Business of Story

Ready to unlock the power of story to drive sales and amplify your marketing impact? The Business of Story podcast is your essential guide. Hosted by Park Howell, 'The World's Most Industrious Storyteller,' this weekly show delivers actionable insights and compelling interviews for ambitious sales leaders, marketers, entrepreneurs, and brand builders. Each episode dives deep into the craft of business storytelling, featuring practical strategies from renowned content creators, advertising experts, authors, screenwriters, and marketing innovators. Learn how to: • Craft narratives that resonate and convert. • Develop compelling brand stories that build loyalty. • Use storytelling techniques in sales pitches, presentations, and content marketing. • Connect with your audience on an emotional level. • Measure the ROI of your storytelling efforts. • Ranked in the top 10% globally and the #1 Business Storytelling Podcast (Feedspot), Business of Story provides the frameworks, inspiration, and real-world examples you need to master the art and science of story. Stop selling, start captivating. #StoryOn!

#551: Why Building Your Audience Now is the Only Moat Against AI, With Joe Pulizzi 01/19/2026

#551: Why Building Your Audience Now is the Only Moat Against AI, With Joe Pulizzi The content marketing pioneer who coined the term in 2001 reveals the urgent reality: creators have 12-24 months to build discoverable human audiences before AI-generated synthetic content makes it nearly impossible. The 99% Problem and the Vinyl Solution Joe Pulizzi drops a startling statistic: 99% of content being created today is heavily influenced by AI. Instagram recently admitted they can't keep up with the flood of AI content and won't even try to block it. But Joe isn't running from AI—he's running WITH it while building something AI can't replicate: authentic human relationships with loyal audiences. His "vinyl strategy": While 99% of content becomes synthetic commodity, human creators can become the premium 1% that builds small audiences who know, like, and trust them. What You'll Learn In this episode, discover: • Why being KNOWN (not famous) is your only competitive moat in the AI age • The urgent 12-24 month window to build your audience before discoverability becomes impossible • Joe's 30-minute daily AI practice using ChatGPT as co-CEO, health coach, and financial advisor • How to find your "tilt"—that one thing you're exceptionally good at for a specific audience • Why email and owned audiences matter more than algorithm-dependent platforms • Why Joe stopped his 527-episode podcast to focus on ONE thing: his newsletter The Tilt • The generational advantage Baby Boomers and Gen Xers have (and how to leverage it) • How to use AI as collaborator while maintaining your authentic voice About Joe Pulizzi Joe Pulizzi is founder of Content Marketing Institute and The Tilt, bestselling author of seven books including Epic Content Marketing (named a Must-Read Business Book by Fortune Magazine) and Burn the Playbook. He coined the term "content marketing" in 2001 and received the Content Council's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. He successfully exited CMI in 2016. His two weekly podcasts include the award-winning This Old Marketing with Robert Rose (the longest-running marketing news podcast) and Content Inc. (recently concluded after 527 episodes). His foundation, The Orange Effect, delivers speech therapy and technology services to over 450 children in 40+ states. Key Takeaways Curiosity is one of the most human traits—point it in the right direction and opportunities emerge. Block 30 minutes daily for AI experimentation. Write down the 10 things that make you uniquely you. Then start building your audience on ONE platform where you own the relationship. The future belongs to the curious and the known. Episode: 551 Guest: Joe Pulizzi Host: Park Howell Show: Business of Story Topics: AI, Content Marketing, Creator Economy, Audience Building, Synthetic Content, Personal Branding, Newsletter Strategy, Career Development, Retirement Planning /episode/index/show/businessofstory/id/39768765

#550: How to Use The Hero's Journey in Business and in Life, With John Bucher 01/12/2026

#550: How to Use The Hero's Journey in Business and in Life, With John Bucher Why This Episode Matters This milestone 550th episode brings the Business of Story full circle to its foundational inspiration: Joseph Campbell and the Hero's Journey. Host Park Howell interviews John Bucher, PhD, Executive Director of the Joseph Campbell Foundation, revealing why the Hero's Journey is more than a story framework - it's a neurological blueprint for business success. What You'll Discover The Neuroscience of Storytelling Modern research shows the Hero's Journey mirrors the exact neurological patterns your brain uses to solve problems. When you structure business communications around this framework, you're speaking the native language of human decision-making. How Customers Really Make Decisions John Bucher reveals the truth most businesses miss: Customers make emotional decisions first, gather evidence to support those feelings second, then justify logically third. As Robert McKee said, "The conscious mind is simply the PR department that justifies all the decisions the emotional subconscious mind makes." This is why stories (which communicate feelings) are more powerful than data alone. The Two Paths to Business Transformation Discover how the "Call to Adventure" manifests differently for entrepreneurs versus managers: • Entrepreneur's Journey: Driven by dissatisfaction, voluntarily leaves comfort zone, proactively pursues opportunity • Manager's Journey: Forced by circumstances, faces organizational changes, adapts to involuntary transitions Understanding both paths helps you connect with any audience. Your Customer Is the Hero (Not Your Brand) The positioning shift that transforms marketing from pushy to magnetic: Your brand is Yoda, not Luke Skywalker. You're the mentor providing guidance, not the hero seeking glory. John explains: "We all trust ourselves more than we trust anyone else. When we create the framework for listeners to tell themselves the story, it's so much more powerful." What You're Really Selling "Chevrolet doesn't sell automobiles, they sell freedom." Customers don't buy based on specifications - they buy emotional stories about what products enable in their lives. You're selling transformation, not products. From Intuitive to Intentional Storytelling We're all natural storytellers, but there's a difference between intuitive and intentional storytelling. Learn how to replicate storytelling success consistently without becoming a story theorist. The Hero's Journey as Life Instruction Manual Christopher Vogler calls the Hero's Journey "an instruction manual for life." John Bucher agrees: "No matter how good things are going, bad times always come. That road of trials is something we all keep returning to." The framework helps you recognize patterns, identify mentors, and embrace transformation as natural. Guest Expert John Bucher, PhD, is a renowned mythologist and story expert who has been featured on the BBC, the History Channel, the LA Times, The Hollywood Reporter, and numerous other international outlets. He serves as Executive Director for the Joseph Campbell Foundation and is a writer, storyteller, and speaker. John has consulted and worked with government and cultural leaders around the world, as well as organizations such as HBO, DC Comics, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, A24 Films, Atlas Obscura, and The John Maxwell Leadership Foundation. He is the author of six influential books on storytelling and has worked with New York Times best-selling authors, YouTube influencers, Eisner winners, Emmy winners, Academy Award nominees, magicians, and cast members from Saturday Night Live. Holding a PhD in Mythology & Depth Psychology, he integrates scholarly insights with practical insights, exploring the profound connections between myth, culture, and personal identity. His expertise has helped shape compelling narratives across various platforms, enriching the way stories are understood, told, and experienced globally. Website: tellingabetterstory.com Episode Highlights • The Deathbringer and Lifebringer Native American story that illustrates what you're really selling in business • Why Joseph Campbell opposed dogmatic application of the Hero's Journey (and championed diverse adaptations) • Park Howell's synchronicity experience: Lights flickering when mentioning Campbell's death anniversary • How Park's career demonstrates multiple hero's journeys (agency founder at 35, story consultant at 55) • The Refusal of the Call in sales: Why customer resistance is a natural stage, not permanent barrier • John Bucher's accidental hero's journey (enrolled in music program, ended up in film/TV by mistake) • The Fundamental Attribution Error and how it affects business communication • Why the Hero's Journey is a form (not formula) - the tango dancing metaphor • How to use storytelling language to create deeper listening and engagement Resources Mentioned Quick Introduction (3 minutes): "What It Takes to Be a Hero" by Matthew Winkler (TED-Ed video) - Created by a teacher to help struggling teens understand they're not alone Accessible Learning: • "The Writer's Journey" by Christopher Vogler (5th edition) • "The Power of Myth" book and PBS series with Bill Moyers (6 one-hour episodes) • "Finding Joe" documentary Deep Study: • "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" by Joseph Campbell (1949 - warning: very arcane) New Release: • "Joseph Campbell on the Hero's Journey" - Joseph Campbell Essentials series pocket gift book (available on Amazon) Business Application: • Story Cycle System by Park Howell • Venables Bell & Partners Audi campaigns (perfect 30-second Hero's Journey examples) Key Quotes John Bucher on Decision-Making: "When we understand story, we start to get shortcuts into the thinking of people behind how they make decisions." On Campbell's Philosophy: "Joseph Campbell was not a fan of dogma. He was interested in putting things out on the table for thoughtful engagement and good conversation." On Story Power: "Stories bypass the head and go straight to the heart. We've heard it all before in business - we're looking for different ways to bring information that hold just a bit of surprise." Park Howell on Intentional Storytelling: "We are all by nature intuitive storytellers. But you can become an intentional storyteller simply by understanding these frameworks." On Story as Operating System: "Storytelling is the software that drives the hardware of the operating system - our meaning-making machine in our limbic system, hippocampus, and amygdala." Connect John Bucher: tellingabetterstory.com Joseph Campbell Foundation: jcf.org (weekly newsletter available) Park Howell: businessofstory.com Story Cycle System: businessofstory.com/story-cycle-genie Related Episodes • • • About Business of Story The Business of Story podcast helps business professionals, marketers, and entrepreneurs master the power of strategic storytelling. Host Park Howell, creator of the Story Cycle System, interviews world-class experts on applying narrative frameworks to business growth, customer engagement, and brand development. Subscribe: businessofstory.com/podcast /episode/index/show/businessofstory/id/39648605

549: Don't Market More, Matter More: Why Resonance Beats Reach, With Jay Acunzo 01/05/2026

549: Don't Market More, Matter More: Why Resonance Beats Reach, With Jay Acunzo What good is reach if you don't have resonance? In this transformative episode of Business of Story, host Park Howell sits down with Jay Acunzo to explore why clarity isn't enough for brand stories and how to transform expertise into influential public voice through premise development. --- ABOUT JAY ACUNZO --- Jay Acunzo is an author, speaker, and public speaking coach who helps experts become stronger public voices. He's written books about creativity and storytelling, and he's traveled the world giving keynotes to marketers and managers, dentists and designers, leaders and landscapers. His clients include bestselling authors, mainstage TED speakers, startup founders, and seven-figure coaches and consultants. Brands like Salesforce, GoDaddy, Zillow, and Mailchimp have trusted Jay to support some of their most visible projects. He began his career in sales and marketing at Google and HubSpot, and his own journey as a speaker has been featured in 3 different books. Jay's philosophy challenges conventional marketing wisdom: don't market more, matter more. Think resonance over reach. Don't be the best, be their favorite. --- WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER --- ✓ What a premise really is (and why it's different from a tagline, mission, or niche) ✓ The resonance over reach philosophy and why it creates more business impact ✓ How resonance works (using physics to understand the urge to act) ✓ The narrative argument framework: six beats that move audiences from skepticism to action ✓ Laddered messaging structure: We Want → We Need → We Hope ✓ Story 2.0: Why process alone isn't enough (you need practice and posture too) ✓ The critical difference between clarity and strength in brand storytelling ✓ How to develop your premise through iteration (not instant perfection) ✓ Why focus is something you pick, but clarity is something you build ✓ Real examples: How Jay helped Anne Handley refine her premise for ASAP: As Slow As Possible ✓ Premise examples from James Clear, Simon Sinek, Michelle Warner, and more ✓ How to apply premise thinking to products and services (StoryCycle Genie case study) --- KEY FRAMEWORKS REVEALED --- NARRATIVE ARGUMENT (6 Beats): What are their goals? What's their current approach? What are the problems with that approach? What root cause do you see? What change do they need? How do they implement it? LADDERED MESSAGING (3 Phrases): • We Want: Meet people where they're at • We Need: Your premise/philosophical change • We Hope: The grand transformation STORY 2.0 (3 P's): • Process: Story structure and frameworks • Practice: Regular creation and refinement • Posture: Seeing yourself as a storyteller --- MEMORABLE QUOTES --- The goal is not to market more, it's to matter more. What good is awareness if you don't have affinity? What good is reach if you don't have resonance? Don't be the best, be their favorite. Clarity doesn't mean strength. Clarity doesn't mean efficacy. Focus is something you pick. Clarity is something you build. --- ABOUT BUSINESS OF STORY --- The Business of Story podcast helps business owners and marketers master the art of storytelling to grow their brands and create meaningful impact. Hosted by Park Howell, creator of the StoryCycle System and ABT Framework, each episode features expert guests sharing proven strategies for business growth through authentic narrative. Whether you're building a brand, leading a team, or developing your public voice, Business of Story delivers the frameworks and insights you need to make your message matter. Topics: premise development | resonance over reach | brand storytelling | thought leadership | narrative argument | public speaking | IP development | expert positioning | influential voice | business communication | content strategy | keynote speaking | Story 2.0 | clarity vs strength | laddered messaging /episode/index/show/businessofstory/id/39599315

#548: Bringing Stories of Wisdom Back From Beyond the Grave, With Miles Spencer 12/29/2025

#548: Bringing Stories of Wisdom Back From Beyond the Grave, With Miles Spencer Miles Spencer's SoulTech platform brings loved ones' voices back from just 10 seconds of audio, transforming grief into connection through interactive AI conversations. Discover how Reflekta created the Soul Technology category, why spontaneous conversations beat static videos 10x, and what happened when Miles heard "Tiger" eight years after his father passed. Show Notes: You know those moments when you desperately wish you could ask your mom or dad for advice one more time? When you're facing something only they would understand? This episode is both curious and a little creepy—curious because it's amazing what AI has brought to personal storytelling, and creepy because it literally brings back your long-lost loved ones to have conversations today. Miles Spencer, co-founder of Reflekta, reveals how SoulTech (Soul Technology) is transforming family storytelling and digital legacy preservation from frozen memories into living conversations. What You'll Discover: • Voice recreation from minimal audio - How Reflekta recreates authentic voices from just 10-20 seconds of audio (Miles brought his father Arthur back from a gibberish voicemail) • 10x impact over static media - Why spontaneous and dynamic conversations in your loved one's voice deliver exponentially more value than videos or photo albums • Category creation insights - The positioning evolution that transformed Reflekta from grief-focused to connection-centered, and what that teaches entrepreneurs building new categories • The Tiger/Chief moment - What happened when Miles heard "No problem, Tiger. I love you" eight years after his father passed • Simple three-file system - How life story, photo, and voice sample turn one-way memories into interactive AI conversations that learn and grow • Living Legacy innovation - Why creating Elders for people still alive is changing how families preserve generational wisdom • Privacy and security - The fortress approach: default private, family-to-family with GDPR and DOD-level cybersecurity • Earth's story repository - Reflekta's audacious mission to record the legacies of planet Earth told by the people who lived them Key Timestamps: [00:03] The curious and creepy introduction to SoulTech [02:26] "This body is temporal, but spirit and soul are eternal" [06:24] How Reflekta works: The three-file system [09:15] Can you ask modern advice from someone who passed? [13:00] The Spencer family legacy: 24 kids, coal mine, WWI sniper [18:44] Tiger/Chief moment: Hearing his father's voice again [21:27] How did Miles get into this? The universe's plan [25:00] Privacy and security: "How can you hack what you can't see?" [27:00] Growth metrics: 1,000 Elders in 6 weeks [30:00] The ultimate vision: Recording Earth's stories [31:04] What users are experiencing with their Elders [39:00] Running the brand through StoryCycle Genie™ [42:00] From grief to connection: The positioning evolution [46:00] Brand purpose validated: "Nailed it" [48:00] Where to learn more about Reflekta About Miles Spencer: Miles Spencer is a curious guy from Pittsburgh who's mentored tech founders for 30+ years and been a dad for 14—two jobs that, as he says, share remarkable similarities. He's created over 1,100 jobs, founded and exited three digital media companies, served as Venture Principal at Capital Express (the team behind register.com), and hosted MoneyHunt on PBS long before Shark Tank existed. As an adventurer, he's led 1,500 people across 14 miles of open sea by kayak and trekked 1,100 miles through the deserts of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria—journeys that inspired his Amazon bestsellers A Line in the Sand and Havana Famiglia. After a pandemic reset, Miles co-founded Reflekta with Adam Drake—transforming their shared quiet wish for one more conversation with someone they loved into the SoulTech platform that enables everyone on the planet to reconnect with loved ones when they're ready. When he's not building companies, you'll find him painting watercolors with his daughter, playing rugby with his son, or occasionally needing a translator for his unique brand of English. Key Quotes: "This body is temporal. But if you can connect with my spirit and soul, they are eternal." - Arthur Spencer's final words to Miles "We're recording the legacies and stories of planet Earth told by the people who lived here, not by media outlets." "My dad has a perfect memory now. He remembers things I've forgotten and he would have forgotten." "Spontaneous and dynamic conversations—10x the impact of a video or a book." "We're talking about eternity here, so monthly was too short term." "How can you hack what you can't see?" - On Reflekta's privacy-first approach Links: • Reflekta.ai - Create your Elder or talk to Arthur/Virginia • Miles Spencer on LinkedIn • A Line in the Sand on Amazon • Havana Famiglia on Amazon • SoulTech White Paper at Reflekta.ai • Business of Story website: • StoryCycle Genie™: CTA: Subscribe to Business of Story on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Leave a review to help other entrepreneurs and storytellers discover the show. Visit Reflekta.ai and talk to Arthur or Virginia to experience SoulTech for yourself. Want to experience it yourself? Visit Reflekta.ai and talk to Arthur or Virginia—the only two public Elders. You don't know their stories, but you'll immediately understand what it would mean to have this with someone you loved. As Miles reminds us: No story truly ends if it's remembered well. And now, those stories can answer back. Craft your brilliant brand story strategy in minutes, not months, and instantly create compelling content that converts customers with the StoryCycle Genie™ #StoryOn! ≈Park /episode/index/show/businessofstory/id/39542525

#547: From Burnout to Breakthrough: How Taking Time Off Accelerates Growth, with Michael Walsh 12/22/2025

#547: From Burnout to Breakthrough: How Taking Time Off Accelerates Growth, with Michael Walsh What if working LESS is the smartest business growth strategy for 2026? Michael Walsh went three years without a vacation—grinding relentlessly, believing scaling required personal sacrifice. Then his wife forced him to take time off. The result? He generated $10,000 in new sales—more than any previous week. He tested further, taking the last week of every month off. His income kept growing. After 30+ years helping $2M-$20M companies scale, Michael has proven that people-first business growth outperforms systems-first approaches every time. What You'll Discover: ✅ The $10,000 vacation discovery - Why strategic time off accelerates revenue instead of slowing it down ✅ The relationship complexity math - Why 100 people = 4,950 relationships, explaining why your systems break as you scale from $1M to $10M ✅ Survive, Thrive, Connect, Adapt framework - Practical roadmap for understanding human behavior structures that support your people to be at their best ✅ Why your people are your #1 brand story customer - How training influencers (even janitors and cafeteria workers) instead of just executives creates authentic brand ambassadors ✅ The social contract that works - Why professional growth takes pressure off top dollar, and how two-minute weekly conversations replace twice-yearly performance theater ✅ Intelligent ecosystems vs. machines - Why "I'm the boss, you do what I say" fails in service businesses, and how to build adaptive capacity ✅ AI and the Age of Creativity - How AI is eliminating junior jobs and what the shift from Information Age to Age of Creativity means for your business About Michael Walsh: Michael Walsh is founder of Walsh Business Growth Institute and author of Freedom by Design: The Established Business Owner's Guide to Grow, Make an Impact, and Find the Joy Again. His myth-busting methodologies liberate owners from operational dependency through contrarian, people-first strategies. FREE BOOK: Get Freedom by Design free (print, PDF, or MP4) at WalshBusinessGrowth.com Key Topics: business growth strategies, scaling $2M-$20M companies, employee relationship management, leadership development, burnout recovery, work-life balance, organizational culture, brand storytelling, people-first leadership, service business optimization, AI impact on business, future of work Connect with Michael: 🌐 WalshBusinessGrowth.com 📧 About Business of Story: Business of Story helps business owners and marketing professionals master brand storytelling for business growth. Hosted by Park Howell, featuring expert guests sharing proven strategies. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts Connect: BusinessOfStory.com | @parkhowell | @businessofstory ⭐ Love the show? Leave a 5-star review and help other leaders discover strategic storytelling! /episode/index/show/businessofstory/id/39478250