Chris Smith: Creating Your Story

Chris Smith - master storyteller, brand expert, and cowboy - sheds light on the importance of living and being your brand and story while maintaing clarity and authenticity. He explains that, as his Texas-native family branded steer, so must we see our brand as an insignia of who we are and what we stand for. Today on the EO Podcast, Chris inspires listeners to distinguish themselves as creators rather than complainers so that we may take the first step towards positive change. Tune-in to learn how Chris discovered the magic of storytelling verus sales pitches, listening versus speaking, and how he can tell a client everything they need to know...in 5-8 minutes. Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:09 – Facebook comment discussion about Chris being the "real-deal" 02:40 – Who is Chris Smith? A cowboy, entrepreneur, speaker, brand expert, story strategist, husband, father of 5 03:15 – Clear speaker, handsome, on-point and focused 03:45 –The Campfire Effect – brand and story 03:56– Discussing how to create a story for company, personal story, origin story that defines who you are and what you are good at 04:20 – Wants to be known for being a powerful creator, person, husband, father 05:25– Creating vs. complaining –perspective shift 06:00 – You can't do both create and complain 06:45 – As a creator, you see possibilities; as a complainer you lose ability to make positive change 07:05 – He can be critical, but is learning to live in land of "what is" 08:25 – Shrikumar Rao philosophy on being unable to control universe, but being able to control response 09:16 – Chris's personal values defined 09:55 – Family 1st, relationship with God, being a powerful creator, freedom, momentum, energy, fitness, inspired conversations, giving and serving, recognition, abundant mindset 11:24 – Campfire Effect was acquired by a firm and two men, Scott Berg and Brandon Craig, have been coaching and mentoring Chris 11:50 – He understands mentality behind real conversations "get through the weather" first 12:40 – Chris is a cowboy, 5th generation AZ native, ranching and rodeo family, he does team roping competitively 13:25 – Thinks of brand for cattle similarly to branding today – it represents your name; what you stand for as a man in your home, business, community 14:05 – If we were connected to our brand like his ancestors were with theirs, maybe we would be more intentional and impactful with our work 16:50 – Campfire Effect Origin Story 16:55 – Raised around cowboy storytellers, dad was a basketball coach, knew he was going to coach and also saw story as important 17:22 – Went into commercial real estate then financial services and learned that knowing about your product/service didn't equal success 17:45 – Most successful people could connect through story and knew how articulate how to help people 18:22 – People started asking how he sells and connects with people, he figured out a structure, and decided he wanted to help people learn how to know what to say and how to say it 19:20 – "Teach me how to share my story better." (Structure) But you need to know WHAT to share FIRST 20:15 –Are you clear on what you should be saying? Accountability and structure 21:05 – The "Big Idea" – This is what I should be saying and this is how I say it 22:40 – Ask, "What is it that I want to say? What am I accountable for?" 23:08 – By asking that question first, you look at your stories through the lens of your "big idea," and share the only the ones that are pertinent to your message 24:50 – Financial services company conversion 25:15 – He learned they won't win by talking about WHAT they do and rather focus on who they are and why they do what they do 26:10 – Then quickly talk about them (the customer) 26:30 – In the telling of your story, you make it about them 26:50 – Committed to community outreach/service; retirement coach, not financial advisors 27:30 – Office tour while telling story (not "what we do" speech) 28:10 – Clients were ready to be clients before meeting even started 28:40 - Being your brand vs. building a brand and building a story vs. being your story 29:10 – Who are we in this? Regain clarity, authenticity, and live into brand 29:38 – They realized that their clientele was blue-collar 30:10 – The "What we do" isn't the differentiator, it's the story that will separate you from competition 31:00 – Jason Friedman story of when he asked, "How are you different?" " What brought you into this?" 33:00 – Through the origin story, discovering what drives them, they found their passion 33:45 – People don't really care what you do – they want to know how you can help and your reasons why 34:40 – We love talking about what we do and that means we care, but it can have the opposite effect 35:18 – Dale Carnegie's book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" reference 35:30 – People like to hear their name and talk about themselves 36:00 – When in the sales process do you tell your story? 36:30 – They talk 75-80% of the time because of meaningful questions, but this isn't a tactic 37:10 – They talk about where are they now, what their challenge are, how they need help...and will eventually return the question 37:30 – That's when Chris will give story of who he is, why, what he does, how...in 5-8 minutes 38:13 – Common response, "Ah, that makes sense" 38:45 – How do you do that 5-8 minute powerful representation of what you do (tools and giveaways to listeners) 38:50 – Big brand, like cooler company Yeti, is an example of company that has become cool 39:36 – Boxers or Briefs lightning round Mountains or Ocean – Ocean Introvert or Extrovert – Extrovert Stay home or Weekend getaway – Stay at home Adventure or Comfort – Adventure Pickup or Prius – "C'mon Dave..." Pickup or Tesla – "C'mon Dave..." "Pickup! Gotta have a pickup on the ranch!" Being by yourself or With people – With people Cheeseburger or Sushi – Sushi John Denver or Zac Brown – John Denver New York or San Francisco – San Francisco Jeans or Khakis..."wait...nevermind" – Jeans Mini Goldendoodle or Pitbull – Pitbull Chocolate Chip or Strawberry Pancakes – Chocolate Chip Book or Movie – Movie Binge watch Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings over the weekend – Lord of the Rings 41:55 – Videos and courses on thecampfireeffect.com 42:09 – Why would you sign up for a course? –You'll have more clarity on what you should say and how you say it than you've had in the entire time you've done business 42:50 – Chris is offering 10 strategy calls – not a sales call – on story, message, brand 44:00 – Reach out to [email protected] and mention the EO Podcast 44:19 – On Chris Smith's Blog, get free access to: E-Book "5 Forces of Storytelling" Video "Networking to Close Deals or Waste Time?" E-Book "5 Strategies of Brand Loyalty" Case Study 44:45 – Text "Story" to: 872-267-3473 to gain access to the free mini-video course: "How to Powerfully Answer the Question 'What do you Do'" 3 Key Points: Rather than focus on how to share your story, first know WHAT you should be sharing. When you have your "big idea," tell your story with it in mind to remain clear and on track. BE your brand, BE your story. Resources Mentioned: Entrepreneur's Organization – The EO Network "How to Win Friends and Influence People" – Dale Carnegie's book The Campfire Effect - Chris Smith's company The Campfire Effect Blog Contact Email