A prospect just told you your rate is too high. Now what?

In episode 10, Annie Figenshu and Tyler Pigott answer a question from the Ask the SB Community about pricing a first proposal, and the answer is not "discount it." They cover why you should never eat your own travel costs, how to trade value for value instead of cutting your number, why three options beat one, and the reason you should deliver proposals live whenever you can. Annie also shares the out-loud practice drill that makes saying a bigger number feel normal.

Then Tyler breaks down the StoryBrand Messaging Canvas: the Four Rules of Messaging, how the free download, the web training, and the mini guide fit together, and why the Canvas functions like an order form that shows a CEO exactly what they're paying for.

Plus a success of the week from a Guide who cut a 40-hour build down to six.

The StoryBrand Guide Podcast is the only show made for StoryBrand Certified Guides, so you can get the most out of your certification. New episodes every other Wednesday.

A lot has changed since January, and even more is on the way. In this episode, Annie and Tyler host the unofficial mid-year kickoff call for StoryBrand Certified Guides, breaking down everything that's launched in the first half of 2026 and everything coming in the second half.

Have a question for a future episode? Drop it in the Ask the SB Community thread in Circle.

Most guides have the StoryBrand keynote decks sitting in their resources folder and never use them. In this episode, we talk with two Certified Guides who turned the Soundbite keynote into a repeatable lead generation engine.

Kristen Madeja delivers hers online every month with six months of events booked in advance. Sloan Milliken runs his in person about ten times a year and uses it to open new sales conversations. They share how they fill the room, what audiences respond to, whether you can charge for it, and the mindset shift that changed everything: sell people on you, not just the framework.

Plus, we answer a question of the week on sharing Story Brand in short, simple soundbites on social. If you want a marketing play you actually enjoy running, this one is for you.

What if the thing you're most afraid of in your marketing business is actually the thing that would set you free?

In this solo episode, Tyler sits down with Brian Sooy, a creative agency leader with over 40 years in the field, to unpack one of the biggest tensions marketers wrestle with: the fear of focus. Brian shares his winding journey from an 18-year-old delivery driver at a print shop to running his own agency for 30+ years, and finally landing on a clear, confident niche in the home services space.

Together, Tyler and Brian break down what real positioning looks like, why your point of view has to come first, and how niching down doesn't limit your opportunity, it multiplies it. If you've ever felt like you're trying to be all things to all people, this one's for you.

In this episode:

• Why marketers fear focus, and how to get past it
• The three pillars of great positioning: audience, problem, and point of view
• Why your point of view is the scariest (and most powerful) place to start
• How "focus is the ruthless elimination of distraction" changes everything
• The shift from fluid to crystallized intelligence, and why your best work might be ahead of you
• Why being an expert is really just being a guide

Plus, Brian gives us a preview of what David C. Baker will bring to the StoryBrand Guide Retreat this October in Nashville.

Want to be in the room? Check the show notes for the link to join us October 26-28 in Nashville.

What if one resource could help you close bigger deals with more confidence? In this episode, Tyler and Annie break down the $100,000 Pitch Deck. You'll learn what it is, where to find it inside Circle, and why it belongs in every Guide's tool belt.

Then we're joined by StoryBrand Certified Guide Josh Hull, who shares how he used the Pitch Deck to reposition his business and turn it into $100k in new revenue across four deals. Josh walks through the "meta moment" that closes clients, why nailing the problem slide changes everything, and the mindset that got him to stop waiting for perfect and start winning.

Plus, our Question of the Week tackles a big one. When should you lean into a niche, and when should you keep your positioning broad?

If there's a fellow Guide who needs to hear this, share it with them. Keep showing the world what great Guides can do.

What if one simple link could cover your certification fee for the year? In this episode, Annie and Tyler break down the StoryBrand Soundbite Strategy course affiliate opportunity, the "mailbox money" every certified Guide already has access to, including the 97% commission on the $499 course and the done-for-you marketing kit waiting in your Resources section.

But this isn't just about the link. The team digs into a question Guides keep asking: how do the new PEACE soundbites actually fit with the StoryBrand framework and the brand script? Tyler and Annie unpack why the SB7 framework is your strategic blueprint, why the soundbites are your tactical toolkit, and how combining the two makes you "strategical" with every client.

You'll hear practical, real-world ways Guides are using the Soundbite course right now — baking it into offers, prepping clients before the first meeting, building a good-better-best pricing menu, and following up with buyers to open the door to bigger messaging work. Plus, the answer to this week's question from Preston on dovetailing the framework and the soundbites.

If you've ever wondered "why would I sell this for StoryBrand?" — this one's for you.

🎧 Have a question you want answered on the show? Drop it in the Circle community or in the show notes.

You have powerful resources through your StoryBrand Certification, but turning them into revenue and warm leads is not always clear, so they sit unused. We get it.

In this episode, Annie Figenshu and Tyler Pigott show you how the StoryBrand Your Business Live workshop becomes the easiest link you will ever share to earn income and warm up a prospect at the same time. You will learn how the 10 percent affiliate commission works, a creative "watch it together" way to use the Soundbite course as a client on-ramp, and how to apply to coach in the room. Walk away ready to turn an underused certification perk into warm leads, recurring affiliate income, and easier sales conversations.

Is brand messaging enough on its own, or do you need to bolt on web design, graphic design, and analytics to compete? In this episode, Tyler and Annie tackle a question from a guide named Jess about how to position yourself when other consultants offer more services — and why becoming the expert beats being a generalist, especially as AI squeezes the middle of the market.

Then they dig into how to get the most out of conference speakers, whether you're headed to the StoryBrand Guide Retreat this October or any big event. Annie shares the three layers she listens for from stage, and Tyler unpacks the thinking behind this year's "Build It to Last" theme and speakers like David C. Baker.

Got a question for the show? Drop it in Circle and tag Tyler or Annie, or use #StoryBrandGuidePodcast. We're listening.

Should you go to the StoryBrand Guide Retreat? In the very first episode of the StoryBrand Guide Podcast, Tyler Pigott and Annie Figenshu pull back the curtain on a question buzzing through the community right now: is the investment actually worth it?

They sit down with two Certified Guides who answer with hard numbers. Andy Rhodenbaugh walks through how a little intentionality...checking his CRM, knowing who'd be in the room, and reconnecting on a conversation that started over a virtual coffee...turned into a $4,000 website project, another $3,500 from a referral, and $700/month in recurring revenue. Brandyn Miller shares how he 5X'd his investment, the "two-wheel therapy" that helped him think, and the $1,000 one-hour offer he built from a single session takeaway.

Plus, a listener question from Heidi: how do you sell StoryBrand when most people don't even realize they need messaging help? The crew breaks down asking better questions, leading with what clients actually care about, and "Trojan-horsing" clarity into the work.

Welcome to the StoryBrand Guide Podcast...a brand new show by Guides, for Guides. In this kickoff episode, Tyler Pigott and Annie Figenshu introduce what's coming: real conversations with real Guides about what's actually working in their businesses, how they're using StoryBrand resources like the Soundbite Strategy, and how to turn the community's collective wisdom into your competitive edge. Plus, the bold goal driving the whole show: helping every Guide make their renewal fee back in a single week. Subscribe, listen in, and get ready to sharpen your craft alongside the best messaging experts in the world.