Shane Parrish sits down with Matthew Dicks, a renowned storyteller, author, and teacher, to explore the nuanced art of storytelling. They go deep into the techniques that turn mediocre stories into masterful ones. You’ll learn what makes a story truly resonate with an audience, how to identify and highlight the pivotal moments that create emotional impact, the architecture of compelling stories, how to structure narratives for maximum engagement and how to use techniques like suspense, stakes, and humor to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. This conversation covers broad frameworks, like how to structure a great story—and the granular details, like when you should talk quietly to refocus the audience. Matthew Dicks is novelist, storyteller, columnist, playwright, blogger, and teacher. He’s published fiction and non-fiction books, the latter of which include: Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life Through the Power of Storytelling and Someday Is Today: 22 Simple, Actionable Ways to Propel Your Creative Life. (00:00:00 Intro (00:03:28) What makes a good story (00:06:57) Stories vs anecdotes (00:08:29) A Story: The Spoon of Power (00:17:42) The art of story architecture (00:21:28) Create compelling stories (00:36:30) Common mistakes & how to fix them (00:55:01) Strategic listening (01:03:32) Can you lie in stories? (01:05:10) 'And' stories vs. 'but / therefore' stories (01:10:05) Finding engaging stories in everyday life (01:20:05) Structuring a story (01:24:00) Storytelling for an unforgettable brand (01:31:20) Learn confidence (01:38:40) Writing vs telling a story (01:51:53) Teach kids to love writing (01:55:15) Define success Newsletter - The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at https://fs.blog/newsletter/ -- Upgrade — If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of the episode, join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fs.blog/membership/⁠⁠ and get your own private feed. -- Follow me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://beacons.ai/shaneparrish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tkppodcast -- Sponsor: Overlap https://www.joinoverlap.com/ - Listen to podcasts like never before.

Unlock the secrets of product positioning with April Dunford. Learn how to: * Identify customer pain points * Craft compelling sales copy * Stand out from big competitors Whether you're a startup founder or corporate executive, this episode will revolutionize your marketing strategy. Designers, engineers, and marketers: discover insider tips to boost your career and drive results. Don't miss this deep and practical conversation on positioning your product for success. -- Newsletter - The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at https://fs.blog/newsletter/ [https://fs.blog/newsletter/] -- Upgrade — If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of the episode, join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fs.blog/membership/⁠⁠ [https://fs.blog/membership/] and get your own private feed. -- Follow me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://beacons.ai/shaneparrish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://beacons.ai/shaneparrish] -- Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:07) Positioning, explained (16:47) Why is positioning important? (20:40) B2B vs. B2C positioning (29:03) When re-positioning a product failed (32:31) How to identify customer's pain points (34:35) How to position a product on a sales page (38:06) How technology has changed positioning (41:40) How to evaluate product positioning (45:43) Who's in charge of positioning at a company? (50:27) On storytelling (56:35) Should a company have a point of view on the market? (1:00:21) Dealing with gatekeepers in B2B marketing (1:03:02) Mistakes people make with positioning (1:05:21) What schools get wrong about marketing (1:08:59) Secrets of B2B decision-making (1:11:18) On success

Brian Halligan, co-founder and former CEO of HubSpot, discusses the journey of leading a company from the startup phase to IPO. Halligan shares his personal and professional experiences, including a snowmobiling accident that altered his life trajectory, the importance of company culture, the nuances of hiring the right people, and the complications involved in running a growing organization. This episode is a must-listen for entrepreneurs, CEOs, and anyone interested in the intersection of personal growth and professional success. Brian Halligan is currently a Senior Advisor at Sequoia Capital. In 2006, he co-founded HubSpot and served as its CEO until 2021. He is also a senior lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. -- Newsletter - The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at ⁠https://fs.blog/newsletter/⁠ [https://fs.blog/newsletter/]-- Upgrade — If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of the episode, join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fs.blog/membership/⁠⁠ [https://fs.blog/membership/] and get your own private feed. -- Follow me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://beacons.ai/shaneparrish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://beacons.ai/shaneparrish] -- Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:36) Halligan's life-changing snowmobile accident (09:38) Shane's life-changing medical mystery (14:38) The different phases a CEO goes through while growing companies (20:44) Lessons learned from Steve Jobs (23:18) How to hire and fire people (and when) (27:55) The problems with "Best Practices" in business (31:11) The most underrated public CEOs (and why Jerry Garcia from The Grateful Dead is on this list) (43:38) The history and future of inbound marketing (51:08) On decision making (55:18) On work-life balance (58:28) On success Watch the episode on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/theknowledgeproject/videos⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/c/theknowledgeproject/videos] Newsletter - I share timeless insights and ideas you can use at work and home. Join over 600k others every Sunday and subscribe to Brain Food. Try it: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fs.blog/newsletter/⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://fs.blog/newsletter/] My Book! Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results is out now - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fs.blog/clear/⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://fs.blog/clear/] Follow me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://beacons.ai/shaneparrish⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://beacons.ai/shaneparrish] Join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fs.blog/membership/ [https://fs.blog/membership/]

Few episodes in The Knowledge Project’s nine-year history have impacted people’s relationships and lives more than when Esther Perel shared her infinite wisdom for the first time in 2019. Shane and Esther discuss how the stories you tell yourself shape how you see the world (and what to do about that), the important conversations to have at the beginning of a relationship, the most common arguments couples have and how to prevent them, what to say to a partner if the relationship isn’t working out, the relationship between desire, love, and pleasure, and so much more. Plus, the conversation starts out on an interesting note: Esther Perel shares stories about her parents surviving the Holocaust and how their experiences shaped her childhood and continue to shape her life today. -- Newsletter - The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at ⁠https://fs.blog/newsletter/⁠ [https://fs.blog/newsletter/] -- Upgrade — If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of the episode, join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fs.blog/membership/⁠⁠ [https://fs.blog/membership/] and get your own private feed. -- Follow me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://beacons.ai/shaneparrish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://beacons.ai/shaneparrish] -- Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:38) Coming back to life after the war (08:09) The myth of stability (11:30) The power of reflections (19:48) Important conversations for early relationships (24:20) Can values change in relationships? (27:20) Being secure in a relationship (30:40) Better conversations with your partner (33:00) What's behind every criticism (36:52) Too much honesty (39:37) What happens if I don't love my partner (47:12) Why does good sex fade in relationships? (50:59) Love vs. desire (55:38) How to have difficult conversations with your partner (01:05:13) Conscious uncoupling Watch the episode on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/theknowledgeproject/videos⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/c/theknowledgeproject/videos] Newsletter - I share timeless insights and ideas you can use at work and home. Join over 600k others every Sunday and subscribe to Brain Food. Try it: ⁠⁠⁠https://fs.blog/newsletter/⁠⁠⁠ [https://fs.blog/newsletter/] My Book! Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results is out now - ⁠⁠⁠https://fs.blog/clear/⁠⁠⁠ [https://fs.blog/clear/] Follow me: ⁠⁠⁠https://beacons.ai/shaneparrish⁠⁠⁠ [https://beacons.ai/shaneparrish] Join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠https://fs.blog/membership/ [https://fs.blog/membership/]

Few episodes in The Knowledge Project's nine-year history have impacted people's relationships and lives more than when Esther Perel shared her infinite wisdom for the first time in 2019. Shane and Esther discuss how the stories you tell yourself shape how you see the world (and what to do about that), the important conversations to have at the beginning of a relationship, the most common arguments couples have and how to prevent them, what to say to a partner if the relationship isn't working out, the relationship between desire, love, and pleasure, and so much more. Plus, the conversation starts out on an interesting note: Esther Perel shares stories about her parents surviving the Holocaust and how their experiences shaped her childhood and continue to shape her life today. Esther Perel is a couples therapist and New York Times best-selling author. Esther’s refreshingly frank approach to topics like sex, intimacy, divorce, and fidelity has made her one of the most unique and sought-after voices on modern relationships. Watch the episode on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/theknowledgeproject/videos⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/c/theknowledgeproject/videos] Newsletter - I share timeless insights and ideas you can use at work and home. Join over 600k others every Sunday and subscribe to Brain Food. Try it: ⁠⁠⁠https://fs.blog/newsletter/⁠⁠⁠ [https://fs.blog/newsletter/] My Book! Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results is out now - ⁠⁠⁠https://fs.blog/clear/⁠⁠⁠ [https://fs.blog/clear/] Follow me: ⁠⁠⁠https://beacons.ai/shaneparrish⁠⁠⁠ [https://beacons.ai/shaneparrish] Join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠https://fs.blog/membership/ [https://fs.blog/membership/] (00:00) Intro (02:38) Coming back to life after the war (08:09) The myth of stability (11:30) The power of reflections (19:48) Important conversations for early relationships (24:20) Can values change in relationships? (27:20) Being secure in a relationship (30:40) Better conversations with your partner (33:00) What's behind every criticism (36:52) Too much honesty (39:37) What happens if I don't love my partner (47:12) Why does good sex fade in relationships? (50:59) Love vs. desire (55:38) How to have difficult conversations with your partner (01:05:13) Conscious uncoupling