positioning, and strorytelling: The Strategic Intensive
My website is here.Fri, 04 Jul 2025 - 11min - 185 - 184 Do Stories Make You Money? How Strategic Storytelling Drives Revenue
We all hear that stories are powerful—but do they actually bring in sales?
In this episode of Strategic Storytelling, I break down how stories make money for your business, both indirectly (as a smart marketing tool) and directly (by increasing conversions).
You'll learn what makes a story profitable, how to align your storytelling with strategy, and what to avoid if you don't want your content to fall flat.
Whether you're writing a landing page, planning a campaign, or building your brand, this episode will show you how to use stories not just to entertain, but to earn.
What You'll Learn:
The difference between "fun to tell" and strategic stories
How stories can help you plan, clarify, and position your business
What makes a selling story and how to craft one
How storytelling keeps you from killing the sale by being too pushy
Tips to use storytelling to connect with your audience's "before" picture
Resources Mentioned:
Cast the characters for your selling story
From Story Telling to Story Selling: Tell your selling story
Story-Driven Planning Workbook Podcast on Story-Based Strategy
Work With Me: Need feedback on your story, landing page, or website? I offer personal video reviews so you can get fast, thorough, fluff-free feedback. Click here to learn more and sign up.
Connect With Me: Website: https://cathygoodwin.com Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on Apple or Spotify. It helps others discover the power of strategic storytelling.
Fri, 27 Jun 2025 - 11min - 184 - 183 Looking for a business mentor? Don't listen to their story!
When you're a solopreneur or running a right-sized business, hiring a mentor isn't as simple as following someone else's success story. In this episode of Strategic Storytelling, we unpack the reasons why traditional mentor models — often built for corporate careers or celebrity entrepreneurs — don't work for most small business owners.
You'll discover:
Why their story may be inspiring... but useless to your business
How to identify the right kind of support based on your business archetype
Three powerful alternatives to traditional mentorship — including the idea of a "personal advisory board"
How to use your own intuition as your most powerful decision-making tool
Before you invest in a high-ticket program or follow someone else's path, tune in to rethink what "mentoring" really means for your stage of business.
RESOURCES AND MENTIONS:
Your Mess is Not Your Message: A Guide to Solopreneur Branding This book contains a detailed discussion of the archetypes discuss here. Free with Kindle Unlimited.
FREE: What is your archetype? Take this quiz...and then learn more about your archetype from my book. Intuition: A Guide For Career and Business. I wrote this quite a while ago and it's still good.
Podcast with Robert Middleton (an Educator). Podcast with Cindy Bidar (a Role Model). Podcast with Ellen Finkelstein (also a Role Model)
One of many dozens of articles on personal advisory boards
Fri, 20 Jun 2025 - 20min - 183 - 182 Use These 3 Storytelling Superpowers To Connect and Convert
What do invisibility, time travel, and telepathy have in common?
It's not just a party game or a job intervew question, "Choose your superpower." These 3 storytelling superpowers that can transform your marketing.
In this episode of Strategic Storytelling, we'll explore how to:
Make your writing "invisible" so your message becomes the star (not your clever wordplay)
Use time travel to guide your audience from frustration to solution
Tap into the power of telepathy to respond directly to your client's unspoken desires
Whether you're writing sales pages, emails, or social posts, these three tools will help you create copy that connects deeply and converts naturally.
No magic tricks. Just strategy.
Mentioned:
Blog post on how to research your client's inner dialogue
The Client Advantage course for going deeper into customer understanding
Listen now to discover how to:
Make your story irresistible and unforgettable
Avoid common copywriting traps that kill connection
Use storytelling as a sales strategy (not just a creative flourish)
💡 If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe, leave a review, (preferably on Apple or Spotify) and share it with a friend or colleague. Visit cathygoodwin.com for more storytelling tips and resources.
To be a guest on the podcast. Go here and fill out the form.
Wed, 11 Jun 2025 - 11min - 182 - 181 Why Your Own Story Is The Best Content: Ignore the gurus and "do you!"
IN this episode of Strategic Storytelling, we explore why your real, everyday stories—not dramatic or overly polished ones—are often the most powerful for your content.
As an example, I talk about ]how comedian Loni Love stayed true to her voice despite pressure to "play a character," and how that lesson applies directly to your brand storytelling.
If you've ever been told your story isn't "exciting" enough, or you're not being "vulnerable" enough, this episode is for you.
You will learn...
Why "authentic storytelling" doesn't mean airing all your struggles
The danger of following cookie-cutter storytelling advice
What Loni Love's comedy journey reveals about audience connection
Why the best content starts with your actual experience—no exaggeration needed
How to spot the right advice (and ignore what doesn't feel right)
Book Mentioned: I Tried to Change So You Don't Have To by Loni Love
Want help developing your unique voice and content strategy? Book a consultation: https://cathygoodwin.com
Fri, 30 May 2025 - 07min - 181 - 180 Finding your strategy from your story
Struggling to find the right words for your marketing? In this episode, we unpack why your business story isn't just relatable — it's a strategic treasure trove!
You'll discover how storytelling becomes a diagnostic tool to uncover your most powerful marketing message.
Whether you're a coach, freelancer, or creative entrepreneur, your story already holds the key to your branding, positioning, and message.
We'll explore three story types that reveal your value proposition, brand positioning, and unique angle.. The breakthrough is in the story you've already experienced.
You will learn…
...What is an aha moment and how it can help your strategy...The 3 types of stories that can give you new insights into branding and positioning (including that don't depend on your personal journey)
...How real-world business owners used stories to develop their strategy (and in some cases, transform their businesses)
You can also download a workbook to create your own path from story to strategy. Currently free when you click here.
I can also work with you one-to-one to take your own story on the journey to finding a new business model and a new strategy. Click here.
Reach out to me with your story! I'll give you a quick answer.
Don't forget to rate and review this episode, preferably at Apple or Spotify. that' how we grow.
Fri, 23 May 2025 - 11min - 180 - 179 How To Sell a Service that Seems Frivolous (by discovering why it's not)
A lot of solopreneur marketing challenges become easier with a story -- and with knowing the clients' backstory.
In this episode, we're tackling a challenge many solopreneur service providers face: how to sell when your offer seems "non-essential" or even frivolous.
From personal shopping to manicures, pantry organizing to lighting setups — these services are often dismissed as luxuries. But as the backstories reveal, the real value often lies beneath the surface.
You will learn ...
... many non-essential services can be critical when you understand why people buy
... how to uncover the emotional backstories that drive buying decisions
... how to position your offer as a solution to deep, often unspoken needs.
You'll hear real-world examples of frivolous products that become "must haves" when you learn why they're purchased.
If you're a coach, consultant, or creative struggling to articulate your value, this episode will show you how to connect with your audience where it matters most — at the story behind the need.
Please leave a review at Apple and/or Spotify. That's how we grow!
Want to learn more about backstories: I have a free guide you can download here.
I also have a short blog post, summarizing the key points, if you'd like to read instead of listen.
Fri, 16 May 2025 - 08min - 179 - 178 Strategic Reinvention: The Best Story to Explain How You Got HereFri, 09 May 2025 - 09min
- 178 - 177 Storytelling Prompts for Business Stories
Have you ever faced a blank page, saying to yourself, "I know I need a story…a good story…for business. But I keep drawing a blank."
And most of the story prompts—those questions beginning "Tell me a story about" are not designed for business. They're designed to get your personal stories. So you get prompts like, "What was your proudest moment…" which rarely helps your business.
As I've said many times, a business story serves a purpose. It doesn't just amuse and entertain. It supports your strategy…which is rarely about helping you feel good about yourself.
In this episode I talk about story prompts and introduce my newest product—a list of 30 story prompts for b business stories, one for each day in a month. A no-brainer at $7 when you click here.
The podcast helps you understand:
What is a story prompt and how does it help Why some prompts may work well for personal stories but not for stories you use in business A tip about how to start a collection of prompts for business stories A sample: 5 business prompts you can use now (with tips about how to use them) Why the prompt "Talk to your former self…" isn't helpful for business storiesIn this episode, I mentioned a movie: Harold and Maude - a classic oldie.
Introducing: 30 Prompts for Strictly Business Stories - Click here for immediate download. Just $7.
Sat, 26 Apr 2025 - 14min - 177 - 176 How To Generate Buzz For Your Products With Client Backstories
If you're a small service-oriented business, you want to get people to talk about you! But how do you do this?
Small companies—especially service-based solopreneurs—can't generate buzz the same way as big companies. They need to dip into their client's backstories. When someone says, "You seem to be talking to me!" -- that's how your buzz begins!
In this episode, I talk about what it means for a solopreneur to create buzz. It's not the same thing as big-company buzz.
You'll get examples of stories that never became the subject of conversation, and how they're different from stories that generated buzz.
You'll also learn:
Why my first website didn't get clients for relocation coaching
How backstories hold the key to going viral
3 reasons why backstories help generate buzz
RESOURCES AND MENTIONS:
Christina Hills - Get her ebook "Web Design for Non-Techies" If you click at a different time, you'll get a different resource.
Peter Guber - Tell to Win - Buy on Amazon. https://amzn.to/3G0dHNg
My book on relocation (free with Kindle Unlimited - available in paperback or ebook on Amazon) Click here.
My DIY 1course can help you find your client's backstory. Click here.
FREE ebook on finding your client's backstory. Click here.
Thu, 10 Apr 2025 - 14min - 176 - 175 Three Ways To Create More Powerful Headlines With Storytelling
You've got a nice draft of the copy, all set to go…but will your audience ever read that copy?
The answer is: Not unless you're reeling them in with a strong headline!
The truth is, most people don't get past the headline when they're reading a sales letter. And yet headlines can be incredibly hard to write…unless, of course, you start with a good story.
In this episode you'll get three tips for using stories to write headlines. It's one of my favorite topics because we tell business stories to help the copywriting—not to entertain or amuse the audience.
You will learn:
The purpose of a headline in copywriting (and it's usually not to sell) Why an AI headline generator will often not be enough to get a great headline A good example of a client's hidden backstory The kind of story that's not helpful in writing headlines Why to write a headline for what the client consciously wants (not what you know is good for them)And more!
RESOURCES
Free ebook on finding the client's backstory: Click here,
Course on writing headlines: Click here.
Thu, 27 Mar 2025 - 12min - 175 - 174 2 Straightforward Topics To 2X Your Selling Story
Telling the right story, the right way, can lead to more clients and more sales.
You don't have to come up with a story that keeps you in suspense--a story that could be made into a movie or a slick Superbowl commercial.
The selling story for a solopreneur calls for two key ingredients. You don't have to dig into your life story to come up with edge-of-the-seat excitement. In this episode, I'll share two ways you can tweak your story to turn listeners into buyers.
You will discover...
...the two tricks to get increasing sales from your story
...when a memorable story can work effectively to explain a concept (but not be a selling story)
...the trap to avoid when you share your client's problem with your audience
...the one element to include when you describe your solution
...some good examples of solutions that could become great stories
If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to leave a review, preferably with Apple or Spotify.
Would you like to be featured in a future podcast? If you're a profit-oriented solopreneur, send me an email with a burning question about marketing or storytelling...and you'll be featured.
Related Episode: When nobody understands what you do, tell these 2 stories.
NOTES AND RESOURCES
My book Grow your business one story at a time
Article on pitching a story at networking events
Fri, 21 Mar 2025 - 11min - 174 - 173 From story to sale: How Solopreneurs Can Connect With Their Audience: An interview with Angela Wills.
Angela Wills created her Life Style Freedom business by making connections. She believed business doesn't dictate your lifestyle: your lifestyle creates your business.
"I'm really passionate about helping business owners find a business model that supports their lifestyle." - Angela Willis
Angela is a very down-to-earth business owner who's built her business by understanding her clients. She understands the juggling act of being a parent and a business owner.
"That is a skill," she says.
"To me, it comes naturally now…the ability to connect with telling stories. Being approachable as well as businesslike is a skill…when people know who you are, they don't even look at the subject line.
"They want to know you…it'll become, 'Angela has a course and I'm in.'"
Our interview was especially fun when Angela and I gave each other new ideas for connection.
I suggested that Angela focus on "connecting the dots" in her career move from chemistry to business. We talked about how she made that journey.
And then I asked, "But what about people in business who have trouble making connections?" That's a question I have. I'm not a mom and I live in the city with a cat. Can people connect with me? Angela says yes. People connect with all kinds of activities. "There are people who don't go out a lot..but they bake bread. Or they do interior decorating."
So she had some very specific suggestions for the way I can connect to people as a cat lady in the big city. For one thing, we cat ladies have problems with time management, just as moms do. They're just different problems.
Highlights of the interview: :
How Angela's stories connect with her clients Why Angela believes everyone has the potential to connect with clients, using stories How Angela's chemistry background helped her get started as an entrepreneur How to keep your business lean and simple (avoiding surprises and crises) Angela's suggestions for helping me connect with an audience that's very different from meRESOURCES:
Angela's website Living Lifestyle Freedom
Thu, 06 Mar 2025 - 45min - 173 - 172 What's wrong with the advice, "Tell a story to be authentic"
Solopreneurs often get advised to show their real selves--to come out from behind the website and reveal who they really are. And one way to do this is to tell stories.
What's wrong with this advice?
First of all, "Just tell a story" means, "Curate a good story portfolio." A story may represent your self...but you have many selves.
The first part of this podcast talks about this point. Which self is the Real You? At about 5.0, you'll get 3 tips to share authentic stories:
1 - know what "be yourself" really means 2 - why "I understand where you're coming from" can mean "I'm clueless" (and what to do instead) 3 - how your audience will have way too much fun with your fish story (with one of my favorite real examples)
This podcast will be especially helpful for solopreneurs who want to showcase their authentic, human selves...but wonder which side to share. After all, you're one person when you attend your friend's formal wedding. And you're another person altogether when you're attending a picnic with friends who enjoy four-letter words every other sentence.
If you'd like to see how one solopreneur combines personal stories with financial knowledge, listen to the previous episode of this podcast. Jacquette Timmons, a financial behaviorist, tells stories to make people understand the role emotions play in finance...and she does this without making you uncomfortable about hiring her. Click here for the link.
REFERENCES:
Article by Herminia Ibarra: The Authenticity Paradox Book: Getting to Yes And: The Art of Business Improv Book: Training to Imagine
If you're wondering if you've got a fish story on the line, I'll be happy to take a look! Sign up here.
My website: https://CathyGoodwin.com
And please leave me a rating and a review, preferably on Apple or Spotify where lots of people see it.
Thu, 27 Feb 2025 - 12min - 172 - 171 - How A Financial Behaviorist Uses Stories To Illustrate Our Financial lives: Interview with Jacquette Timmons
When you tell stories, do you ever think, "That's all well and good for life coaches with personal stories. But I'm a technical person who wants to help people discover new ways of thinking about their actions.
Talking about finance seems to call for discussions of numbers, trends and charts with percentages in three colors.
Jacquette Timmons brings a different perspective. She's a financial behaviorist, someone who helps people deal with issues related to money, income and investments.
Money reflects what's going on in people's personal lives. If you want to understand money conflicts, you need to understand family dynamics and individual emotions.
To illustrate, Jaccquette uses stories about what happens when ordinary people encounter massive shifts in money. She talks about how she realized that money reflects what's going on in our lives -- and how changes in money also change our lives.
What makes this especially interesting is that Jacquette is an Educator archetype. (If you want to learn more about the archetypes, click here.) Her message is, "If you apply what I teach you, you will reach your goals." Her stories are told to educate readers by making a point, not to help us get to know Jacquette as "the person behind the web."
On this episode, you will hear:
-- Jacquette's origin story: what made her motivated to be a financial behaviorist
-- sample stories of how family background creates a ceiling on your business earnings (and the dynamics of money management in a marriage)
-- why you need to acknowledge your relationship with money (and how it mirrors several relationships you have in your life)
-- how Jaquette uses stories to make her clients realize they're not alone (so they're more comfortable sharing their challenges)
-- how Jacquette uses stories from her own experience to help her explain complex concepts to clients
Learn more about Jacquette at her website: JacquetteTimmons.com
Get a free exercise to understand your own relationship with money: jacquettetimmons.com/wheel
You can also find her. on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Learn more about me on my website.
My new book on solopreneur branding will show you how to use the archetype framework for your own marketing. You'll see why marketers are successful with different kinds of stories, depending on how they choose to position themselves. Free with Kindle Unlimited.
Thu, 20 Feb 2025 - 38min - 171 - 170 How to bring emotions into your business planning by using stories
Oh no...the New Year begins with two tasks a lot of us dread: planning and taxes. I can't do much about taxes, but this episode is all about making planning more realistic and more fun.
Most people make plans and schedules with their left brains. So you get cold, analytical plans...or even worse, daydreams about the future.
That's fine if you're a big business...if you sell cola, beer, or sportswear. But if you're a solopreneur, especially if you provide a service, you have a double role. You plan and you deliver.
Let's face it: there's no Planning Department for solopreneurs. So your planning has to be based on your motivations and your personality.
You checked all the boxes. You filled out all the squares. You have good intentions. And...nothing happens!
That's because you engaged your left brain and not your right. It's like driving in just one gear. You might be able to get there...but you probably won't. And you'll be damaged along the way.
This episode is an experiment.
I presented the material in a short workshop format, so it's more educational than some episodes. I hope you'll comment and tell me how you liked it!
Some topics you'll learn about...
Why storytelling helps you plan by engaging both sides of your brain
3 types of stories for planning
How each story brings you different benefits and requires different aspects of what you offer
How to reward yourself in a meaningful way that might seem frivolous
You can also order a workbook to help you plan with stories. Go to this link and learn more.
Of course, I'd also love to work with you on planning for your own business. Let's get together for a 90-minute session to discover what stories to tell. We'll identify your archetype and your brand and answer any questions you may have. Click here to learn more.
…
Fri, 14 Feb 2025 - 18min - 170 - 169 How to explain web development to a die-hard football fan
What kind of stories can you tell to explain complex or unusual concepts? What metaphors?
This podcast gives just one example: How do you explain web development, especially the role of designers and copywriters? One way is to use a football metaphor. Each player on a team has a role to play. The copywriter is the quarterback and the designer is the offensive line.
How do these roles work together? Why is one the quarterback and another the offensive line?
That's what we talk about in the podcast. It's very short and to the point.
Here's a question for you: What stories do you tell when you need to explain a concept? What metaphors do you use?
If you'd like to work with me on your metaphors, visit this link to set up a consultation.
Tue, 11 Feb 2025 - 09min - 169 - 168 Why Storytelling is Your Most Important Market Research Tool
What does it mean to know your client? This episode was created after I saw an email encouraging. entrepreneurs to know their customers. Demographics, psychographic, big problem...anything, they said.
There's a better way. Find their story. What brought them here? What have they tried? Those are the questions that will help you write the copy.
If they say, "The other way took too long," you how them that your way is shorter. If they say, "The other provider was rude," you show them why you're polite.
In this episode, we'll talk about... ...the importance of interviews in market research ...the very worst question you can ask in an interview ...the 3 points you need to uncover in your client's backstory ...two mistakes that can make your interview go on longer (or at least SEEM to go on forever) ..why it may not be a good idea to offer a reward (bribe?) for participating
If you'd like to learn more about the customer backstory, I have a free resource for you: https://cathygoodwin.com/baggage
Also check out my newest book, Your Mess is Not Your Message. It's about branding yourself as a small business and it's free with Kindle Unlimited. Please leave a review so I'll know what you think!
I'm also available for a 90-minute consultation or a quick video review of your work. If you'd like to have my critique your website in a future episode of this podcast, send me a message here. Or reply to a newsletter post.
Fri, 31 Jan 2025 - 14min - 168 - 167 Marketing as an Educator with Guest Robert Middleon
When you're a small, service-based business, you are selling yourself and your ideas. I call this marketing when the brand is YOU.
Most service businesses brand with what we call the story archetypes. You can read more about story archetypes here at this link.
I've interviewed several Role Model archetypes. On this episode we get a rare look at an Educator archetype. Role Models have the message, "This is what I did. If I can do it, you can too. I'm just like you." They share a lot of personal information.
On the other hand, Educators share the message, "I have knowledge of what works. I want to share that knowledge with you. If you use my knowledge, you will be successful."
Robert Middleton has been a business coach for many years, working with small businesses and solopreneurs. He is the quintessential Educator archetype.
On this episode, you will learn... ...how Robert built his business as an Educator ...how Educators use stories (and the kinds of stories Robert tells in his business) ...why an Educator is also an experimenter and a learner ...how good Educators have in-depth understanding of processes ...the importance of learning one-on-one from a coach as compared to a book or video ...how Educators study the process of training (and what kind he feels will work best) ...how Educators study what doesn't work as well as what works ...the importance of making an idea a business reality ("making it happen") instead of overthinking, delaying and seeking perfection...how Robert is still an Educator in his new role as a podcaster ...the most important component of success in business (and it's not book learning)
Stay to the end and you'll get Robert's analogy with cooking!
You can learn more about Robert and his new venture at his website actionplan.club. Go to his site and get his guide to ChatGPT--free. You'll be added to his list (but he's no longer selling!).
If you'd like to learn even more about the story archetypes, and using then to brand your small business, be sure to read my next book, coming out soon on Amazon. Sign up here to be notified when the book is ready.
Are you looking for ways to brand your business with stories? Sign up for a Strategic Intensive and fine-tune your brand and messaging. This can be especially important if you are changing direction. You'll need a new story as well as a new brand.
Thu, 09 Jan 2025 - 26min - 167 - 157 How to find coachable clients with this simple story trick
When you run a service business, you need clients...the right kind of clients. Clients you can work with. Clients who will be successful when they follow your instructions.
Your instructions might take the form of coaching. Or you might need to get clients to cooperate by filling out forms or simply delivering papers to you. If nothing else, you don't want them to make things worse by interfering with your job.
So even if you're a plumber you need clients to do something...at least tell you what's wrong and get out of your way.
In this episode, we talk about using a client's back story to find out if they'll be coachable. It's a form of qualifying the customer to see if they'll be good clients.
We review the 3 parts of the client's backstory with reference to different services. Then we put the all together by looking at clients for one type of service--a dog trainer. We'll see how the different parts of their backstory help us know if they'll be good clients for us.
Want to learn more? I have a low-cost course on finding the client's backstory that you can review here at this link.
I also have a free ebook you can download about the client's backstory, especially the baggage clients bring to their appointments. Click here to get your copy immediately.
We can always work together with the Strategic Intensive to figure out the backstory of your clients and how you can use it
Thu, 02 Jan 2025 - 10min - 166 - 165 Why clients expect you to deliver magic in your services (and how you can create a magical experience realistically)
Your story has a hero and a guide. Sometimes your story has cheerleaders and a villain.
But your story doesn't have a wizard or fairy godmother or magician. And you probably know the reason: Your story doesn't promise magic.
But sometimes clients expect magic and you have to correct them, This episode looks at 3 reasons clients falsely expect magic.
But can you make magic happen for your clients? We also look at 3 ways that you can offer magic solutions–legitimately. Well, you're not a magician but you *appear* to be making magic.
What you'll learn in this episode:
3 types of magic your clients may expect
Why Cinderella and the Wizard of Oz do not help you write marketing stories
3 things you can do that make the client think there's magic
FREE: Learn about archetypes and discover your own archetype. Click here.
I have a book coming out in January 2025 that explains the process of branding for small business, including how to use the archetypes. You can sign up here. You'll be notified upon delivery.
Thu, 19 Dec 2024 - 20min - 165 - 164 How Your About Page Sells You With Stories
What's the most difficult page to write on your website? Your About Page.
People don't like to write this page because they don't like to write about themselves. It feels like boasting. It violates the rule: "The nail that stands out gets pounded down."
Your About Pag has to answer three questions:
1 - Why are you in this field?
2 -Why are you passionate about what you do?
3 - How do we know you're good at what you do?
Each of these questions can be answered with a story. This episode gives you examples from real business owners who use stories artfully and intelligently.
You will learn...
...how to use a story to connect the dots between what you were and what you do now
...the best way (and the worst way) to show you're passionate about what you do
...how to show you're qualified to make the offer
People mentioned:
Cindy Bidar - Podcast featuring Cindy as a guest
Ellen Finkelstein - Podcast featuring Ellen as a guest
Additional resources:
Write your About Page With Stories - video DIY course on writing your About Page when YOU are the business.
Grow your business one story at a time - my book on business
Strategic Intensive consultation
Thu, 28 Nov 2024 - 17min - 164 - 163 Is your story a literary production, a good business story, or both?
https://www.marketingwords.com/blog/write-copy-future-pacing/?ref=cathy_goodwin
I recently came across a workshop on writing creative nonfiction.
And that made me ask the question: What is the difference between creative writing and business writing? What about a course in film script writing? ?
Of course the more writing you do, the better you get. And you'll get better a storytelling. But sometimes we're tempted to share a story works as a creative story but doesn't work as a business story.
Boundaries are blurred for big companies. They tell stories that could qualify as purely creative. Think of the Budweiser puppies or the Christmas story of an old man dining alone. Solopreneurs do not use stories like these...and they shouldn't.
So I want to set the record straight on business vs creative...a business vs a literary story. And let's remember that memoir is more like fiction than business.
This episode discusses... ...3 differences between literary fiction and business stories. ...the hidden plot in memoir ...how the purpose of the book influences the way people read it (and specifically, the differences in reading business books vs. creative books
RESOURCES: Do you want to take a creative story and translate it to business? Sign up for the Strategic Intensive and I'll help you. We can also cover marketing and storytelling topics that are holding you back.
Brand your business by telling stories - a DIY course
Thu, 07 Nov 2024 - 18min - 163 - 162 Using Personal Stories to Build An Empire: Interview with Connie Ragen Green
Can you become an extremely successful online marketer by telling stories?
Connie Ragen Green has several best-selling books and courses, as well as an international practice in business coaching. She's accomplished this goal with strong, consistent marketing and an abundance of content creation.
Connie has used stories extensively, especially personal stories. She has entire books where the subject is business, but the stories are directly from her personal life. However, she doesn't just spill her guts or (heaven forbid) share her "mess."
Connie is extremely strategic in her use of stories and she has been extremely successful.
In this episode, I interview Connie (who I've known for a long time) to get a behind-the-scenes view of how she really makes this happen.
In an informal conversation, we talked about:
How Connie made the career change from teaching elementary school to entrepreneurship
How Connie used her teaching experience to incorporate stories into her marketing
A funny story about one of the downsides of being a Role Model archetype
Stories that Connie avoids that are just too personal
Her advice on when to censor yourself when telling stories (this is really good)
Stories taken the wrong way The story behind Connie's road trip to see customers (and her "can do" spirit)
How Connie incorporated a shift to lifestyle subjects
A story that could be Connie's branding story
How the world of work has changed and how these changes create incredible opportunities for ordinary people.
We do all this in just under half an hour!
Learn more about Connie:
connieragengreen.com @Conniegreen on X (formerly twitter) Connie Ragen Green on Amazon to get all her books
Resources:
Cathy's website: https://CathyGoodwin.com Cathy's consulting program: Click here to learn how to tell your own stories.
Thu, 31 Oct 2024 - 28min - 162 - 161 Does your story show the prospect's state of awareness?
What is the stage of your client's awareness? You may think it's not important—but a customer stage can be like a specific niche. You target that stage of awareness. If you target the wrong stage, you lose the customer…maybe forever.
For example, when I was looking for a software company, I narrowed down my search to three companies. I knew a lot about the functions of marketing. I knew why I needed software. I just wanted a test drive. I was not just solution aware: I was product aware.
To my astonishment, the company refused to give me a test drive! They wanted to talk to me on the phone. I didn't want to talk to anybody. I'd already got my questions answered. I just wanted to finalize my decision. That company lost me forever.
In this podcast, I illustrate with a detailed example of a resume service for career changers. When is the prospective client even aware she has a problem? When does she realize she's got a problem with her resume, not some other aspect of a job search?
When you listen to the prospective client's story, be sensitive to stages. Are you targeting clients who are aware they have a pain, but not aware that solutions are available? Are you targeting clients who have done all their research and are down to the wire?
That's what this podcast explains with the detailed examples. Once you understand your prospect's level of awareness, you can fine-tune your copy to meet the challenge.
RELATED RESOURCES:
FREE: What is your client's story? What baggage do they bring with them? Click here for your download.
DIY VIDEO COURSE: How to nail your prospect's story so well they think you've read their mind! Learn what makes a good story and how to research one. Click here to learn more.
Thu, 24 Oct 2024 - 10min - 161 - 160 How to Write Client-Pulling Copy by Telling Stories and Choosing Words
How many times have you gone to a website and found it was just plain boring? Like, it felt like reading one of your old college textbooks? In this episode, we explore
...why there's so much wimpy copy out there ...parallels between writing wimpy copy and getting stronger by working out ...why stories solve the biggest problem of writing wimpy copy: saying good things about yourself ...two micro-tips to make stories come alive ...why you need to get into your audience's mind to write strong copy ...examples of strong copy with stories
RESOURCES:
FREE: 7 Copywriting Tips to Jumpstart your Sales. Click here to learn more.
Course on writing copy by telling stories - Click here to learn more.
Course on getting into your prospect's mind - Click here to learn more.
Story consultation: your 2-week sprint to transform your marketing, beginning with a 90-minute consultation. Click here.
Thu, 17 Oct 2024 - 09min - 160 - 159 Three lessons solopreneurs can learn from cat stories (even if you're not a cat person)
What's a cat story?
People who have cats tend to be fanatical about them. They tell stories about how cute the cats can be, how spoiled they are, and how they drive their owners crazy.
If you're been on Facebook for more than 5 minutes, you realize that people can't get enough cat stories.
But there are 3 lessons a solopreneur from cat stories, even if you're not a cat person. Why do these stories have so much appeal? What do they do for the storyteller?
This episode isn't typical, but it was fun to record and I hope you enjoy it, whether or not you like cats! Please leave a comment and tell me the role cats -- and cat stories -- play in your own life.
Related episodes:
How do you add a personal story (especially a cat story!) to your portfolio...and still come across and credible and knowledgeable? Dorie Clark does this really well.
The Right Way To Tell a Cat Story for Personal Branding
Lisa Yoder tells us how to appeal to a special-interest audience. She uses cat lovers as one of her humorous examples.
How To Add Stories to Your Course Design
Consultation:
My one-to-one consultation on marketing your solopreneur business more effectively. Click here to learn more.
Thu, 10 Oct 2024 - 12min - 159 - 158 Add stories to your course design: Interview with Lisa Yoder
Want to improve your learners' experience of your course?
Get them to remember your course content? Teach complex concepts in a framework that makes sense to them?
When learners have a good experience, they return for more. As a marketer, that's what you're hoping for!
Course designer Lisa Yoder shows us why and how to incorporate stories into course design. Even if (like me) you already have successful courses out there, she shows us surprising ways to build your course with stories.
This episode goes a little longer than most episodes in this podcast -- and it's packed with information. I was busy taking notes myself.
You will learn:
...How university courses differ from entrepreneurial online courses
...How some courses are done better online vs. in person
...What Is course design (especially backwards design)
...3 ways you can use stories in course design
...A surprising way to use "non-examples" to figure out a pattern
...Why it's important to Identify your "why" as a course creator
...Putting together the why, how, and what
...How "running analogies" can pull your course together in a meaningful way (Lisa illustrates with examples of hiking)
...A sneaky but effective way to tap into an audience's world to introduce them to a new concept (this comes after 24:00, so keep listening!)
...The role of chunking in the way we learn
Books mentioned by Lisa:
Understanding by Designbook Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe
Brain Rules (Updated): 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School by John Medina
Where you can fnd Lisa: Website: https://connectedcoursedesigns.com/
Register for the free Summit-First Framework Course at:
https://connectedcoursedesigns.com/summit_first_framework_free/
Email: Lisa@ConnectedCourseDesigns.com
Cathy's course on course design: 5 steps to a profitable course
Cathy's website: https://CathyGoodwin.com
Thu, 03 Oct 2024 - 35min - 158 - 157 Telling a Big Story. To Illustrate a Small Concept
Have you ever heard a story that was so memorable you couldn't forget it? A story that taught you a hard lesson -- but made you smile at the same time?
This week I'm doing something a little different. I've collected three of my favorite stories that appear over and over again.
I see them in business books, in blog posts, in articles, and in speeches. And yet they're not about business.
These are iconic stories. We "get" them right away...and we don't easily forget them.
Ideally, you'll come up with your own iconic story...but in the meantime, use one of these. Or collect iconic stories and use them as needed...not too much, but for special effect.
This episode has 3 special stories that seem perfectly suited to teaching their lesson. I explain why I think these stories work--the magic ingredients they pull together.
In effect, these stories are about concepts. I explain concept stories in my ebook on storytelling, Grow your business one story at a time.
Learn about my flagship consulting program, the Strategic Intensive.
Tell your own branding story: a DIY course.
Thu, 26 Sep 2024 - 12min - 157 - 156 Tell a story to introduce yourself to prospective clients: Interview with Copywriter Nicole Kepic
How do you introduce yourself to prospective clients?
Nicole Kepic introduced herself to her email list with a traditional origin story -- solid credentials, burnout, and reinvention as a copywriter to female entrepreneurs.
Nicole tells that story to show us the person behind the website. She also highlighted her deep experience with copywriting. But she's got a better story: she can tell an origin story that shows she's human and shows how she serves her clients.
In this super-informal episode--two copywriters chatting--you will learn:
...how Nicole uses personal anecdotes to introduce copywriting principles (much more effectively than most business owners) ... how Nicole can change her origin story to illustrate why she's so effective with entrepreneurs
...how changing the copywriting has a much greater impact on entrepreneurs than on big businesses
...Nicole's down-to-earth advice for other business owners who want to tell stories (at the very end)
Resources:
Reach Nicole Kepic at NicoleKepic.com (she has a beautiful website)
Read my book on Amazon about telling stories for business (types of stories for business)
FREE report on story archetypes for immediate download (how small businesses brand themselves)
Thu, 19 Sep 2024 - 21min - 156 - 155 Should Your Origin Story Make You Seem Lucky or Good?
A recent article in Inc magazine asked this question: What makes you look better?
A story like, "I started with no talent or luck and worked my butt off;" Or, A story like, "I had lots of talent and I got lucky."
Believe it or not, audiences valued luck and talent more.
This episode raises the question: "When do you tell a story of luck and when do you tell a story of hard work?"
Most people can attribute their success to both. It's all in how you tell your story.
This episode explains...
...3 reasons why an "I got lucky" story will make the storyteller look better than an "I worked I butt off" story
...why talent and work seem intertwined
....how your story archetype influences your choice of story
Resources mentioned
Original article in Inc Magazine's Morning Report
Podcast episode on emotionally exhausted listeners BusinessInsider Story about Fred Smith and luck
Free: Find your story archetype
Consultation: Position Yourself With A Story
Thu, 05 Sep 2024 - 13min - 155 - 154 It's a numbers game: how to sell with numbers on sales pages and stories
Numbers can be extremely powerful when you know how to use them -- and sooner or later you have to use them. You use numbers in your stories and also in your copywriting, especially on sales pages.
The way you present your numbers can make your price seem small and your outcomes seem large. You can also seem to presenting honest results rather than made-up, imaginary numbers.
In this short episode you will discover…
…how to make prices seem small and results seem large
…how your numbers can make an outcome seem more realistic (at least some people think so)
...the common numbers bias that can influence medical decisions
…why you should pay more attention to value than to price
...the value vs. price tradeoff that we all face (and the ethical decisions we face as a result)
Book mentioned: Random acts of medicine by Anupam B. Jena and Christopher Worsham
Resources:
The Strategic Intensive: My consulting program that takes your marketing forward on a two-week sprint. We can choose your story, review your numbers, and find assets you didn't know you had.
Copywriting with Stories: A self-paced video course to put persuasive copy around your carefully curated stories. If you want to make your content more interesting, this is your course.
FREE: 7 Copy Tips To Jumpstart Your Sales.
Thu, 22 Aug 2024 - 09min - 154 - 153 Business storytelling: 4 key reasons to share that story
Lots of business owners have been advised, "Just tell a story. Any story."
Or they're told, "Stories hold your audience's attention. Stories captivate your listeners."
All that is true. Absolutely.
But stories can do a lot more than entertain your audience. And when you tell a story as a solopreneur, you need a specific reason.
In this podcast. we first look at 4 key reasons to tell a story. You'll notice that any story you tell will brand your business. People remember you as "that woman who...'" or "that guy who..."
So buckle up and learn...
...4 reasons to tell a story; that is, what part of marketing does your story carry out?
...why every story is *not* a selling story
...3 guidelines for telling a story that sells for you
RESOURCES
Podcast with Cindy Bidar, talking about how she uses her personal life in stories
Podcast with Ellen Finkelstein, who uses stories very differently
Podcast about your origin story (which you're commonly advised to share)
Low-cost workbook: The characters in your selling story
Video course on creating a selling story
Video course on positioning yourself as an expert by telling stories
Finally...do you see how much we covered in just over 10 minutes? That should give you an idea about working with me for 90 minutes on the Strategic Intensive consultation. We'll cover any aspect of your marketing or storytelling, and you'll come away with a new game plan.
My website has all kinds of offers, free and paid. Come have a look!
Thu, 15 Aug 2024 - 10min - 153 - 152 4 Ways Your Business Story Will Make Your Marketing Easier
Storytelling for service-based solopreneurs isn't just for fun. It's not a device to gain attention and draw in a crowd of people from your niche.
So what can a story do for your business? In this episode, you'lll learn how to use stories to make y.our marketing easier.
You will learn...
... 4 ways you can use stories to complete marketing activities - with samples
...Why every story you tell is a branding story (whether you plan them this way or not)
...What's different about a selling story
...3 guidelines for telling a business story (the second will be a surprise)
Resources:
FREE: Link to story archetypes
Kindle Book on storytelling (free with Kindle U limited): Grow your business one story at a time
Course on creating your selling story
Workbook on characters in your selling story
Podcasts on the characters in your story:
The hero The guide The cheerleaders The villain
Thu, 08 Aug 2024 - 11min - 152 - 151 The Guide Character in Your Selling Story
Episode 151 - The second-most important character in your selling story is—drumroll, please—the guide. That is you!
The guide is the person, spirit or animal who helps the hero solve their problem or problems. The way you write yourself into your story will have a huge impact on your audience. They're considering hiring you as a guide and they want to know several things.
You want to convince people that your story is special and that you are unique. How do you do that?
In this episode you will learn:
The 3 major roles the guide can play in solving the hero's problem.
How our. DIY economy is affecting the role of the guide.
Empathy and expertise: how does that affect the. Client's choice?
Why it's important to understand how people choose their guide.
Why being a guide as a solopreneur is very different from being a guide in a fairy tale or hero's journey.
RESOURCES:
A Workbook for Casting the Characters In Your Selling Story
Course: How to Write a Story That Sells
Donald Miller's book on storytelling - Storybrand
Random Acts of Medicine - offers helpful (and surprising) info on working with medical guides (including the notion that sometimes a brand-new doctor will be more effective than an experienced one)
Intuition for Career and Business Decisions (an ebook from Amazon)
FREE: What is your story archetype: a guide to business branding
NOTE: Error at 3:35 - should be "Maybe the guide solves the problem for the client," not "maybe the hero solves the problem)
Thu, 01 Aug 2024 - 16min - 151 - 150 The Surprising Character in Your Business Story: The Cheerleader
We've talked about the hero in your story. We had an episode about the villain. And today we're going to talk about the character nobody mentions: the cheerleader.
You can't be with the hero all the time, no matter how good you are. The cheerleader helps the heroes achieve their goals by just being there.
You as the guide can help the hero find supportive cheerleaders. Sometimes people have to pay for this support, but often that support is available if your client--the hero--knows where to look. Sometimes you show them why it's important.
When you help the hero find a cheerleader, you gain credibility as a guide. You help your heroes solve their problems.
Would you like to learn more about casting the characters in your selling story? Check out this workbook--a guide to walk you through the process. Cast your characters!
Additional resources:
Who's your hero's story -- a podcast
Who is the villain of your story - a podcast
How to write a story that sells - a self-paced video course
Thu, 25 Jul 2024 - 14min - 150 - 149 The Hero in Your Business Story
In this podcast episode we are going to look at casting the characters in your story.
We've already talked about the villain. The other characters are the hero, the guide and the cheerleaders.
Who is the hero of your story?
The hero has a problem. Often it's a serious problem. Sometimes it's trivial, like a leaky faucet. You have a more dramatic story when the hero has a serious problem that requires steps to solve.
You are the guide who solves that problem. We will talk about the guide's role in the next podcast.
Here's what we cover and what you will learn.
-- There are 3 kinds of heros - you, your client, or an imaginary person.
-- There are 3 qualities the hero possesses - these will surprise you. The hero can't be a loser even though the hero brings you a problem.
People don't want to identify with losers: so who do they choose?
What about the hero who's the client of a lawyer or tax preparer? The hero doesn't do a lot of work, but the hero can't be totally passive.
-- Finally, what happens to the hero? You don't wave a wand but your client -- the hero -- does come away as a different person.
The hero sells your story. The hero is the client. The prospect turns to your story and sees the hero as a mirror. That's the essence of a selling story.
Other podcasts you may like:
The villain in your story - episode 148
You don't have to be passionate to be a passionate advocate - episode 135
What is a persuasive story - episode 46
Cast the characters of your selling story --the workbook: A fill in the blanks guide to choosing the characters for your story. Click here for more.
How to tell a story that sells. Choosing characters is just one component.
If you'd like to work with me, learn about the Strategic Intensive coaching program.
Learn about the five archetypes of small business branding when you click here.
Thu, 18 Jul 2024 - 14min - 149 - 090 How To Craft A Selling Story for Your Small Business
Do you want to create a story that sells - a selling story?
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. 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.
In less than ten minutes, you will learn ...
...how to make a good story great
...when (and when not) to use an origin story as "your" story
...how the client's backstory becomes part of your story
...how choosing an archetype helps develop your story
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 the Strategic Intensive program -- a 2-week sprint to power up your program. Click here to learn more.
Want a quick view review of your website or sales letter, with your story? Click here to request one.
FREE GUIDE: New to the archetypes? Click here to learn more (and get a quiz to help you choose yours). COURSES: How to find the client's backstory. What makes them decide to buy? Click here for more.
Related podcast: The villain in your business story
Thu, 11 Jul 2024 - 09min - 148 - 148 The Villain In Your Business Story: With Guest Michelle Mazur
In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Michelle Mazur, a message strategist and marketing consultant. Her slogain is, "Make marketing suck less."
Let's face it: Most of us didn't go into business to be marketers. But it's something we have to do. It will always suck for a lot of people...but she helps make marketing easier and more fun.
Storytelling is one of the ways to make marketing more fun. For Michelle, that's am unusual way. to deal with the client's pain. Instead of magnifying the pain, she suggests we name a villain that the client can fight.
You will learn:
Why having a villain in your story makes you a better marketer Some especially evil villains in online marketing (including mine, Michelle's and some others) Why you should give your villain a name (like "web slubs" or "overlord") Why internal blocks cannot be true villains Where storytelling has gone off trackYou can find Michelle at her website: Dr. Michelle Mazur
Resources mentioned:
Christina Hills - Website Creation Workshop
Course: A Story That Sells
Thu, 27 Jun 2024 - 21min - 147 - 147 Where does your story take place?
Your story's location may seem trivial or straightforward.
"It's a beach story."
"One day I was in my home office..."
"Mary went home to apartment 3701..."
Don't those locations bring a special vibe to your story? The story's location tells a lot about your characters and about you.
If Mary lives in apartment 3701, she'll seem different from someone living in apartment 301.
She'll seem even more different from someone living on a farm.
If she lives in the middle of a city, her whole life will be vastly different from someone living in the suburbs, let alone in the country.
If you're working from a kitchen table you're very different from someone working from the patio of a large estate.
In this episode we touch briefly on the power of a story's location.
Does your story's location fit your story archetype? What if you want to change the story's location? And why should you? What are some mistakes people make when assigning a location to their story?
Listen here for the answers.
RESOURCES:
FREE: What is a story archetype (and what's yours)?
COURSE: What is a story that sells - a selling story? How does that differ from a paid story?
FREE PODCAST: What is a Role Model story archetype? Who's a good example?
FREE PODCAST: Can your audience relate to your story?
Thu, 06 Jun 2024 - 12min - 146 - 146 A branding story or a Selling Story? 4 Examples
Branding and selling are very different activities in business.
A branding story introduces you to your audience. It tells something about you and how you provide the service.
A selling story makes the audience say, "I want what she's having!"
In this episode I explain the difference and show that one story can be both. I illustrate with 4 powerful examples of good stories.
One story is purely a branding story. The three others establish a brand and also help you sell.
Resources: Episode 141: What makes a story relatable (or why your audience can't follow your story)
Episode 117: What's a Role Model archetype? Interview with Cindy Bidar.
Book: What's a good business story?
Free report: What's the archetype system of branding?
How do you tell a selling story? A self-study course.
How do you brand with a story? A self-study course.
My website: https://cathygoodwin.com
Consultation: https://CathyGoodwin.com/storyconsult
Thu, 30 May 2024 - 12min - 145 - 145 Being Innovative Without Marketing as an Innovator
It's really important to be innovative in your business.
Being innovative is one of the ways people realize you are credible. You've gone beyond the basics to develop your own framework or explain your ideas in a new way.
But will you market yourself as an innovator? That's a different question.
In this podcast we will ... ...explain the difference between innovation in business and innovation as an archetype ...show examples of business owners who are true innovators vs. those who innovate but brand differently ...explain why you may not want to market as an Innovator.
RESOURCES: The archetype framework (and how to decide which one is yours)
My book on storytelling (available as an Amazon ebook)
Another podcast:a Role Model archetype
Home study course: Brand yourself with storytelling
Thu, 23 May 2024 - 10min - 144 - 144 Why your story doesn't have to make people cry
You've probably heard that "your story must bring out emotion in your listeners."
And that's because you've also heard, "People buy on emotions."
But is that always true?
Lots of times people make buying decisions based on logic and rationality. They evaluate the offer coolly, based on their needs.
The truth is, sometimes people make buying decisions without bringing emotion into the picture at all. Educator archetypes rarely tell emotional stories; they don't expect their clients to make decisions emotionally at all.
In this episode you will learn... ...why the phrase "people buy on emotion" is only partly true ...when people buy on emotion (even if they know they need to be more rational) ...how and when to use purely rational stories that bring forth no emotion at all ...how a story can restore the balance between emotion and logic ...the way you can use emotional appeals in stories Don't forget to subscribe and leave a rating and review, preferably on the Apple site.
Resources: Book on Amazon: Grow your business one story at a time Free guide: Your story archetype (and a quiz to reveal yours)
This episode mentioned
Carlos Batara Ian Brodie Alicia Forest
Thu, 16 May 2024 - 14min - 143 - 143 How to tell if you've got a true business story (or a fun-filled share-with-friends story)
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.
Thu, 09 May 2024 - 11min - 142 - 142 How healers can reach more clients with stories
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:
Why every service-based business is (usually) run by a healer Why you need to balance the conflict of running a business and healing people in pain The. best ways to structure a story to explain what you doResources 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.
Thu, 02 May 2024 - 12min - 141 - 141 Why You Lose Your Audience Because They Can't Relate To Your Story
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)
Thu, 25 Apr 2024 - 18min - 140 - 140 Using Stories to Choose Your Niche
"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:
Why your mentor probably won't help you choose a niche Why you shouldn't be too quick to choose a niche How to turn a backstory into a profitable niche The most important qualities to look for when choosing a niche Why your niche may not be ready to buy from youThe 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!
Thu, 18 Apr 2024 - 15min - 139 - 139 How to Use Stories to Teach Without Being Preachy
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:
Why being preach-y turns people off (and they stop listening) Three ways to use stories to avoid talking down to people How stories can come from your experience or from a far-away placeResources 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
Thu, 11 Apr 2024 - 19min - 138 - 138 The Power of Client Testimonials: Get them to tell stories that sell
"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...
What is a testimonial Why your testimonials are about the clients, not about you Why clients won't write testimonials Two ways to teach your clients to write testimonialsResources 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)
Thu, 04 Apr 2024 - 18min - 137 - 137 Are you telling stories to yourself?
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
the right way to tell a story about your life how some well-known business owners shared their stories what to expect from your audienceResources mentioned:
Interview with Cindy Bidar FREE booklet on story archetypes Book by Dorie ClarkThu, 28 Mar 2024 - 08min - 136 - 136 The Celebrity Archetype: Are you a fan?
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
Thu, 21 Mar 2024 - 10min - 135 - 135 Why you can be passionate in what you do...but you're not a passionate advocate
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.
Thu, 14 Mar 2024 - 07min - 134 - 134 Pull-the-plug stories: What happens if you quit?
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.
Fri, 08 Mar 2024 - 09min - 133 - 133 Use storytelling to build a client-attracting About Page: 3 Tips
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:
What "likable" means to a prospective client (it's not the same as being a good friend) What story really matters when you write your About Page (and it's not your life story or origin story) Why most websites don't need a mission statement (and what to write instead)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
Thu, 01 Feb 2024 - 18min - 132 - 132 Business Storytelling: 3 Business Stories You Don't Share With Your Clients
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
Thu, 25 Jan 2024 - 10min - 131 - 131 Numbers Make Stories Come Alive (Or Raise Questions About the Storyteller)
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
Fri, 12 Jan 2024 - 10min - 130 - 130 From "Ordinary" To "Valuable Treasure" With A Simple Story
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:
Examples of how stories can transform ordinary objects into valuable treasures (including a close-to-home example from a business owner) Qualities of stories that increase the value of ordinary offers (while remaining completely truthful) What you get people to say when you tell a selling story (which is why these stories succeeded)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
Thu, 21 Dec 2023 - 10min - 129 - 129 How your intuition can guide you to tell the best story for your business
"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:
What if the story backfires and makes you look like an idiot? What if the story turns away potential clients who feel that's TMI? Maybe there's a better story…but now you wonder if that one's good, too.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:
what is intuition (it's not as trendy as it was a few years ago) how to use your intuition to sort out good vs bad advice how to recognize whether that "YES" or "NO" comes from your intuition (or is a false warning that you should ignore) why you'll see business owners win with outrageous stories (and realize why you need to find your own style)RESOURCES:
My website - Click here. Amazon ebook on intuition for business and careers - Click here. 3 common story mistakes and how to fix them - Click here. Storytelling consultation - Click here.Thu, 14 Dec 2023 - 14min - 128 - 128 Position Yourself As An Expert With Your Story Archetype
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. BOOK: Your Mess Is Not Your Message: Using archetypes for small business branding
Podcast with Cindy Bidar (Role Model archetype)
Podcast with Ellen Finkelstein (Role Model)
Connie Ragen Green (product marketing example)
Note: Some links are affiliate links.
Wed, 06 Dec 2023 - 27min - 127 - 127 How to Demonstrate Your Expertise By Telling Stories (Encore)
"You're the expert." How do you feel when you hear those words?
You'd better get used to hearing that sentenence if you're a service-based solopreneur! Because when you sell a service, you're selling expertise.
You're offering knowledge and skills beyond what "everybody" has.
You hire a licensed electrician because a handyman might do the job...but you want to be sure they won't set the place on fire by mistake.
You hire a professional decorator because you want someone with flair who adds something to the project…something your best friend just can't do.
So how do you get labeled as an expert?
You can present credentials and testimonials. You can talk about how long you've been in business and point to a list of satisfied clients.
But your most effective strategy for presenting yourself as an expert will be the stories you tell.
They won't necessarily be about you or your successes. These stories have specific qualities that communicate, "I know what I'm talking about."
You'll never have to say that directly. Your audience knows. In this episode, you'll hear examples of 2 stories from a business book, The End of Average.
We'll analyze stories to see how they work.
RELATED PODCAST: Episode 128: How to use your brand archetype to brand yourself as an expert.
MENTIONED: Todd Rose, The End of Average
RESOURCES: How to create content that establishes you as a credible expert in your field - Self-paced course. Click here.
FREE Report - 17 surprising ways to use stories to market your business -
FREE with Kindle Unlimited - Grow Your Business One Story At A Time
Fri, 04 Apr 2025 - 12min - 126 - 126 How To Use Storytelling To Make Business Plans That Won't Turn Into Pipe Dreams
"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.
Thu, 23 Nov 2023 - 20min - 125 - 125 The best business storytellers do these 3 things
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
Sat, 18 Jan 2025 - 15min - 124 - 124 Traveling for the holidays? Take your story with you.
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.
Thu, 09 Nov 2023 - 07min - 123 - 123 How to begin building your online brand when your website isn't ready
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…
5 steps to follow when you want to grow your audience before the website is ready Signs that it's not the right time to start a website project How to get signups with a special page before you build the website Why you need to begin with a domain registered to you (and what can go wrong if you let your developer do this)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.
Thu, 02 Nov 2023 - 14min - 122 - 122 Two ways for business owners to share their journey stories
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
Thu, 26 Oct 2023 - 23min - 121 - 121 How this business story mistake leads to client confusion
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.
Thu, 19 Oct 2023 - 14min - 120 - 120 How To Use Storytelling To Communicate Your Value (And Avoid A Story That Adds To The Confusion)
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)
Thu, 12 Oct 2023 - 11min - 119 - 119 How to use personality to market yourself and build your brand
"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.
Thu, 05 Oct 2023 - 20min - 118 - 118 How To Use Stories To Get More Results From Your Email Marketing
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)
Thu, 28 Sep 2023 - 12min - 117 - 117 Interview with Cindy Bidar: Finding Success With A Role Model Archetype
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
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.
Thu, 21 Sep 2023 - 33min - 116 - 116 How These 2 Stories Convince Prospective Clients You Can Do The Job (And You're The Real Deal)
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
Thu, 14 Sep 2023 - 13min - 115 - 115 ENCORE: Business Storytelling: Your Mess Is NOT Your Message
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.
In this packed-tight-with-information episode, I show how sharing your mess can actually harm your business.
You will learn:
1 - Where "Your mess is your message" really comes from (and how TV anchor Robin Roberts used that expression)
2 - How my early message was seriously misunderstood: they read my story as a "mess." It wasn't.
3 - How another story was misunderstood: a woman who turned down a scholarship to Juilliard and whose career is just about gone.
4 - The importance of audience reaction to your story: when you put your story out there, they will judge you.
5 - Why the advice to "be vulnerable" can lead to unexpected reactions (and sharing your mess can turn away your ideal clients)
6 - Why anticipating your mess can become a self-fulfilling prophecy
7 - How sharing your mess can lead to an energy drain among your followers (and why I decided NOT to share my cat story)
8 - How sharing your mess can make you seem less likeable
9 - When it's time to share your messy life (with a good example from Angela Duckworth)
10 - How a marketing coach (Connie Ragen Green) turned a mess into a triumph (read her book about her cross-country trip)
11 - How to recognize examples of good stories, with examples.
12 -What lessons I've learned from stories where people absolutely did not connect (and what really works)
References:
The Road Trip, by Connie Ragen Green
My ebook on Amazon - Grow Your Business One Story At A Time. Free with Kindle Unlimited.
My consultation, the Strategic Intensive, which will help you identify a good story. How to tell a story that sells: a DIY home study course.
Thu, 20 Jun 2024 - 20min - 114 - 114 Which story attracts clients for entrepreneurs: natural talent vs. hard work and struggle (Encore)
You've heard it over and over. Success come from hard work, not talent.
You're not a good writer? Not a natural business person? Just work, work and work some more.
So hard work is admirable, right? People are most impressed by hard workers?
Wrong. Research studies asked this question directly, "What impresses employers and investors most?"
Employers and investors listened to stories of people achieving success by hard work...and stories of people who were so talented, success came easily.
And the winner? Listeners reported greater respect for people who found success easily.
If you think about it...we shouldn't be surprised. Who would you hire as an accountant: the one who struggled to get C's or the one who coasted through on A's without breaking a sweat?
So when you present your story...
This episode gives you
... 3 reasons why you'll get better clients by focusing on natural talent than by focusing on hard work.
...a recipe for presenting yourself using these insights - without bragging or self-promotion.
RESOURCES:
Inc Magazine article describing the research
Free Report on Story Archetypes
Podcast Episode Featuring Nicole Lewis-Keeber - How A Story Can Traumatize Your Audience
Strategic Intensive Consultation
Thu, 13 Mar 2025 - 14min - 113 - 113 How To Find Compelling Article Ideas From Other People's Stories
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.
Thu, 24 Aug 2023 - 14min - 112 - 112 How A Story Can Traumatize Your Audience (With Life Coach Nicole Lewis-Keeber)
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
Thu, 17 Aug 2023 - 26min - 111 - 111 Promoting a Service That Seems Frivolous and Unnecessary
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.
Thu, 10 Aug 2023 - 07min - 110 - 110 Consultants and coaches: Tired of unmotivated clients who won't do the work?
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.
Thu, 03 Aug 2023 - 09min - 109 - 109 Small business marketing:Clients confused about what you offer? Do this.
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.
Fri, 28 Jul 2023 - 12min - 108 - 108 How To Get Credibility When You Can't Get Testimonials
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
If you can get a testimonial - free guide for helping your clients write one
Thu, 20 Jul 2023 - 16min - 107 - 107 How To Grow Your List With Targeted, Enthusiastic Prospects
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!
Sat, 15 Jul 2023 - 17min - 106 - 106 What makes a story memorable (and maybe viral) instead of forgettable (and maybe embarrassing)?
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.
Thu, 06 Jul 2023 - 19min - 105 - 105 What are your clients ready to hear? Look in their backstories.
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.
Sat, 01 Jul 2023 - 13min - 104 - 104 Ready to pivot your business? Don't make these 3 mistakes.
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.
Wed, 28 Jun 2023 - 17min - 103 - 103 How to decide if the story you love will boost your business
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.
Sat, 17 Jun 2023 - 09min - 102 - 102 How To Make Profitable Connections on LinkedIn With A Story That Connects
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
Sun, 04 Jun 2023 - 10min - 101 - 101 How Questioning That Story Will Lead To Better Business Decisions: The Case of Retirement
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
Sun, 28 May 2023 - 11min - 100 - 100 How to find your client's backstory - with Shawn Fink
"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.
Sun, 26 Jan 2025 - 36min - 99 - 099 Ending Your Selling Story: How To Show The Transformation
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.
Sat, 06 May 2023 - 12min - 98 - 098 Why Your Story Must Change As Your Business Grows
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
Wed, 12 Apr 2023 - 15min - 97 - 097 3 Website Marketing Lessons Inspired By An EasterEgg
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
Sat, 08 Apr 2023 - 12min - 96 - 096 Three things to do when your client breaks up with you
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.
Sun, 02 Apr 2023 - 19min - 95 - 095 How To Use Storytelling To Pitch Your Podcast Successfully
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.
Wed, 29 Mar 2023 - 11min - 94 - 094 Book Marketing: The Story Behind Your "Why" : Interview with Jane Tabachnick
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.
Fri, 17 Mar 2023 - 22min - 93 - 093 How to fix these 3 common website mistakes by telling the right story
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
Tue, 14 Mar 2023 - 17min - 92 - 092 How To Use Swearing (Or Not) When You Tell A Story
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.
Sat, 04 Mar 2023 - 14min
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