Storytelling for Small Business Resource Bank

The Storytelling for Small Business Workbook

Do you have the Storytelling for Small Business Workbook yet? It’s a great tool to start capturing and pondering your own stories, ideas, and observations. Download it here:
https://websitesforgood.com/storytelling-for-small-business-workbook-2018/

My Articles and My Facebook Community

Because story endlessly fascinates me I’m always talking about storytelling in some way. I invite you to read my blog posts about story and visit me on Facebook to join the conversation in either place. You can also contact me with any questions you may have, or topics you’d love to see covered.

More Books

There are a lot of books about business storytelling, but I shy away from many of them because of their manipulative nature. I’m interested in storytelling as a way to grow my business by creating solid, trusting relationships. So the ones that approach it purely from a place of coercion and sales (and you can generally tell those from their title/blurb) aren’t as interesting to me.

My “keepers”

Here are some books about story that I’ve purchased, read, re-read, and recommend without reservation:

The Story Factor: Inspiration, Influence, and Persuasion Through the Art of Storytelling (2009 Edition)
Annette Simmons

Despite the use of “persuasion” in the title, this book is written from a place of genuine regard for relationships and connection. Full of stories and examples, and written in a very approachable and easy style, I find myself referring back to it often.

Long Story Short: The Only Storytelling Guide You’ll Ever Need
Margot Leitman

A general storytelling guide from standup comedian, Moth storytelling winner, and business storytelling consultant, Margot Leitman. Although not really a business book, the tools and how-to material in this very funny guide are valuable to all of us.

Business Storytelling for Dummies
Karen Dietz and Lori Silverman

This is a solid, easy-reading, comprehensive guidebook that helps with finding the stories of your business and figuring out where and when to tell them. A good reference guide for your bookshelf.

Others books you may enjoy

These are titles that have gems of wisdom in their own right, but check out the book description and reviews to be sure the subject matter and energy feels on-target for you:

Let the Story Do the Work by Esther Choy

The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human by Jonathan Gottschall

Stories for Work: The Essential Guide to Business Storytelling by Gabrielle Dolan

Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller

Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us by Seth Godin

Storytelling: The Indispensable Art of Entrepreneurism by Rudy Mazzocchi

Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences by Nancy Duarte

Podcasts

I often listen to podcasts while I’m working, while exercising, while walking the dog…I find them a great way to get in some extra learning time and also a way to help with the isolation that solo entrepreneurs can sometimes feel. Here are some of my favorites:

Business storytelling in specific:

The Business of Story Podcast with Park Howell

Long-running podcast with something for every businessperson. Named to the top 40 Small Business Podcasts in 2017, this business storytelling podcast draws from a diverse collection of guest wisdom to curate tips, tools, and strategies to help your marketing stand out.

STORY from StoryGatherings.com

Weekly inspiration and creative tips for makers, small businesspeople, artists, and storytellers, with the goal of inspiring us all to “do our best, most meaningful work.”

Be The Drop – Investigating Brand Storytelling with Amelia Veale

This podcast focuses on “communication that connects, unites and generates engagement.” Guests include CEOs, Olympians, not-for-profit directors, social media gurus, and more, to discover how they use story to connect with their community.

Build a StoryBrand Podcast with Donald Miller

Super-interesting guests like Dan Pink, Dan Heath, Seth Godin, Amy Porterfield, Michael Hyatt, and dozens more make this podcast a valuable companion to my daily workout (I’ve learned to keep a pen and paper handy…) Inspiring and practical advice on clarifying your message and growing your business using the power of story.

Anecdotally Speaking Podcast with Anecdote.com

A new podcast in 2018, Anecdote aims to help us all become a great business storyteller and build a repertoire of stories we can tell to engage, influence and inspire. Join Shawn Callahan and Mark Schenk from Anecdote as they share great stories to tell, why they work and when to tell them.

About storytelling in general:

This American Life with Ira Glass

A weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 2.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards. I rarely miss it.

Revisionist History with Malcolm Gladwell

Revisionist History is bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell’s journey through the overlooked and the misunderstood. Every episode re-examines something from the past—an event, a person, an idea, even a song—and asks whether we got it right the first time. A fascinating trip with a master storyteller.

The Moth Radio Hour and Podcast

Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. Looking for something to plug into your ears while walking or exercising? The varied length and themes of The Moth shows make it a perfect companion.

The Stoop Storytelling

This is a weekly podcast of true, personal tales from The Stoop’s Baltimore-based live show and podcast. It features “ordinary” people telling the extraordinary, true tales of their lives, in order to help create community and compassion through the sharing of personal stories.

StoryCorps

StoryCorps’ started in 2003 with the opening of a story booth in New York’s Grand Central Terminal. Since then, it has collected and archived nearly 75,000 facilitated interviews from more than 150,000 participants from across the country who visit one of its recording sites. It is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind. It has grown into an enduring national institution that—I hope—fosters a culture of listening in the United States.

Thought-Provoking Articles

This list is growing constantly…I have a backlog of hundreds that I’m endeavoring to share here. I’ll put the most recent ones at the top, and as the list grows I’ll break it out into categories. (having a surplus of stimulating reading material is a good problem to have, isn’t it?)

More Stories Means More Readers (Plus, 15 Stories You Should Be Telling)
StoryBistro.com, 11 January 2018

The 5 Elements of Storytelling Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know
by Matthew Toren, Entrepreneur.com, 28 January 2016

The Power of Storytelling: How We Got 300% More People To Read Our Content
by Alex Turnbull on BufferApp.com, 22 April 2014

Why Our Brains Crave Storytelling In Marketing
by Rachel Gillett, FastCompany.com, 4 June 2014

MORE RESOURCES ON THE WAY!