Storytelling

As the end of the year rolled around, I knew I was headed for a change. And I noticed that the people in my network, didn't quite understand it. 

Even after I told them the news that I now had a full suite of marketing services backing me, they still introduced me as a video creator. My next thought was, why would they know (and remember)? After all, everyone has a lot on their mind about their own business and life.

So, I saw a need for an awareness campaign.

But what could I do, as a small …

Can social media content really make a difference? Some swear by social media, telling me they can trace every client back to their (consistent) social media presence. Others strongly dislike social media and say for them, it's a waste of time. 

Personally, I don't think there is a black-and-white answer to this question. There are a lot of factors to consider, such as quality content, consistency of use, and engagement with other accounts, to name a few.  

My Social Experiment  

About five w…

We are moving faster every day. The market changes swiftly. Remote work is dominating and the gig economy is alive and well. 

Small- and medium-sized businesses face unique challenges when it comes to managing marketing. Often, small marketing budgets are not spent strategically and therefore get lackluster results. Business owners get burned by one-off "marketing" solutions that promise to be the end-all-be-all answer.

On the other hand, a strategic marketing partner and advisor who acts as a…

A grade school teacher once told my mom, "Kery just wants things to be fair."

In college, I gravitated toward classes like Intercultural Communication, Women's Studies and Rhetoric. I appreciate the differences in people. It just hurt my heart when I saw injustice in the world. And I had a desire to do something about it. What? I didn't know... but something. 

So, while I was in college I looked for ways to further the cause of fairness. In one such instance I volunteered for the Anti Defama…

Recently in a networking conversation, after I introduced myself someone said, "Animated video? That sounds juvenile." Well, I beg to differ.  

How do you win hearts and minds in a time when everyone is selling something (constantly)?

When it comes to marketing your business, you can easily be a stuffed shirt. Just do what everyone else does... advertise, promote, tell them verbally. 

Or, you can be unique. 

You can entertain just as much as you persuade. You can ask questions, listen and be…

"I'm afraid we are going to bore them to death!" That was what one business development manager told me about her CEO, who has a big speech to give soon.  

When you have an opportunity to speak in front of a group, you have the opportunity to build trust, provide value and establish authority. If the CEO presents a boring, long, dry presentation how will the audience respond? 

Chances are they'll walk away thinking, "YAWN! What a snooze fest!" Creating that perception misses the goal completel…

Inventors, entrepreneurs, marketers, scientists and more have all graced the TED Talk stage. And while I did read Gallo's other book, Talk Like Ted I didn't find it quite as engaging as this one: "The Storyteller's Secret." In this book, he takes us through the journey that many now-famous leaders have walked, using the power of storytelling.

Now more than ever our attention spans are short and competition is fierce! Gallo connects storytelling as the key ingredient for connecting with audienc…

In storytelling and story listening, there is a mutual benefit. You benefit from storytelling because you have the opportunity to influence. You benefit from story listening because you have the opportunity to learn... not to mention to build trust. 

A conversation about storytelling often leads to the "know, like and trust" factor. Recently I thought, "why aren't I sharing about products and services that I know, like and trust?" (Especially those that relate to storytelling.)

After all, I'm …

Subscribing to a YouTube channel is like joining a neighborhood. It's like saying "yes" to seeing each other regularly and having conversations (in the comments).  

It reminds me so much of a community that I feel like I'm channeling Mr. Rogers when I ask, "Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for tips on storytelling."  

Previously, under a different iteration of my business, I created YouTube videos. I learned a lot. I experimented enough to know there's a knack to really taking on YouTube. It ca…