The StoryBrand Podcast

#149: Mike Michalowicz—7 Steps to Follow So Your Business Runs Itself

20 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Could you take a month-long vacation from your business without things falling apart? One of our favorite guests, Mike Michalowicz, returns with seven...

#148: Joshua DuBois—Here's Why Genuine Empathy is a Game Changer for Your Business

13 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Great leadership starts with understanding your customers and your staff. But it doesn't end there. To truly succeed, you need to be able to make genu...

#147: Susan David—How to Harness Your Emotions to Make Wiser Business Decisions

06 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Do you want a team that's collaborative and innovative? That means you'll also have conflict and failure -- and all the messy emotions that come with ...

#146: Josh Robbins—Is the Financial System Ripping You Off?

29 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How much do financial markets actually impact your small business? More than you probably realize. And in this case, what you don't know really can hu...

#145: How to "Recession Proof" Your Business

22 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Nobody wants to talk about it, but a potential recession is looming. And that's a scary thought for most business leaders. But what if it was possible...

#144: Willie Robertson—The Inspiring Story of Entrepreneurship Behind "Duck Dynasty"

15 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Behind Willie Robertson's success in the reality show "Duck Dynasty" is a powerful story of American entrepreneurship. Today on the podcast, he and Do...

#143: Michael Hyatt—How to Stop Hustling So You Can Achieve What Really Matters

08 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

So much productivity "advice" these days will help you cut down your workload. That's great! But if you fill that time back up again with more work, t...

#142: Shannon Sedgwick Davis—The Power of Using Your Business to Champion a Social Cause

01 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Shannon Sedgwick Davis is the CEO of Bridgeway Foundation, the foundation arm of a capitol management firm that gives half of its profits away, and wi...

#141: Sean Webb—How to Hack Your Emotions

25 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Running a business can (and will) mess with your emotions. And when our emotions take over, the rational part of our brain shuts down. Not a good thin...

#140: Mark Miller—The 5 Character Traits You Need to Become a Strong Leader

18 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

You may have the finely honed skills of a leader, but people won't follow you unless you have the heart of a leader. And that's what we're talking abo...

#139: Kirsten Powers—Behind the Scenes of the 24-Hour News Cycle

11 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As a business leader, you've got to pay attention to what's going on in the world. But with 24-hour news cycles, constant outrage, and endless "hot ta...

#138: Chris Voss—3 Science-Backed Tactics That Will Make You a Master Negotiator

04 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

If you lead a business, you're constantly negotiating -- even if you don't realize it. Make sure no one's taking advantage of you, with help from toda...

#137: Governor Bill Haslam—Leadership Lessons Straight from the Governor's Office

25 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As the Governor of Tennessee for the last eight years -- and a successful business leader before that -- Bill Haslam knows a lot about leadership. In ...

#136: David Pursell—What If You Sold Your Product in a Crazy, Unexpected Way?

18 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How did one family-owned business crank out a 90% conversion rate (!!!!) for their golf course fertilizer -- even when their product cost more than th...

#135: Mathew Ford—How to Create "FOMO" and Make Your Marketing More Powerful

11 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What will your customer miss out on if they don't buy your product or service? That's the power of "FOMO" - or "Fear of Missing Out." And as marketers...

#134: How To Motivate Your Customers To Take Action—with Tyler Ginn

04 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's no secret that a strong call to action is key for creating great marketing material. But what does it look like to actually craft a call to actio...

#133: Horst Schulze—How to Lead With Vision So Your Brand Stands Out

28 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Ritz-Carlton is one of the most iconic brands in the world. And on this episode of the podcast, we welcome the visionary who built it, Horst Schul...

#132: Dean Nelson—Practical Tips That Will Help You Conduct More Meaningful Interviews

21 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We all need to know how to conduct great interviews. Whether you're hiring, networking, doing customer discovery, or even dating, you need to be able ...

#131: Mike McHargue—The Science of Why Your Brand Needs a Villain

14 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Want to make your brand's messaging exponentially more powerful? Learn how to define a villain for your customers. That's because our brains are hard-...

#130: Aaron James—How to Define What Your Customer Really Wants

07 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What are you selling? Your quick answer may be "real estate" or "jewelry" -- but to really connect with customers, you need to understand the deeper v...

#129: The Best of 2018—Our Biggest Takeaways for Business Leaders

31 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As we close out the year and look ahead to 2019, take a moment to reflect on how you're growing as a business leader. This podcast is a great place to...

#128: Jay Baer—Why You Need a Word-of-Mouth Marketing Strategy ASAP

24 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Word of mouth plays a role in 50-90% of all buying decisions. But most of us have never actually sat down to outline a strategy that would get more cu...

#127: Blake Mycoskie—Should Your Company Take a Stand on a Social Issue?

17 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Should your company take a stand on a social issue? There's no better person to ask than TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie. He and his team have built a thr...

#126: Tina Sharkey—How to Build a Strong Brand Around Your Core Values

10 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We business leaders like to talk about our "core values," but all too often, those values don't actually show up in our products, services, and busine...

#125: Ian Cron—How the Enneagram Can Make You a More Effective Leader

03 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Enneagram is a personality typing system that teaches there are nine basic personality styles in the world. These styles, or "Types," deeply influ...

#124: Ian Cron—The Do's and Don'ts of Leading Each Enneagram Type

26 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Enneagram is a personality typing system that teaches there are nine basic personality styles in the world. These styles, or "types," deeply influ...

#123: Donald Miller and Andy Stanley—How Story Can Make You a Better Leader

19 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

By now you know the framework of story can transform your marketing. But how can story make you a better leader? Today on the StoryBrand podcast, the ...

#122: Andy Stanley—5 Questions That Will Make Any Talk Clear and Memorable

12 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Got something you need to communicate to a crowd? You KNOW it needs to be clear and memorable. But that's easier said than done. Today on the podcast,...

#121: Jesse Cole—11 Surefire Ways to Delight Your Customers

05 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How on earth does a summer league baseball team in Savannah, Georgia sell out every game? Well, it has nothing to do with the baseball -- and everythi...

#120: 4 Simple Marketing Tasks That Will Turbocharge Your 4th Quarter

29 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We're gearing up for a strong economy this holiday season. Is your marketing ready? If you're not sure, listen to this episode. Don and JJ talk throug...

#119: Ben Malcolmson—Leadership Lessons from the NFL Sidelines

22 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Leadership, character, performance, and competition. All part of our lives as business leaders -- and also the driving forces for sports teams. So thi...

#118: Jason Russell—The Power of Resilience When You Face Adversity

15 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It's not a question of whether or not we'll face adversity. It's a question of how we'll respond when we do. So today on the Building a StoryBrand pod...

#117: Michael Bungay Stanier—Coach Your Team to Success By Asking These 7 Questions

08 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

If you manage a team, it's way too easy to just give advice and demand action. But if you want to get the best from your team so your business can gro...

#116: Mike Michalowicz—How to Structure Your Business Finances to Maximize Profit

01 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Sales minus expenses equals profit, right? Not exactly, according to Mike Michalowicz, our guest on today's episode. A lot of business leaders aren't ...

#115: Gina Bianchini—How to Build an Online Community for Your Customers

24 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

If you lead a business, you've got a huge opportunity to add value to your product or service. Trouble is, most everybody overlooks it. On today's epi...

#114: Dr. Arthur Laffer—How Taxes and Economic Policy Affect Your Business

17 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

If you're a business owner, then you know how to pay your taxes. But do you understand the basic economic principles of how those taxes work? Or how ...

#113: Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson—Philanthropy, Parenthood, and What It's Like to Be the Duchess

10 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of York is on the podcast! Sarah Ferguson sat down with our correspondent, Allison Trowbridge, for an inspiring convers...

#112: Snoop Dogg's Manager and Ben Rector Take Us Behind the Scenes of the Music Industry

03 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we're taking a closer look at how music artists and managers develop their brands in a rapidly changing landscape. In part one, guest...

#111: Go Behind the Scenes of the Songwriting Business—with Tom Douglas (legendary songwriter) and Troy Tomlinson (CEO of Sony/ATV Music Publishing)

27 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wondered how songs get written, pitched, and cut? How songwriters and publishers work together? How the creative process unfolds? The role publis...

#110: Joey Coleman—How to Stop Losing Customers

20 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Your customers are leaving in droves. Today's guest, Joey Coleman, has the research to back it up. So if you want to keep your customers and grow your...

#109: Rachel Botsman—How Trust Works in the Business World

13 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We talk a lot about "trust" in our businesses. But a lot of us are getting it wrong. On this episode, Oxford lecturer and bestselling author Rachel Bo...

#108: Daniel Coyle—3 Magic Ingredients That Every Strong Company Culture Has

06 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A vibrant company culture is a silver bullet for success. But how does culture work? What makes it gel? On this episode, we talk with NYT bestselling ...

#107: Marc Ventresca—3 Myths About Entrepreneurship That May Be Holding You Back

30 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What is the "ideal" entrepreneur like? The answer may surprise you. Why? Because our assumptions about what it takes to run a business don't really li...

#106: Jenn Lim—How to Build a Positive Company Culture

23 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

There's more to business than just making money. We want to make the world better, both for our customers and our employees. To do that, we need to cr...

#105: Go Behind the Scenes of the Art World

16 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Art helps us see the world in a new way. But the art world itself can feel pretty intimidating. Today on the Building a StoryBrand podcast, we talk wi...

#104: Armando Lopez—6 Failproof Tips for Hiring Amazing People

09 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Hiring the right person can transform your business. Bring on the wrong person, and you can substantially set it back. So if you're growing your team,...

#103: What Works Better: A Physical Office or a Virtual One?

02 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Do you really need a physical office space? Remote collaboration is easier than ever, and digital workplaces are on the rise. But how does each setup ...

#102: Dr. Lee Norton—Why You Need to Pay Attention to Mental Health at Work

25 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

If you read the headlines, you know our mental health is precious. But you also know it's in jeopardy. As business leaders, what can we do? Plenty. To...

#101: Peter Smith—What in the World is Cryptocurrency?

18 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We hear words like "cryptocurrency" and "blockchain" and "Bitcoin" and we know they're supposedly the Next Big Thing. But what do they really mean? Ho...

#100: Bonnie St. John—How to Stop Mental Exhaustion So You Can Work Smarter

11 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Why are we always mentally worn out? As business leaders, we ask a lot of our brains every day. Decisions, creativity, strategy, and more. And if we d...

#99: Business of Film—Go Behind the Scenes of the Cutthroat Movie Industry

04 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wonder what it's like in the film industry? What it's really like? Today on the Building a StoryBrand podcast, we're taking an insider tour of th...

#98: Branden Harvey—How to Use Social Media in a Dynamic, Irresistible Way

28 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

If you want to build a strong social media following without resorting to negativity, you'll love today's episode of the Building a StoryBrand podcast...

#97: Too Faced Founders—How to Build an Authentic and Inviting (Billion Dollar) Brand

21 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Growing a business is tough and risky. And as pressures rise and competition emerges, we're tempted to make compromises with our brand in order to win...

#96: Vanessa Van Edwards—How to Become the Most Captivating Person in the Room

14 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The awkward stops here, folks. If you want to be more memorable and captivating when you talk to other people, then you need to listen to this episode...

#95: How 3 Successful Companies Hire Smart, Quality People

07 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Making a smart hiring decision can make you a ton of money. But the wrong choice can set your business back dramatically. So how can you make sure you...

#94: Shark Tank's Daymond John—How to Grind Out Success on Your Own Terms

30 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

On the podcast today, we welcome Daymond John. He founded the iconic fashion brand FUBU. He kills it every week on Shark Tank. He is, without a doubt,...

#93: Steve Cockram—How to Lead Your Team So Everyone Brings Their Best

23 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

If you want to build a team where everyone feels supported, heard, and ready to tackle big challenges, then you want to listen to this episode of the ...

#92: Bob Goff—Leading Without Fear and Loving Without Limits

16 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Hustle and grind. Plan out everything. Protect your availability. That's the typical advice business leaders get to "maximize our efficiency." But the...

#91: Shannon Miles—9 Ways to Create a Life Where Both Work and Family Can Thrive

09 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

You're driven to lead your business well. But you want quality time with your family, too. It's a constant balancing act, and for women especially, it...

#90: Michael Hyatt—Redefining Productivity to Focus on What Actually Matters

02 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

If you're reading this, you're probably a productivity junkie. You love getting stuff done and being successful. You write down stuff you've already d...

#89: Ron Clark—10 Practical Ways to Build a Positive, Productive Team

26 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

If building a positive team at your organization feels like a uphill battle, this week's podcast is for you. Ron Clark joins Donald Miller to share te...

#88: Ryan Holiday—The Crazy Story of a Narrative War and the Conspiracy That Won It

19 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The world around us is pretty bonkers. Fortunately, that's good for us as business leaders. Behind every headline, there are so many lessons that can ...

#87: Carey Lohrenz—Three Characteristics You Need to Be a Bold Leader

12 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Why do organizations fail? For countless reasons, of course, but at the root of every business failure you'll find a leader who never gave their team ...

#86: Todd Herman—Why You're Setting Goals Wrong (and How to Fix It)

05 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

90 days from now. It's not that far away, is it? That's all the time you need to accomplish a major goal, according to Todd Herman, a performance coac...

#85: Tim Arnold—How to Embrace Tension to Be a Stronger Leader

26 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Left or right. Justice or mercy. Traditional or innovative. Logic or gut instinct. We tend to be binary thinkers. We assume things have to be one way ...

#84: Patrick Lencioni—3 Fundamentals You Need to Build a Strong Company Culture

19 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It's easy to spot weak company culture, isn't it? We've all witnessed the politics, egos, and backstabbing. That kind of toxic environment makes it ha...

#83: Rachel Hollis—5 Practical Ways to Strengthen Your Business With Social Media

12 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

So, at this point, you know you need a strong social media strategy to grow your business. But it seems like the best practices are always changing. I...

#82: Scott Hamilton—How to Live More Like a Champion

05 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When the Winter Olympics start this week, we're going to be captivated by winners. We'll get inspired by seeing years of hard work all come down to on...

#81: Ron Carson—Insider Economic Advice to Help Business Leaders Win Big

29 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

These days, our economy shifts and evolves at light speed. It can be overwhelming and intimidating just to follow along with the news. But if you lead...

#80: Bryan Miles—5 Surprising Ways a Smart Assistant Will Simplify Your Life

22 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

For your business to truly thrive, you've got to be good at delegation. You know this. But it's so hard to relinquish control of your email, your cale...

#79: Dan Heath—How to Create Powerful Moments for the People You Serve

15 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever felt like something is missing from your customers' experience? Or that you and your team are just "going through the motions?"   Sure,...

#78: Daniel Pink—How to Stop Wasting Time and Start Wielding It

08 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Do you always feel like you're short on time? Most days, it seems like there just aren't enough hours in the day to accomplish everything that matters...

#77: Miles Adcox—How to Make Fear Work for You in 2018

01 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We may hide it well, but the truth is most of us business leaders and executives suffer from the same fears that plagued us in middle school — appea...

#76: The Best of 2017, Part 2

25 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Since it's Christmas, we decided to wrap up all the practical advice from 2017 and give it to you in a single episode. Tune in to Blake Mycoskie, Chie...

#75: The Best of 2017, Part 1

18 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Get our most helpful advice from some of our favorite interviews in a single episode! As we close out the year, we've selected five big ideas from our...

#74: Jerry Linenger—How to Accomplish Your Mission Under Extreme Pressure

11 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

You don't get to meet an astronaut everyday. They're really special people who beat terrific odds (less than 1%) to get where they are. So what an ho...

#73: Whitney Johnson—How to Protect Your Company in a World of Disruption

04 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

As consumers, we admire disruptors like Netflix, Uber, and Apple. But as a business leader, disruption can cause you to lose sleep at night. You've go...

#72: Todd Duncan—5 Rules That Will Help You Attract Loyal Customers

27 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How much can poor customer service cost you? The answer is more than you think. Donald Miller sits down with Todd Duncan, author of The $6,000 Egg. A ...

#71: Tricia Rose Burt—How to Reach Your Customers with These 3 Storytelling Principles

20 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How can a professional storyteller help you grow your business? Simple. Business is about persuading people to buy your products or services. And, psy...

#70: Dorie Clark—How to Start a Business That Will Make You Money

13 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

If you've ever seriously thought about starting a business of your own, you've probably discovered how difficult it is to get good advice on how to do...

#69: Chris Hogan—4 Obstacles to a Happy Retirement and How to Overcome Them

06 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

You're going to retire someday. And we're not talking about just a few years of your life. People are living longer. More people will live to 100 than...

#68: Charles Duhigg—Increase Your Productivity and Reclaim Your Life

30 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Do you feel like no matter how hard you work, you're always behind? The worst part is you know of highly productive people who have time for everythin...

#67: Chris McChesney—The 4 Disciplines That Will Make You Win In Business

23 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Does running your business feel like you're caught in a whirlwind? That ringing phone, the unexpected appointment, the stuff piling up from last week?...

#66: Nancy Duarte—How to Crush that Upcoming Presentation

16 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

If you have an important, high-stakes presentation that needs to move people en masse in a given direction, Nancy Duarte is the person you'd call. She...

#65: Donald Miller—The Framework That Makes Marketing Easy

09 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week my new book Building a StoryBrand is out! If you've been wanting to clarify your message pick it up today at Amazon or Barnes and Noble! Tha...

#64: Al Andrews—10 Things Powerful People Can Do to Not Screw Up Their Lives

02 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Being successful isn't always what it's cracked up to be. I mean, look at the headlines. We can all name a few celebrities who crumbled under the pres...

#63: Ray Edwards—8 Magic Phrases That Will Make You Money

25 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

If you've ever tried to write sales copy for your product, then you've probably felt the intimidation of the blank page. Worse, when you've finally be...

#62: Chris Guillebeau—How to Launch a Side Hustle That Will Make You a Profit in a Month

18 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Ever thought about quitting your job to start a business of your own? Not everyone is ready to risk a secure job to launch a new enterprise. Some peop...

#61: Blake Mycoskie—The 3 Most Important Hires You Need to Make to Grow Your Business

11 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

If you had a chance to sit down with a world-renowned businessman, what would you ask? As an entrepreneur, you'd likely want him to go back to the poi...

#60: Chase Reeves—4 Steps That Will Make You a Successful Entrepreneur

04 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Do you feel like your job isn't what you should be doing? Perhaps you have a side hustle that you wish could be your main hustle? Or you have an entre...

#59: Robert Sutton—How To Deal With People Who Treat You Like Dirt

28 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Many of our favorite movies and TV shows portray jerks at work. From droning Lumbergh in Office Space, clueless Michael in The Office, to sleazy Mr. H...

#58: Craig Ross—Teams That Do Big Things Take These 7 Steps

21 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Do you and your team members suffer from DSD — Distracted, Stressed, and Disconnected?  Sure, you believe in what your team is doing. And you belie...

#57: Anthony Iannarino—Energize Your Sales Abilities With These 7 Expert Tips

14 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Are you in a sales slump? What if I told you the reason for your lagging sales isn't the fluctuating market. Neither is it your product or company. I...

#56: David Covey and Stephan Mardyks—7 Traps That Can Tank Your Success (And How to Avoid Them)

07 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Running a company can sometimes feel like a treacherous journey. A bad financial decision will cost you a ton of money. If you don't give enough atten...

#55: Seth Godin—5 Huge Paradigm Shifts that Will Change the Way You Do Marketing

31 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're honored to welcome Seth Godin to the Building a StoryBrand podcast. Unless you've been living in a cave for the last fifteen years, ...

#54: The Best of 2017 (So Far), Part 2

24 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

If you want to grow your business, of course you've got to get the everyday stuff right: product quality, customer satisfaction, marketing, personnel,...

#53: The Best of 2017 (So Far), Part 1

17 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

For these next two episodes, we've selected several excellent clips for you to revisit or catch up on what you may have missed. Summer is a time for r...

#52: David Horsager—The 8 Pillars of Trust that Will Make or Break Your Business

10 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Why does trust matter so much in business? In this episode of the Building a StoryBrand podcast, we're going to show you how to build trust in your co...

#51: Molly Fletcher—6 Strategies that Will Help You Run Your Business Fearlessly

03 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

What do elite athletes have that business leaders need? A fearless mindset. In this episode of the Building a StoryBrand podcast, Donald Miller sits d...

#50: Ken Blanchard and Claire Diaz-Ortiz—How to Create a Mutually Beneficial Mentoring Relationship

26 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How did you get to where you are now in your business? I'm sure you could list a lot of factors. But every successful business leader will always poin...