Strategic Storytelling

Have you ever told a story -- a brilliant story! -- and your audience just looked at you blankly? They just didn't get it. Or they couldn't relate: they couldn't put themselves into the story. 

Stori…

“What niche am I supposed to target?”

That’s always a popular question when I meet a group of fellow business owners. Even if they’re experienced veterans, they wonder, “Did I let some people get awa…

So you've got something to teach people. You're the only one...or one of the few.

But your audience isn't stupid. They know a lot already. Who likes being treated like a child...especially a stupid…

“I have many happy clients. How can I get them to share testimonials?"  

That’s what my reader asked me when I was looking for new applications for. telling stories.

It's a complaint I hear from othe…

There’s something appealing about telling stories. We all want to talk about what happened to us..especially the bad parts.  

But when you're writing for business, it's important to tell your story o…

Of the five archetypes I've identified, the Celebrity holds greatest awe and power. 

***If you're new to my community, you can download a free report featuring the five archtypes when you click here.

As you know, I've got five story archetypes for basic branding for small, service-based businesses. You can learn more about them in my free report here.

http://cathygoodwin.com/archI talk a lot abou…

We have lots of stories of celebration, where people talk about their wins. What we need are more stories of pulling the plug. 

For example, in this episode I talk about someone who decided not to ge…

If you’re a service based solopreneur, entrepreneur or independent professional, your brand is YOU. Your About Page will be critical to your online success.

And yet, if you’re like most business owne…

When we think of business storytelling, most business owners think of stories as a way to relate to clients - and certainly I encourage that direction. You can use stories to engage clients, explain …

Numbers make stories more vivid. When we say, "Apartment 101," you may get a picture in your mind of the door with the number.

But there's a downside. When you use numbers to suggest how you value so…

This week's episode is an encore presentation. It's designed to introduce new audience members to a podcast they may have missed. And it's one of my favorites!

We rarely associate"productivity" with …

Many service-based entrepreneurs tell me, “My services seem so ordinary! I want to create a sense of excitement among potential clients.”

It’s how lots of small business owners (including me) begin…

“Should I tell this story? I don’t feel comfortable sharing.”

Or

“I *really* feel I should tell this story, even if it makes me uncomfortable."  

If you’re like many of my clients, these questions ar…

One of the biggest challenges for a business owner is getting seen as a credible expert in your field…even a thought leader in your industry.

Last episode we focused on being seen as an expert. Howev…

“Every year I say I’m going to plan better. And it never happens.”

“I make great plans. But I never seem to finish carrying them out.”

“I’m a small business. My brand is ME…which means my planning is…

You’re a service-based business and the brand is YOU. So how will you keep growing your business while you’re taking some downtime?

For many of us, holidays mean vacation and downtime. We travel. We …

When you meet prospects, live or virtually, they often want to know more about you and your services. 

Inevitably, they’ll ask for your website. Research shows 80% of buyers visit a website before ma…

A content creator named Kaleigh Moore posted on social media: When working to improve yourself: Is it better to do it in a public forum and post about progress along the way, or to internalize it, hu…

When you introduce yourself as a business owner, do you give yourself a title? Or do you jump right in to explain how you serve clients?

Many coaches tell you to skip the title. No need to identify y…