Podcasts Technology Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career How to tell better stories | Matthew Dicks (Storyworthy)

How to tell better stories | Matthew Dicks (Storyworthy)

Published: Dec. 15, 2023, 12:01 p.m.

Matthew Dicks is a best-selling author, columnist, blogger, podcaster, playwright, and teacher. He wrote my all-time favorite book on storytelling, Storyworthy. He is an elementary school teacher by day and by night teaches storytelling and public speaking to individuals, corporations, universities, religious institutions, and school districts around the world. He\u2019s taught storytelling at Yale, MIT, Harvard, and Purdue, along with Amazon, Salesforce, Slack, Lego, and others. In this conversation, Matthew shares insights and techniques for effective storytelling, including:

\u2022 The benefits of good storytelling in business

\u2022 The five-second moment and why it\u2019s so important

\u2022 Why you should start every story at the end

\u2022 How to build a vault of stories that can be deployed in business situations

\u2022 Tips on how to be funnier

\u2022 His life-changing \u201cHomework for Life\u201d practice

\u2022 Advice for dealing with nervousness in public speaking

\u2022 The power of saying yes

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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-tell-better-stories-matthew

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Where to find Matthew Dicks:

\u2022 Website: https://matthewdicks.com/

\u2022 X: https://twitter.com/MatthewDicks

\u2022 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-dicks-84a95711/

\u2022 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4K0fcEJkzJLso5h6CN00LQ

\u2022 Storyworthy: https://www.storyworthymd.com/

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Where to find Lenny:

\u2022 Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

\u2022 X: https://twitter.com/lennysan

\u2022 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

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In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Matthew\u2019s background

(04:27) The five-second moment

(10:29) Knowing the ending

(14:28) The importance of including a transformation

(15:59) The dinner test

(18:19) You can\u2019t tell someone else\u2019s story

(20:24) Vacation stories

(23:14) Adding stakes to the story

(25:12) The power of surprise

(29:20) The benefits of storytelling in business

(32:20) An example of adding stakes

(34:02) Storytelling in the workplace

(44:29) Using personal inventory to make stories relatable

(48:46) Four ways to keep people listening

(50:52) Using humor in business storytelling

(53:09) Advice for adding humor

(58:43) An example of how storytelling helped a biotech company sell product

(1:02:06) Advice for people who don\u2019t want to become storytellers

(1:06:35) The power of \u201cHomework for Life\u201d

(01:15:26) Practical tips for starting Homework for Life

(01:19:28) Dealing with nervousness in public speaking

(01:24:42) Preparing for a talk or presentation

(01:25:24) The power of saying yes

(01:30:55) Lightning round

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Referenced:

\u2022 How \u2018Star Wars\u2019 answers our biggest religious questions: https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/04/21/how-star-wars-answers-our-biggest-religious-questions/

\u2022 When Harry Met Sally on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/When-Harry-Sally-Billy-Crystal/dp/B001Q556QG

\u2022 Persuasive communication and managing up | Wes Kao (Maven, Seth Godin, Section4): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/persuasive-communication-and-managing-up-wes-kao-maven-seth-godin-section4/

\u2022 Kurt Vonnegut\u2019s 8 Tenets of Storytelling: https://www.themarginalian.org/2012/04/03/kurt-vonnegut-on-writing-stories/

\u2022 Vertigo on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Vertigo-James-Stewart/dp/B000I9YLXU

\u2022 Ocean\u2019s Eleven on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Oceans-Eleven-George-Clooney/dp/B001EBV0JE

\u2022 David Mamet | JCCSF: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZOT1jCHfhI

\u2022 Pulp Fiction on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Pulp-Fiction-John-Travolta/dp/B005T3AX6E

\u2022 Charity Thief: Boston Moth StorySLAM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjrlGhAB4a4

\u2022 Boris Levin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/boris-levin-ab95404/

\u2022 Masha Reutovski on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/masha-reutovski/

\u2022 Top Three Steve Jobs Speeches: https://www.pcworld.com/article/482269/top_three_steve_jobs_speeches.html

\u2022 The Javits Center: https://www.javitscenter.com/

\u2022 Stranger Things on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80057281

\u2022 1989 (Taylor\u2019s Version) on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/64LU4c1nfjz1t4VnGhagcg

\u2022 Classic Sesame Street\u2014one of these things is not like the other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCxrkl2igGY

\u2022 Homework for Life: https://matthewdicks.com/homework-for-life/

\u2022 Homework for Life | Matthew Dicks | TEDxBerkshires: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7p329Z8MD0

\u2022 Seth Meyers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth_Meyers

\u2022 David Sedaris on MasterClass: https://www.masterclass.com/classes/david-sedaris-teaches-storytelling-and-humor

\u2022 Happy-Go-Lucky: https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Go-Lucky-David-Sedaris/dp/0316392456

\u2022 A life of yes: Matthew Dicks at TEDxSomerville: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3TaQFcaMk4

\u2022 New York Comedy Festival: https://nycomedyfestival.com/

\u2022 In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex: https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Sea-Tragedy-Whaleship-Essex/dp/0141001828

\u2022 The Tale of Despereaux: https://www.amazon.com/Tale-Despereaux-Being-Princess-Thread/dp/0763680893

\u2022 I\u2019ll Show Myself Out: Essays on Midlife and Motherhood: https://www.amazon.com/Ill-Show-Myself-Out-Motherhood/dp/0062981595

\u2022 You\u2019ll Grow Out of It: https://www.amazon.com/Youll-Grow-Out-Jessi-Klein/dp/1455531200

\u2022 David Sedaris books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/David-Sedaris/author/B000AQ3YUW

\u2022 Sure, I\u2019ll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and the Quest to Belong Anywhere: https://www.amazon.com/Sure-Ill-Join-Your-Cult/dp/1982168560

\u2022 The Last of Us on HBO: https://www.hbo.com/the-last-of-us

\u2022 Barbie: https://www.barbie-themovie.com/

\u2022 Krinner tree genie on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Krinner-Genie-Christmas-Stand-Small-Green/dp/B081D78FTP

\u2022 Power Pod: https://powerpodshop.com/

\u2022 Nostalgia hotdog toaster: https://www.amazon.com/Nostalgia-HDT600RETRORED-Pop-Up-Toaster-Retro/dp/B005Q8X6IO

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Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.

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Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.



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