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The Narrative

How to design your personal or business brand story to create a dialogue with your audience.

Why Science Fiction Actors Are So Special and Unique

January 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment

It takes a special actor to star in science fiction films and television shows. That's why it's no accident that if an actor has starred in one sci fi show, they show up in others. For example, the actor who played Dr. Phlox on Star Trek: Enterprise showed up in Stargate Atlantis (the actor, John Billingsley was also the undead vice-president's brother in Prison Break, so some sci fi actors are able to break into other genres). Just over the weekend, I watched the campy Starship Troopers. … [Read more...]

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Why Your Odd, Bizarre and Strange Story Will Bless Others

November 24, 2011 by Leave a Comment

A couple weeks ago, I was in New York city. The last time I was there, the Twin Towers still stood. So it was fitting that on 11-11-11, I would visit the spot that changed so much for so many. I took the R train from the place I was staying in midtown Manhanttan to Ground Zero (it's hopelessly easy to take the subway in New York - I truly don't understand how anyone can get lost). As I emerged from the subway, I looked up to see the new Freedom Tower being built on the spot where the two … [Read more...]

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The #1 Problem With the Occupy Wall Street Movement (and Why the Tea Party & Arab Spring Succeeded)

November 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment

I was a member of Toastmasters for 4-years. I became a Competent Toastmaster in under a year after completing the first 10 speech projects (and went on to obtain my Competent Leader certificate a year after that). One of the speech projects is called Get to the Point. The goal is to prepare a 5-7 minute speech that informs, entertains and has one specific point you're trying to convey. And this is the problem with the Occupy Wall Street movement and other similar movements around the … [Read more...]

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5 Examples of the Villain Being Anything But a Person

November 17, 2011 by 2 Comments

In a previous blog post, I shared why it's important to identify both a hero and a villain in your business narrative. However, the hero/villain need not be a person. Here are 5 examples of hero/villain narratives that aren't human. House - the villain is the mystery sickness, the hero is Dr. House Apple - the villain is Windows, the hero is Mac Ford - the villain is oversea production of vehicles, the hero is made in America Virtual Events - the villain is free virtual events, the … [Read more...]

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6 Ways to Identify a Hero in Your Story

November 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Every story needs a hero. And a villain. Without good and bad battling against each other, the story gets just a tad bit boring. In the movie The Matrix, the Architect said that the first version of the matrix was a utopia. It was perfect. A little too perfect. It was so perfect that the humans that were plugged into the matrix kept trying to wake up thinking their utopia was a dream. When the story is too perfect, it becomes a snooze. Humans needs conflict, drama and struggle … [Read more...]

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Yet Another Way to Respond to Story Hijackers Using Michele Bachmann’s Example

November 14, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Michele Bachmann, a candidate for the Republican nomination for the 2012 United States presidential election, was heckled at a recent speech in South Carolina. A group from the Occupy Charleston movement stood up during her speech and said the following: "This will only take a minute. We have a message for Mrs. Bachmann. You capitalize on dividing Americans. Claiming people that disagree with you are unpatriotic socialists. And you promote discrimination. This does not help the American … [Read more...]

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3 Reasons Why Sound Bites Help You Tell a Better Story

November 2, 2011 by 5 Comments

When it comes to outsourcing, I truly believe that you should... "Outsource the tasks, not your voice." Sadly, it took a blog post, a virtual tongue lashing over Twitter and comments defending myself on someone else's blog to get to this six word sound bite. My problem is that I tend to clarify my ideas through consensus. In other words, I speak my thoughts out loud, hear other people's viewpoints, then come up with my final thought (typically a sound bite). While this may work in a … [Read more...]

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What Carol Roth’s Street Smart Dad Can Teach You About Negotiating

October 19, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Want to learn how to negotiate? Carol Roth explains using the example of her uneducated, street smart dad. (can't see the video? click here to access it) My own street smart dad weighs heavily in many of my speeches. Who in your family can be used as part of your personal or brand story? Share your insights below. … [Read more...]

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How to Provide a New Spin to an Old Tale

October 17, 2011 by Leave a Comment

After watching the season 2 premiere of The Walking Dead, I did a search on Wikipedia for the genre called post-apocalyptic. While digging around, I clicked on the sub-genre called zombie apocalyptic (because the end-of-the-world could happen because of weather, aliens, a virus, etc. as well). It was towards the bottom of the page under references, I noticed a link to a report authored by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) called Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse. I found that rather odd … [Read more...]

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Deliver Results Before You Deliver a Message

March 9, 2011 by Leave a Comment

In his book Everyone Communicates, Few Connect, John C. Maxwell shares that connectors live what they communicate. They do so by... Connecting with themselves Righting their wrongs Being accountable Leading the way they live Telling the truth Being vulnerable Following the Golden Rule Delivering results The one I want to focus on is delivering results. John states that he's amazed by the number of speakers, consultants and life coaches in the market who have very little credibility … [Read more...]

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