The StoryBrand Podcast

• #50: You Don't Have to Be the Hero to Change the World

  Get free marketing videos from Don every week at WeeklySoundbite.com   Every brand has a story, but not every brand knows how to tell it well. We often skip over the hard parts, thinking they make us look weak. But those moments are what make us human and help people connect. The truth is, your most powerful message isn't the perfect version of your story. It's the honest one. When you reframe your story to show what you've been through and how it changed you, you build trust. You help people see themselves in your journey. So how do you tell your story in a way that actually connects and makes an impact?   In this episode, host Kyle Reed talks to John O'Leary, a speaker, author, and the real-life inspiration behind the new movie Soul On Fire. John shares how surviving a fire as a child shaped his life and how he learned to stop hiding his story and start using it to help others. You'll hear how telling your story honestly can grow your impact, connect with your audience, and even become your strongest marketing tool. Listen in to learn how to build the kind of trust that makes people want to connect and do business with you.   Watch Soul On Fire on Amazon Prime HERE, check out John's website HERE, or buy one of his books HERE.   --     Click HERE to get in-person help creating your marketing at the next available StoryBrand Your Business LIVE event!   Click HERE to find a StoryBrand certified marketing coach to help you grow your business!   Unlock the power of a framework that works—the StoryBrand Framework at StoryBrand.ai. It's like having the world's best copywriter create high-converting marketing whenever you need it. Start your free 7-day trial at StoryBrand.ai.   Learn how to make your marketing and messaging work using a proven framework in the updated book, Building a StoryBrand 2.0. Order it now on Amazon  or wherever you buy books!

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• #49: Why Your Team Isn't Rallying Around Your Message

  Get free marketing videos from Don every week at WeeklySoundbite.com   A confused team can't sell a clear product. Period. If your executive team can't clearly articulate your mission, you're already losing ground. You think you've cast a vision, but no one's catching it. Instead, you're running a business with a fractured identity where every department is chasing a different goal, and your customers are left scratching their heads. Misalignment is more than just a leadership issue. It's a revenue problem. So before you fix your marketing, fix your mission. But how do you align your people around one clear idea?   In this episode, Donald and Kyle welcome StoryBrand Certified Guide Kenny Jahng for a powerful conversation on how businesses lose clarity and how to get it back. Kenny shares a practical leadership exercise that reveals whether your team is truly aligned and reveals the secret to reigniting passion across your organization. You'll also hear real-life examples of how clarity in messaging has cut sales cycles in half and restored direction for struggling teams. Tune in and learn how to stop diluting your message and start winning with clarity.   Hire Kenny to perfect your nonprofit's messaging at Big Click Syndicate.   --     Click HERE to get in-person help creating your marketing at the next available StoryBrand Your Business LIVE event!   Click HERE to find a StoryBrand certified marketing coach like Kris to help you grow your business!   Unlock the power of a framework that works—the StoryBrand Framework at StoryBrand.ai. It's like having the world's best copywriter create high-converting marketing whenever you need it. Start your free 7-day trial at StoryBrand.ai.   Learn how to make your marketing and messaging work using a proven framework in the updated book, Building a StoryBrand 2.0. Order it now on Amazon  or wherever you buy books!

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• #48: How to Grow a Consulting Business in Uncertain Times

  Get free marketing videos from Don every week at WeeklySoundbite.com     Running a marketing consulting business is never simple. In uncertain times, it's even harder. Clients are cautious, timelines stretch, and budgets shrink. You know your services create real results, but closing new business feels tougher than ever. If you're not clear and confident in your message, potential clients will hesitate or move on. And the longer you stay vague or unfocused, the more you're stuck in survival mode instead of scaling. So how do you position yourself as the obvious choice, especially when the market feels shaky?     In this episode, host Kyle Reed is joined by veteran StoryBrand Certified Guide Kris Jones and StoryBrand's Director of Certification Luke Pastina to explore how to thrive as a messaging expert in a season of economic unpredictability. Kris shares how she's adapted her business, adjusted her rates, and built systems that support both clarity and connection. You'll learn how to uncover your client's real problem, what story actually moves the needle, and why collaboration is key to building a thriving consulting business. If you're trying to grow your marketing practice in uncertain times, listen in to get the blueprint.     Hire Kris to get you effective messaging at Red Door Stories and access the free PDF mentioned in this episode.     --     Click HERE to get in-person help creating your marketing at the next available StoryBrand Your Business LIVE event!   Click HERE to find a StoryBrand certified marketing coach like Kris to help you grow your business!   Unlock the power of a framework that works—the StoryBrand Framework at StoryBrand.ai. It's like having the world's best copywriter create high-converting marketing whenever you need it. Start your free 7-day trial at StoryBrand.ai.   Learn how to make your marketing and messaging work using a proven framework in the updated book, Building a StoryBrand 2.0. Order it now on Amazon  or wherever you buy books!

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• #47: Why Narcissists Rise to Power and What Self-Aware Leaders Do Differently

  Get free marketing videos from Don every week at WeeklySoundbite.com   Leadership success often hinges on a trait many people misunderstand: self-awareness. In today's fast-paced world, leaders are surrounded by noise: social media flattery, AI-generated validation, and constant feedback loops that create more confusion than clarity. And while confidence is essential, when it crosses into narcissism, the fallout can be devastating. Think Enron, Lehman Brothers, or any organization led by someone blind to their own flaws. Narcissistic leaders may get results, but the cost is often burnout, chaos, and shattered trust. So how do you know if you're headed down that path? And what does true, effective leadership actually look like in a world addicted to ego boosting?   This week, Don and Kyle sit down with leadership advisor and former White House speechwriter Les Corba to unpack the nuances between healthy confidence and dangerous self-absorption. You'll learn how to spot narcissistic messaging, build trust, foster honest feedback, and create a culture of self-awareness, starting with yourself. Listen in to discover how to lead with the kind of self-awareness that earns real trust and has a lasting impact.   Click HERE to get in-person help creating your marketing at the next available StoryBrand Your Business LIVE event.   Buy Les' book "Aware: The Power of Seeing Yourself Clearly" on Amazon HERE.     --     Click HERE to get in-person help creating your marketing at the next available StoryBrand Your Business LIVE event!   Click HERE to find a StoryBrand certified marketing coach to help you grow your business!   Unlock the power of a framework that works—the StoryBrand Framework at StoryBrand.ai. It's like having the world's best copywriter create high-converting marketing whenever you need it. Start your free 7-day trial at StoryBrand.ai.   Learn how to make your marketing and messaging work using a proven framework in the updated book, Building a StoryBrand 2.0. Order it now on Amazon  or wherever you buy books!

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• #46: Amy Porterfield — How to Pivot Your Business Without Losing Your Audience

  Get free marketing videos from Don every week at WeeklySoundbite.com   Most entrepreneurs eventually feel the pull to pivot, but that shift can come with real risk. You've worked hard to build trust, grow your audience, and establish your expertise in one lane. So when it's time to evolve, how do you shift your messaging without confusing your audience or breaking what's already working? This is the tension: stay in your lane too long and you stagnate. Jump too fast and you lose everything. So how do you navigate that transition with clarity and confidence?   In this week's episode, Kyle Reed sits down with Amy Porterfield, who's redefining her business after 16 years and over $120 million in course sales. Amy unpacks the subtle strategy behind a graceful pivot, how she knew it was time, how she tested new messaging, and why she's choosing coaching over courses in this next chapter. If you're craving a new direction but fear the fallout, this conversation will give you the roadmap.   Click HERE to sign up for Amy's weekly newsletter.     --     Click HERE to get in-person help creating your marketing at the next available StoryBrand Your Business LIVE event!   Click HERE to find a StoryBrand certified marketing coach to help you grow your business!   Unlock the power of a framework that works—the StoryBrand Framework at StoryBrand.ai. It's like having the world's best copywriter create high-converting marketing whenever you need it. Start your free 7-day trial at StoryBrand.ai.   Learn how to make your marketing and messaging work using a proven framework in the updated book, Building a StoryBrand 2.0. Order it now on Amazon  or wherever you buy books!

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