HAPPY FRIDAY! 🐟 What did you share on LinkedIn today? (Or this week...) I think the best LinkedIn posts can turn into things we discuss on podcasts, and the best podcast answers can turn into LinkedIn posts. So I’m trying something new inside The Guest List. If you published a LinkedIn post today, share the link in the comments below, along with a sentence about what you’re discussing. I’d love for us to get to know each other better through the things we’re creating. There are people in this community whose work you might really enjoy, but whose posts you haven’t come across yet. I know these kinds of threads can turn into artificial engagement pods, which we don't want. That’s why commenting should always be your choice, with something real to contribute. Here’s how to participate: 1. Share one LinkedIn post from the last 7 days in the comments below (the more recent the better). Add a quick sentence so people know what it’s about. 2. Browse the other posts and comment if it interests you. Read the full post before deciding whether to comment. 3. If you have something to add, leave a thoughtful comment on LinkedIn. Share a relevant experience or ask a question you actually want answered. Afterwards, drop a like on the person's comment here. Please skip automated or copy-and-paste replies. You’re also welcome to offer feedback here in the community if the author asks for it. To copy your LinkedIn post’s link: • On desktop: Click the three dots at the top right of your post, then “Copy link to post.” • On mobile: Tap the three dots, then “Share via,” followed by “Copy” or “Copy to clipboard.” Paste the link into your comment here. The full copied link is fine, so you don’t need to shorten it or delete anything. Make sure your post’s audience is set to “Anyone” if you want members outside your connections to read it. Drop today’s post below. I’m looking forward to seeing what you’re working on.

Please introduce yourself and share your story. Also feel free to share where you are in your podcast guesting journey.

For other, please leave a comment. Thanks!

Leave your thoughts…

Here are seven storytelling techniques you could use on a podcast, with examples. 1. Open loops: An unfinished thought that makes people need the ending. "Last year I made a decision that cost my company $50,000. It turned out to be the best investment I ever made." You don't say what the decision was. Not yet. 2. Curiosity gap: The space between what someone knows and what they want to know. "I spent 10 years at Forbes. The biggest lesson had nothing to do with media." Now everyone wants to know what it was about. 3. Relatable characters: People connect to people, not concepts. Weak: "Our marketing strategy wasn't working." Strong: "Mike was the VP of Marketing. Every Monday he walked into the leadership meeting, sweating through his white dress shirt, with a new dashboard and a growing sense of panic." Now you can picture Mike. 4. Emotional contrast: The swing is the story. "At 8 a.m. I was convinced my business was finished. By 5 p.m. we'd landed the biggest client in company history." Bigger swing, better story. 5. Narrative tension: Uncertainty pulls people forward. "We had one week of cash left. Payroll was due Friday. And our biggest customer still hadn't paid." You want to know what happens. 6. Specific details: Specificity feels true. Weak: "I was nervous." Strong: "I refreshed my inbox 27 times, by the time the reporter wrote back, I had finished off an entire box of Cheez-Its." "27" does more work than "very." 7. Metaphor: It makes an unfamiliar idea click. “AI is like a brilliant intern with a photographic memory and zero common sense. Give it directions to make you cheesecake, and it will hand you a block of parmesan with chocolate frosting." The strongest stories run several of these at once. "Two weeks after being laid off from Forbes, I was sitting at my kitchen table staring at a spreadsheet. I had exactly 94 days of runway before I'd need another job. What happened next changed how I think about building a business." That's a relatable character, specific details (kitchen table, 94 days), emotional contrast, tension, an open loop, and a curiosity gap. Six techniques, three sentences.