We usually talk about the stories we tell about ourselves. We use stories to showcase our marketable qualities. We explain and promote our offers.

In this episode, we flip the script. We focus on getting other people to tell their stories. Often their stories will be essential for our own marketing.

For example, when you interview a podcast guest, you want that guest to tell an exciting story that will be memorable to your audience.

When you ask for a testimonial, you want a story about how you helped the client.

When you conduct client research or an intake interview, you want the client's uncensored point of view.

Too many entrepreneurs rely on generic “why” questions and end up with boring, same-old answers. Besides your own storytelling, you want to find a way to get others to tell their stories.

On this episode, you’ll discover:

...Why “why” questions sabotage your interviews

...Questions to ask to spark meaningful, entertaining stories

...The four-part interview structure that produces the best stories

...Why you must avoid opinions and advice (and get good stories instead)

...How to understand why they might avoid hard-core truth in their stories

As always, please leave a review, preferably on Apple or Spotify. Let me know how you're using your client's stories in your marketing. What works? What doesn't?

Links & Resources:

• Video Course: The Client Advantage – Use your clients’ backstories to enter the conversation in their heads.

• 30 Prompts To Tell Your Business Story – $9

• FREE: The 3 Stories You Need Before Landing Your Next Client

• For a deep dive into research, positioning, and strorytelling: The Strategic Intensive

• My website is here.

We all hear that stories are powerful—but do they actually bring in sales?

In this episode of Strategic Storytelling, I break down how stories make money for your business, both indirectly (as a smart marketing tool) and directly (by increasing conversions).

You'll learn what makes a story profitable, how to align your storytelling with strategy, and what to avoid if you don’t want your content to fall flat.

Whether you're writing a landing page, planning a campaign, or building your brand, this episode will show you how to use stories not just to entertain, but to earn.

What You’ll Learn:

• The difference between “fun to tell” and strategic stories

• How stories can help you plan, clarify, and position your business

• What makes a selling story and how to craft one

• How storytelling keeps you from killing the sale by being too pushy

• Tips to use storytelling to connect with your audience’s “before” picture

Resources Mentioned:

Cast the characters for your selling story

From Story Telling to Story Selling: Tell your selling story

Find your client's backstory

Story-Driven Planning Workbook

Podcast on Story-Based Strategy

Work With Me:
Need feedback on your story, landing page, or website? I offer personal video reviews so you can get fast, thorough, fluff-free feedback. Click here to learn more and sign up.

Connect With Me:
Website: https://cathygoodwin.com
Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on Apple or Spotify. It helps others discover the power of strategic storytelling.

When you're a solopreneur or running a right-sized business, hiring a mentor isn’t as simple as following someone else’s success story. In this episode of Strategic Storytelling, we unpack the reasons why traditional mentor models — often built for corporate careers or celebrity entrepreneurs — don’t work for most small business owners.

You’ll discover:

• Why their story may be inspiring... but useless to your business

• How to identify the right kind of support based on your business archetype

• Three powerful alternatives to traditional mentorship — including the idea of a "personal advisory board"

• How to use your own intuition as your most powerful decision-making tool

Before you invest in a high-ticket program or follow someone else’s path, tune in to rethink what "mentoring" really means for your stage of business.

RESOURCES AND MENTIONS:

Your Mess is Not Your Message: A Guide to Solopreneur Branding
This book contains a detailed discussion of the archetypes discuss here.
Free with Kindle Unlimited.

FREE: What is your archetype? Take this quiz...and then learn more about your archetype from my book.

Intuition: A Guide For Career and Business. I wrote this quite a while ago and it's still good.

Podcast with Robert Middleton (an Educator).
Podcast with Cindy Bidar (a Role Model).
Podcast with Ellen Finkelstein (also a Role Model)

One of many dozens of articles on personal advisory boards

Get in touch with me.

What do invisibility, time travel, and telepathy have in common?

It's not just a party game or a job intervew question, "Choose your superpower." These 3 storytelling superpowers that can transform your marketing.

In this episode of Strategic Storytelling, we’ll explore how to:

• Make your writing “invisible” so your message becomes the star (not your clever wordplay)

• Use time travel to guide your audience from frustration to solution

• Tap into the power of telepathy to respond directly to your client’s unspoken desires

Whether you're writing sales pages, emails, or social posts, these three tools will help you create copy that connects deeply and converts naturally.

No magic tricks. Just strategy.

Mentioned:

• Blog post on how to research your client's inner dialogue

• The Client Advantage course for going deeper into customer understanding

Listen now to discover how to:

• Make your story irresistible and unforgettable

• Avoid common copywriting traps that kill connection

• Use storytelling as a sales strategy (not just a creative flourish)

💡 If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe, leave a review, (preferably on Apple or Spotify) and share it with a friend or colleague.
Visit cathygoodwin.com for more storytelling tips and resources.

To be a guest on the podcast. Go here and fill out the form.

IN this episode of Strategic Storytelling, we explore why your real, everyday stories—not dramatic or overly polished ones—are often the most powerful for your content.

As an example, I talk about ]how comedian Loni Love stayed true to her voice despite pressure to "play a character," and how that lesson applies directly to your brand storytelling.

If you've ever been told your story isn’t “exciting” enough, or you're not being "vulnerable" enough, this episode is for you.

You will learn...

• Why “authentic storytelling” doesn’t mean airing all your struggles
  
  

• The danger of following cookie-cutter storytelling advice
  
  

• What Loni Love’s comedy journey reveals about audience connection
  
  

• Why the best content starts with your actual experience—no exaggeration needed
  
  

• How to spot the right advice (and ignore what doesn’t feel right)
  
  

Links and Resources:

• Book Mentioned: I Tried to Change So You Don’t Have To by Loni Love
  
  

Want help developing your unique voice and content strategy?
Book a consultation: https://cathygoodwin.com

Struggling to find the right words for your marketing? In this episode, we unpack why your business story isn’t just relatable — it’s a strategic treasure trove!

You’ll discover how storytelling becomes a diagnostic tool to uncover your most powerful marketing message.

Whether you're a coach, freelancer, or creative entrepreneur, your story already holds the key to your branding, positioning, and message.

We'll explore three story types that reveal your value proposition, brand positioning, and unique angle.. The breakthrough is in the story you've already experienced.

You will learn…

...What is an aha moment and how it can help your strategy...The 3 types of stories that can give you new insights into branding and positioning (including that don’t depend on your personal journey)

...How real-world business owners used stories to develop their strategy (and in some cases, transform their businesses)

You can also download a workbook to create your own path from story to strategy. Currently free when you click here.

I can also work with you one-to-one to take your own story on the journey to finding a new business model and a new strategy. Click here.

Reach out to me with your story! I'll give you a quick answer.

Don't forget to rate and review this episode, preferably at Apple or Spotify. that' how we grow.

A lot of solopreneur marketing challenges become easier with a story -- and with knowing the clients' backstory.

In this episode, we’re tackling a challenge many solopreneur service providers face: how to sell when your offer seems “non-essential” or even frivolous.

From personal shopping to manicures, pantry organizing to lighting setups — these services are often dismissed as luxuries. But as the backstories reveal, the real value often lies beneath the surface.

You will learn ...

... many non-essential services can be critical when you understand why people buy

... how to uncover the emotional backstories that drive buying decisions

... how to position your offer as a solution to deep, often unspoken needs.

You’ll hear real-world examples of frivolous products that become "must haves" when you learn why they're purchased.

If you're a coach, consultant, or creative struggling to articulate your value, this episode will show you how to connect with your audience where it matters most — at the story behind the need.

Please leave a review at Apple and/or Spotify. That's how we grow!

Want to learn more about backstories: I have a free guide you can download here.