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#56: Why Telling Your Story Will Not Grow Your Business (And What to Do Instead)

The StoryBrand Podcast

Release Date: 01/26/2026

#71: Brian Hooks—How to Build a Team Around People’s Strengths show art #71: Brian Hooks—How to Build a Team Around People’s Strengths

The StoryBrand Podcast

It’s easy to give up on people when they disappoint us, miss expectations, or don’t seem to fit the role they’re in. But great leaders know people are rarely just “good” or “bad” at work. More often, they’re either understood or misunderstood, positioned well or placed poorly. What would change if you started looking for people’s potential before writing them off?   In this episode, host Donald Miller talks with Brian Hooks, CEO of Stand Together and co-author of Believe in People, about how leaders can unlock more value by helping people discover and use their gifts....

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#70: Dr. Henry Cloud—The 5 Essential Components of Success show art #70: Dr. Henry Cloud—The 5 Essential Components of Success

The StoryBrand Podcast

Anything that works has the same 5 elements behind it. Anything that fails is missing one of those. That is true for businesses, relationships, and personal goals. Most people never stop to ask which piece is broken. They stay busy, execute harder, and measure the wrong things. But success is not random. It follows a pattern. What if achieving your goals comes down to understanding that pattern and making sure every piece is in place? In this episode, Donald Miller sits down with Dr. Henry Cloud to unpack the 5 components behind every successful outcome. They explore why belief matters more...

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#69: Will Guidara—Why Great Service Is Never an Accident show art #69: Will Guidara—Why Great Service Is Never an Accident

The StoryBrand Podcast

Remarkable customer experiences don't happen because someone on your team happened to be in a good mood. They happen when a business decides, in advance, how people should feel at every step. Without that kind of intention, even great companies become forgettable. So how do you design moments customers actually remember and share?   In this episode, Donald Miller sits down with Will Guidara, author of Unreasonable Hospitality, to talk about how business owners can turn everyday transactions into memorable moments. Will explains why hospitality is not just for restaurants, how systems can...

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#68: Stop Telling Your Story (It's Costing You Customers) show art #68: Stop Telling Your Story (It's Costing You Customers)

The StoryBrand Podcast

A lot of brands are saying the wrong thing first. They lead with their mission, their story, and their personality, thinking that will make people care. But customers aren't looking for a brand to admire. They're looking for a guide who understands their problem and can help them solve it. When your message starts in the wrong place, your customer tunes out before you ever get a chance to help. How do you know if your brand is leading with the wrong story?   In this episode, host Donald Miller breaks down the difference between primary and secondary messaging and explains why that shift...

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#67: The Real Reason Your Business Isn’t Growing show art #67: The Real Reason Your Business Isn’t Growing

The StoryBrand Podcast

Most businesses are losing sales in the first few seconds, not because the offer is weak or the product is bad, but because the message feels like work. When people have to stop and decode your language, they don’t lean in. They leave. And if confusion is costing you customers before the conversation even starts, how do you fix it fast?   In this week's episode, Donald Miller explains why confusion is the real reason businesses stall and how zero cognitive load messaging helps customers buy. He breaks down the “curse of knowledge,” why people say “I’ll think about it,” and the...

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#66: The 3 Tactical Moves That Build Customer Loyalty show art #66: The 3 Tactical Moves That Build Customer Loyalty

The StoryBrand Podcast

If you want your marketing to convert better, join us for StoryBrand Your Business Live, a workshop in Nashville TN May 7th-8th 2026 where Donald Miller will teach you how to create clear messaging and you'll get direct feedback from StoryBrand Certified Guides so you walk out confident that your message connects. These sell out fast so register now at     Customer loyalty is often won or lost in the small moments. People come back because of how you make them feel. In a world full of rushed and forgettable service, customers remember businesses that treat them with dignity. They...

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#65: How to Be More Magnetic in Conversations show art #65: How to Be More Magnetic in Conversations

The StoryBrand Podcast

If you want your marketing to convert better, join us for StoryBrand Your Business Live, a workshop in Nashville TN May 7th-8th 2026 where Donald Miller will teach you how to create clear messaging and you'll get direct feedback from StoryBrand Certified Guides so you walk out confident that your message connects. These sell out fast so register now at     Every conversation is shaping your future. The way you show up affects whether people trust you, remember you, recommend you, or just move on. Connection isn’t a soft skill on the sidelines of success. It’s what opens doors....

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#64: Can a Clear Message Win a War? show art #64: Can a Clear Message Win a War?

The StoryBrand Podcast

If you want your marketing to convert better, join us for StoryBrand Your Business Live, a workshop in Nashville TN May 7th-8th 2026 where Donald Miller will teach you how to create clear messaging and you'll get direct feedback from StoryBrand Certified Guides so you walk out confident that your message connects. These sell out fast so register now at     Most leaders make the same mistake: they use too many words. They explain too much, soften the truth, and leave people confused about what matters most. But confused people don’t act. They freeze. The best leaders do something...

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#63: The Secret to Building a Cult-Like Following for Your Brand show art #63: The Secret to Building a Cult-Like Following for Your Brand

The StoryBrand Podcast

If you want your marketing to convert better, join us for StoryBrand Your Business Live, a workshop in Nashville TN May 7th-8th 2026 where Donald Miller will teach you how to create clear messaging and you'll get direct feedback from StoryBrand Certified Guides so you walk out confident that your message connects. These sell out fast so register now at     Every business wants raving fans. But most end up with something weaker: people who buy once or twice and then move on. In a competitive market, brands that try to please everyone get ignored. When a company doesn’t stand for...

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#62: The Exact AI Prompt Donald Miller Uses to Rewrite Flat Copy show art #62: The Exact AI Prompt Donald Miller Uses to Rewrite Flat Copy

The StoryBrand Podcast

If you've ever struggled to explain what your business does or felt like your marketing should be converting better, join us for StoryBrand Your Business Live. It's a two-day workshop in Nashville this May 7-8, 2026 where Donald Miller will teach you how to build clear messaging that works. You'll also get direct feedback from StoryBrand Certified Guides so you walk out confident your message connects. Every workshop this year has filled up fast, and this one will too. Register now at       Chances are, you already know that story is everything when it comes to growing your...

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More Episodes

Get free marketing videos from Donald Miller every week at:  https://WeeklySoundbite.com/

 
Companies love to talk about themselves—how they started, what they value, what makes them different. But your story isn’t what sells. In fact, it could be what’s holding you back. When your pitch, your website, or your brand story starts with you, your potential customers tune out fast. Why? Because they’re not looking for a hero. They’re looking for help. And if you don’t lead with their problem, they’ll find someone else who does. So how do you tell your story in a way that actually connects, converts, and grows your business?

 

In this episode, Donald Miller unpacks why most businesses fumble their messaging when they lead with their own story, and shows you how to do it right. You’ll learn the real purpose of your company’s story, exactly when to tell it, and the simple storytelling formula that turns your backstory into a trust-building, revenue-driving asset. If you’ve ever wondered how to make your origin story matter, this episode shows you exactly how.
 
 

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Click HERE to get in-person help creating your marketing at the next available StoryBrand Your Business LIVE event!

 

Click HERE to find a StoryBrand certified marketing coach to help you grow your business!

 

Learn how to make your marketing and messaging work using a proven framework in the updated book, Building a StoryBrand 2.0. Order it now on Amazon  or wherever you buy books!