Lessons From a 3-year-old Who Made it Rain
Blow the horn and tap the tambourine…
It’s National Tell a Story Day! 
So buckle up, Buttercup. It’s story time. (This is one of my favorites)
About a quarter-century ago, when my twins were toddlers, we were spending the weekend at our country place in the Ozark foothills in south-central Missouri.
The ground was thirsty. No rain for weeks. But we adults knew it was about to pour…
…because The Weather Channel said so…
…and we could smell it coming.
The temperature dropped. The wind began to blow. And we encouraged 3-year-olds Maddie and Jake to go to the center of the lawn and DANCE.
“Make it rain,” we urged them.
Dance they did — with gusto. They shook, rattled, and rolled. They looked like those skeleton marionettes I used to play with as a kid.
After a minute or two of this, the first drops fell, and then…
The sky opened, and
rain poured down 
The twins kept dancing and dancing…
…until the once-dusty ground was filled with puddles…
…and they were covered with Ozark mud.
Everyone was smiling and laughing.
Fast forward a few weeks to our kitchen in St. Louis. Jake is hungry. He wants his favorite snack — a bowl of Golden Grahams.
He marches up to me, stands as tall as he can, and locks his big-doe eyes on mine.
Jake:
“Dad, can I have some Golden Gwams?”
Me:
“Sorry, no. It’s too close to dinner time. We don’t want to spoil your appetite.”
“Sorry, no…” did not always go over well with Jake…
…so I braced for an eruption.
But he stood there silently. He thrust out his lower lip. He looked down at his feet. He shifted his weight from right to left. And then, after several seconds of silence…
He danced like that skeleton toy…
…with gusto…
…smiling all the while.
Me:
“WHAT are you doing?”
Jake:
“A dance…A Golden Gwams dance!”
I laughed, grabbed the cereal box, opened the top, and…
…the Golden Gwams poured down into Jake’s bowl.
Me:
“You’re a smart kid!” (I meant it).
Jake smiled as he shoveled cereal into his mouth.
Here’s what Jake knew
(that you should know)…
Pay attention. Study what works. If it works once, try it again.
That’s what smart kids do. That’s what smart marketers do.
It may not work the second time or every time. But if you take this approach, the odds are in your favor.
Here’s another thing you should know…
This story is a rerun. I shared it with my list back in 2020.
If you know a good dance, shake your bones. And if it goes over well, shake again.
If you have a good story, share it. And if it goes over well, share it again.
That’s a good way to make it rain — with less effort.
So there you have it…
…a story fit for the holiday.
Enjoy National Tell a Story Day.
And if you want more days to be “Tell a Story Day” — so you can delight your followers, inspire them to act, and make it rain…
…see the p.s. below. Lots of ways I can help.
I gotta run. I’m hungry for breakfast.
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 the Story Power Profit Pack -- 52 Strategies, Tips, and Tactics  to Transform Your Content from Ignored to Adored.
2) Watch the free, 7-minute Micro-Training: “The 3 Most Important Storytelling Keys to Captivate Prospects and Inspire Them to Act -- Without Pitching and Prodding.”
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 more… 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. I’ll contact you with more details.
4) Work with me one-on-one: If you’re 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 “Speaking Engagement.” I’ll circle back to discuss the possibilities.
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