Libsyn Directory

#552: How Stories Are Alive And Energize Your Brand, With Christopher Vogler

Release Date: 01/26/2026

#566: How to Access Your Genius Creativity on Demand, With Sara Connell

Business of Story

What if your best ideas aren't something you have to grind for — but something you can learn to receive? In this episode of the Business of Story, Park Howell sits down with Sara Connell — 5x bestselling author, founder of Thought Leader Academy, and author of the upcoming book The Download — to explore the neuroscience and quantum physics behind creative downloads and how to access them on demand. Sara introduces the Gamma Walk, a simple daily practice for inducing the brain's channeling state — the gamma wave state associated with flow, breakthrough insight, and original thinking....

#565: How to Make Your Ad Agency Indespensible, With Marcus Sheridan

Business of Story

Is your ad agency truly indispensable — or is it one AI update away from irrelevance? Marcus Sheridan — bestselling author of They Ask, You Answer and Endless Customers, and founder of AI Trust Signals — joins Park Howell on the Business of Story to deliver a message most agency principals aren't ready to hear: the three services that built most agencies are already disappearing, and the threat isn't coming from your competitors. It's coming from your own resistance to change. In this conversation, Marcus and Park dig into why identity fluidity is the agency survival superpower of the AI...

#564: From Compliance to Culture: How AI and Story Are Rewriting the Sustainability Playbook, With Bruno Sarda

Business of Story

How are you augmenting your intelligence — artificially or artfully? And which approach is actually sustaining your brand? Bruno Sarda, EY Americas Climate Change and Sustainability Services Leader, Top 10 Global Sustainability Influencer, and host of the Sustainability Matters podcast, joins Park Howell on the Business of Story to explore the intersection of AI, storytelling, and ESG strategy. Bruno has spent 25+ years helping organizations turn sustainability from a compliance checkbox into a culture-defining competitive advantage. In this conversation, he reveals why the current wave of...

#563: The Mistakes and Miracles of the Lovesac Brand Story, with Shawn Nelson

Business of Story

Why the Last Couch You'll Ever Buy Is the Most Radical Business Idea in America, with Shawn David Nelson What does it take to build a brand designed to last forever — in an industry built on replacement cycles? Shawn David Nelson started Lovesac at 18 with a hand-sewn bean bag made from his parents' chopped-up camping mattresses. He paid $25 to register the company. Today, Lovesac (NASDAQ: LOVE) operates 300+ showrooms, employs 2,000 people, and is one of the fastest-growing furniture brands in America — anchored by a product philosophy so counterintuitive it sounds almost reckless. They...

#562. How to Understand the Narrative Behind Your Numbers for Growth, With Nick Jain

Business of Story

BGBrand Genius Genie™ Sent on 3/26/2026, 3:09:10 PM On it — working through Steps 6, 9, and 10 now. Let me start with the Libsyn description. Step 6: Libsyn Episode Description What if the story your business is telling the world is completely out of sync with the story your numbers are telling you? Nick Jain, co-founder of Eagle Rock CFO, has spent his career helping $5–$50M businesses close that gap. A Harvard MBA who graduated top of his class, with degrees in math and physics, Nick has turned around and scaled three companies up to $100M in revenue — across trucking,...

#561: Why Storytelling Is the One Skill AI Can Never Replace, with Joe Lazer

Business of Story

What if the skill that made us human is the same one that will keep us relevant in the age of AI? Joe Lazauskas — CMO of Pepper, co-founder of Contently, and author of Super Skill: Why Storytelling Is the Superpower of the AI Age — spent five years inside AI companies researching exactly that question. His answer: storytelling isn't just surviving the AI revolution. It's the one skill the machines can't replicate. In this conversation with host Park Howell, Joe reveals why AI slop is flooding the web and driving up the value of authentic human voices, the four story elements —...

#560: The Story You're Afraid to Tell is the One That Changes Everything, with Rachel McCord

Business of Story

Don't Ever Waste a Heartbeat: How Open Heart Surgery Unlocked Rachel McCord's True Purpose What happens when the woman producing 19 shows, running a Hollywood media network, and appearing on national television is quietly fighting to stay alive? That's the story Rachel McCord tells in this raw, remarkable episode of the Business of Story. Meet Rachel McCord Rachel McCord is the founder of The McCord List, a Hollywood media network that produces McCordless Today — a daily talk show airing on network television and streaming on Roku, Apple TV, Samsung, and Amazon. She's the author of You Can't...

#559: Why Tone is the Missing Link in Brand Storytelling Success, with Charly Tate

Business of Story

Your audience doesn’t understand your message first—they feel it. In today’s noisy world, tone is the hidden ingredient that makes your brand story resonate, build trust, and spark a real connection. On this episode of the Business of Story, Park Howell welcomes Charly Tate, founder and Chief Kindling Officer at Kindling Works and host of the Tater Thoughts podcast. With over a decade in communications, storytelling, and marketing—and a background in music—Charly helps founders and business owners find clarity in chaos and connection through intentional, heartfelt storytelling....

#558: Unlocking Message Market Match: The Secret to Predictable Profits, With Charles Gaudet

Business of Story

Unlocking predictable growth starts with one thing: message market match. In this episode, Park Howell welcomes Charles Gaudet—CEO of Predictable Profits, creator of The Predictable Profits Operating System™, and “The CEO Whisperer” (Yahoo Finance)—to reveal why so many founders get stuck working harder for less. You’ll learn how to escape the founder’s trap by aligning your brand story with the real needs of your market. Charles shares how to identify your true super consumer (and why most ICPs miss the mark), the data-driven secrets to effortless lead generation, and the...

#557: How to Be Heard: Turning Audience Pain into Business Impact, with Dan Manning

Business of Story

Discover how to make your message truly heard with Dan Manning, former fighter pilot, speechwriter, and military diplomat turned professional storyteller. In this episode, Dan reveals his simple, repeatable “Before, Change, After, Meaning” framework that helps founders and executives communicate ideas that move people to action. Learn why understanding your audience’s pain is the secret to engagement, how scenes—not just stories—create connection, and what military storytelling can teach you about clarity and impact. Dan’s clients have raised millions in investment, sold millions...

More Episodes

Chris Vogler, legendary story consultant and author of The Writer’s Journey, joins Park Howell to reveal how the Hero’s Journey is more than a Hollywood formula—it’s a living, breathing blueprint for personal and brand transformation.

You’ll discover why wish fulfillment is at the heart of every great brand story, how to turn obstacles (“threshold guardians”) into opportunities, and why stories have the power to heal, orient, and energize us in a chaotic world.

Chris shares behind-the-scenes stories from Disney, explains the science of story energy, and offers practical advice for marketers, leaders, and anyone looking to create deeper connections with their audience.

Whether you’re building a business, leading a team, or searching for your own path, this episode will help you unlock the universal patterns that move people—and move the world.

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