Stories With Traction

SHOW NOTES:

SUMMARY: This is part of an FAQ series featuring Michelle Griffin and Matt Zaun, who discuss personal branding and strategic storytelling.

Michelle Griffin coaches on authority-focused personal branding to help professionals step out and be seen as leaders in their space.

Matt Zaun is an award-winning speaker and strategic storytelling expert who helps leaders inspire action and drive results through the power of story. He’s the author of The StoryBank, a practical playbook for using strategic storytelling to build culture, boost sales, strengthen marketing, and become a dynamic public speaker.

5-Day Storytelling Challenge

Whether you're looking to boost sales, enhance marketing, or captivate audiences in meetings, this challenge is for you.

To sign up, go HERE.

Habits of Sales Champions Keynote.

In this episode, Matt Zaun sits down with Ian Koniak, founder and CEO of Untap Your Sales Potential, for a raw and powerful conversation about what it truly takes to succeed in business and in life when the spotlight fades.

Ian opens up about his journey from being Salesforce’s #1 enterprise account executive to hitting rock bottom in a battle with hidden addictions that nearly destroyed his family. He explains how that wake-up call, confession, and complete surrender reshaped his definition of success and fueled his mission to help other high achievers do the inner work, not just the outer hustle.

In addition, they talk about:

✅ The hidden dopamine traps that drive high performers to destructive habits.
✅ Why many top achievers secretly struggle, and how to break the cycle before you hit rock bottom.
✅ How to rewire your brain for sustainable success through a “dopamine detox” and daily disciplines.

…and so much more!

BIOS

Ian Koniak is the founder and CEO of Untap Your Sales Potential, where he helps high-performing sellers and sales leaders master their mindset, habits, and selling skills to reach new levels of income and impact, all while preserving what matters most. A former #1 enterprise account executive at Salesforce, Ian’s coaching and speaking have inspired thousands to unlock authentic, sustainable success.

Matt Zaun is an award-winning speaker and storyteller who empowers organizations to attract more clients through the art of strategic storytelling. Matt’s past engagements have driven significant sales increases for over 300 organizations, ranging from financial institutions to the health and wellness industry. 

SHOW NOTES:

SUMMARY: From overcoming personal struggles as a teen mom to leading a successful business, Tami Cole has built a career defined by resilience, determination, and leadership.

In this episode, Tami shares her inspiring journey from adversity to entrepreneurship, offering powerful lessons on:

✅ Navigating the challenges of single motherhood while building a career
✅ Transitioning from IT consulting to business ownership with docstrats
✅ Overcoming imposter syndrome and leading with authenticity
✅ Balancing high achievement with steady consistency
✅ The power of vulnerability, transparency, and self-leadership

Tami’s story is a testament to grit, growth, and the courage to take risks. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a leader, or someone looking for inspiration, this episode is packed with real-world insights you can apply to your own journey.

TAMI COLE: Tami is the President and CEO of docstrats.

MATT ZAUN: Matt is an award-winning speaker and storyteller who empowers organizations to attract more clients through the art of strategic storytelling. Matt’s past engagements have catalyzed radical sales increases for over 300 organizations, ranging from financial institutions to the health and wellness industry.

SHOW NOTES

Wanna…

✅ Boost your Sales?
✅ Enhance your Marketing?
✅ Create a vibrant company culture?

All of that is possible through the power of Strategic Storytelling!

Check out the Stories With Traction course, where you’ll learn how to build a StoryBank and strategically utilize stories to achieve your goals.

You can find the course HERE.

PODCAST SUMMARY

In this powerful episode of Stories With Traction, Matt Zaun sits down with former NFL athlete turned entrepreneur and transformational speaker Jacob Brown for a raw conversation about failure, identity, resilience, and rebuilding your life after everything falls apart.

Jacob shares his journey from growing up in a small Michigan town to achieving his dream of making it to the NFL, only to have that dream suddenly ripped away after being cut by the Oakland Raiders.

But the football setback was only the beginning.

Together, Matt and Jacob discuss what it truly means to “Fail Forward” using adversity as fuel rather than shame and why some of the darkest moments in life can become catalysts for the greatest transformation.

ABOUT JACOB BROWN

Jacob Brown is a former NFL athlete, entrepreneur, transformational speaker, and writer who helps leaders turn adversity into growth and lead with authenticity.

After being cut from the Oakland Raiders and later enduring divorce, alcoholism, homelessness, and personal loss, Jacob rebuilt his life through what he now calls the “Fail Forward” mindset, using failure as fuel instead of allowing it to become shame.

Today, Jacob teaches leaders how to Lead From the Core™ through storytelling, resilience, and his A.V.O.C.A.D.O. Leadership™ framework.

Over the past decade, he has shared his message with thousands on stages around the world and millions online, helping people push past fear, rediscover purpose, and build lives worth celebrating.

ABOUT MATT ZAUN

Matt Zaun is an award-winning speaker and storyteller who empowers organizations to attract more clients through the art of strategic storytelling.

His workshops have helped more than 300 organizations improve sales, leadership communication, marketing, and company culture through intentional storytelling strategies.

Matt works with executives, sales professionals, and entrepreneurs to help them become more persuasive, memorable, and influential through the power of story.

SHOW NOTES

Want to boost your sales…without feeling pushy, stressed, or burned out?

What if one of the most overlooked sales skills had nothing to do with scripts, pressure, or manipulation…

…and everything to do with mindfulness?

PODCAST SUMMARY

In this episode of Stories With Traction, Matt Zaun sits down with author and mindfulness expert Joy Rains to discuss her book Ignite Your Sales Power and the surprising connection between mindfulness, emotional awareness, and sales success.

Drawing from decades of experience in B2B sales and meditation practice, Joy explains how mindfulness can help sales professionals become more present, more empathetic, and more effective communicators, ultimately leading to stronger relationships, clearer thinking, and greater business growth.

Joy also shares her personal journey from feeling overwhelmed and mentally exhausted during her sales career to discovering meditation and mindfulness practices that transformed not only her stress levels but her entire approach to business and life.

ABOUT JOY RAINS

Joy Rains is the author of Ignite Your Sales Power and Meditation Illuminated, where she helps readers cultivate mindfulness, emotional awareness, and practical strategies for both personal well-being and professional growth.

After years of working in B2B technology and advertising sales, Joy turned to meditation and mindfulness to help manage stress and mental overload. What began as a simple effort to quiet her mind evolved into a decades-long exploration of mindfulness practices and contemplative leadership.

Today, Joy teaches approachable, practical mindfulness techniques designed specifically for everyday life, especially for professionals seeking more clarity, focus, and balance.

She has presented mindfulness programs in a variety of settings, including the INBOUND Conference in Boston, and continues helping people integrate mindfulness into leadership, communication, and sales performance.


EPISODES MENTIONED DURING THE CONVERSATION

Six-Figure Sales Secrets
Company Culture: Definition, Benefits, and Strategies

ABOUT MATT ZAUN

Matt Zaun is an award-winning speaker and storyteller who empowers organizations to attract more clients through the art of strategic storytelling.

His workshops have helped more than 300 organizations improve sales, marketing, leadership communication, and company culture through intentional storytelling strategies.

Matt works with executives, sales professionals, and entrepreneurs to help them become more persuasive, memorable, and influential through the power of story.

Wanna…

Boost your Sales?
Enhance your Marketing?
and create a vibrant company culture?

All of that is possible through the power of Strategic Storytelling!

Check out the Stories With Traction course, where you’ll learn how to set up a "Storybank" and utilize it to achieve your goals!

You can find the course HERE.

SHOW NOTES:

Want to improve communication inside your organization?

Struggling with…

✅ Generational tension in the workplace?
✅ Miscommunication between leaders and younger employees?
✅ Retaining top talent across different age groups?

This episode is for you.

PODCAST SUMMARY

In this episode of Stories With Traction, Matt Zaun sits down with generational strategist Dr. Katherine Jeffery for a fascinating conversation about how leaders can better understand, communicate with, and lead across generations in today’s workplace.

With five generations now working side by side, organizations are facing challenges unlike anything we’ve seen before. Expectations around leadership, communication, loyalty, work-life balance, feedback, and collaboration are rapidly shifting, and many leaders are struggling to keep up.

Dr. Jeffery explains why generational misunderstandings often create friction, confusion, and talent loss inside organizations… and how leaders can bridge those gaps without relying on stereotypes.

Drawing on her research, counseling background, leadership experience, and the GenShift™ framework, Katherine shares practical ways organizations can build stronger trust, healthier communication, and more connected teams across generational lines.

ABOUT DR. KATHERINE JEFFERY

Dr. Katherine Jeffery is a generational strategist and creator of the GenShift™ framework, which helps organizations navigate the complexities of having multiple generations working side by side.

Her work focuses on helping executives, HR leaders, and teams improve communication, strengthen trust, and create healthier workplace cultures through practical, research-backed strategies.

Katherine’s journey began with working with at-risk youth in wilderness programs, then earned her Master’s in Counseling from Clemson University, and later completed doctoral research focused on Millennial leadership values.

Today, she helps organizations better understand the evolving expectations around leadership, collaboration, and workplace culture across generations.

ABOUT MATT ZAUN

Matt Zaun is an award-winning speaker and storyteller who helps organizations attract more clients and strengthen company culture through the art of strategic storytelling.

His workshops have helped more than 300 organizations improve sales, communication, leadership, and marketing through intentional storytelling strategies.

Matt works with executives, sales teams, and entrepreneurs to help them become more persuasive, memorable, and influential in the marketplace.

PODCAST SUMMARY

In this episode of Stories With Traction, Matt Zaun sits down with lead generation expert and former journalist Katie Wagner for a powerful conversation about the future of marketing, the growing “crisis of trust” online, and why authentic human connection is becoming the most valuable currency in business.

Katie explains why traditional inbound marketing is no longer producing the same results, how AI is reshaping consumer behavior, and why businesses must shift toward relationship-driven strategies like “nearbound marketing” to stand out in an overcrowded digital world.

ABOUT KATIE WAGNER

Katie Wagner is a lead generation strategist, agency owner, and former television journalist with more than 16 years of experience in digital marketing.

She specializes in helping businesses develop ROI-driven marketing strategies that drive real revenue through modern lead-generation systems, strategic partnerships, and authentic brand positioning.

ABOUT MATT ZAUN

Matt Zaun is an award-winning speaker and storyteller who helps organizations attract more clients through the art of strategic storytelling.

His workshops have helped more than 300 organizations improve sales, marketing, leadership communication, and company culture through intentional storytelling strategies.

SHOW NOTES:

In this episode, Matt Zaun sits down with Jody Grunden to unpack the financial habits, mindset shifts, and forecasting principles that help entrepreneurs build healthier, more scalable businesses. Jody shares his journey from reluctant entrepreneur to building and selling a highly successful virtual CFO firm, along with the lessons he learned the hard way about cash flow, pricing, risk, and growth.

They discuss why so many business owners misunderstand cash, when debt is helpful versus harmful, how AI can support financial decision-making without replacing human oversight, and why every entrepreneur needs a real forecast instead of just a budget. Jody also opens up about the gritty early years of entrepreneurship, bootstrapping with credit cards, learning to price properly, and discovering the kind of business he actually wanted to build.

SHOW NOTES:

In this episode, Matt Zaun sits down with Jen Moss, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder of JAR Podcast Solutions, to unpack what makes a podcast truly effective.

Jen shares why podcasting is far more than “just hitting record,” and explains the strategic thinking, creative discipline, and authentic storytelling required to create a show that actually connects.

They discuss podcast strategy, audience attention, narrative podcasting, AI’s role in content creation, why authenticity still wins, and how constraints and deadlines can actually fuel better creativity. 

Jen also shares her own creative journey from theater and journalism to radio, film, and podcasting, and why she believes process matters just as much as polish.

SHOW NOTES:

In this episode of Stories With Traction, Matt Zaun sits down with Randy Lyman for a powerful conversation about emotional awareness, leadership, vulnerability, and personal growth.

Randy shares how unresolved emotions can quietly shape our decision-making, relationships, and leadership style, and why true strength comes not from suppressing emotions, but from learning how to understand and work through them. He explains how fear, anger, shame, and past pain often surface in business settings, and how greater awareness can help leaders respond with greater clarity, calm, and confidence.

Matt and Randy also discuss vulnerability in leadership, the difference between manipulation and inspiration, the role empathy plays in building trust, and how personal pain can deepen our ability to connect with others. Randy opens up about his journey from being bullied as a young teen to building businesses in the automotive industry, and eventually discovering the emotional work that transformed both his life and leadership.

This episode is filled with practical wisdom for leaders who want to become more grounded, self-aware, and effective not just in business, but in life.

RANDY BIO:

Randy Lyman helps leaders find greater clarity, calm, confidence, and success by helping them better understand themselves and the emotional patterns that shape their lives and leadership.

With a background in physics and business, along with decades of entrepreneurial experience, Randy brings a unique perspective to personal growth and leadership development. He blends logic, emotional awareness, and real-life experience to help people identify their strengths, work through internal obstacles, and build a better life for themselves and their families.

Randy is also the author of The Third Element, in which he explores the connection among thoughts, actions, and emotions and how understanding all three can transform every area of life.

MATT BIO:

Matt Zaun is an award-winning speaker, storyteller, and strategic communication advisor who helps leaders and organizations use storytelling to build trust, inspire action, and create stronger connections.

Through keynote speaking, workshops, consulting, and his podcast Stories With Traction, Matt equips executives, sales teams, and leaders with practical ways to communicate more effectively and more memorably.