RecomMONDAYtions ~ 2026.02.23
Recommended Video
š„Ā The Secret Ingredients of Great Hospitality | Will Guidara
A $2 hot dog helped make Eleven Madison Park the #1 restaurant in the world.
Not because of the food.
Because of what it meant.
In this brilliant TED Talk, restaurateur Will Guidara explains the concept of āunreasonable hospitalityāāthe idea that people donāt remember products or services nearly as much as they remember how you made them feel.
Itās a powerful reminder for anyone who serves clients: the smallest, most personal gestures often create the biggest impact.
Recommended Book & Event
šĀ Unreasonable Hospitality
Speaking of “unreasonable hospitality,” that’s the name of Will Guidara’s bestselling book, and that’s the book we’ll be discussing on Thursday at the Mastermind Book Club.
This book’s subtitle: “The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect.”
You’re invited to join us
Every month, Ted Prodromou and I choose a great book for members to read and discuss. We meet live on the fourth Thursday to discuss how we can apply the book’s lessons to our businesses.
If you serve clients, this book — and our meeting on Thursday — is for you.
You don’t have to read the book to attend the meeting.
When:Ā Thursday, February 26, 2:30 p.m. ET
What:Ā Mastermind Book Club discussing “Unreasonable Hospitality”
Where:Ā Live on Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88660265350?pwd=RzwGBSzYTM2WbJk3jM3D2OxcieWIbS.1&jst=2
Recommended Article
šĀ The Marketing Plan | The Marketoonist
Marketing plans have become longer, prettier, and often emptier. So says Tom Fishburne (a.k.a. “The Marketoonist”) in this post and cartoon (click through for the cartoon; it’s great).
The Marketoonist skewers the modern tendency to generate endless slide decks that look impressive but lack real thinking behind them. As AI empowers marketers to instantly produce āPowerPoint decks by the yard,ā the real risk isnāt inefficiency — itās creating polished work that wastes time and obscures clarity.
The reminder is simple and powerful: a great marketing plan doesnāt come from more slides. It comes from clear diagnosis, thoughtful strategy, and intentional action.
If youāve ever confused volume with valueāor been buried under an avalanche of āinfinite slides nobody wantsāāthis one will hit close to home.
Another Recommended Article
šĀ From Blindspot to Breakthrough
One of the hardest truths in leadership is this: the hardest person to see clearly is yourself.
In this short post, Dan Rockwell reveals how blind spots quietly limit your reach, shrink your impact, and frustrate the people around you — often without you realizing it. Blind spots are āunrecognized weaknessesā¦ You believe youāre succeeding when youāre failing.ā
The breakthrough comes when you stop defending and start listening. Admit blind spots exist. Seek honest feedback. Lean into recurring complaints. And design solutions with othersānot just by trusting your own instincts.
Real growth begins the moment you stop assuming you see everything clearly.
Podcast (The Story Power Marketing Show)
š” How to Research Your Way to Greater Profits (with Sean Jordan)
Sean Jordan is the President and Principal Investigator for the Research & Planning Group. He is a 2009 graduate and current faculty member of the Master of Marketing Research (MMR) program at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville (one of the only professional marketing research post-graduate programs offered in the nation).
Sean is equipped with a wide array of quantitative and qualitative research techniques and possesses a number of skills that aid him in research design, data analysis and report presentation.
In this episode, Sean explains the difference between quantitative research (numbers like averages and percentages) and qualitative research (listening to what people think and feel through interviews and focus groups), and how qualitative findings are put together by targeting the right participants, conducting about 20ā30 interviews, and identifying common themes and illustrative stories.
They also discuss how research insights can shape messaging and product strategy, how the internet has shifted research from paper/mail to digital and from in-person/phone to Zoom-based qualitative work, the power and risks in using AI to conduct meaningful research, and how observational research via online video can help you understand market needs.
This episode is a treasure trove of information about how to research your target market effectively.
DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE
02:22: Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research (Numbers vs. Listening)
03:24: How Qual Interviews Work: Sample Size, Themes & Story āMarketing Fodderā
05:52: Turning Insights into Taglines: Credit Union āNot a Bank, Betterā
06:17: Who Research Is For: Full-Service Agency Model + When Itās Worth the Cost
08:20: DIY Research for Small Businesses: Customer Conversations + Better Surveys
10:33: Act on Feedback: Steak-Off-the-Menu Story + Dominoās Research Comeback
16:19: How the Internet Changed Research: Zoom, Speed, and Panel Fraud
19:57: Beyond Interviews: Observational & Secondary Research (Reviews, Case Studies)
22:54: AI in Research: Privacy Risks, Hallucinations & How to Use It Safely
30:30: Where to Find Sean + Final Takeaways on Purpose-Driven Listening
31:49: Wrap-Up: Reviews, Resources, and Closing Credits
FULL EPISODE VIDEO: vimeo.com/1165967433
Listen on…
Words to Ponder
“Try and leave this world a little better than you found it, and when your turn comes to die, you can die happy in feeling that at any rate, you have not wasted your time but have done your best.”
ā Robert Baden-Powell
Don't go away yet..
p.s. Coaches, authors, and consultants hire me to power-up their creative content and storytelling to captivate prospects, stand-out and book more business.
Whenever you're ready, here are several ways I can help you become a storytelling stand-out so you'll land more clients without pitching and prodding:
1) Get theĀ Story Power Profit PackĀ -- 52 Strategies, Tips, and Tactics Ā to Transform Your Content from Ignored to Adored.
2) Watch theĀ free, 7-minute Micro-Training: āThe 3 Most Important Storytelling Keys to Captivate Prospects and Inspire Them to Act -- Without Pitching and Prodding.ā
3) Become a Story Power VIP: Master how to discover, assemble, and deliver business-building stories. Twice-monthly live masterclasses. Members-only content. One-on-one feedback and consulting sessions. And moreā¦ If you'd like to learn more about our VIP program, just reply to this email and put "Story Power VIP" in the subject line. Iāll contact you with more details.
4) Work with me one-on-one: If youāre interested in working directly with me -- to discover, assemble, and deliver powerful, business-building stories -- simply reply to this email and change the subject line to "Private Client." Tell me a little about yourself, your business, and what you'd like to accomplish, and I'll reply to discuss options.
5) Invite me to speak at an event: I can tailor a presentation that meets the specific needs of your organization. Informative. Entertaining. Virtual or live. Potential for continuing education credits when applicable for your group. If interested, reply to this email and change the subject line to āSpeaking Engagement.ā Iāll circle back to discuss the possibilities.
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