The 21st century pits our ability to adapt against the fastest pace of change in human history. Technologies like artificial intelligence are growing logarithmically.  Social networks have left us feeling more separated and lonely.  And together, they have spawned an information environment so dense with static that it’s hard to hear the music. 

Fortunately, you have within you a power that overcomes all of these challenges:  the ability to create and share stories.

In this energizing, inspiring, and highly practical keynote, you’ll learn why stories are the preeminent form of human communication, the transformative effects they have on business, and how to achieve these results time after time.

Learning objectives

• The evolutionary evidence for stories as central to being human

• The neurobiology and psychology of how stories affect us

• Why stories are our most powerful persuasive tool

• What a story actually is—and what it isn’t

• A clear, step-by-step process to craft your own story

• A simple, effective toolkit for making your story more powerful

• How to use stories to transform sales, marketing, and fundraising

• How to use storytelling to unify your organization’s culture

Whether corporate, nonprofit, or personal, there are a few common reasons why branding efforts fail to connect.

The most common issue is being too self-focused. If branding is an answer to the question “what do we want to say,” you ‘re halfway to Troubletown.

In this inspiring, thought-provoking keynote, you’ll learn the essential mechanism that makes brand work—and how to harness it for yourself.

Learning objectives

• What brand really is—and what it isn’t

• The simple framework for identifying the heart of your brand

• How to avoid common branding mistakes that can cost your company hundreds of thousands—or more

• A stepwise framework for successfully dialing in your brand—and the pros and cons of hiring an agency, using a consultant, or doing it yourself

Creating a vision is hard. But getting other people to buy in to your vision can be even harder.

Learn how inclusive co-authorship can combine these steps to create a stronger, more durable strategic vision.

Best of all, when the plan belongs to everyone, buy-in is a given, and your team can accelerate directly into execution.

Learning objectives

• How storytelling and co-authorship bypass natural resistance to new ideas

• The principles of creative collaboration that get people to share openly

• How to critically evaluate ideas without shutting your people down

• The decision-making framework that keeps leaders in the drivers’ seat while increasing their team’s faith in them

• Why you should replace “work harder” with “play smarter”