All Episodes

NEW SHOW NAME! Here's why, plus a tiny concept with big implications

A look inside my business

I can't believe people can do that

Something bad happened to me thanks to AI

How to (actually) grow your paid speaking

The last great advantage

How to write better pitches to book speaking gigs [Jay's go-to format]

Content ARCs: how to own your ideas in the market

The metaphor and the magic: My take on AI in 2026

My favorite story structure to captivate and teach

Improving the signature speech of a marketing entrepreneur

My process for booking keynotes (the engine most overlook)

Scott Stratten: Keynotes say, "I dare you to look away"

David Burkus: Stories about others should still say something about YOU

David C. Baker: Clarity comes *in* the articulation, not before it

Coaching call: Jay develops the premise of an entrepreneur and coach

Jordan Geary: Lessons from Sesame Workshop and an Emmy-Award Winning Producer

Neen James: how to create visual frameworks to elevate your business

Chris Ducker: why you need a catalyst story to increase influence

Jessica Abel: Author of my favorite book on storytelling ever

Why some people earn passionate fans and others don't

Tom Webster: podcasting's top researcher on how to tell the story of numbers

Mark Schaefer: How to create urgency in an audience through your stories

Erin Halper: What consultants who share content need to realize

Six-Way Stories: a method for you to become a stronger storyteller

How to resonate with experienced pros (stop being tricked by the internet)

Steve Pratt: Storytelling lessons from the MTV of Canada and #1-ranked podcasts

BEST OF HSH: Andrew Davis on figuring out your story

Make me care: Lessons from Roy Kent and Seth Godin

Dorie Clark: How to turn expertise into breakthrough ideas

Justin Moore: How he altered his storytelling to resonate with more people

My recipe for great stories

Neal Foard: How to tell small stories with big meaning to persuade and inspire

Jay Answers Your Questions about Public Speaking as Marketing Approach, Revenue Engine, and Creative Craft

The elements of stronger messages & how to say what they can’t unhear, with Tamsen Webster, message designer

A trick from John Mulaney to create better content

"Stories that inspire more stories: that's what I'm after" - Brad Montague, children's author and keynote speaker

If growth is hard, you might need your "idea before the idea"

“Is this ANNything?” Ann Handley Returns to Work Out New Drafts

“You can’t make pottery without clay” | Elise Hu dissects her TED Talk

How to find powerful stories everywhere | Jay Baer, hall-of-fame speaker & NY Times bestselling business author

"It's not effortless, it's intentional" | Mike Ganino, keynote director & author

“Little nuggets take your story furthest” I Veronica Romney - Author, Entrepreneur, and Marketing Leader

“Great stories are ownable” | Ron Tite, keynote speaker and agency exec

Whisper

"Specific moments make it feel real" | Natalie Taylor, B2B marketing leader

"The personal is more universal than we think it is" | Sarah Stockdale, CEO of Growclass

“Now is the time to double down on your story” I Shez Mehra, creative entrepreneur and DJ

The 2 questions (and a quote) that helped me most in 2024

"Your brain is a straight line machine" I Melanie Deziel, author and speaker

A repeatable system for stronger ideas and stories

Designing a New Signature Talk Beat by Beat with Justin Moore (Founder of Creator Wizard, Author of Sponsor Magnet)

Seth Godin Dissects a Signature Story

“Is this ANNything?” Ann Handley and Jay Acunzo Work Out New Drafts

“We’re both the heroes and the villains in our own stories” | Chase Jarvis, Photographer + Entrepreneur + Author of Never Play It Safe

"If all knowledge is experience, all wisdom is framework" | Laura Gassner Otting, Keynote Speaker & Author

Working out a new TED Talk with Simone Stolzoff, Author & Journalist

“A perfectly competent character is boring” | Nat Eliason, Author & Essayist

What it takes to craft a signature story | Susan Boles, CFO, Business Strategist & Podcaster

To tell stronger stories, understand yourself first | Ryan Hawk & Brook Cups, Coauthors of The Score That Matters

“You have to work against people assuming they know how this goes” | Danielle Bayard Jackson, Author of Fighting for Our Friendships

“I could tell this story in 1950 or 2024” | Scott Monty, Exec. Coach and Speaker

“Words can do WHAT?! Are we serious right now?!” | Tucker Bryant, Poet & Keynote Speaker

“We congregate around emotional stories” | Rand Fishkin, CEO of SparkToro

“How do we all sign our work?” | Ann Handley, Author & Keynote Speaker

“A story needs a job to do” | Michelle Warner, Business Designer & Strategist

“The only way to figure out a story is to tell it” | Andrew Davis, Keynote Speaker

Introducing How Stories Happen: Business Builders Dissect Their Signature Stories Piece by Piece