MM#116--A Hero's Story + Bust'em = Flourish, Flourish, Flourishing

Welcome to the theory to action podcast, where we examine the timeless treasures of wisdom from the great books in less time to help you take action immediately, and ultimately to create and lead a flourishing life. Now, here's your host, David Kaiser.

Hello, I'm David and welcome back to another Mojo minute. Several years ago, and pre COVID. I read in a enthralling book titled story brand by Donald Donald Miller. And it Donald helps businesses clarify their message to their customers, especially their marketing messages. And the book was so captivating that I read it twice. Because I call on small businesses in my primary job. I even wrote a detailed book review for all my customers, it was a six to seven page PDF, and it covered all the great nuggets of wisdom. Well, long story short, almost none of my customers took action on the central thesis of the book review, and the book for that matter, which was to clarify their marketing messages to their customers.

 Now in defense of my customers, and in defense of almost every small business, time spent on quality items that will bring a solid return on investment is what they juggle daily, if not hourly. So I went back to the drawing board to clarify my own message to them. And part of that clarifying of my own message was the genesis of the Mojo minute. 

We are all busy, we are all juggling 85 balls in the air. Not to mention most small businesses over the last three years, are merely just trying to survive through their COVID 19 pandemic, and aftermath especially all the lock downs and bad leadership that we've seen around our country. So I believe finally, in the last six months owners, small business owners that is, are finally looking around and figuring out how to grow to get how to grow again, and not merely keeping their head down while in survival mode. 

And one of the ways to begin to grow again, is to have clarity, in the messaging and in the focus to keep eating that elephant that is in the room. And that elephant that is always in the room for the small business owners is how to grow the business most effectively and most efficiently. It's what every small business owner struggles with day in day out. And to have clarity in their marketing messages, I believe is one of the most secret powers of most successful small businesses, that they are able to limit the distractions and keep pushing forward on important project after important project. 

As a small business owner myself, I can attest that it is one of the most vital secret powers one can possess. Now let me tell you something here that we are overhauling our T Mojo website to actually help us clarify our own message to you, the listeners, some of your small business owners. So please know we hear you and we are eating our own dog food too. We understand to help serve you better, we have to get better. 

So I believe in the next couple of months, we will be ready to roll out this rep website to you guys. And we are very excited about it. So back to today's book at hand. Donald Miller is building a story brand. Clarify your message so your customers will listen. So let's dive in to give you today's nugget of wisdom, quote. 

This is not a book about telling your company's story. A book like that would be a waste of time. Customers don't don't generally care about your story. They care about their own. Your customer should be the hero of the story, not your brand. This is the secret of every phenomenally successful business understands. What follows is a seven part framework that will change the way you talk about your business and perhaps the way you do business. 
Each year we help more than 3000 businesses stop wasting time on Mark hitting, and get their company growing by helping them clarify their message. This framework work will work for you, regardless of your industry.
To get the most out of the book, I encourage you to do three things. Number one, read the book and understand the S B seven framework number to filter your message through that framework. And number three, clarify your message. So more customers Listen, marketing has changed. Businesses that invite their customers into a heroic story grow. businesses that don't are forgotten, May we all be richly rewarded for putting our customers stories above our own, unquote. 

So let's unpack this initial highlight from the book, Donald mentions the SP seven framework, and to filter that message through the framework. We will get to that eventually. But let's put this focus, let's put the focus on this statement. Your customer should be the hero of the story, not your brand. Now think about that. 

Donald will later share in the book, this absolute gem of a nugget of wisdom, quote, the guide, not the hero is the one with the most authority. Still, the story is rarely about the guide. The guide simply plays a role. The story must always focus on the hero. And if a storyteller or business leader forgets this, the audience will get confused about who the story is really about. And they will lose interest. This is true in business, and politics and even in your own family. People are looking for a guide to help them not another hero, unquote. Wow, that is super good stuff there. And think about all the great stories we've ever heard. And Donald goes through in the book that almost every great story has these components to it. Every great story surely has a guide. And every great story has a hero. And the writers of these great stories are super duper careful to not I repeat not take the focus off the hero. Why? Because it ruins the story, doesn't it? Think about it. Star Wars? Does Yoda upstage Luke Skywalker? No, Yoda is the guide. And Luke is the hero hero. Think about the Lord of the Rings. Because does Gandalf upstage and insert himself in front of Frodo to win the day for the Shire? No, Gandalf merely helps Frodo along his journey. He doesn't get in the way. 

So in today's Mojo minute, if you are a business owner, are your customers the hero of their story? Or does your brand insert itself as the heroes and all your customer stories, thereby losing a great deal of effectiveness towards your customer and ultimately causing an immense amount of confusion with your customers? 

If so, you might want to clarify that. And if if, if if if I didn't want to forget about you non business owners out there either. Just one simple question for you, if I may, who is writing your life story? Could it be fate? 

Are you just letting your story go with the whims of the feather in the wind? If so, let me hand the pencil back to you today. And tell you you are in control. The page has turned you are staring at a fresh clean page to write on in the story of your life. And today's opening paragraph you are going to write and not fate. 

So today, begin to start writing your own story again. Because in case you missed it, you hear me out You are the hero in your own story. You are the hero in your own story. So let's get ready. pencils up. And bust'em.

Thank you for joining us. We hope you enjoyed this theory to action podcast. Be sure to check out our show page at T Mojo academy.com where we have everything we discussed in this podcast as well as other great resources. Until next time, keep getting your mojo on