Happy First Birthday to Unleash!

Hard to believe it was a year ago today that Unleash the Power of Storytelling was unleashed on the world. My latest book has not only exceeded my expectations, but it’s also exceeded the sales of my first two books combined. (Which says something either about the high level of interest in storytelling or the quality of … Read more

Here is the Secret to Happiness

Secret to Happiness

I’m pleased to report that I have found the secret to happiness. (Well, happiness may be a stretch. Let’s call it contentment, or satisfaction.) But it’s the reason that I can honestly say I have never had a bad year. And why I have trouble relating to the many social media posts every December bidding … Read more

How to Focus Your Presentation: 7 Tips

focus your presentation

A British professor recently conducted an informal (and wonderful) study showing that boring speeches are more likely to go longer. (Wouldn’t you know it? The pain of sitting through an awful speech is compounded by time!) His findings point to the importance of brevity and discipline. So here are seven ways you can better focus … Read more

All You Need is Love: 9 Lessons for Success from Gilda Radner

Lessons for Success

There’s a documentary coming out this fall on the late Gilda Radner, one of the original cast members of Saturday Night Live. Called “Love, Gilda,” it’s getting a lot of buzz. In talking about what made her funny, Radner explained, “My biggest motivation has always been love.” That much is obvious. From the exuberance of her … Read more

Sergio Marchionne and the Power of Emotional Storytelling

emotional storytelling

Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne died unexpectedly last week. It was a great loss — for the company that he helped rescue from the brink, and for his family and friends, of course. In my latest book I wrote about an electric moment in Chrysler’s history where Marchionne took the stage and demonstrated the power … Read more

How to Say No and Preserve Your Sanity

How to say no

I have been asked several times by frazzled colleagues how I manage to avoid being overwhelmed with work. My answer is simple: I know how to say no. It goes back to my agency days. If you’re not careful, your time gets parceled out to so many clients and projects that none get the attention … Read more

How to Create a Story: a 5-step Process

How to create a story

Study after study confirms that stories have unparalleled power to captivate audiences and persuade them to act in our favor. But how do you go about crafting a story? Here’s a step-by-step guide that will show you how to create a story that will help you win hearts, change minds and get the results you … Read more