The Storyteller's Secret

How did a Venice Beach T-shirt vendor become television's most successful producer? How did an entrepreneur who started in a garage create the most iconic product launches in business history? How did a timid pastor's son overcome a paralyzing fear of public speaking to captivate sold-out crowds at Yankee Stadium, twice? How did a human rights attorney earn TED's longest standing ovation, and how did a Facebook executive launch a movement to encourage millions of women to "lean in"? They told brilliant stories. In The Storyteller's Secret: From TED Speakers to Business Legends, Why Some Ideas Catch on and Others Don't, keynote speaker, bestselling author, and communication expert Carmine Gallo reveals the keys to telling powerful stories that inspire, motivate, educate, build brands, launch movements, and change lives. The New York Times has called a well-told story "a strategic tool with irresistible power" - the proof lies in the success stories of 50 icons, leaders, and legends featured in The Storyteller's Secret: entrepreneurs like Richard Branson, Sara Blakely, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, and Sheryl Sandberg; spellbinding speakers like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Bryan Stevenson, and Malala Yousafzai; and business leaders behind famous brands such as Starbucks, Southwest Airlines, Wynn Resorts, Whole Foods, and Pixar. Whether your goal is to educate, fundraise, inspire teams, build an award-winning culture, or to deliver memorable presentations, a story is your most valuable asset and your competitive advantage. In The Storyteller's Secret, Gallo explains why the brain is hardwired to love stories - especially rags-to-riches stories - and how the latest science can help you craft a persuasive narrative that wins hearts and minds. "The art of storytelling can be used to drive change," says billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson. And since the next decade will see the most change our civilization has ever known, your story will radically transform your business, your life, and the lives of those you touch. Ideas that catch on are wrapped in story. Your story can change the world. Isn't it time you shared yours?

Carmine Gallo

Acknowledgments Preface: Your Story is My Passion Introduction: Richard Branson, Dopamine, and the Kalahari Bushmen Part I:Storytellers Who Ignite Our Inner Fire 1. What Makes Your Heart Sing? 2. From T-Shirt Salesman to Mega Producer 3. Conquering Stage Fright to Sell Out Yankee Stadium 4. A Rock Star Rediscovers His Gift in the Backstory of His Youth 5. Change Your Story, Change Your Life 6. The Power in Your Personal Legend 7. A Coffee King Pours His Heart into His Business 8. We're Not Retailers with a Mission, We're Missionaries Who Retail 9. If You Can't Tell It, You Can't Sell It Part II: Storytellers Who Educate" 10. How a Spellbinding Storyteller Received TED's Longest Standing Ovation 11. Turning Sewage into Drinking Water 12. What You Don't Understand Can (and Does) Hurt You 13. The $98 Pants That Launched an Empire 14. Japan Unleashes Its Best Storytellers to Win Olympic Gold 15. A Funny Look at the Most Popular TED Talk of All Time 16. Dirt, Cigars, and Sweaty Socks Put a Marketer on the Map 17. A Burger with a Side of Story Part III: Storytellers Who Simplify 18. If Something Can't Be Explained on the Back of an Envelope, It's Rubbish 19. The Evangelizer in Chief 20. A Film Mogul's Granddaughter Cooks Up Her Own Recipe for Success 21. The Storytelling Astronaut Wows a TED Audience 22. "Dude's Selling a Battery" and Still Inspires 23. An Entrepreneur Makes Shark Tank History Part IV: Storytellers Who Motivate 24. Find Your Fight 25. The Hospital Steve Jobs Would Have Built 26. A Hotel Mogul Turns 12,000 Employees into Customer Service Heroes 27. A Revolutionary Idea That Took Off on the Back of a Napkin 28. When Amy Lost Her Legs, She Found Her Voice 29. From Hooters to the C-Suite - A Former Waitress Shares Her Recipe for Success 30. Trading Wall Street Riches for the Promise of a Pencil 31. The Ice Bucket Challenge Melts the Hearts of Millions 32. His Finest Hour - 180 Words That Saved the World Part V: Storytellers Who Launch Movements 33. Great Storytellers Are Made, Not Born 34. Millions of Women "Lean In" After One Woman Dares to Speak Out 35. The 60-Second Story That Turned the Wine World on Its Side 36. From My Heart Rather Than From a Sheet of Paper 37. Story, Story, Story Conclusion: The Storyteller's Universe The Storyteller's Toolkit The Storyteller's Secrets at a Glance The Storyteller's Checklist Notes