What makes your company stand out in a new and interesting way? Today, we cover the art of storytelling. It’s not just for fairy tales or marketers. The stories we tell to our employees and customers can mean the difference between confusion and clarity.
Give your tribe something compelling to connect to by making your message crystal clear. And, be consistent. Today’s guest is Maria Ross. Maria is the head of Red Slice marketing firm where they teach clients how to tell unforgettable stories that make customers nod, laugh, and feel genuinely inspired to take action. Maria has gone through some life altering events that have taught her to let humor and empathy reign. I look forward to sharing her experiences with you today.
In this episode, we cover:
- The art of storytelling and how it applies to business
- Why people aren’t getting on board with your messaging (a good one for content experts)
- Maria Ross’ philosophy on life, business, and authenticity
- How to apply storytelling within the organization
- How to create a “cultural articulation” – the importance of authentically living your brand from the inside out
- How to cultivate empathy and take another person’s point-of-view without getting defensive
- Stay curious. Curiosity is the #1 trait of empathetic people.
- What to do the next time someone asks you how you are feeling.
I wrote a memoir about something very different from branding and marketing which was recovering from a brain injury…and one of my life lessons from that experience is to always be able to find the humor in difficult situations because it clears your mind, it lowers your blood pressure, and it enables you to think more clearly when you’re when you’re in a space where you can sort of laugh at yourself and laugh at your situation, no matter how dire it is.
Maria ross
About Maria Ross
Maria Ross is the founder of Red Slice, a consultancy that advises solopreneurs, startups, and fast-growth businesses on how to build an irresistible brand story and authentically connect with customers. She is a keynote speaker who regularly speaks to audiences on marketing and building a standout brand that engages the right customers and drives growth. She is the author of Branding Basics for Small Business and The Juicy Guide eBook Series for Entrepreneurs.
Maria started her career as a management consultant with Accenture and went on to build marketing and brand strategies for multiple companies, including Discovery Communications,
Monster.com, BusinessObjects (now SAP), and many other startups and technology leaders, before starting her own business. Maria understands the power of empathy at both a brand and personal level: in 2008, six months after launching her business, she suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm that almost killed her. Her humorous and heartfelt memoir about what is was like to survive this health crisis, Rebooting My Brain, has received worldwide praise.
Maria has made numerous media appearances, including on MSNBC, ABCNews.com, and Forbes.com; in Entrepreneur magazine; and on hundreds of radio shows and popular podcasts such as Entrepreneur on Fire, The Shameless Mom Academy, and Suitcase Entrepreneur. She writes a contributor column for Entrepreneur.com and has written for Huffington Post, MarketingProfs.com, Seattle Business, Life by Me, Inspire Me Today, Columbus CEO, among others.
Maria lives with her husband, young son, and precocious black lab mutt in the San Francisco Bay Area.
About the podcast: The Lead with Levity podcast is a show for leaders who care deeply about what makes/breaks the employee experience. Our guests are dynamic researchers, practitioners, consultants, and business leaders. We cover foundational elements that are needed to avoid forcing the fun. We also invite lively managers who lead with levity to show us how it’s done. Thanks for joining us on this journey.
