Why They Resonate

There are 2 books I recommend most often to others who say they want to be a stronger storyteller: one is from a world-famous legend, and the other is from our guest today. It's Jessica Abel, author of Out on the Wire: The Storytelling Secrets of the New Masters of Radio. This exceptional book just celebrated its ten-year anniversary.

This book takes you inside the storytelling processes of the makers of This American Life, Serial, Radiolab, The Moth, Planet Money, and Snap Judgment, and the two voices taking you through the book (in cartoon narrator forms) are Jessica and ... Ira Glass!

Today, Jessica operates under the brand the Autonomous Creative, where she offers coaching and education to creative entrepreneurs who need stronger business fundamentals (but delivered in a way appealing to creative minds).

In this episode, we talk about:

• Rejecting the great lie creatives are told their whole lives, which only hurt your entrepreneurial endeavors 
• The tension between creating art, creating a revenue engine, and the relationship between them
• What Jessica really endured (and how it broke her) to create my all-time favorite book about storytelling.

Learn more about Jessica on her website or LinkedIn, and be sure to get your copy of Out on the Wire.

MY MESSAGE TO YOU:

• Don't market more. Matter more. (<-- what we want, i.e. our new focus)
• Think resonance over reach. (<-- what we need, i.e. my premise)
• Don't be the best. Be their favorite. (<-- what we hope, i.e. the best case outcome)

That's called "laddering down your message," and it's something I help clients do as part of my 1:1 advisory process. I help experts differentiate and resonate by first developing your premise (the big idea you own and core concept informing your platform), then turning your premise into a whole platform of impact: the stories, speeches, and signature projects and pieces you can use to turn your expertise into messaging that moves the market, everywhere you show up.

Compete on the impact of your thinking, not the volume of your marketing. You’ve done lots of things. Now it’s time to [be] a thing. It's time to stop chasing attention and become the one others seek.

***

ABOUT ME, JAY ACUNZO:

• Subscribe to my free newsletter at jayacunzo.com/newsletter
• Work with me one-on-one: jayacunzo.com/services
• Book me to speak to your group: jayacunzo.com/keynotes
• Connect with me on social: LinkedIn, Instagram

***

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Thanks for listening!

Advice from experts feels like it's getting aggressive. This is why, and also what we can do to show up better.

Happily, this is the difference between constantly pushing and hyping and, instead, actually communicating in ways that get a positive, passionate response despite the noise.

MY MESSAGE TO YOU:

• Don't market more. Matter more. (<-- what we want, i.e. our new focus)
• Think resonance over reach. (<-- what we need, i.e. my premise)
• Don't be the best. Be their favorite. (<-- what we hope, i.e. the best case outcome)

That's called "laddering down your message," and it's something I help clients do as part of my 1:1 advisory process. I help experts differentiate and resonate by first developing your premise (the big idea you own and core concept informing your platform), then turning your premise into a whole platform of impact: the stories, speeches, and signature projects and pieces you can use to turn your expertise into messaging that moves the market, everywhere you show up.

Compete on the impact of your thinking, not the volume of your marketing. You’ve done lots of things. Now it’s time to [be] a thing. It's time to stop chasing attention and become the one others seek.

***

ABOUT ME, JAY ACUNZO:

• Subscribe to my free newsletter at jayacunzo.com/newsletter
• Work with me one-on-one: jayacunzo.com/services
• Book me to speak to your group: jayacunzo.com/keynotes
• Connect with me on social: LinkedIn, Instagram

***

ENJOY THE SHOW? PLEASE SAY THANKS!

Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 

Leave a rating on Spotify 

Thanks for listening!

We're presented with a lot of false choices in our work: Quantity or quality? Revenue or social impact? Sweet or savory? But few false choices are more worth challenging than this: Are you more emotional storyteller or data-driven communicator?

Our guest today is the perfect person to challenge this assumption. It's Tom Webster!

Tom is a legend in the podcast space. He’s a partner at Sounds Profitable, an organization which researches and seeks to grow the audio business. For nearly three decades, Tom’s insights and advice have helped steer this entire industry forward, and he’s led hundreds of audience research projects for organizations spanning six continents and shows ranging from Howard Stern to All Things Considered.

Tom's book is called The Audience Is Listening: A Little Guide to Building a Big Podcast, and just before this episode, Tom and Sounds Profitable won an award for Best Data Storytelling from the Content Marketing Institute.

It's only fitting that he shares with us in this episode how to tell the stories of numbers, as well as the 3 traits to a podcast or any project capable of finding passionate fans.

ABOUT ME, JAY ACUNZO:

• Subscribe to my free newsletter at jayacunzo.com/newsletter
• Work with me one-on-one: jayacunzo.com/services
• Book me to speak to your group: jayacunzo.com/keynotes
• Connect with me on social: LinkedIn, Instagram

I help experts differentiate and resonate. Together, I work with you to develop a distinct and memorable premise driving your platform, turn that big idea into signature IP you own, and help you embody it as a speaker and storyteller. Compete on the impact of your thinking, not the volume of your marketing. This makes it easier to win more and better clients.

You’ve done lots of things. Now it’s time to [be] a thing. Stop chasing attention and become more highly sought.

***

TO RATE AND REVIEW THE SHOW:

Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 

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What ideas haunt you? What can't you stop thinking about, you care about it that much? As public voices and experts, we all have those ideas that chase us around and color how we see everything. The thing is, our audience might not "get it" the way we do, nor care. So we have to work overtime to show them why they would. This in turn creates a sense of urgency in the audience: to care, share, subscribe, buy, or take action of some kind.

That kind of urgency is the role of the story we’ll hear today for my friend, Mark Schaefer. It's a story from his keynotes and his new book, AUDACIOUS: How Humans Win in an AI Marketing World

Mark is a globally-touring keynote speaker and the author of more than 10 books on marketing, technology, and business growth. He’s worked with clients like Adidas, Johnson & Johnson, and Dell, and has appeared on CNN and in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. In addition to his speaking and services, Mark is also faculty member of the graduate program at Rutgers University, and hosts the popular podcast The Marketing Companion—where I appear as co-host every few months!

Today we talk about how to tell stories that show others something important you already see, so they care. Plus, signs you’ve rehearsed your speech enough to nail it and communication tripwires which can cause the audience to object to your ideas (and how to avoid them).

This is a fun one, with my friend, Mark Schaefer.

Find and follow Mark at businessesgrow.com and on LinkedIn. Get a copy of AUDACIOUS at businessesgrow.com/audacious

***

ABOUT ME, JAY ACUNZO:

• Subscribe to my free newsletter at jayacunzo.com/newsletter
• Work with me one-on-one: jayacunzo.com/services
• Book me to speak to your group: jayacunzo.com/keynotes
• Connect with me on social: LinkedIn, Instagram

I help experts differentiate and resonate. Together, I work with you to develop a distinct and memorable premise driving your platform, turn that big idea into signature IP you own, and help you embody it as a speaker and storyteller. Compete on the impact of your thinking, not the volume of your marketing. This makes it easier to win more and better clients.

You’ve done lots of things. Now it’s time to [be] a thing. Stop chasing attention and become more highly sought.

***

TO RATE AND REVIEW THE SHOW:

Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 

Leave a rating on Spotify 

Thanks for listening!

Today, experts, consultants, and others who share advice content and thought leadership concepts need to embrace a tough truth. Our guest is the perfect person to help me deliver it. 

Erin Halper is the founder of the community business for independent consultants, The Upside. In our episode, we talk about vulnerability in storytelling and how to navigate it well, and we look at a signature story of hers that she uses everywhere but which she debated NOT using for a long time. You'll hear why, and you'll walk away with some ideas to apply to your own communication to have a greater impact. 

As Erin says, everyone has a version of the story she tells, even though all the details are different. And that's why it's so effective. Understanding that one concept can transform how deeply you resonate wherever you show up to write or speak.

Find and follow Erin at betheupside.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.

***

ABOUT MY WORK:

Don’t market more. Matter more.

I help experts resonate deeper. I work with you 1:1 as your peer-level advisor, coach, and strategist on your public speaking, messaging, storytelling, and thought leadership.

You’ve done lots of things. Now it’s time to [be] a thing. 

Sharing scattered thinking → Exploring a big idea

"Wall of smarts" talks → Unforgettable speeches

Constantly chasing attention → Being highly sought

• Subscribe to my free newsletter at jayacunzo.com/newsletter
• Work with me one-on-one: jayacunzo.com/services
• Book me to speak to your group: jayacunzo.com/keynotes
• Connect with me on social: LinkedIn, Instagram

***

TO RATE AND REVIEW THE SHOW:

Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 

Leave a rating on Spotify 

Looking back on my own career as a speaker, storyteller, and communicator across projects and mediums, I realize: every time I developed a signature story capable of resonating with others, I went through the same process. It wasn't intentional, but it worked. Today, I want to codify that process into a more conscious process you can follow. I'm calling it Six-Way Stories:

1. Make a messy draft.
2. Find the 4 building blocks of the story.
3. Build up the story from the building blocks.
4. Arrive at an insight using a particular phrase.
5. Tell it again, but shorter.
6. Tell it again, but arriving at a different insight.

The goal isn't to "learn story." The goal is to become a storyteller. This process can help you get to work with clarity and confidence.

***

ABOUT MY WORK:

Don’t market more. Matter more.

When your expertise sounds like everyone else’s, you’re forced to compete on price instead of value. I help established experts transform scattered thinking into a distinctive premise, signature stories, and unforgettable speeches. Stop creating "content." Create IP that makes you the obvious choice. Let’s make your ideas clear, repeatable, powerful, yours.

You’ve done lots of things. Now it’s time to [be] a thing. Move from:

Sharing scattered thinking → Exploring a big idea

"Wall of smarts" talks → Unforgettable speeches

Constantly chasing attention → Being highly sought

[What you know] matters. But [what you say] + [how you say it] determine whether [they care.]

• Subscribe to my free newsletter at jayacunzo.com/newsletter
• Work with me one-on-one: jayacunzo.com/services
• Book me to speak to your group: jayacunzo.com/keynotes
• Connect with me on social: LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads

***

TO RATE AND REVIEW THE SHOW:

Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 

Leave a rating on Spotify 

How to resonate with better clients and buyers—people with experience and taste who hire you for everything that makes you unique. 

This is different than almost everything the owners of search engines, social networks, and AI tools have taught us. So we first need to unlearn a lot of what's popular on the internet today.

***

ABOUT ME, JAY ACUNZO:
Strategic Storytelling & Speaking Advisor to Experienced Pros

I help my clients package and communicate their expertise to differentiate & resonate as stronger stories, speeches, and messaging, so it’s easier to attract more and better clients. Go from constantly chasing business to being highly sought, relying more on the influence of your ideas and less on the volume of your marketing.

Subscribe to my free newsletter at jayacunzo.com

Work with me one-on-one to fix your message or nail your next speech: jayacunzo.com/services

Book me to speak to your group: jayacunzo.com/keynotes

Connect with me on social: LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads

***

TO RATE AND REVIEW THE SHOW:

Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 

Leave a rating on Spotify 

Steve Pratt has spent a lifetime earning attention, from his time working for "the MTV of Canada" (Much Music) and as the co-creator of the most popular podcast in Canada, then as the cofounder of Pacific Content, which created podcasts for DELL, Charles Schwab, Zendesk, Slack, Atlassian and more.

Steve is a past client of mine, as I helped him develop his keynote speech associated with his book, Earn It: Unconventional Strategies for Brave Marketers. When he's not traveling the world speaking, Steve is consulting his clients on how to differentiate through their creative bravery.

In this episode, we dissect one of his Steve's signature stories, and we actively workshop it to flow better. It's a rare look inside the craft of how a great story comes together, and all the parts and pieces that make it gripping, surprising, and relevant to a message.

Follow Steve on LinkedIn and visit his website for more.

***

ABOUT ME, JAY ACUNZO:
Strategic Storytelling & Speaking Advisor to Experienced Pros

I help my clients package and communicate their expertise to differentiate & resonate as stronger stories, speeches, and messaging, so it’s easier to attract more and better clients. Go from constantly chasing business to being highly sought, relying more on the influence of your ideas and less on the volume of your marketing.

Subscribe to my free newsletter at jayacunzo.com

Work with me one-on-one to fix your message or nail your next speech: jayacunzo.com/services

Book me to speak to your group: jayacunzo.com/keynotes

Connect with me on social: LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads

***

ENJOY THE SHOW? PLEASE SAY THANKS:

Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 

Leave a rating on Spotify 

I know a ton of storytellers and creators and entrepreneurs, but I know exactly zero other people who have learned how to do what they do from both legendary news broadcasters and Kermit the Frog.

Meet Andrew Davis. He is a powerhouse business speaker who’s given speeches in 35 different countries, at more than 50 events every year. He speaks to audiences ranging from marketers and entrepreneurs to plumbers and physicians — and there may not be a storyteller who is this craft-driven and obsessed with telling amazing stories in the worlds of business, marketing, and customer experience.

As an entrepreneur, Andrew has built and sold a marketing agency, produced docuseries for brand clients big and small, and authored multiple books about marketing and customer experience.

In this episode, we dissect one of his signature stories. It's been with him for almost ten years, and he can customize it across audiences and projects to arrive at basically any insight he needs to teach. It’s a rare look at how a true master of the craft executes the tiny things that create a big impact both for his audience and his business.

Follow Andrew on LinkedIn

Explore his speaking, books, and other projects.

***

ABOUT ME, JAY ACUNZO:

I help my clients package and communicate their expertise to differentiate & resonate, so it’s easier to attract more and better clients. Through stronger messaging, speaking, and storytelling, you’ll build your business on the impact of your ideas, not the volume of your marketing.

Go from constantly chasing business to being highly sought, relying more on the influence of your ideas and less on the volume of your marketing.

Subscribe to my free newsletter at jayacunzo.com

Work with me one-on-one to fix your message or nail your next speech: jayacunzo.com/services

Book me to speak to your group: jayacunzo.com/keynotes

Connect with me on social: LinkedIn, Instagram, Bluesky

***

ENJOY THE SHOW? PLEASE SAY THANKS:

Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 

Leave a rating on Spotify 

There's a big difference between people hearing your words and understanding you. There's an even bigger gap between understanding and caring. How can we communicate in ways that ensure others care about our ideas, our messages, our businesses?
 
In this solo episode, a look at two moments involving two very different communicators: Roy Kent, the character from Ted Lasso, and author and speaker Seth Godin.

We'll dissect both moments and make sense of what they do differently. It's a stark reminder that communicating in ways that resonate is available to us all, if only we'd meet those moments and make a simple switch compared to our natural tendencies.

I loved putting this episode together for you! Please enjoy.

***

ABOUT ME, JAY ACUNZO:

I help my clients package and communicate their expertise to differentiate & resonate, so it’s easier to attract more and better clients. Through stronger messaging, speaking, and storytelling, you’ll build your business on the impact of your ideas, not the volume of your marketing.

Go from constantly chasing business to being highly sought, relying more on the influence of your ideas and less on the volume of your marketing.

Subscribe to my free newsletter at jayacunzo.com

Work with me one-on-one to fix your message or nail your next speech: jayacunzo.com/services

Book me to speak to your group: jayacunzo.com/keynotes

Connect with me on social: LinkedIn, Instagram, Bluesky

***

ENJOY THE SHOW? PLEASE SAY THANKS:

Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 

Leave a rating on Spotify