Strategic Storytelling

Strategic Storytelling

Strategic Storytelling combines the power of storytelling with practical strategies for copywriting, and marketing. It's designed primarily for entrepreneurs, content creators, marketers, and copywriters. Most episodes are solo with occasional interviews by invited guests who bring unique insights to the topic. Host Cathy Goodwin is an online strategist, copywriter, and published author. The podcast focuses on the impact of business storytelling on the bottom line. When you start with a story, you simplify and strengthen your branding, content creation, and positioning. You also become a better business owner when you use stories to clarify your own objectives and gain self-understanding. Cathy started the podcast after she realized her clients were bewildered by what they were hearing about storytelling for business. Some of them simply couldn't understand how stories could help their businesses. Others got backlash when they dutifully followed advice to open up about themselves. As a copywriter, Cathy understood that stories for business need to be different from fairytales, campire tales and bedtime stories. That's the core focus of this podcast. Richard Branson said every entrepreneur must also be a storyteller. Cathy Goodwin adds, "But it has to be the right story."

Episodes

June 20, 2025 20 mins
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What do invisibility, time travel, and telepathy have in common?

It's not just a party game or a job intervew question, "Choose your superpower." These 3 storytelling superpowers that can transform your marketing.

In this episode of Read more

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IN this episode of Strategic Storytelling, we explore why your real, everyday stories—not dramatic or overly polished ones—are often the most powerful for your content.

As an example, I talk about  ]how comedian Loni Love stayed true to her voice despite pressure to "play a character," and how that lesson applies directly to your brand storytelling.

If you've ever been told your story isn’t “e...

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Struggling to find the right words for your marketing? In this episode, we unpack why your business story isn’t just relatable — it’s a strategic treasure trove! 

You’ll discover how storytelling becomes a diagnostic tool to uncover your most powerful marketing message.

Whether you're a coach, freelancer, or creative entrepreneur, your story already holds the key to your branding, positioning,...

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A lot of solopreneur marketing challenges become easier with a story -- and with knowing the clients' backstory. 

In this episode, we’re tackling a challenge many solopreneur service providers face: how to sell when your offer seems “non-essential” or even frivolous.

From personal shopping to manicures, pantry organizing to li...

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Have you ever faced a blank page, saying to yourself, “I know I need a story…a good story…for business. But I keep drawing a blank.”

And most of the story prompts—those questions beginning “Tell me a story about” are not designed for business. They’re designed to get your personal stories. So you get prompts like, “What was your proudest moment…” which rarely helps your business.

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If you’re a small service-oriented business, you want to get people to talk about you!  But how do you do this? 

Small companies—especially service-based solopreneurs—can’t generate buzz the same way as big companies. They need to dip into their client’s backstories. When someone says, “You seem to be talking to me!” -...

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"You're the expert." How do you feel when you hear those words?  

You'd better get used to hearing that sentenence if you're a service-based solopreneur! Because when you sell a service, you’re selling expertise. 

You’re offering knowledge and skills beyond what “everybody” has.

You hire a licensed electrician because a handyman might do the job...but you want to be sure they won't set the place on fire by mistake.

You hire a profe...

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You’ve got a nice draft of the copy, all set to go…but will your audience ever read that copy?

The answer is: Not unless you’re reeling them in with a strong headline!

The truth is, most people don’t get past the headline when they’re reading a sales letter. And yet headlines can be incredibly hard to write…unless, of course, you start with a good story.

In this episode you’ll...

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Telling the right story, the right way, can lead to more clients and more sales.  

You don’t have to come up with a story that keeps you in suspense--a story that could be made into a movie or a slick Superbowl commercial.

The selling story for a solopreneur calls for two key ingredients. You don't have to dig into your life story to come up with edge-of-the-seat excitement. In this episode...

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You've heard it over and over. Success come from hard work, not talent. 

You're not a good writer? Not a natural business person? Just work, work and work some more.

So hard work is admirable, right? People are most impressed by hard workers?

Wrong.

Research studies asked this question directly, "What impresses employers and investors most?"  

Employers and investors listened to stories of people achieving success by hard work...a...

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Angela Wills created her Life  Style Freedom business by making connections. She believed business doesn’t dictate your lifestyle: your lifestyle creates your business. 

“I’m really passionate about helping business owners find a business model that supports their lifestyle.”  - Angela Willis

Angela is a very down-to-earth business owner who’s built her business by understanding her clients. S...

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Solopreneurs often get advised to show their real selves--to come out from behind the website and reveal who they really are. And one way to do this is to tell stories.

What's wrong with this advice?

First of all, "Just tell a story" means, "Curate a good story portfolio." A story may represent your self...but you have many selves.

The first part of this podcast talks about this point. Which self is the Real You? At about 5.0, you'...

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When you tell stories, do you ever think, "That's all well and good for life coaches with personal stories. But I'm a technical person who wants to help people discover new ways of thinking about their actions.

Talking about finance seems to call for discussions of numbers, trends and charts with percentages in three colors.

Jacquette Timmons brings a different perspective. She's a financial b...

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Oh no...the New Year begins with two tasks a lot of us dread: planning and taxes. I can't do much about taxes, but this episode is all about making planning more realistic and more fun.

Most people make plans and schedules with their left brains. So you get cold, analytical plans...or even worse, daydreams about the future.

That's fine if you're a big business...if you sell cola, beer, or sportswear. But if you're a solopreneur, es...

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What kind of stories can you tell to explain complex or unusual concepts? What metaphors? 

This podcast gives just one example: How do you explain web development, especially the role of designers and copywriters? One way is to use a football metaphor. Each player on a team has a role to play. The copywriter is the quarterback and the designer is the offensive line.

How do these roles work together? Why is one the quarterback and a...

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What does it mean to know your client? This episode was created after I saw an email encouraging. entrepreneurs to know their customers. Demographics, psychographic, big problem...anything, they said.

There's a better way. Find their story. What brought them here? What have they tried? Those are the questions that will help you write the copy.

If they say, "The other way took too long," you how them that your way is shorter. If the...

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“There’s a gap between what I know they need and what they think they need.”

As a service-based business, you probably recognize this problem. 

For instance, you know your clients mostly need to build their confidence. They need to jump in and take action. 

But when they come to you, they say...

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Almost every business coach on the planet will advise you to start telling stories. They’ll encourage you to use storytelling for your blog posts, email messages, and just about any content you create.

Deciding to tell a story is the easy part. Choosing a story that will help grow your business is much more difficult. That’s mostly because you get conflicting advi...

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