Podcast
The Storytelling Lab
Hosted by Rain Bennett · EN
The Storytelling Lab covers everything you need to know about personal and professional stories to leverage their power to deepen your connections, increase your sales + donations, and serve your audiences better with real-life examples and experts.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
26episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Your Brand's Growth Problem Isn't What You Think It Is with Jensen Savage
Jan 2600:46:00Tap to summarize“Everybody in your organization has to be aligned… or it all starts to break down.” — Jensen SavageIf you’ve been muscling your way through growth and wondering why it still feels so hard, this episode is for you.Jensen Savage, founder of Savage Growth Partners, breaks down the true cause of stagnation in business: misalignment.In this conversation, we explore why brute force can’t scale and how systematizing your customer journey can unlock powerful, sustainable growth. Jensen and Rain dig into the often-ignored “connective tissue” between marketing, sales, and operations and show how storytelling is more than messaging and communication—it’s infrastructure.Whether you're a founder, marketer, or small business owner, this episode will help you rethink what’s actually holding you back.In this episode, you will learn to:Understand why growth stalls even when you’re doing everything “right”Uncover the unseen gaps in your customer journey that silently kill momentumMap your marketing to metrics that matter most for service-based businessesBuild systems that turn handoffs into high-performance linksUse story-driven alignment to unify your brand from sales to operations🔗 Follow Jensen on:Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/savagegrowthpartnersLinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jensensavageWebsite → https://savagegrowthpartners.com📚 For more storytelling tips and tricks:Visit rainbennett.com or thestorytellinglabpodcast.com, orFollow...TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@chiefstorytellingofficerTwitter → https://twitter.com/rainbennettInstagram → https://www.instagram.com/rainbennettFacebook → https://www.facebook.com/thestorytellinglabYouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@RainBennett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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What Happens When YOU Become the Story with Elton Anderson, Jr.
Jan 1900:59:08Tap to summarize“Every time you press upload, you’re telling the universe this is your part in the grand scheme.” — Elton Anderson, Jr.What if your content wasn’t just a creative outlet, but a mirror for your transformation? In this episode, Rain Bennett sits down with Elton Anderson—a photographer, storyteller, and founder of L10 Media—for a deep, vulnerable conversation on using storytelling to break free of the algorithm, let go of outdated identities, and build a media platform rooted in purpose.Elton shares his own creative pivot, leaving behind a successful photography career and embracing a new chapter built around authenticity, micro media ownership, and spiritual self-alignment.Together, they explore how to attract the right audience by showing up fully as yourself, why resistance is a sign you’re on the right path, and how to build a life and career that flow from the inside out. If you're multi-passionate, burned out by content trends, or questioning how to evolve in public, this episode will show you that your shadow isn’t something to fear—it’s where your story begins.In this episode, you will learn to:Embrace identity shifts as part of your creative evolutionFind your unique voice through consistent, imperfect actionUse storytelling as a tool to connect with others and yourselfBuild a micro media company around your personal purposeReframe resistance as a signal that you're on the right pathFollow Elton on:InstagramTikTokor visit his website, HERE! And for more storytelling tips and tricks,Visit rainbennett.com or thestorytellinglabpodcast.comFollow on TikTok @chiefstorytellingofficerFollow on Twitter @rainbennettFollow on Instagram @rainbennettFollow on Facebook @thestorytellinglab Subscribe to the YouTube Channel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The Real Reason Your Brand Feels Disconnected with Rain Bennett
Dec 2200:21:46Tap to summarize“If your company doesn’t know the story that it’s helping to tell, no marketing campaign is going to save you.” — Rain BennettMost businesses mistake their vision for a quarterly goal or a financial target, but that’s not a story anyone wants to join.In this solo episode, Rain Bennett unpacks the critical difference between vision and mission, showing how your vision acts as the narrative North Star for your entire brand. Rain shares a clear, actionable framework based on Simon Sinek’s “Just Cause” model and explains how the best visions are resilient, inclusive, and service-oriented.Through two powerful case studies—Patagonia and The People’s Game—Rain illustrates how a well-crafted vision can guide every part of your business, from branding to product development to internal culture.If you’ve ever struggled to articulate why your company exists beyond just making money, this episode gives you the foundation to start telling a story that actually matters.In this episode, you will learn to:Define a brand vision that is resilient, inclusive, and service-orientedAlign your team and decisions around a single, powerful storyAvoid the common mistakes that make most vision statements meaninglessUse real-world case studies to guide your own storytelling strategyCraft a vision that inspires belief, not just activityFor more storytelling tips and tricks,Visit rainbennett.com or thestorytellinglabpodcast.comFollow on TikTok @chiefstorytellingofficerFollow on Twitter @rainbennettFollow on Instagram @rainbennettFollow on Facebook @thestorytellinglab Subscribe to the YouTube Channel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The Billion-Person Mission That Started With Bankruptcy with David Meltzer
Dec 1500:26:47Tap to summarize“I was made from mistakes. I was promoted, protected, loved, and perfected by them.” — David MeltzerAfter losing $100 million and hitting rock bottom, David Meltzer rebuilt his life and his business around a mission to empower over 1 billion people to be happy.In this episode, Rain Bennett sits down with David to explore how storytelling became the vehicle for that transformation.David opens up about the bankruptcy he once hid from the world, the emotional healing that followed, and the new definition of success that changed everything. They talk about the myth of “give more, get more,” the strategic use of vulnerability, and how to build a brand rooted in service and joy.If you’ve ever struggled to see the upside in your darkest moments, this conversation will show you how to flip the script and turn your pain into purpose.In this episode, you will learn to:Reframe failure as the foundation for your most powerful storyCreate a happiness-driven business model that serves and scalesEmbrace vulnerability to build real trust and connectionShift from ego-based identity to a mission-based lifeTeach your team to lead with empathy, clarity, and consistencyFollow David on:LinkedInInstagramTikTokYouTubeor pre-order his new book, HERE! And for more storytelling tips and tricks,Visit rainbennett.com or thestorytellinglabpodcast.comFollow on TikTok @chiefstorytellingofficerFollow on Twitter @rainbennettFollow on Instagram @rainbennettFollow on Facebook @thestorytellinglab Subscribe to the YouTube Channel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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How a Local Utility Company Became a Storytelling Powerhouse with Krystal Phillips
Dec 800:50:36Tap to summarize“It’s not just about keeping the lights on—it’s about building a relationship with the people at the end of the line.” — Krystal Phillips, JO-EMCStorytelling isn’t just for trendy brands or startups.In this episode, Rain sits down with Krystal Phillips, Communications and Community Relations Manager at Jones-Onslow EMC, to explore how a rural electric co-op built a storytelling culture that would rival any big tech brand.Krystal reveals the behind-the-scenes thinking that led a utility company to invest in heartfelt video stories, internal leadership programs, and community-first content. Together, they unpack how to measure storytelling ROI when you can’t rely on sales, how buy-in from leadership transforms culture, and why authenticity matters more than production value.This episode is a must-listen for anyone working in “unsexy” industries who wants to make storytelling their competitive advantage.In this episode, you will learn to:Harness storytelling as a strategic tool, even in “boring” or highly regulated industriesBuild team buy-in by grounding your strategy in community and trustEstablish internal programs that create a pipeline of storytellers inside your organizationHumanize your brand with stories that foster empathy and emotional connectionMeasure the real ROI of storytelling beyond dollars and metricsFollow Krystal on:LinkedInInstagramor visit the JO-EMC website, HERE!And for more storytelling tips and tricks,Visit rainbennett.com or thestorytellinglabpodcast.comFollow on TikTok @chiefstorytellingofficerFollow on Twitter @rainbennettFollow on Instagram @rainbennettFollow on Facebook @thestorytellinglab Subscribe to the YouTube Channel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The Ethics of Filming Real Love Triangles in Mistress Dispeller with Elizabeth Lo
Oct 13Tap to summarize"I wanted each character to be complex enough and sympathetic enough that there's some deep reason you could identify in yourself." — Elizabeth LoHow do you tell a story that's intimate, ethically complicated, and rooted in real-life secrecy—without exploiting your subjects?In this episode, Rain Bennett speaks with acclaimed documentary filmmaker Elizabeth Lo, director of Mistress Dispeller, one of the most talked-about films this year.The film follows a professional “mistress dispeller” in China hired to break up extramarital affairs on behalf of betrayed spouses—yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like.Elizabeth opens up about how she gained the trust of real people in real love triangles, how she balanced empathy with narrative clarity, and how she created emotional tension through stillness instead of sensationalism.They discuss ethical gray areas, building documentaries without control, and letting stories unfold naturally while still crafting a cohesive arc. If you’re a nonfiction filmmaker or just someone interested in telling hard stories with humanity, this episode is a must-listen.In this episode, you will learn to:Earn the trust of documentary subjects by building long-term, authentic relationshipsLet stories unfold naturally instead of forcing a narrative structureNavigate ethical storytelling with sensitive, real-world materialUse stillness and silence to create emotional tensionAlign your personal values with the stories you choose to tellFor more storytelling tips and tricks,Visit rainbennett.com or thestorytellinglabpodcast.comFollow on TikTok @rainbennett.storyellerFollow on Twitter @rainbennettFollow on Instagram @rainbennettFollow on Facebook @thestorytellinglab Subscribe to the Youtube Channel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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