Unthinkable with Jay Acunzo
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🟢 Dear Unthinkable listener: Thank you SO much for your support over the years! I invite you to find and follow the new show, How Stories Happen, in your preferred podcast player in just 2 taps right here:https://episodes.fm/1736586770 Every episode, an expert, entrepreneur, creator, or communicator dissects a single story or draft piece by piece. Hear how they found it, how they developed it, how it might improve, and how they're using it to build their business and leave their legacy. You'll walk away thinking more about the power of your words and less about the volume of your content. Find the show here: https://episodes.fm/1736586770 ABOUT THIS EPISODE OF HOW STORIES HAPPEN: When so many people are excited to create a higher volume of content, shouldn’t we think more about what gives our work greater power? That’s what our guest today understands better than most, and she draws that power from everyday moments she hunts out, like a squirrel finding nuts in the yard. Meet Ann Handley—she’s a best-selling author, a pioneer in content marketing, and a popular B2B speaker with a knack for imbuing ordinary moments with extraordinary meaning. Ann reveals her morning routine, her idea capture system, and most importantly, her process and practice of becoming a word-class noticer of stories during a time when so many people simply stuff a screen in their face or turn to cheat-sheets to produce generic content. In this episode, we dissect a signature story shared to her newsletter, Total Annarchy, which she sent to just over 50,000 readers. We zero in on a pivot point in the middle that makes the work resonate, and we find plenty of existential debates that unfolded in her writing process. Together, we discover how to connect with an audience on a more personal level and leave a lasting impression, ensuring your stories aren’t just heard but felt. The best part? You don’t need to experience anything groundbreaking for your words to hit hard. But you do need to become a notice. Jump into the conversation: (04:48) Meet Ann (19:36) Ann’s Story (26:21) Dissecting the Story RESOURCES: ⚫ Follow Ann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhandley/ ⚫ Check out her website and subscribe to her newsletter here: https://annhandley.com/ ⚫ Read Ann’s book, Everybody Writes: https://annhandley.com/everybodywrites/ 🔵 Follow Jay: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/ 🔵 Subscribe to Jay’s newsletter: https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter 🔵 Learn about Jay’s coaching and consulting: https://jayacunzo.com/ 🟢 Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: https://shareyourgenius.com/ 🟢 Cover art designed by Blake Ink: https://www.blakeink.com/ 🟢 Find and support our sponsors: https://jayacunzo.com/sponsors
🟢 Dear Unthinkable listener: Thank you SO much for your support over the years! I invite you to find and follow the new show, How Stories Happen, in your preferred podcast player in just 2 taps right here:https://episodes.fm/1736586770 Every episode, an expert, entrepreneur, creator, or communicator dissects a single story or draft piece by piece. Hear how they found it, how they developed it, how it might improve, and how they're using it to build their business and leave their legacy. You'll walk away thinking more about the power of your words and less about the volume of your content. Find the show here: https://episodes.fm/1736586770 ABOUT THIS EPISODE: Meet Andrew Davis. He is a powerhouse business speaker who’s given speeches in 35 different countries, at more than 50 events every year. He speaks to audiences ranging from marketers and entrepreneurs to plumbers and physicians — and there may not be a storyteller who is this craft-driven and obsessed with telling amazing stories in the worlds of business, marketing, and customer experience. Andrew hosts a popular video series called the Loyalty Loop on YouTube, and he’s had a long career crafting stories of all kinds, including jobs as a producer for NBC and a writer for the news legend Charles Kuralt. As an entrepreneur, Andrew has built and sold a marketing agency, produced docuseries for brand clients big and small, and authored multiple books about marketing and customer experience. In this episode, we dissect one of his signature stories. It's been with him for almost ten years, and he can customize it across audiences and projects to arrive at basically any insight he needs to teach. It’s a rare look at how a true master of the craft executes the tiny things that create a big impact both for his audience and his business. Jump into the conversation: (06:27) Meet Andrew (14:18) Andrew’s Story (22:38) Dissecting the Story (39:02) First, Last, Favorite BONUS VIDEO: 🎨 Watch a video animation of Andrew’s signature story: https://jayacunzo.com/blog/how-stories-happen-episode-1-andrew-davis RESOURCES: ⚫ Follow Andrew: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewdavishere/ ⚫ Explore his speaking: https://www.akadrewdavis.com/ ⚫ Watch the Loyalty Loop: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeegDFQqmxjBUpr5FCHzlpsKVyeEmPuf3 🔵 Follow Jay: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo/ 🔵 Subscribe to Jay’s newsletter: https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter 🔵 Learn about Jay’s coaching and consulting: https://jayacunzo.com/ 🟢 Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: https://shareyourgenius.com/ 🟢 Cover art designed by Blake Ink: https://www.blakeink.com/ 🟢 Video animation by La Hacienda: https://www.lahacienda.media/ 🟢 Find and support our sponsors: https://jayacunzo.com/sponsors
Find and follow in your favorite podcast player, or visit howstorieshappen.com http://howstorieshappen.com to learn more about the show and find the appropriate link for you. Every episode of the show, we’re dissecting stories and drafts with incredible storytellers to understand how they found their ideas, how they developed their work, and how they’re using their stories to build their business and leave their legacy. You’ll walk away ready to differentiate on the impact of your ideas, not the volume of your content. It’s a show for business storytellers focused on standing out easier and resonating deeper through substance and stories, not hollow stunts. *** You can also subscribe to my free newsletter, 💌 Playing Favorites, https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter and learn more about my coaching for experts looking to differentiate and my membership for business storytellers (the Creator Kitchen) at JAYACUNZO.COM https://jayacunzo.com *** ABOUT ME: Jay Acunzo https://jayacunzo.com/ helps business leaders develop more original premises — the big ideas they become known for publicly. His work focuses on his core belief in prioritizing resonance first, not reach. After starting his career in media and marketing roles at Google and HubSpot, Jay authored the book about questioning best practices, https://jayacunzo.com/break-the-wheel, toured as a professional speaker, giving keynote sin 25 states and 3 countries, and cofounded the mastermind for business storytellers, the Creator Kitchen https://creatorkitchen.com/. As an advisor, he’s worked with more than 200 individuals and teams to help them differentiate through the impact of their ideas, not the volume of their content. Past clients include Salesforce, GoDaddy, Wistia, Drift, and Help Scout, as well as hundreds of individual thought leaders and experts, including the author behind Google’s innovative employee training program and the performance coach who helped Kobe Bryant develop his Black Mamba persona. Jay is a proud New England resident, a troubled Knicks fan, and an obsessive grilled pizza chef. His grandest aspiration (though he’d say delusion) is to be the Anthony Bourdain of business storytelling. 💛 KEEP MAKING WHAT MATTERS!
Why do we constantly underestimate how long something will take in the short-term? In other words, we tend to over-estimate just how much we can achieve right now. Then, when we think long term, the reverse tends to happen: we actually UNDER-estimate what we're capable of achieving over time. Today, we want to know more about the promise of a popular trend, the creative streak, and whether they can help us overcome our constant battle with planning our time and achieving something greater. This week, Grant Faulkner, Executive Director of the world-wide phenomenon NaNoWriMo (aka National Novel Writing Month) gives us a peek into the power (and potential pitfalls) of creative writing streaks. Meanwhile, Giorgia Lupi, an information designer and partner at the firm Pentagram, reflects on her famous, collaborative creative streak, Dear Data, with Stefanie Posavec -- a year-long journey of sketching personal data-based postcards, which eventually led to exhibitions, book deals, critical acclaim, and internet fame. Can we change our relationships to deadlines? How might we banish our inner editors holding us back during crucial early stages in the creative process? And how might we reconcile both the short-term and long-term work we do? Let's go streaking. *** SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: 💌 Playing Favorites https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter is the newsletter from Jay about resonance, storytelling, differentiation, and getting off the content hamster wheel to make things that matter more (because when your work matters more, you can hustle for attention less). *** WORK WITH JAY: ✅ If you're an expert/entrepreneur looking to develop and differentiate your personal brand, podcast, speaking, newsletter, or other pillar project, learn more about Jay's coaching. https://jayacunzo.com/ 👋 Or you can book Jay to speak https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes to your organization or event. 📚 You can also EXPLORE JAY'S BOOKS. https://jayacunzo.com/books *** ABOUT JAY ACUNZO: Jay Acunzo https://jayacunzo.com/ helps business leaders develop more original premises — the big ideas they become known for publicly. His work focuses on his core belief in prioritizing resonance first, not reach. After starting his career in media and marketing roles at Google and HubSpot, Jay authored the book about questioning best practices, https://jayacunzo.com/break-the-wheel, toured as a professional speaker, giving keynote sin 25 states and 3 countries, and cofounded the mastermind for business storytellers, the Creator Kitchen https://creatorkitchen.com/. As an advisor, he’s worked with more than 200 individuals and teams to help them differentiate through the impact of their ideas, not the volume of their content. Past clients include Salesforce, GoDaddy, Wistia, Drift, and Help Scout, as well as hundreds of individual thought leaders and experts, including the author behind Google’s innovative employee training program and the performance coach who helped Kobe Bryant develop his Black Mamba persona. Jay is a proud New England resident, a troubled Knicks fan, and an obsessive grilled pizza chef. His grandest aspiration (though he’d say delusion) is to be the Anthony Bourdain of business storytelling. 💛 KEEP MAKING WHAT MATTERS!
As Ira Glass said, "Great stories happen to those who can tell them." This idea says everything we need to know to develop stronger stories in our work, so we can stand out easier and resonate deeper. But we're asking the wrong questions and searching in the wrong places. Let's rethink some things together... For the full transcript of this episode, read the original article. https://jayacunzo.com/blog/how-to-find-great-stories *** SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: 💌 Playing Favorites https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter is the newsletter from Jay about resonance, storytelling, differentiation, and getting off the content hamster wheel to make things that matter more (because when your work matters more, you can hustle for attention less). *** WORK WITH JAY: ✅ If you're an expert/entrepreneur looking to develop and differentiate your personal brand, podcast, speaking, newsletter, or other pillar project, learn more about Jay's coaching. https://jayacunzo.com/ 👋 Or you can book Jay to speak https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes to your organization or event. 📚 You can also EXPLORE JAY'S BOOKS. https://jayacunzo.com/books *** ABOUT JAY ACUNZO: JAY CONSULTS CLIENTS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF RESONANCE IN A WORLD OBSESSED WITH REACH. He’s helped more than 200 individuals and organizations differentiate by getting off the hamster wheel to produce more valuable, more original content. Jay has been called a “creativity savant” by the marketing team at Salesforce and was named one of the 50 most influential B2B marketers in the world by influencer marketing firm TopRank. His podcast Unthinkable has been called a "must-listen" by the editors at LinkedIn. AN EARLY ADVOCATE FOR CREATIVITY AND QUALITY IN CONTENT MARKETING, Jay has held marketing and media roles at Google, HubSpot, a tiny startup, and a seed-stage VC firm, NextView. His work has been cited by thinkers at Harvard Business School and the Washington Post, and his clients range from brands like Drift, Wistia, and GoDaddy to influential voices like the author behind Google’s innovative employee training and the performance coach for Kobe Bryant. AS A STORYTELLER, Jay has written books https://jayacunzo.com/books about questioning best practices, hosted docuseries https://jayacunzo.com/atg about values-based business, and given speeches https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes in 25 states and 3 countries. A proud New England resident obsessed with the Knicks and homemade pizza, Jay’s grandest aspiration (though he’d admit delusion) is to be the Anthony Bourdain of business storytelling. 💛 KEEP MAKING WHAT MATTERS!
The story of a surprisingly dynamic and captivating idea from a (sometimes) bland and boring space -- and what we can learn about crafting more resonant work. What does it look like when an organization, project, or individual’s work resonates so deeply that they have passionate fans and loyal followers who declare them a ? This week we start in the sometimes bland, boring space of team training software and follow the story of a surprisingly dynamic, brilliant and captivating idea from 360Learning -- an original series called Onboarding Joei. This short docuseries follows Joei Chan, a new employee, as she navigates her first 3 months on the job. The docuseries has become a phenomenon for the brand, earning Joei Chan devout fans and 360Learning followers, viewers, and customers that feel connected to the show and compamy. Highly personal and transparent, the show proves that when a company does something risky, sometimes the reward is more than they’d ever expect. The most important theme through it all? The audience consistently reacting with a very emotional, very rare comment: "I feel seen." *** SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: 💌 Playing Favorites https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter is the newsletter from Jay about resonance, storytelling, differentiation, and getting off the content hamster wheel to make things that matter more (because when your work matters more, you can hustle for attention less). *** WORK WITH JAY: ✅ If you're an expert/entrepreneur looking to develop and differentiate your personal brand, podcast, speaking, newsletter, or other pillar project, learn more about Jay's coaching. https://jayacunzo.com/ 👋 Or you can book Jay to speak https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes to your organization or event. 📚 You can also EXPLORE JAY'S BOOKS. https://jayacunzo.com/books *** ABOUT JAY ACUNZO: JAY CONSULTS CLIENTS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF RESONANCE IN A WORLD OBSESSED WITH REACH. He’s helped more than 200 individuals and organizations differentiate by getting off the hamster wheel to produce more valuable, more original content. Jay has been called a “creativity savant” by the marketing team at Salesforce and was named one of the 50 most influential B2B marketers in the world by influencer marketing firm TopRank. His podcast Unthinkable has been called a "must-listen" by the editors at LinkedIn. AN EARLY ADVOCATE FOR CREATIVITY AND QUALITY IN CONTENT MARKETING, Jay has held marketing and media roles at Google, HubSpot, a tiny startup, and a seed-stage VC firm, NextView. His work has been cited by thinkers at Harvard Business School and the Washington Post, and his clients range from brands like Drift, Wistia, and GoDaddy to influential voices like the author behind Google’s innovative employee training and the performance coach for Kobe Bryant. AS A STORYTELLER, Jay has written books https://jayacunzo.com/books about questioning best practices, hosted docuseries https://jayacunzo.com/atg about values-based business, and given speeches https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes in 25 states and 3 countries. A proud New England resident obsessed with the Knicks and homemade pizza, Jay’s grandest aspiration (though he’d admit delusion) is to be the Anthony Bourdain of business storytelling. 💛 KEEP MAKING WHAT MATTERS!
No matter your craft, when you develop an idea, a project, or a key moment within a piece, the of what you're sharing tends to start with the same question: Can you be more honest with yourself? In this one-shot episode, a dense dose of a single idea that can help us become stronger storytellers and produce higher-impact content, so we can get off the hamster wheel and produce more work that actually works. Plus, the backstory of a high-stakes moment when this question was put to the test. *** SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: 💌 Playing Favorites https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter is the newsletter from Jay about resonance, storytelling, differentiation, and getting off the content hamster wheel to make things that matter more (because when your work matters more, you can hustle for attention less). *** WORK WITH JAY: ✅ If you're an expert/entrepreneur looking to develop and differentiate your personal brand, podcast, speaking, newsletter, or other pillar project, learn more about Jay's coaching. https://jayacunzo.com/ 👋 Or you can book Jay to speak https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes to your organization or event. 📚 You can also EXPLORE JAY'S BOOKS. https://jayacunzo.com/books *** ABOUT JAY ACUNZO: JAY CONSULTS CLIENTS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF RESONANCE IN A WORLD OBSESSED WITH REACH. He’s helped more than 200 individuals and organizations differentiate by getting off the hamster wheel to produce more valuable, more original content. Jay has been called a “creativity savant” by the marketing team at Salesforce and was named one of the 50 most influential B2B marketers in the world by influencer marketing firm TopRank. His podcast Unthinkable has been called a "must-listen" by the editors at LinkedIn. AN EARLY ADVOCATE FOR CREATIVITY AND QUALITY IN CONTENT MARKETING, Jay has held marketing and media roles at Google, HubSpot, a tiny startup, and a seed-stage VC firm, NextView. His work has been cited by thinkers at Harvard Business School and the Washington Post, and his clients range from brands like Drift, Wistia, and GoDaddy to influential voices like the author behind Google’s innovative employee training and the performance coach for Kobe Bryant. AS A STORYTELLER, Jay has written books https://jayacunzo.com/books about questioning best practices, hosted docuseries https://jayacunzo.com/atg about values-based business, and given speeches https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes in 25 states and 3 countries. A proud New England resident obsessed with the Knicks and homemade pizza, Jay’s grandest aspiration (though he’d admit delusion) is to be the Anthony Bourdain of business storytelling. 💛 KEEP MAKING WHAT MATTERS!
We want to make things that matter. To our careers, companies, and communities. When THAT is our aim and THAT is our driving belief, and yet our work comes out feeling like THIS? The way it is right now? Oof, that can cause all kinds of existential crises or at least panic-induced researching and debating and analyzing and asking. It's time to get to the next rep. It's time to cross the gap. *** SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: 💌 Playing Favorites https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter is the newsletter from Jay about resonance, storytelling, differentiation, and getting off the content hamster wheel to make things that matter more (because when your work matters more, you can hustle for attention less). *** WORK WITH JAY: ✅ If you're an expert/entrepreneur looking to develop and differentiate your personal brand, podcast, speaking, newsletter, or other pillar project, learn more about Jay's coaching. https://jayacunzo.com 👋 Or you can book Jay to speak https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes to your organization or event. Jay has helped over 200 *** SPECIAL THANKS TO THOSE HEARD IN THIS EPISODE: Jeremy Enns, Jeanne Ivy, Molly Donovan, Tallie Gabriel, Telyse Adams, and Michael Ashford. "The Gap" quote is from Ira Glass and can be heard here. *** ABOUT JAY ACUNZO: JAY CONSULTS CLIENTS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF RESONANCE IN A WORLD OBSESSED WITH REACH. He’s helped more than 200 individuals and organizations differentiate by getting off the hamster wheel to produce more valuable, more original content. Jay has been called a “creativity savant” by the marketing team at Salesforce and was named one of the 50 most influential B2B marketers in the world by influencer marketing firm TopRank. His podcast Unthinkable has been called a "must-listen" by the editors at LinkedIn. AN EARLY ADVOCATE FOR CREATIVITY AND QUALITY IN CONTENT MARKETING, Jay has held marketing and media roles at Google, HubSpot, a tiny startup, and a seed-stage VC firm, NextView. His work has been cited by thinkers at Harvard Business School and the Washington Post, and his clients range from brands like Drift, Wistia, and GoDaddy to influential voices like the author behind Google’s innovative employee training and the performance coach for Kobe Bryant. AS A STORYTELLER, Jay has written books https://jayacunzo.com/books about questioning best practices, hosted docuseries https://jayacunzo.com/atg about values-based business, and given speeches https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes in 25 states and 3 countries. A proud New England resident obsessed with the Knicks and homemade pizza, Jay’s grandest aspiration (though he’d admit delusion) is to be the Anthony Bourdain of business storytelling. 💛 KEEP MAKING WHAT MATTERS!
We want to make things that matter. To our careers, companies, and communities. When THAT is our aim and THAT is our driving belief, and yet our work comes out feeling like THIS? The way it is right now? Oof, that can cause all kinds of existential crises or at least panic-induced researching and debating and analyzing and asking. It's time to get to the next rep. It's time to cross the gap. *** SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: 💌 Playing Favorites https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter is the newsletter from Jay about resonance, storytelling, differentiation, and getting off the content hamster wheel to make things that matter more (because when your work matters more, you can hustle for attention less). *** WORK WITH JAY: ✅ If you're an expert/entrepreneur looking to develop and differentiate your personal brand, podcast, speaking, newsletter, or other pillar project, learn more about Jay's coaching. https://jayacunzo.com 👋 Or you can book Jay to speak https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes to your organization or event. Jay has helped over 200 *** SPECIAL THANKS TO THOSE HEARD IN THIS EPISODE: Jeremy Enns, Jeanne Ivy, Molly Donovan, Tallie Gabriel, Telyse Adams, and Michael Ashford. "The Gap" quote is from Ira Glass and can be heard here. *** ABOUT JAY ACUNZO: JAY CONSULTS CLIENTS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF RESONANCE IN A WORLD OBSESSED WITH REACH. He’s helped more than 200 individuals and organizations differentiate by getting off the hamster wheel to produce more valuable, more original content. Jay has been called a “creativity savant” by the marketing team at Salesforce and was named one of the 50 most influential B2B marketers in the world by influencer marketing firm TopRank. His podcast Unthinkable has been called a "must-listen" by the editors at LinkedIn. AN EARLY ADVOCATE FOR CREATIVITY AND QUALITY IN CONTENT MARKETING, Jay has held marketing and media roles at Google, HubSpot, a tiny startup, and a seed-stage VC firm, NextView. His work has been cited by thinkers at Harvard Business School and the Washington Post, and his clients range from brands like Drift, Wistia, and GoDaddy to influential voices like the author behind Google’s innovative employee training and the performance coach for Kobe Bryant. AS A STORYTELLER, Jay has written books https://jayacunzo.com/books about questioning best practices, hosted docuseries https://jayacunzo.com/atg about values-based business, and given speeches https://jayacunzo.com/keynotes in 25 states and 3 countries. A proud New England resident obsessed with the Knicks and homemade pizza, Jay’s grandest aspiration (though he’d admit delusion) is to be the Anthony Bourdain of business storytelling. 💛 KEEP MAKING WHAT MATTERS!
Have a wonderful holiday season and a beautiful start to your 2024! Back in the new year with more... UNTHINKABLE IS TAKING A BREAK -- BUT DON'T UNSUBSCRIBE We're back with more soon. In the meantime... BECOME A STRONGER STORYTELLER: __ __ Keep making what matters!
Signature Stories is a miniseries where world-class business storytellers take us inside one important story and dissect it with us. It's like Song Exploder meets storytelling for our work! In our sixth and final episode of the series, bestselling author and Hall of Fame keynote speaker Jay Baer brings one of his oldest, most proven stories to the show -- and we learn the two habits most driving effective storytellers like Jay. And also Jay. Both Jays. (There are two Jays on this episode, is what I'm saying...) __ __ Jay Baer is the author of the book The Time To Win and six author business books. He's a globally touring keynote speaker, brand advisor, and marketing and customer experience thought leader. Jay is among the more process-driven storytellers in the world, and he takes us inside that approach in this episode in a refreshingly transparent way. UNTHINKABLE IS TAKING A BREAK -- BUT DON'T UNSUBSCRIBE We're back with more soon. In the meantime... BECOME A STRONGER STORYTELLER: __ __ *** IN THIS EPISODE: Jay Baer: speaker site https://jaybaer.com - book site https://thetimetowin.com - LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaybaer/ - Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jaybaer/?hl=en *** PRODUCTION CREDITS: __ __
Signature Stories is a miniseries where world-class business storytellers take us inside one important story and dissect it with us. It's like Song Exploder meets storytelling for our work! In our fifth episode of the series, a globetrotting, bestselling, keynote-giving, smart-opinion-having, big-idea-distributing author takes us inside what was ultimately a tiny moment in his life that sparked all that "big" stuff. Simone Stolzoff is the author of The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work. He's written for the Atlantic and Wired, worked as a design lead for the innovation firm IDEO, and even got his creative start in school delivering spoken word poetry from the stage. Together, we dissect a signature story that's become "mythology" to him from his own life, and we talk about what makes it work -- and why he approaches it with such restraint. Then, we learn why and how effective storytellers imbue stories with meaning to ensure they matter to others. BECOME A STRONGER STORYTELLER: __ __ *** IN THIS EPISODE: Simone Stolzoff: website and books https://www.simonestolzoff.com/- LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/simone-stolzoff-5a16b648/ - Twitter https://twitter.com/SimoneStolzoff - Threads https://www.threads.net/@thepizza_bagel - Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thepizza_bagel/ *** PRODUCTION CREDITS: __ __
We interrupt the current series to bring you this message. Find and share this rant in essay form. https://jayacunzo.com/blog/to-the-endless-stream-of-ai-junk-thank-you-and-uh-oh Subscribe to Jay's free newsletter to become a stronger storyteller. https://jayacunzo.com (Sent every other Friday, these essays help you get off the content hamster wheel, escape social feeds, and get the perspective and frameworks you need to write and speak with greater impact, everywhere you show up). Recommended resources to help you do the work AI can't: __ __ JOIN THE CREATOR KITCHEN -- A MASTERMIND OF BUSINESS STORYTELLERS: Where smart experts become influential voices. Join fellow entrepreneurs, marketers, and creators learning to craft more valuable, more original content, with a community of creative, kind humans, daily access to the Kitchen’s founders, masterclasses and elite guest interviews, group calls and 1:1 support, and shared focus sprints fitting busy schedules. Learn more about membership at creatorkitchen.com https://creatorkitchen.com/
In this episode, we're joined by Amanda Natividad, the VP of marketing at SparkToro, who shares a story about the time she met her marketing hero: her now-boss, Rand Fishkin. Amanda is a former tech journalist and also a former test kitchen cook for the LA Times. She writes the newsletter The Menu which includes marketing advice and delicious recipes (for actual food, not marketing). And she takes us inside three different drafts for potential intros of this signature story, where we learn about the paradox in our storytelling: to connect deeper externally, we need to go deeper internally. But does our work and culture encourage that? Amanda and Jay wrestle with that. Throughout this series, we'll learn from how inspiring creators and experts craft their most valuable, most original stories that build connection and resonate deeply. We're putting on display the hidden details, tiny choices, and emotional moments, as we seek to go beyond telling stories to instead BECOME storytellers. BECOME A STRONGER STORYTELLER: Subscribe to Jay's free newsletter or work with Jay to consult your team or coach you personally: jayacunzo.com https://jayacunzo.com Hire Jay to develop a differentiated podcast. https://jayacunzo.com/accountability-group-for-b2b-marketers-creators JOIN THE CREATOR KITCHEN MASTERMIND: Where smart experts become influential voices. Join fellow entrepreneurs, marketers, and creators learning to craft more valuable, more original content, with a community of creative, kind humans, daily access to the Kitchen’s founders, masterclasses and elite guest interviews, group calls and 1:1 support, and shared focus sprints fitting busy schedules. Learn more about membership at creatorkitchen.com https://creatorkitchen.com/ *** IN THIS EPISODE: Amanda Natividad, VP marketing at SparkToro https://sparktoro.com and writer of The Menu https://amandanat.substack.com/ newsletter. Find her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandanat/. *** PRODUCTION CREDITS: __ __
Up next in Signature Stories, we're joined by Jenny Blake, author, speaker and podcaster. She's written three books and hosts the wildly popular podcasts "Free Time" and "Pivot." Jenny sits down with Jay to share a story about a walk with her dog . Jay and Jenny unpack how we can pull out moments of meaning from a small interaction, and how to reshape a story for an audio-only medium versus video. Throughout this series, we'll learn from how inspiring creators and experts craft their most valuable, most original stories that build connection and resonate deeply. We're putting on display the hidden details, tiny choices, and emotional moments, as we seek to go beyond telling stories to instead BECOME storytellers. BECOME A STRONGER STORYTELLER: Subscribe to my free newsletter. Every other week, get a new story/framework to help you stand out easier and resonate deeper with your work: __ __ CRAFT A PODCAST YOU’RE PROUD TO CALL YOURS: Work with me one-on-one to develop or improve a show that stands out easier and resonates deeper. Using your creativity, NOT your budget, you’ll walk away with an irresistible premise and format – and the on-mic skills to tell stories and conduct interviews that grip and inspire them. __ __ JOIN THE CREATOR KITCHEN MASTERMIND: Connect with Jay and peers who care deeply about the craft: The Creator Kitchen is a mastermind of content creators learning to ship higher-impact work. We help you see the possibilities, decide the best approach, and execute with clarity + confidence on your most important projects. __ __ *** IN THIS EPISODE: Jenny Blake: author https://itsfreetime.com/book, podcast host of Free Time https://pod.link/freetime and Pivot with Jenny Blake, https://pod.link/pivotmethod and international keynote speaker https://itsfreetime.com/speaking. "Reclining Liberty" Artist: : http://www.zaqart.com http://www.zaqart.com/ *** PRODUCTION CREDITS: - Creator, host, writer, editor: Jay Acunzo https://jayacunzo.com/ - Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins https://www.ilananevins.com/
Up next in this mini-series, Michael Bungay Stanier, speaker, coach and author of the wildly popular book "The Coach Habit" sits down with Jay to share a story about a very bad job. Jay and MBS dive into open loops, comedy in storytelling, and using stories to create a sense of safety for your audience. Throughout this series, we'll learn from how inspiring creators and experts craft their most valuable, most original stories that build connection and resonate deeply. We're putting on display the hidden details, tiny choices, and emotional moments, as we seek to go beyond telling stories to instead BECOME storytellers. BECOME A STRONGER STORYTELLER: Subscribe to my free newsletter. Every other week, get a new story/framework to help you stand out easier and resonate deeper with your work: __ __ CRAFT A PODCAST YOU’RE PROUD TO CALL YOURS: Work with me one-on-one to develop or improve a show that stands out easier and resonates deeper. Using your creativity, NOT your budget, you’ll walk away with an irresistible premise and format – and the on-mic skills to tell stories and conduct interviews that grip and inspire them. __ __ JOIN THE CREATOR KITCHEN MASTERMIND: Connect with Jay and peers who care deeply about the craft: The Creator Kitchen is a mastermind of content creators learning to ship higher-impact work. We help you see the possibilities, decide the best approach, and execute with clarity + confidence on your most important projects. __ __ *** IN THIS EPISODE: Michael Bungay Stanier: author https://www.mbs.works/best-books-training-for-coaches-leaders-and-mentors/ of "The Coach Habit", https://www.mbs.works/best-books-training-for-coaches-leaders-and-mentors/the-coaching-habit-hub/ podcast host https://www.mbs.works/2-pages-podcast/ and keynote speaker https://www.mbs.works/speaking/ *** PRODUCTION CREDITS: - Creator, host, writer, editor: Jay Acunzo https://jayacunzo.com/ - Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins https://www.ilananevins.com/
Up first in this mini-series, Creator Kitchen co-founder and author Melanie Deziel sits down with Jay to share a story about her time as the first-ever editor of branded content at the New York Times. Jay and Mel dive into the messy reality of crafting resonant narratives -- and using them to serve an audience and build your business. Throughout this series, we'll learn from how inspiring creators and experts craft their most valuable, most original stories that build connection and resonate deeply. We're putting on display the hidden details, tiny choices, and emotional moments, as we seek to go beyond telling stories to instead BECOME storytellers. SHARE THE SHOW: Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to thousands of subscribers, ranging from entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators, to marketers and leaders at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, HubSpot, Drift, ProfitWell, a16z, and the New York Times. DEVELOP MORE INSPIRING IDEAS & STORIES: __ __ *** STORYTELLER IN THIS EPISODE: MELANIE DEZIEL: speaker, author, https://www.melaniedeziel.com/ co-creator of The Creator Kitchen *** PRODUCTION CREDITS: - Creator, host, writer, editor: Jay Acunzo https://jayacunzo.com/ - Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins https://www.ilananevins.com/
What is taste? And once we understand it, how do we use our own taste? In this one-shot, Jay dives into they days before dating apps to find Bryan Cranston and how shows us the brilliance of having taste, and how he used it in all the work he did. *** KEEP MAKING WHAT MATTERS: 1. Learn more about Jay's 1:1 coaching and collaboration: https://jayacunzo.com/accountability-group-for-b2b-marketers-creators 2. Get a new story/framework from Jay every other week for making things that matter more to you and others: jayacunzo.com/newsletter 3. Join the Creator Kitchen, a membership program for professional communicators to achieve their creative potential. Go inside the making of Unthinkable and all Jay's projects, immerse yourself in the work of inspiring creators, get personalized feedback from Jay, and join live sessions to do better work, more consistently and confidently. creatorkitchen.com (Use code UNTHINKABLE for $100 off membership.) *** PRODUCTION CREDITS: - Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo - Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins
Writing matters... a lot. You don't need us to tell you that. But what happens when you feel like you can't write? Yes, on this episode we're talking about writers' block - what it feels like, how it shows up, and how we can tackle it once and for all. SHARE THE SHOW: Help others find Unthinkable in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: https://pod.link/jay SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter Every Friday, I send a new idea, story, or framework for crafting more resonant work to thousands of subscribers, ranging from entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent creators, to marketers and leaders at brands like Adobe, Red Bull, Shopify, Salesforce, the BBC, Wistia, HubSpot, Drift, ProfitWell, a16z, and the New York Times. DEVELOP MORE INSPIRING IDEAS & STORIES: __ __ *** VOICES IN THIS EPISODE: __ __ *** PAST MAKER MONSTER EPISODES: __ __ *** PRODUCTION CREDITS: - Creator, host, writer, editor: Jay Acunzo https://jayacunzo.com/ - Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins https://www.ilananevins.com/
Today, why formats matter much. If you want to get listeners stay engaged, for readers to finish an article, to resonate deeply and make work that matters, then we need to focus on formats. In this episode, we focus on why formats matter so much, how you can search them out for yourself and craft your own to hook an audience and get them to the end. We’re joined by the most format-obsessed person out there: Hugh Garry, co-founder of Storythings. Hugh and his team write the newsletter, Formats Unpacked, diving each week into a format and why they love it so very much and why, maybe, you should too. DEVELOP MORE INSPIRING IDEAS & STORIES: __ __ *** INSIDE THIS EPISODE: __ __ *** PRODUCTION CREDITS: - Creator, host, writer, editor: Jay Acunzo https://jayacunzo.com/ - Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins https://www.ilananevins.com/
How you define quality is contextual, it's in the eyes of the beholder. In this one-shot, Jay breaks down the three questions we each need to ask to define quality - and then shares the two habits that can help us to create quality content. *** KEEP MAKING WHAT MATTERS: 1. Learn more about Jay's 1:1 coaching and collaboration: https://jayacunzo.com/accountability-group-for-b2b-marketers-creators 2. Get a new story/framework from Jay every other week for making things that matter more to you and others: jayacunzo.com/newsletter 3. Join the Creator Kitchen, a membership program for professional communicators to achieve their creative potential. Go inside the making of Unthinkable and all Jay's projects, immerse yourself in the work of inspiring creators, get personalized feedback from Jay, and join live sessions to do better work, more consistently and confidently. creatorkitchen.com (Use code UNTHINKABLE for $100 off membership.) *** PRODUCTION CREDITS: - Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo - Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins
In marketing today, there's the widely used, noisy way to market yourself and your business, but then, just maybe, there's a calmer, quieter, perhaps more effective way. Stories from one of the world's most surprising speakeasy lounges, based in London, as well as one of Jay's favorite marketers who doesn't show up much publicly -- least of all on social media -- yet has found a way to build a business which is in-demand and even overbooked. (Now that sounds pretty unthinkable.) In this episode: speakeasy business! Why going deeper instead of broader, emphasizing value instead of scale, and prioritizing resonance over reach are all viable ways to build your business and leave your legacy. DEVELOP MORE INSPIRING IDEAS & STORIES: __ __ *** INSIDE THIS EPISODE: __ __ *** PRODUCTION CREDITS: - Creator, host, writer, editor: Jay Acunzo https://jayacunzo.com/ - Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins https://www.ilananevins.com/
A list of steps isn't helpful if you're facing the wrong way. That's why in this one-shot, we try to pivot the right way... as it relates to story. Jay unpacks three common misconceptions about how we understand story and why it's actually more important to understand how to than to understand story. *** KEEP MAKING WHAT MATTERS: 1. Learn more about Jay's 1:1 coaching and collaboration: https://jayacunzo.com/accountability-group-for-b2b-marketers-creators 2. Get a new story/framework from Jay every other week for making things that matter more to you and others: jayacunzo.com/newsletter 3. Join the Creator Kitchen, a membership program for professional communicators to achieve their creative potential. Go inside the making of Unthinkable and all Jay's projects, immerse yourself in the work of inspiring creators, get personalized feedback from Jay, and join live sessions to do better work, more consistently and confidently. creatorkitchen.com (Use code UNTHINKABLE for $100 off membership.) *** PRODUCTION CREDITS: - Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo - Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins
In a 4-part Mini Series, we're unpacking how we create little pockets of resonance. Through conversations with sound designers, copywriters, comedians, and creatives, we are mapping out how we can create work that can make audiences feel connected, validated, and seen. First up is a conversation with brilliant copywriter Margo Aaron who walks us through some of her most powerful copywriting blogs, her opinions on watching the news (links below) and what copywriting can feel like when it’s done right. SHOW LINKS Margo's essay on watching the news: https://www.thatseemsimportant.com/media/what-happened-when-i-stopped-watching-the-news/ Jay's response to Margo's essay: https://jayacunzo.com/blog/differentiation-isnt-about-topics-how-to-find-actual-whitespace-to-stand-out VOICES IN THIS EPISODE: Margo Aaron is a copywriting expert and has taught over 4,000 students in the art of copywriting through The Copy Workshop https://www.akimbo.com/thecopyworkshop/teacher. She is the host of the popular internet talk show, “Hillary and Margo Yell at Websites” and a writer at her award-winning website, That Seems Important. https://www.thatseemsimportant.com/ KEEP MAKING WHAT MATTERS: 1. Get a new story/framework from Jay every other week for making things that matter more to you and others: jayacunzo.com/newsletter https://dashboard.simplecast.com/accounts/364b1f2e-a002-4580-b15a-24f01e5fc559/shows/2f25292a-9852-41e3-bacc-cf4111aba752/episodes/540f8ef9-5fa1-41aa-acda-7bd4d3bc4143/jayacunzo.com/newsletter 2. Join the Creator Kitchen, a membership program for professional communicators to achieve their creative potential. Go inside the making of Unthinkable and all Jay's projects, immerse yourself in the work of inspiring creators, get personalized feedback from Jay, and join live sessions to do better work, more consistently and confidently. creatorkitchen.com https://dashboard.simplecast.com/accounts/364b1f2e-a002-4580-b15a-24f01e5fc559/shows/2f25292a-9852-41e3-bacc-cf4111aba752/episodes/540f8ef9-5fa1-41aa-acda-7bd4d3bc4143/creatorkitchen.com (Use code UNTHINKABLE for $100 off membership.) *** PRODUCTION CREDITS: - Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo https://dashboard.simplecast.com/accounts/364b1f2e-a002-4580-b15a-24f01e5fc559/shows/2f25292a-9852-41e3-bacc-cf4111aba752/episodes/540f8ef9-5fa1-41aa-acda-7bd4d3bc4143/jayacunzo.com - Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins https://dashboard.simplecast.com/accounts/364b1f2e-a002-4580-b15a-24f01e5fc559/shows/2f25292a-9852-41e3-bacc-cf4111aba752/episodes/540f8ef9-5fa1-41aa-acda-7bd4d3bc4143/ilananevins.com
In 2016, Pharrell Williams dropped by NYU's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music to speak to a class. There, he met a young Maggie Rogers and sampled her song "Alaska." His reaction, captured on camera, went viral. This is a relatively known moment on the internet. What's not known is just how the words Pharrell shared and the element he noticed from Maggie's work can be applied to the work we do. In this shorter, monologue episode, we take a closer look. *** KEEP MAKING WHAT MATTERS: 1. Get a new story/framework from Jay every other week for making things that matter more to you and others: jayacunzo.com/newsletter https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter 2. Join the Creator Kitchen, a membership program for professional communicators to achieve their creative potential. Go inside the making of Unthinkable and all Jay's projects, immerse yourself in the work of inspiring creators, get personalized feedback from Jay, and join live sessions to do better work, more consistently and confidently. creatorkitchen.com https://creatorkitchen.com/ (Use code UNTHINKABLE for $100 off membership.) *** PRODUCTION CREDITS: - Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo https://jayacunzo.com/ - Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins https://www.ilananevins.com/
If you're going to reject conventional thinking and instead trust your intuition, you'll find yourself sharing tons of ideas with others. But this can feel scary, like our ideas are secrets we'd prefer to keep inside. And when someone shoots them down, we assume they just don't "get it." But what if the point of sharing our ideas is NOT to get the approval of others? Today, we go outside our echo chamber with Unthinkable contributor Andrew Littlefield to hear the story of an unusual art project in Brooklyn. Then, we talk to internet legend and creator of PostSecret.com, Frank Warren, to hear the story of his epic project. KEEP MAKING WHAT MATTERS: 1. Get a new story/framework from Jay every other week for making things that matter more to you and others: jayacunzo.com/newsletter /jayacunzo.com/newsletter 2. Join the Creator Kitchen, a membership program for professional communicators to achieve their creative potential. Go inside the making of Unthinkable and all Jay's projects, immerse yourself in the work of inspiring creators, get personalized feedback from Jay, and join live sessions to do better work, more consistently and confidently. creatorkitchen.com /creatorkitchen.com (Use code UNTHINKABLE for $100 off membership.) *** PRODUCTION CREDITS: - Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo /jayacunzo.com - Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins /ilananevins.com
Any story you find can serve your cause -- if you know how to mold it and change it appropriately to tell it your way, for your specific goals. Today, the four things we can change in any story we find to tell it better. "Better" doesn’t mean more epic or popular. It means more purposeful, more customized to your specific situation and needs — your audience, your goals, your desire to express yourself a certain way, to connect deeper with the world and others around you, and get your creative fingerprints all over the work. “Better” here means “more yours.” *** PUSH YOURSELF CREATIVELY: 1. Get a new story/framework from Jay every other week for making things that matter more to you and others: jayacunzo.com/newsletter https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter 2. Join the Creator Kitchen, a membership program helping you push yourself creatively. Go inside the making of Unthinkable and all Jay's projects, immerse yourself in the work of inspiring creators, get personalized feedback from Jay and others, and join live sessions to do better work, more consistently and confidently. creatorkitchen.com https://creatorkitchen.com/ (Use code UNTHINKABLE for $100 off membership.) *** INSIDE THE EPISODE: __ __ *** PRODUCTION CREDITS: - Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo https://jayacunzo.com/ - Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins https://www.ilananevins.com/
Hrishikesh Hirway is a musician and creator/host of the popular podcast Song Exploder. The show has a simple but powerful premise: each episode, a musician breaks apart a single track and, piece by piece, tells the story of how it was made. He's interviewed Madonna, Billie Eilish, Rick Astley, Lorde, U2, Yo-Yo Ma, and plenty of lesser-known artists creating beautiful music. Vulture even called the show "the best use of the podcast medium ever," and in 2020, Song Exploder became a TV show on Netflix, running for two seasons. Today, we turn the tables on Hrishikesh and ask him to break apart his work -- an episode of Song Exploder featuring the band The War On Drugs. We also examine this idea that artists and successful people are rarely asked questions that stick close to their work. There's a precedent set by big-picture interview shows and mass media hosts that leads to general advice or end-to-end biographies. Hrishikesh shares why starting his show was borne out of a frustration with that approach, and he reveals what you can find when talking narrowly about the work. Plus, the creative strategy behind Song Exploder and why Hrishikesh removes almost all of his voice. This is a beautiful, existential, inspiring exploration of creativity -- all emerging from the tiny parts and pieces of doing the actual work. Because there's magic in the minutiae. *** KEEP MAKING WHAT MATTERS: 1. Get a new story/framework from Jay every other week for making things that matter more to you and others: jayacunzo.com/newsletter https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter 2. Join the Creator Kitchen, a membership program for professional communicators to achieve their creative potential. Go inside the making of Unthinkable and all Jay's projects, immerse yourself in the work of inspiring creators, get personalized feedback from Jay, and join live sessions to do better work, more consistently and confidently. creatorkitchen.com https://creatorkitchen.com (Use code UNTHINKABLE for $100 off membership.) *** INSIDE THIS EPISODE: __ __ *** PRODUCTION CREDITS: - Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo https://jayacunzo.com/ - Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins https://www.ilananevins.com/
In this shorter, monologue episode, we explore how we arrived at a place where so many creators view AI tools like ChatGPT at a killer robot coming to beat down their doors and crush them and we worry that these tools are greater masters of our craft than we are. We're obsessed with only one part of the craft, and it's the same part AI is getting alarmingly good at owning. What if we focused on the 3 Ps instead? Posture, process, and practice. For a full written version of this episode, read the original story https://jayacunzo.com/blog/chatgpt-generative-ai-replace-creators. REFER A FRIEND Love the show? Help others find us in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: jayacunzo.com/unthinkable-podcast https://jayacunzo.com/unthinkable-podcast *** MORE FROM JAY: Playing Favorites newsletter: https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter stories and frameworks for creating work that resonates. Coaching and consulting: https://jayacunzo.com/accountability-group-for-b2b-marketers-creators Hire Jay to work with you 1:1 on the most important elements of your brand or projects. Or, hire Jay to develop and/or host a show for your brand: jayacunzo.com/shows https://jayacunzo.com/shows *** CONNECT WITH JAY ELSEWHERE: WEBSITE https://jayacunzo.com/ Twitter https://twitter.com/jayacunzo and LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com *** PRODUCTION: - Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo https://jayacunzo.com/ - Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins https://www.ilananevins.com/
To be driven by creativity is to become a walking, talking collection of contradictions, but one conflicting notion sits at the center of the intertwining thoughts and emotions in our work -- the jumble, if you will. Today, we dive into that jumble to try and find an answer to this mysterious yet ubiquitous contradiction at the core, and it leads us to meet some of our listeners and experience their questions, conundrums, and even their creative work. REFER A FRIEND: Love the show? Help others find us in their favorite podcast player by sharing this link: jayacunzo.com/unthinkable-podcast https://jayacunzo.com/unthinkable-podcast *** INSIDE THIS EPISODE: __ __ *** SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER: Playing Favorites newsletter: https://jayacunzo.com/newsletter stories and frameworks for creating work that resonates. *** CONNECT WITH JAY ELSEWHERE: WEBSITE https://jayacunzo.com/ Twitter https://twitter.com/jayacunzo and LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/jayacunzo Email: jay@unthinkablemedia.com *** PRODUCTION: - Creator, host, writer, editor, sound design: Jay Acunzo https://jayacunzo.com/ - Producer and researcher: Ilana Nevins https://www.ilananevins.com/
