#99: Embracing a Survival Mindset in Your Brand Storytelling

Have you ever felt the terror of being totally lost?

In business, we prepare for everyday problems and stick to our established plan. But when the unexpected happens and our existence is threatened, we panic; we either fight a losing battle, retreat as fast as possible, or stop altogether in shock. This Fight, Flight or Freeze thought process is a natural survival instinct, but often it can be the end for us or our business. 

We can’t expect the unexpected. That’s why it's critical for you to know the skills to not only survive -- but thrive.

Today’s episode is about a survivalist. Jonathan David Lewis of McKee Wallwork, and author of Brand vs. Wild joins us to share his experience in bringing a brand back from the brink.

As a survivor of a business that almost went under, Jonathan has created methods of fixing a sinking brand using survival psychology and real world crisis procedures. You will learn how to take a brand that is lost, and guide it towards your goal.

In This Episode, You'll Learn Seven factors that impact survival of your business The Air Force’s Five ‘C’s of survival How pride kills in the wild Key Quotes “The factors that affect our growth are actually in our control.” - Jonathan Lewis “Why do some face adversity and thrive, and others fail?” - Jonathan Lewis “Success can be one of our biggest vulnerabilities.” - Jonathan Lewis “The first thing you need to do when you're lost is stop and orient yourself.” - Jonathan Lewis “You can only prosper from your most authentic stories.” - Park Howell Mentioned In This Episode Jonathan David Lewis Jonathan David Lewis Twitter Brand vs Wild McKee Wallwork & Co. Breaking Bad Bob Odenkirk Jon Krakauer Lego Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth Story Marketer of the Week - Donald Trump

Climate change is the most urgent issue facing humanity, with many people denying the existence of the problem. Scientists working on clean energy struggle to gain traction, but climate change may have found an unlikely, unintentional advocate: Donald Trump.

Documentaries like An Inconvenient Truth are nowhere near as powerful at spreading climate change awareness as the Donald and his denial. Why is this? Because Trump is a contradiction, a conflict, he gives the cause a much-needed antagonist. Having such a vocal opposition towards climate change signaled a call to action like never before.

When your story has high stakes, you can channel that into purpose, and your audience will rally behind your cause. For demonstrating the power of a good conflict we have decided to name Donald Trump as the Story Marketer of the Week.

About Business of Story Podcast

The Business of Story is hosted by trusted brand story strategist and keynote speaker Park Howell and is among the top business and marketing podcasts geared toward founders, CEOs, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and communication leaders.

Each episode brings you the brightest content creators, advertising creatives, authors, screenwriters, makers, marketers, and brand raconteurs that show you how to make your brand story marketing stand out and achieve epic growth in your organization.