Most people lose their audience the moment they start explaining.

In this episode, cinematographer, educator, and author Tal Lazar breaks down why the real story is always in the subtext, and why emotion beats information when you’re trying to persuade, pitch, teach, or lead.

We talk about why leaders default to “feature lists,” how filmmakers create coherence across dozens of departments, and why there’s no such thing as a formula for “coverage” if you’re actually telling a story. The throughline is simple: focus on the transformation your audience wants, not the impressive details you’re tempted to showcase.

If you’ve been chasing better tools, better tactics, or better talking points, this conversation will pull you back to the skill that makes everything else work.

In this episode, you will learn to:

• Shift your messaging from “what it is” to the transformation it creates for your audience
• Use subtext intentionally so your communication lands emotionally, not just intellectually
• Spot the fear-driven habit of over-explaining and replace it with story-first clarity
• Lead like a director by creating one coherent interpretation across many moving parts
• Build cinematic impact with fewer resources by knowing what your audience is actually feeling

🔗 Follow Tal on:

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/talazar

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/talazar

Website → https://cinematicimpact.com

📚 For more storytelling tips and tricks:

Visit → https://rainbennett.com

Or → https://thestorytellinglabpodcast.com

TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@chiefstorytellingofficer

Twitter → https://twitter.com/rainbennett

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/rainbennett

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/thestorytellinglab

YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@RainBennett

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What good is a bold vision if you don’t have a mission to back it up?

In this solo episode, Rain Bennett breaks down why mission is the most misunderstood and most essential piece of a brand’s storytelling system.

Using examples from WeWork’s collapse and Airbnb’s legendary collaboration with Pixar, Rain explains how to turn abstract ideas into real-world action through a story-driven mission.

If your company struggles to align teams, inspire customers, or scale with clarity, the problem may not be your vision. It may be the lack of a narrative-driven mission.

This episode will teach you how to build one that works, aligns, and lasts.

In this episode, you will learn to:

• Find the gap between vision and mission that leads to brand drift
• Craft a mission that functions like a plotline for your business
• Align internal teams and stakeholders around a shared narrative
• Use customer journey mapping as a story structure
• Translate lofty goals into repeatable action through story

📚 For more storytelling tips and tricks:

Visit → https://rainbennett.com

Or → https://thestorytellinglabpodcast.com

Or following along on...

TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@chiefstorytellingofficer

Twitter → https://twitter.com/rainbennett

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/rainbennett

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/thestorytellinglab

YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@RainBennett

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you sell something your customer can’t see, touch, or fully understand?

Shane Lukas has spent decades helping professional service providers do exactly that by using story as a tool to create trust, clarity, and emotional resonance.

In this episode, Rain and Shane explore how narrative makes “invisible” value tangible. From accountants and coaches to consultants and creatives, anyone who delivers a process or service will benefit from Shane’s simple but powerful storytelling framework.

Together, they discuss the importance of transformation-driven messaging, the psychology of pre-sale belief, and how to guide your prospects with authentic case studies that show, not just tell, what you really do. This is a masterclass in making your message matter.

In this episode, you will learn to:

• Sell intangible services by framing the emotional outcome, not the technical details
• Guide potential clients through stories that build trust before you pitch
• Use transformation case studies to prove your value without overselling
• Understand why people buy with emotion, not logic—even in B2B
• Reframe your sales process as a storytelling journey

🔗 Follow Shane on:

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/agreatidea

Website → https://www.agreatidea.com

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-lukas/

📚 And for more storytelling tips and tricks:

Visit → https://rainbennett.com or https://thestorytellinglabpodcast.com

Or follow...

TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@chiefstorytellingofficer

Twitter → https://twitter.com/rainbennett

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/rainbennett

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/thestorytellinglab

YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@RainBennett

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.