So far, I've been to:
-George WashingtonĀ
-Thomas Jefferson
-James Buchanan
-Abraham LincolnĀ
-Rutherford B. Hayes
-Grover Cleveland
-Woodrow Wilson
-Warren G. Harding
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Richard Nixon
-Jimmy Carter
-Ronald Reagan
-George H. W. Bush
-George W. Bush
Each one fascinates me ...
A perfect example of that was when 3M decided to place money inside the advertising casing at a bus stop in Vancouver.
The case was covered at the edges with a 3M product, Scotchshield.
āIf you break it, you can keep it!ā
Hundreds of people attempted to break the glass, and none were successful.Ā
Five...
Hereās something I see all too often: leaders delegating the tasks that make them uncomfortable. Social media? āIāll let the team handle all of that.ā Storytelling? āNot my thing; Iāll let someone else do it.ā
But hereās the hard truth: Delegating discomfort is dangerous.
Imagine if Steve Jobs had...
At least, thatās whatĀ hundreds of peopleĀ told him early on.
Bank after bank rejected the Mickey Mouse concept. Investors laughed him out of rooms. Critics said it would never work.
But today?Ā Walt Disney is hailed as a genius.
This year marks Walt Disney Studios' 102nd anniversary, a global empire bu...
You could get a cancer diagnosis and live with the ripple effects for years to come.Ā
You could close a massive deal in business and make your year.Ā
You could make a stupid decision and embarrass your family.Ā
You can land your dream job and get asked to start ASAP.
You could get in a major car acciden...
...and Iāll be going to every single one before I die. So far, I've been to...
-George WashingtonĀ
-Thomas Jefferson
-James Buchanan
-Abraham LincolnĀ
-Rutherford B. Hayes
-Grover Cleveland
-Woodrow Wilson
-Warren G. Harding
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Richard Nixon
-Jimmy Carter
-Ronald Reagan
-Ge...
S - Stories
T - Thoughts
U - Urges
F - Frustrations
F - Feelings
ā¦your S.T.U.F.F is what fuels your behaviors in the world.ā
-Joy Rains
Wanna hear more? Check out the Stories With Traction podcast. Ā
I took a financial risk, and itĀ didnātĀ pay off.Ā
Instead, it put my family in a difficult position.
The night it all came crashing down, I sat on my couch with tears streaming down my face, fully aware of the uphill battle ahead.
My wife sat down next to me and said something that changed everything:...
š©I love public speaking.
š©I don't mind public speaking.
š©I don't like public speaking.
ā I would rather die than do public speaking.
Some people actually check that box!Ā
Public speaking is scary. Most of us don't feel comfortable standing in front of people and taking responsibility for the...
So far, I've been to:
Ā
-George WashingtonĀ
-Thomas Jefferson
-James Buchanan
-Abraham LincolnĀ
-Rutherford B. Hayes
-Grover Cleveland
-Woodrow Wilson
-Warren G. Harding
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Richard Nixon
-Jimmy Carter
-Ronald Reagan
-George H. W. Bush
-George W...
What makes a storyĀ stick? What makes it trulyĀ connect? Thereās a difference between storytelling thatās good and storytelling thatās unforgettable. And hereās the truth: the path to mastery isnāt glamorous; itāsĀ uncomfortable.
How to Get Better, Faster
If you want to supercharge your storytelling and ...
Where my youngest son was the 1st time the Eagles won the Super Bowl vs. now.Ā
At that time, I had just launched my speaking business and was really struggling.Ā
I told myself that I had to prove to my kids that some dreams are worth fighting for.Ā
Today, I get so many paid speaking requests that I...
Have you ever watched a TEDx talk and thought, "I could do that!" only to realize you have no idea where to start? Don't worry, you're not alone.Ā
Today, since itās his Birthday, I'm sharing insider tips from the one and onlyĀ Ā Bobby Umar, CEO of Discover Your Personal Brand and five-time TEDx speak...
Super Bowl XLI wasn't going to be played in the rain.Ā It was going to be played in a monsoon.Ā
...and while pro football players deal with the elements all season, rock stars do not. They have provisions in their contracts to avoid such calamities.Ā
Electricity and water don't mix particularly well....
Three years ago, I spoke in L.A. and stopped by SoFi Stadium during the Super Bowl festivities. As I watched the energy behind the game, it got me thinkingā¦
What separatesĀ winning organizationsĀ from the rest?
How do some businessesĀ crush their sales goalsĀ andĀ build a thriving company culture while o...
...Ronald Reagan, also known as the Great Communicator.Ā
President Reagan possessed a fascinating capability...the ability to command the attention of his audience.Ā
Whether you loved or hated him, there is no denying that his public speaking skills were off the charts.Ā
I spent time reflecting o...
Hereās the thing about creativity: if youāre not willing to look a little silly, it will be a tough road. And the same is true forĀ storytelling.
Whether youāre a C-suite executive or just starting out, tapping into your creative side is essential if you want to become a masterful storyteller. But cre...
Let me take you back to a time when I was the furthest thing from a confident public speaker.Ā
Iād just landed a new job, one I thought would involve very little human interaction. Perfect, right? After all, IādĀ failedĀ my public speaking course in college. My first speech was such a disaster that I l...
So far, I've been...
-George WashingtonĀ
-Thomas Jefferson
-James Buchanan
-Abraham LincolnĀ
-Rutherford B. Hayes
-Woodrow Wilson
-Warren G. Harding
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Richard Nixon
-Jimmy Carter
-Ronald Reagan
-George H. W. Bush
-George W. Bush
Each one fascinates me because theyāre al...
The Role of Values in Shaping Our Lives
Understanding and embracing our core values is not only beneficial but essential in our quest for personal and professional growth. This detailed exploration aims to guide you through discovering these values, enhancing your storytelling capabilities, impro...
...honor and privilege of speaking to Jewish business leaders in Chicago.Ā
They asked me to come in to process their family stories with them.Ā
I crisscrossed the area, speaking to 60 leaders in the Windy City.Ā
I heard some of the most incredible struggle/victory stories from these men and women Iāv...
Did you know the first McDonald's Drive-Thru was born out of necessity to accommodate soldiers at Fort Huachuca Army Base in Sierra Vista, Arizona?
Picture this: soldiers in their fatigues, stuck in their vehicles, craving a Big Mac but unable to enter the restaurant due to regulations.Ā
The restaur...
I told him, āš¶š³ šš¼š š°š®š» šÆš²š°š¼šŗš² š® š“šæš²š®š š¼šæš®šš¼šæ, šš¼š š°š®š» š°šµš®š»š“š² ššµš² šš¼šæš¹š±.ā
But this doesnāt just go for my son; this goes for all of us.Ā
Iāve spent an exorbitant amount of time researching how MLK was able to connect with his audience the way he did.Ā
Thatās why it was such an honor to speak in Atl...
Today, football fans will see a great playoff game, the Eagles vs. the Rams.
When it comes to great stories, we need a foe.
People love struggle/victory stories.Ā
In business, we want it to be easy, but that doesn't give us a good story.Ā
Just like in sports, where your rivals actually motivate you an...