I took my 11-year-old son on a trip to the White House, inspired by one of his school projects. 
 
When he kept talking about the building, I thought, "Why just talk about it? Let's go see it!" His reaction? "Are you serious, Dad?" You bet I was!
 
Years ago, my father taught me that to truly understa...

So far, I've been to...
 
-George Washington 
-Thomas Jefferson
-James Buchanan
-Abraham Lincoln 
-Rutherford B. Hayes
-James Garfield
-Grover Cleveland
-William McKinley
-Woodrow Wilson
-Warren G. Harding
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Richard Nixon
-Jimmy Carter
-Ronald Reagan
-George H. W. Bush
-Geor...

My son Elliot and I visited the Liberty Bell, one of the most iconic symbols of American independence and freedom. 🛎️
 
5 insights about the bell…
 
1) Inscription: It bears the inscription from Leviticus 25:10: "Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof." This inscript...

I grew up close to Route 1. Since I was a kid, I told myself that one day, I'd drive all the way to the end of that road.
 
For me, it was symbolic...starting and then finishing a journey.
 
Well, I got my chance. I was asked to speak at a retreat in the Florida Keys.
 
I flew into Miami and drove the w...

On June 29, 2007 (18 years ago today), Apple launched the first iPhone.
 
This caused a generational addiction.
 
Millennials
Gen-Xers
Baby boomers
 
...all addicted to a device in the palm of their hands.
 
The invention ripped people’s attention spans from the frame.
 
Because of this, people need to tell s...

For Richard Branson…everything.
 
The founder of Virgin Group (a business empire with hundreds of companies) routinely gathers his executives, not just to crunch numbers, but to tell stories.
 
Branson once said:
“Telling a story is one of the best ways we have of coming up with new ideas.”
 
He’s taken ...

...was taken with my cell phone. Yes, I stopped to take it all in. 
 
I love speaking in the Seattle area!

P.S. This is not AI, and no image filter was used. It's just that beautiful! 
 
P.P.S. Speaking of speaking, if your organization is interested in learning strategies for inspiring your team and p...

Here's the brutal truth that I learned...

➡️ None of these posts led to new business 

➡️ These posts sucked up way too much of my time

➡️ Some of these posts did not contribute to my mission

Today, I have zero desire to go viral.

Playing the “likes and engagement” game is a slippery slope.

I...

He gave Bob Iger an out.

Minutes before Disney’s $7.4 billion acquisition of Pixar was about to go public, Steve pointed to Bob and said:
“Can we go for a walk?”

Bob’s first thought?
“He’s backing out. He wants more money. This is bad.”

But as they sat down on a bench, Jobs placed his arm on the backrest...

...to inspire those around you instead!
 
Here are some thoughts to help you motivate others to buy into your ideas:
 
𝟭. 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆.
 
You do NOT need to make up situations and lie to communicate persuasively. By being authentic and real with people, you’re putting yourself in a positio...

They have a story awareness problem.

It’s not that you don’t have stories to tell.

It’s that you’re not catching them while they’re happening.

Comedians like Jerry Seinfeld walk through life asking,
👉 “Where’s the funny in this?”

Great leaders should ask,
👉 “Where’s the story in this?”

-That awkward Zoom...

...I've always wanted to go to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
 
I told myself, if I ever get to the Cleveland area, I'm going to the museum. 
 
This year, I had the opportunity to conduct four strategic storytelling sessions for business leaders in "The Land." 
 
So you know where I went...

Imagine encountering someone whose charisma is so potent that you are eager to follow their suggestions. There exist individuals whose persuasive abilities are so formidable that they can inspire action in just about anyone. Now, picture yourself wielding this same power. Envision a scenario where...

Those words hit like a punch to the gut.
Because they were true.
 
For the first 4 years of my oldest son’s life…
I neglected him.
Not intentionally. I wasn’t cruel.
I was just busy. Focused. Obsessed with growth, with metrics, with winning in business.
 
The sad part?
I don’t remember much of those early ye...

SHOW NOTES:

In this episode, Matt Zaun sits down with David Frederiksen, Petra Coach and founder of PatientFocus, to discuss the often-overlooked struggles business leaders face when transitioning from doing the work to leading the team. David shares lessons from launching a company that chang...

This year of podcasting has been incredible so far! Excited for you to hear what’s to come in the months ahead, but in the meantime, check out some of the highlights:
 
Launch, Grow, Thrive with  John H. Wilson, PhD 
How to be Great at Public Speaking with  Matthew Scura
The Secret to Strategic Storyt...

So far, I've been to:
 
-George Washington 
-Thomas Jefferson
-James Buchanan
-Abraham Lincoln 
-Rutherford B. Hayes
-James Garfield
-Grover Cleveland
-William McKinley
-Woodrow Wilson
-Warren G. Harding
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Richard Nixon
-Jimmy Carter
-Ronald Reagan
-George H. W. Bush
-George...

...I aimed to study the most innovative companies, not just what they built, but how they built it.
 
One company that fascinates me more than most?
Pixar.
 
The animation studio behind Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Up, Inside Out, and a dozen others that made grown adults cry.
 
But Pixar isn’t just about an...

Could you imagine all the sleepless nights? 
 
All the tossing and turning?
All the stress? 
All the fear?
 
Why? Well…
 
-He was defeated for Illinois state legislator in 1832.
-He started a business only to see it go under. 
-He lost his run for Congress in 1843 and again in 1848.
-He lost his bid to becom...