00:00:00.450 –> 00:00:06.600

Joe: A family walks into a talent agency and says, have we got the act for you?

00:00:07.500 –> 00:00:12.030

If you're familiar with this opening to a joke, you may have

00:00:12.030 –> 00:00:14.190

had a visceral reaction to it.

00:00:14.820 –> 00:00:17.070

Either you think it's hysterically funny?

00:00:17.520 –> 00:00:20.400

Shamefully disgusting or both.

00:00:21.060 –> 00:00:23.910

It's the opening to the joke, the aristocrats.

00:00:24.270 –> 00:00:28.620

And if you have a weak stomach, I don't suggest you look it up.

00:00:29.460 –> 00:00:33.180

See the point of this joke, isn't actually the punchline,

00:00:33.210 –> 00:00:34.680

which is right in the title.

00:00:35.190 –> 00:00:38.490

The point is to see how long you can improv a shocking,

00:00:38.520 –> 00:00:40.320

disgusting, offensive story.

00:00:41.130 –> 00:00:45.270

You can think about it as a secret handshake among comedians that

00:00:45.270 –> 00:00:51.060

became not so secret after a 2005 documentary came out about the joke.

00:00:52.260 –> 00:00:56.070

But it got me thinking about the importance of telling a story.

00:00:56.940 –> 00:00:57.630

Last week.

00:00:57.630 –> 00:01:01.380

I got to speak to my friend, Nick Benson's college classes

00:01:01.740 –> 00:01:03.360

about digital storytelling.

00:01:04.080 –> 00:01:04.920

Don't worry.

00:01:05.040 –> 00:01:06.960

I didn't tell the aristocrats.

00:01:07.470 –> 00:01:11.700

But I did tell them about why storytelling is so important.

00:01:12.030 –> 00:01:13.950

And that's what I want to talk to you about today.

00:01:14.400 –> 00:01:18.270

So as you listen to what is, hopefully this story?

00:01:18.300 –> 00:01:21.000

I look for these top takeaways.

00:01:21.690 –> 00:01:23.670

How to tell a good story.

00:01:24.780 –> 00:01:26.700

And how do we integrate.

00:01:27.000 –> 00:01:29.550

Elements from the story into the point in your making.

00:01:30.450 –> 00:01:33.000

Where to find good stories.

00:01:33.690 –> 00:01:36.570

And the three act structure that dictates them.

00:01:37.260 –> 00:01:40.410

And who you need to make the hero.

00:01:40.890 –> 00:01:41.820

In your story.

00:01:42.510 –> 00:01:46.200

We'll cover all of that in more plus in the pro show, I'm going to

00:01:46.200 –> 00:01:50.700

talk about how I am revamping my automations database for members.

00:01:51.180 –> 00:01:58.140

As well as how and why I deeply upset some fans of artificial

00:01:58.140 –> 00:02:00.540

intelligence and large language models.

00:02:00.840 –> 00:02:06.810

So if you want to hear that, You can head over to how I built it slash join

00:02:07.110 –> 00:02:09.270

and become a member of the Foundry.

00:02:10.080 –> 00:02:11.370

But that's it.

00:02:11.430 –> 00:02:14.280

Let's get into the intro.

00:02:14.700 –> 00:02:16.260

And then the episode.

00:02:16.732 –> 00:02:21.112

Hey everybody, and welcome to How I Built It, the podcast that helps

00:02:21.112 –> 00:02:25.522

busy solopreneurs and creators grow their business without

00:02:25.527 –> 00:02:27.202

spending too much time on it.

00:02:27.742 –> 00:02:33.052

I'm your host, Joe Casabona, and each week I bring you interviews and case studies

00:02:33.202 –> 00:02:37.602

on how to build a better business through smarter processes, time management.

00:02:37.802 –> 00:02:39.902

And effective content creation.

00:02:40.262 –> 00:02:44.432

It's like getting free coaching calls from successful solopreneurs.

00:02:45.062 –> 00:02:49.382

By the end of each episode, you'll have one to three takeaways you can

00:02:49.382 –> 00:02:54.992

implement today to stop spending time in your business and more time on

00:02:54.992 –> 00:03:00.092

your business or with your friends, your family reading, or however

00:03:00.092 –> 00:03:02.912

you choose to spend your free time.

00:03:05.732 –> 00:03:09.842

So I got to speak to a college class, two college classes actually.

00:03:10.412 –> 00:03:12.812

About the importance of storytelling.

00:03:13.202 –> 00:03:13.982

And I loved it.

00:03:13.982 –> 00:03:16.652

It reminded me of how much I miss.

00:03:17.162 –> 00:03:19.082

Teaching in the classroom.

00:03:19.082 –> 00:03:23.912

For those of you who don't know, I taught intro to computers and computer

00:03:23.912 –> 00:03:25.922

science at the university of Scranton.

00:03:26.402 –> 00:03:31.322

From when I was a grad student in 2007, until I got married and moved away.

00:03:31.832 –> 00:03:36.362

At the end of 2016, I continued to teach online courses.

00:03:36.812 –> 00:03:39.032

For a while, but it just wasn't the same.

00:03:39.032 –> 00:03:43.052

It's not the same as being in a classroom full of students.

00:03:43.712 –> 00:03:45.812

Who are increasingly younger than you.

00:03:46.292 –> 00:03:50.042

Uh, and understanding what makes them think.

00:03:50.582 –> 00:03:52.742

And the zeitgeists and the culture.

00:03:53.372 –> 00:03:56.102

Uh, and that is something that I really miss.

00:03:56.102 –> 00:03:59.492

And so I thoroughly enjoyed, even though it was via zoom.

00:04:00.302 –> 00:04:04.322

Joining my friends class and teaching him.

00:04:04.892 –> 00:04:08.642

Uh, and his students, the importance of storytelling.

00:04:08.642 –> 00:04:10.682

And so most of this.

00:04:11.522 –> 00:04:15.362

Most of these thoughts I have are in the context of podcasting.

00:04:16.022 –> 00:04:21.182

I think that not enough people tell stories with their podcasts.

00:04:21.782 –> 00:04:26.342

Uh, and I think that storytelling is important in any context, in any content

00:04:26.342 –> 00:04:28.412

you create, but especially podcasting.

00:04:29.102 –> 00:04:34.022

Uh, and I say again, I, I say, especially because up until this point, the vast

00:04:34.022 –> 00:04:40.112

majority of podcasts, haven't integrated storytelling in some way, they've been

00:04:40.322 –> 00:04:43.022

back and forth interviews, emulating.

00:04:43.562 –> 00:04:46.862

More of a late night host format.

00:04:47.342 –> 00:04:52.202

Then a movie or a TV show, but if you'll notice everybody

00:04:52.562 –> 00:04:54.422

brings a story with them, right.

00:04:54.452 –> 00:04:55.142

They're not just.

00:04:55.772 –> 00:05:00.332

Shooting it, uh, I can send to myself here, shooting there

00:05:00.752 –> 00:05:05.612

because, uh, they feel like it, they, they want to make an impact.

00:05:05.642 –> 00:05:08.282

They want to tell people about their cause.

00:05:09.872 –> 00:05:15.002

So, well, there are popular podcasts that don't weave storytelling

00:05:15.002 –> 00:05:17.162

into the fabric of their content.

00:05:18.032 –> 00:05:21.692

Uh, most of, again, most of the popular podcasts do.

00:05:22.262 –> 00:05:25.712

Uh, look at lore, which was one of the first to really do that.

00:05:26.132 –> 00:05:27.812

Uh, before that, right?

00:05:27.872 –> 00:05:28.802

Most.

00:05:29.402 –> 00:05:33.302

Podcasts were, I mean, stuff you should know, that was, that was,

00:05:33.302 –> 00:05:34.682

and still is a really good one.

00:05:35.162 –> 00:05:38.162

But most of them were like white guys talking about apple, right?

00:05:38.192 –> 00:05:39.542

No story required.

00:05:39.872 –> 00:05:44.342

Uh, so lore American storytellers is a recent favorite of mine.

00:05:44.762 –> 00:05:45.812

And serial Ray.

00:05:45.962 –> 00:05:50.042

Those kinds of podcasts kind of transformed the landscape.

00:05:50.612 –> 00:05:54.002

And they all tell a compelling story.

00:05:54.992 –> 00:05:58.502

If you're trying to differentiate in today's world, no matter

00:05:58.502 –> 00:06:00.182

what content you make.

00:06:00.902 –> 00:06:04.502

Uh, the world where everything is vying for your attention.

00:06:04.502 –> 00:06:07.712

As we talked with, uh, the clarity king, Steve.

00:06:07.982 –> 00:06:09.662

Back a few episodes ago.

00:06:10.382 –> 00:06:13.412

Uh, you can't just have a conversation.

00:06:13.682 –> 00:06:16.052

You can't just be two people talking.

00:06:16.382 –> 00:06:20.882

Uh, unless you happen to be a Superbowl winning tight end dating the world's most

00:06:20.912 –> 00:06:23.042

popular pop star and American royalty.

00:06:23.822 –> 00:06:25.862

You need to tell a good story.

00:06:26.552 –> 00:06:30.332

So, where do you start?

00:06:31.262 –> 00:06:34.712

Well, just to quickly level set here.

00:06:35.282 –> 00:06:39.122

I'm talking about nonfiction information focused podcasts here.

00:06:39.752 –> 00:06:43.742

Uh, the interviews are solo shows where you're teaching or doing

00:06:43.742 –> 00:06:45.542

some sort of knowledge transfer.

00:06:46.412 –> 00:06:51.662

I suspect I don't need to convince people who are already telling

00:06:51.662 –> 00:06:52.712

a story that they need to.

00:06:53.402 –> 00:06:54.362

Tell a story.

00:06:55.412 –> 00:06:56.072

So.

00:06:58.412 –> 00:07:00.032

How do we tell a good story?

00:07:00.032 –> 00:07:00.992

Where do we start?

00:07:01.022 –> 00:07:03.212

I've talked about this before my three act.

00:07:03.812 –> 00:07:04.682

Process.

00:07:05.012 –> 00:07:07.232

But we have to go a little bit.

00:07:08.012 –> 00:07:09.962

Back further back.

00:07:10.412 –> 00:07:13.082

To really understand the importance of storytelling.

00:07:13.832 –> 00:07:14.942

Uh, my friend Mike Paki.

00:07:14.942 –> 00:07:18.092

He owned, who was on this show is a public speaking coach.

00:07:18.602 –> 00:07:20.942

And he knows the power of storytelling.

00:07:21.482 –> 00:07:25.412

He knows that you need to hook your listeners and take them

00:07:25.412 –> 00:07:28.412

on a journey through your talk.

00:07:29.192 –> 00:07:31.172

It doesn't have to be an epic story.

00:07:31.262 –> 00:07:32.582

It just needs to be a.

00:07:33.302 –> 00:07:35.912

A story with a beginning or a hook.

00:07:36.392 –> 00:07:38.042

Uh, middle some conflict.

00:07:38.582 –> 00:07:40.082

And some conclusion.

00:07:40.652 –> 00:07:43.112

Even if that conclusion.

00:07:43.472 –> 00:07:44.672

Is a cliffhanger.

00:07:45.932 –> 00:07:50.522

Mike opens up one of his talks by telling a story about how

00:07:50.762 –> 00:07:52.322

he was staying in a hotel.

00:07:52.802 –> 00:07:53.642

And he got.

00:07:54.272 –> 00:07:56.852

A very scary call in the middle of the night.

00:07:57.932 –> 00:07:59.972

And he thought he heard a knock on his door.

00:08:01.172 –> 00:08:02.342

And he doesn't end the story.

00:08:03.662 –> 00:08:04.742

Just leaves it there.

00:08:04.982 –> 00:08:05.732

Hanging out.

00:08:06.302 –> 00:08:07.652

Because that's not the point.

00:08:07.682 –> 00:08:09.062

The point is to hook your listeners.

00:08:09.302 –> 00:08:10.172

If you.

00:08:10.802 –> 00:08:12.842

No, the aristocrats.

00:08:13.352 –> 00:08:17.072

Then I immediately hooked you with a family, walks into a talent

00:08:17.102 –> 00:08:21.542

agency and says, If you don't know the aristocrats, then you're

00:08:21.542 –> 00:08:24.032

like, what is Joe talking about?

00:08:24.872 –> 00:08:25.202

Right.

00:08:25.442 –> 00:08:28.802

So you want to hook your listeners right off the bat.

00:08:30.722 –> 00:08:35.072

In a minute, I will talk about the main difference between the two courses.

00:08:35.072 –> 00:08:37.442

The two sections of the course I taught back to back.

00:08:37.862 –> 00:08:40.142

Because this is also a really interesting thing to me.

00:08:40.562 –> 00:08:41.912

But first, I want to tell you.

00:08:43.112 –> 00:08:48.962

About the format that most or many stories at least to follow.

00:08:49.502 –> 00:08:50.852

And that's the hero's journey.

00:08:51.632 –> 00:08:56.162

The basis of many, many stories is Joseph Campbell's hero's journey.

00:08:56.852 –> 00:09:01.112

It's the idea that we have a hero, the main character go through

00:09:01.112 –> 00:09:03.302

some life altering adventure.

00:09:03.812 –> 00:09:05.342

With the help of a guide.

00:09:06.122 –> 00:09:11.522

The hero experiences, a trial that eventually leads to growth.

00:09:12.662 –> 00:09:15.242

We see this format all the time.

00:09:16.292 –> 00:09:17.402

Star wars.

00:09:18.332 –> 00:09:19.382

Harry Potter.

00:09:20.372 –> 00:09:21.542

Lord of the rings.

00:09:21.902 –> 00:09:23.882

Those are very commonly cited.

00:09:24.722 –> 00:09:26.402

But they don't have to be epics.

00:09:26.402 –> 00:09:28.592

They don't have to be science fiction or fantasy.

00:09:29.222 –> 00:09:32.222

Uh, one of my favorite shows is 30 rock.

00:09:32.642 –> 00:09:34.022

Which is a bit more fluid.

00:09:34.712 –> 00:09:39.482

But you could argue that both Liz lemon and Jack Donaghy go through their own

00:09:39.482 –> 00:09:41.462

hero's journey throughout the series.

00:09:42.302 –> 00:09:46.142

They're almost like their own heroes and they're each other's guide.

00:09:46.742 –> 00:09:49.412

Guiding each other to be better versions.

00:09:50.042 –> 00:09:51.212

Of themselves.

00:09:52.052 –> 00:09:54.212

Barney Stinson and how I met your mother.

00:09:54.692 –> 00:09:56.492

While, not the main character.

00:09:56.942 –> 00:10:00.122

Goes through considerable character growth.

00:10:01.022 –> 00:10:02.912

From the first to last season.

00:10:03.812 –> 00:10:05.042

And if we look at scrubs.

00:10:05.552 –> 00:10:07.442

J D is our main character.

00:10:07.442 –> 00:10:08.222

Uh, Dr.

00:10:08.222 –> 00:10:10.262

Cox is his most obvious guide.

00:10:11.432 –> 00:10:12.932

But he helps Dr.

00:10:12.932 –> 00:10:15.602

Cox grow to Jed's friends, help him grow.

00:10:15.602 –> 00:10:16.892

He has several guides.

00:10:18.002 –> 00:10:23.072

But he changes dramatically from the very first episode to the very last.

00:10:24.662 –> 00:10:27.632

This doesn't need to be in fiction either.

00:10:28.502 –> 00:10:32.012

And in fact, one of Nick's students asked me how to turn

00:10:32.522 –> 00:10:35.492

non-fiction events into stories.

00:10:36.062 –> 00:10:36.662

It's something.

00:10:36.662 –> 00:10:40.772

I think we wish we were all good at, but are kind of bad.

00:10:40.772 –> 00:10:41.162

Right?

00:10:41.642 –> 00:10:42.872

Uh, or most of us are right.

00:10:42.872 –> 00:10:46.772

We all have that friend or family member who gives you too many details.

00:10:46.772 –> 00:10:48.062

And the story goes nowhere.

00:10:48.482 –> 00:10:50.162

It's like, oh, so I was like up at midnight.

00:10:50.462 –> 00:10:51.542

Uh, and I couldn't sleep.

00:10:51.572 –> 00:10:56.132

So I got in my car and, uh, I drove, uh, down the 4 0 5.

00:10:56.132 –> 00:10:57.152

No, maybe it was the night.

00:10:57.182 –> 00:11:00.422

Well, either way I was driving, I was wearing my red hoodie and I went to

00:11:00.452 –> 00:11:03.692

Walmart and now you're like, why does it matter what road they were driving on?

00:11:03.692 –> 00:11:04.952

Why does the red hoodie matter?

00:11:05.012 –> 00:11:06.482

What, what's the point of this story?

00:11:07.382 –> 00:11:12.572

Um, But we should be able to turn nonfiction events into stories

00:11:12.572 –> 00:11:15.032

because those are going to help.

00:11:16.202 –> 00:11:17.852

Relate our.

00:11:18.962 –> 00:11:23.312

Knowledge or our information, the thing we're trying to teach to the audience.

00:11:24.302 –> 00:11:26.732

It's something I spoke to Cody Sheehy about on this show.

00:11:27.572 –> 00:11:31.172

Uh, but there's another person who's very good at telling

00:11:31.172 –> 00:11:33.032

stories based on her own life.

00:11:33.482 –> 00:11:35.822

And we know her all too well.

00:11:36.482 –> 00:11:41.042

But before we get into that, I want to take a quick break for our sponsors.

00:11:43.501 –> 00:11:47.911

If you haven't listened to the 10 minute version of Taylor Swift's all too.

00:11:47.911 –> 00:11:50.611

Well, I highly recommend it.

00:11:51.271 –> 00:11:53.821

Not only is it a bop?

00:11:54.571 –> 00:11:57.661

But it tells an incredible story about a several months

00:11:57.661 –> 00:12:00.421

relationship and well, 10 minutes.

00:12:01.201 –> 00:12:02.911

She uses her words.

00:12:03.271 –> 00:12:08.041

To paint, incredible pictures for us to imagine.

00:12:13.253 –> 00:12:15.683

It used to be a little kid glasses.

00:12:18.653 –> 00:12:23.303

And your mother's telling stories about you on the tee ball team.

00:12:24.143 –> 00:12:25.943

You told me about your past thinking.

00:12:31.013 –> 00:12:32.783

Can't you see that scene?

00:12:33.323 –> 00:12:34.013

In your head.

00:12:35.213 –> 00:12:37.463

I can picture it perfectly.

00:12:38.153 –> 00:12:41.513

I actually picture my own childhood bedroom for some reason.

00:12:42.383 –> 00:12:45.263

But she's painting a picture for you.

00:12:45.863 –> 00:12:48.923

To see what she remembers all too well.

00:12:50.123 –> 00:12:53.813

But Taylor swift also uses similes.

00:12:54.323 –> 00:12:55.253

To convey.

00:12:55.853 –> 00:12:59.813

How she, and whoever she's talking about.

00:13:00.683 –> 00:13:04.733

Uh, Treated there clan desk, dine, rekindling.

00:13:05.363 –> 00:13:08.963

This is maybe one of my favorite parts of the song.

00:13:15.113 –> 00:13:16.883

It's so good.

00:13:17.333 –> 00:13:18.713

'cause you really.

00:13:19.703 –> 00:13:25.523

You understand, we, you immediately know the difference between how she viewed

00:13:25.913 –> 00:13:27.953

them covertly getting back together.

00:13:28.523 –> 00:13:29.603

Versus how.

00:13:30.263 –> 00:13:31.613

The subject.

00:13:32.753 –> 00:13:34.853

Views them getting back together.

00:13:35.993 –> 00:13:41.933

And then finally her use of metaphors are also powerful and powerfully convey the

00:13:41.933 –> 00:13:45.863

emotion that she and we should be feeling.

00:14:00.713 –> 00:14:01.313

In here.

00:14:01.763 –> 00:14:02.303

Remember?

00:14:08.080 –> 00:14:10.090

A crumpled up piece of paper.

00:14:10.750 –> 00:14:11.410

Crushed.

00:14:12.040 –> 00:14:12.820

Wasted.

00:14:13.420 –> 00:14:15.040

And thrown in the trash.

00:14:15.881 –> 00:14:16.931

The truth is.

00:14:17.351 –> 00:14:19.961

Most of this was probably mundane.

00:14:20.561 –> 00:14:22.661

But she highlights the important bits.

00:14:23.081 –> 00:14:26.321

And how she felt as a 20 to 21 year old.

00:14:26.621 –> 00:14:29.411

Dating someone seemingly older than her.

00:14:30.101 –> 00:14:33.581

At one point, she says, you said if we had been closer in age,

00:14:33.641 –> 00:14:34.811

maybe it would have been fine.

00:14:35.261 –> 00:14:37.751

And that made me want to die.

00:14:38.381 –> 00:14:40.421

You really feel.

00:14:40.991 –> 00:14:43.871

The emotion that she is feeling.

00:14:45.221 –> 00:14:49.121

And the hook in all of this isn't necessarily the song itself.

00:14:50.021 –> 00:14:51.221

It's the mystery.

00:14:52.241 –> 00:14:55.061

The song came out in 2012.

00:14:55.841 –> 00:14:59.921

The 10 minute version of this song came out in 2021.

00:15:02.005 –> 00:15:08.155

And I read what was basically an investigative article dated the same week.

00:15:08.185 –> 00:15:12.085

I'm recording this episode in October, 2023.

00:15:12.655 –> 00:15:13.675

Diving in.

00:15:13.945 –> 00:15:16.045

To who the song is about.

00:15:16.435 –> 00:15:18.055

And why it's about them.

00:15:19.225 –> 00:15:20.755

It's all speculation.

00:15:20.815 –> 00:15:25.585

And none of this is confirmed by any of the parties who have

00:15:25.585 –> 00:15:27.175

been named in this article.

00:15:27.775 –> 00:15:30.115

But we love to talk about it.

00:15:30.745 –> 00:15:33.745

Taylor swift knows how to hook us.

00:15:34.045 –> 00:15:35.275

With a good story.

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So, where can we find the story?

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For Taylor, it's usually based on her own life experience.

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I also like to draw on my own experience.

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As well as lessons from pop culture.

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If you couldn't tell by now, You can find inspiration anywhere.

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You just need to make sure it drives home your point.

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Mike Paki.

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I don't recommend that you get a long sheet of paper and draw a timeline

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of your life on it, where you mark important events from your life.

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Then you can find stories based on what was going on.

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Around that time.

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For Nick's class.

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I presented my information into very different ways.

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And this gets to.

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Practicing your story, which you definitely also have to do.

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'cause the second class got a much better version of this than the first.

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And that was always true when I taught in the classroom as well, I would teach

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three sections back to back to back.

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The first section always got the short end of the stick they got the first time

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I was going through the information.

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The third class always got the best one I had given it twice

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before I knew the questions.

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And I knew the best way.

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Up until that point to deliver it.

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But for next class, the second session I opened with a story about

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the first time I sought therapy.

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And the events that led to the conclusion that I needed help.

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I chose this story because it was very personal.

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And this allowed them to maybe trust me a little bit more.

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But it also hooked them.

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I, uh, relatively young guy, I have kids, but it was the pandemic,

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which was stressful for everybody.

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I had a panic attack in front of my three-year-old and she's

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the one who ended up helping me.

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That's just a compelling story.

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I'm not embellishing.

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I'm picking the important parts to.

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Tell people.

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About.

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In this case, the power of story.

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Usually when I tell that story, it's this is the inciting incident

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that led me on my transformation to systematize my whole business.

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So that I wouldn't.

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Be stressed about at least that part of it.

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But that's the power of story.

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With my interviews, I try to define the interviews using a

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three-act structure that you may have heard me talk about already.

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The first act is the setup where we introduce our guide,

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the guest more on that later.

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And have some sort of inciting incident that forces the need to change.

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Then enact to, we have the confrontation where we create

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some sort of conflict or tension.

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This is usually a challenge to the guides main point, which

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we introduced in act one.

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So, for example, in an upcoming interview, an episode I have with

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henna Pryor, she talks about.

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What being awkward is she has a book called good, awkward.

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And so the confrontation is me saying shouldn't we try as hard as possible.

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Not to be awkward.

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She set up her whole thesis statement, which is being awkward is actually good.

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And I'm immediately challenging it by saying why?

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Like, why is being awkward?

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Good though.

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Take our listeners through this thought process because usually.

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If the listener feels awkward, they immediately no

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longer want to feel awkward.

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So why are you saying it's a good thing?

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And then act three, is the rev, the resolution.

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Where we confront the conflict except the guides point of view and learn how to

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implement what the guide has taught us.

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Again, in hennas episode a which.

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Is coming up as this comes out.

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Is.

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Okay.

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So it's good to be awkward.

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How do we embrace our awkward.

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And I know what you're thinking here.

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Shouldn't the guest.

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Be the hero.

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I mean, it's their journey after all right.

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Where we're talking about them.

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And I think no.

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I think if you're telling a fiction story, Or you're doing something

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like what American storytellers does or lore or cereal then yes.

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You need to have some hero closely related to the story, but when

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you're doing knowledge transfer, And you're creating this sort of

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podcast or any other content video.

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Uh, course.

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Written word.

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Someone else should be the hero.

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If you want sticky, helpful content.

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Your listener.

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Your reader.

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The person you're writing for should be the hero.

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Everyone roots for the hero.

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And believes in them.

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As they approach the end of the story.

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Making your listener, the hero.

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Empowers them.

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Gets them to believe in themselves.

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And opens them up for the possibility of transformation.

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If you have guests, your guests can be the guide.

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Our hero, our listener doesn't want to be awkward.

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But they've just learned that being awkward can be good.

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So how can we leverage that?

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Good.

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Our guide had a prior is going to tell you.

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If you don't have guests.

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Then you should be the guide.

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I am the guide for you in this story.

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I'm not the hero.

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I'm not the one who's so amazing at telling stories.

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I'm the person who's teaching you.

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How to tell good stories.

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And positioning yourself as the guide.

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It does two things.

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First of all, it makes you an authority on the topic.

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And it helps your listener know, like, and trust you faster.

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After all who doesn't like Obi wan Kenobi, Dumbledore, and Gandalf.

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You do that?

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By focusing the content around the listener.

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And what they need to do to transform.

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In star wars, obiwan appears to Luke and tells him.

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Trust in the force.

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Obiwan doesn't manipulate the force for him.

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Dumbledore puts in entire system in place.

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To help Harry do.

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What only Harry can do.

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Gandalf doesn't deliver the ring to Mordor.

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He helps Frodo deliver the ring to Mordor.

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Your job as the podcaster video creator writer.

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Is to be the guide.

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And it's to help your listener.

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You can't do that unless you make them the hero.

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So the next time you prep a podcast, episode, blog, post or video.

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Think about the story you're telling.

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What are you or your guest?

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Guiding the listener towards.

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What conflict will they overcome?

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How will the story evolve?

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Cody Sheehy in my interview with him.

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Said it telling a good story is opening a bunch of doors in a house.

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And then running through that house and slamming most of them shut.

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How can you help your listeners slam the door?

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Shut.

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On a problem.

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They are having.

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Thanks so much for listening.

00:23:44.835 –> 00:23:48.405

You can get all of the show notes, everything I talked about,

00:23:48.405 –> 00:23:50.925

as well as our written to be read version of this article.

00:23:51.285 –> 00:23:54.255

Over at how I built it slash 3, 3 7.

00:23:54.255 –> 00:23:56.595

Those links will also be in the description for your podcast player.

00:23:56.985 –> 00:24:00.825

If you liked this and you want to get more behind the scenes, looks at how

00:24:00.825 –> 00:24:02.865

I produce my podcast and how I am pre.

00:24:04.095 –> 00:24:08.565

Uh, fixing my workflows, how I'm improving my processes, what I wanted to say there,

00:24:08.835 –> 00:24:11.655

you can become a member of the podcast.

00:24:11.685 –> 00:24:12.405

Foundry.

00:24:12.675 –> 00:24:14.925

There will be a link at that same.

00:24:15.345 –> 00:24:18.195

Place over at how I built it slash three.

00:24:18.585 –> 00:24:19.845

Three seven.

00:24:20.085 –> 00:24:22.155

Thank you so much for listening.

00:24:22.155 –> 00:24:23.565

I really appreciate it.

00:24:23.925 –> 00:24:25.665

Thanks to our sponsors.

00:24:26.115 –> 00:24:27.375

And until next time.

00:24:27.795 –> 00:24:30.225

Get out there and build something.