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Walt Disney is an idiot! Nov 16, 2024

At least, thatโ€™s what hundreds of people said early on. 

Countless bankers rejected the Mickey Mouse concept! 

But guess what? Walt Disney is hailed a genius today. 

In fact, this year is the 101st anniversary of Walt Disney Studios! 

Just because some people donโ€™t understand your idea doesnโ€™t mean it...

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The moment you talk about... Nov 15, 2024

...how awesome you are is the moment you lose.

Your prospects don't care about that.

They care about what you can do for them.

You need to share stories that your prospects relate to. 


Make your clients the hero - not you.

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When you get knocked down, don't get back up. Nov 14, 2024

At least not right away. 
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In 1945, Soichiro Honda lost everything due to World War II. His business was completely demolished.

You know what he did? 

He took a year off. 

He focused on creative thoughts. 

He focused on his friendships. 

He focused on planning.

The next year, Honda was born. ๐Ÿ๐Ÿš—

Did YOU lose...

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โ€œNewspapers are meant to be read on the way to the trash can.โ€ ๐Ÿ‘‡ Nov 13, 2024

I remember my Dad telling me that when I was growing up because I was reading a lot of newspapers and magazines.

His point was to read more material (like novels and nonfiction) where the authors put more time and energy into their writing.

Social media is even lower-level writing than newspapers.

Re...

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Packaging design is not just about aesthetics... Nov 12, 2024

...but how every small detail can significantly affect customer behavior. ๐Ÿ‘‡ 

๐Ÿ‘€ For example, consider how some brands have adjusted the positioning of their characters' eyes on packaging. 

In supermarkets, where products are displayed on multiple shelves, design teams have made subtle adjustments, such...

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๐’๐ก๐ž ๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐š๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐œ๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ž๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ž๐ ๐š๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ž, โ€œ๐‹๐ข๐ค๐ž ๐Œ๐ฒ ๐“๐ก๐š๐ข!โ€ Nov 11, 2024

While speaking in Erie, I asked someone what their favorite restaurant was, and without hesitation, they yelled, โ€œLike My Thai!โ€

Naturally, I had to investigate after a recommendation like that. And let me tell you, it did NOT disappoint!

Mike Augustine, the owner and chef of Like My Thai, has his k...

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๐—ง๐—ฒ๐—น๐—น me what you want your company to be known for... Nov 09, 2024

...and then ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ผ๐˜„ me that you actually believe in it. 

๐Ÿ—ฃ Most companies are all talk. 

They write out their โ€œcompany valuesโ€ to check a box. โœ”๏ธ 

None of their employees could actually tell you all the company values since they're so forgettable. 

Paint a picture of your values through stories. 

Your def...

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Are You Putting Print to Work? | Stories With Traction Podcast Nov 08, 2024

SHOW NOTES:

SUMMARY: In this episode, Kevin Connor and Matt Zaun talk about how storytelling can be woven into print material and how you can get print to work for you.

KEVIN CONNOR: Kevin is a partner at Modern SBC.

Some of the projects that Modern SBC routinely works on:

- Copywriting and content cr...

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One of my Grandmothers used to tell me... Nov 08, 2024

โ€...when I tell you to jump, you ask how high! When I tell you to do something, you do it, period!โ€ She forced me to listen to her out of...

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...FEAR!

.

My other Grandmother, on the other hand, would tell me why she wanted me to do certain things. 

She showed me how much she cared about me l...

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Here are my LI numbers that led to cash... Nov 07, 2024

...my content produces 2 million+ impressions each year. Has for the last four years. This isnโ€™t bad, but itโ€™s not great either. Meaning anyone can do it. 

This led to tens of thousands of people checking out my profile. 

Profile views lead to inbound messages inquiring about services.

Inbound messages...

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It can be effective to indirectly tell your customers something through a story. Nov 06, 2024

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.
โ€œIf you break it, you can keep it!โ€

Hundreds of people attempted to break the glass, and none were successful. 
Five...

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I usually don't make political posts, so cut me some slack... Nov 05, 2024

But our 8th President, Martin Van Buren, is someone we can all learn from. He was the first president in U.S. history to create a bit of a content machine (in-person speeches back then). 

He set up a system that supported his objectives and worked it relentlessly. 

We can do something similar here o...

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How to outperform 99.9% of salespeople... Nov 04, 2024



1) Share powerful stories that connect 
2) Let your competitors drown in numbers

P.S. Recently, I launched a free 5-Day Storytelling Challenge aimed at helping individuals master the art of storytelling.

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

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I've had 9 posts go viral. Here's the brutal truth that I learned... Nov 03, 2024

 


โžก๏ธ None of these posts led to new business
โžก๏ธ These posts sucked up way too much of my time
โžก๏ธ Some of these posts did not contribute to my mission

Today, I have zero desire to go viral. 

Playing the โ€œlikes and engagementโ€ game is a slippery slope. 

Instead of trying to go viral, Iโ€™d challenge you t...

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A couple of years ago, I made a goal of going to every presidential museum. Nov 03, 2024

So far, I've been to:

-George Washington 
-Thomas Jefferson
-James Buchanan
-Abraham Lincoln 
-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

...museums. 

Each one fascinates me because...

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๐Ÿ‘ป Wanna hear something really scary on Halloween? Oct 31, 2024

There are sales reps thatโ€ฆ

โ€ฆdonโ€™t have story strategy! 

Instead of talking to your prospects all scared, wanna crush your sales goals? 

You need to have story strategy. 

You can have the same group of stories that you're sharing again and again, because you're talking to different prospects. 

More than l...

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Sex causes twice as many accidents. Oct 30, 2024

Ok, now that I have your attention๐Ÿ‘‡

In the U.S., there are approximately one million car accidents and 200 deaths each year because vehicles collide with deer. 

During mating season, known as โ€œthe rut,โ€ deer are twice as likely to get hit by a car. 

Why is this?

During the rut, deer are more focused on ...

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I spent 1,000+ hours on LinkedIn, so you don't have to. Here is the most important framework that I learned... Oct 28, 2024


1. You have to understand your ideal clients. 
2. You share stories that relate to your ideal clients.
3. You engage (comment, "like," etc.) with your ideal client's posts
4. You network (virtual coffee/meet IRL) with your ideal clients.
5. You put them in a sales funnel that offers them an insane amoun...

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๐ˆ๐ญโ€™๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ž๐ญ๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ž...๐ฉ๐ž๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ž ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ž ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ž๐ฌ! ๐Ÿ‘‡ Oct 27, 2024

People want to feel that they can trust you, and the quickest way you can build that trust is through storytelling.

In addition, people are yearning for a real connection.

Understanding this is an opportunity for you and a chance to empower people through your personal and business stories.

๐Ÿ‘‰ T...

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AI can be a disaster if you donโ€™t know how to use it properly. Oct 25, 2024

If you're just casually asking AI to โ€œwrite me a speechโ€ or โ€œwrite me a book,โ€ be prepared for a product that could put anyone to sleep, even at a funeral!

Speaking of book writingโ€ฆ

Check out the latest episode in a 3 part book-writing series on the Stories With Traction Podcast featuring  Amy Lynch!

I...

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Why YOU Should Write a Book | Stories With Traction Podcast Oct 25, 2024

SHOW NOTES:

SERIES: This podcast episode is part of a book-writing series with Amy Lynch on the Stories With Traction Podcast.

1st Episode
2nd Episode

3rd EPISODE SUMMARY: In this episode, Amy Lynch and Matt Zaun discuss why you should write a book and some common objections people might have. 

AMY LY...

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First, they laugh. Oct 24, 2024

Then they canโ€™t believe it. 

Then, they deny that they doubted you in the first place. 

Success zips many mouths. ๐Ÿค

Don't tell people about all the great work you're doing. Show them. 

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Wanna gain more attention? Tout your big wiener. ๐Ÿ‘‡ Oct 23, 2024

During the Great Depression, when things looked grim, the โ€œWienermobileโ€ was launched and soon became a national icon.

Six Wienermobiles operated throughout the United States. The driver was called โ€œThe Hotdogger.โ€ 

The Hotdogger's job was to "meat" and greet people nationwide.

But that wasn't the on...

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