STORIES BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

Stories connect you to others, because the stories you tell reveal things about you. Those stories let people get to know what you like, believe and value.

VINCE GILL

The way he tells stories is why so many people love country icon Vince Gill. He is so open and transparent with his stories you just feel like you’re best friends 5 minutes after meeting him.

Vince released his first album in 1985, but really broke through in 1989 when he signed with MCA Nashville.

When he released Gun Slinger in 2011, he invited a group of us to his house to listen to the album.

His house is pretty amazing. He lives in one of those renovated homes built a hundred years ago.

THE RECORDING STUDIO

At the front corner of Vince’s house is a recording studio.

Imagine a large family room. You enter the studio down a couple steps in the middle of the long wall.

To your left surrounding the exterior of the room is his amazing guitar collection. Under the countertop that rings the three walls to the left are about half a dozen drawers. Each holds two guitars.

Hung on the walls above the counters are more guitars as if you were in a music store. There had to be a few hundred guitars in that room. Vince told us most of his collection was in storage with his touring gear.

In the middle of that left half of the room sat the large mixing console facing the far wall with a small recording booth through the door in the close corner.

The right side of the room looked like a warm den. There were oversized chairs, a nice couch, a few end tables and a fireplace. I imagined a lot of songwriting was done in that room.

On wall straight across from the entry stairs was the bookshelf holding his various Grammy Awards, CMA Awards, and other accolades. The Grammys and other awards his wife Amy Grant won were on the shelves as well.

THE STORIES

Above the fireplace hung a destroyed vintage guitar.

I asked Vince about the story behind that guitar.

He said when the floods of 2010 hit Nashville, the storage facility most of the big country artists used for much of the gear was under water. All of the gear in that huge warehouse was destroyed, including many of Vince’s prized guitars.

The guitar that hung on the wall was one of the oldest that Vince had in his collection. He salvaged it from the flood and hung it on the wall as a reminder of how precious time is for all of us.

As we made ourselves comfortable in the studio, Vince had his producer cue up the new album. He would then proceed to tell us a story about how a song was recorded or about the inspiration behind a song.

Then he would play it for us. It was amazing.

BREAD AND WATER

One song on Guitar Slinger held a very special place for Vince. He told us “Bread and Water” is loosely based on his brother who had a rough stretch of life.

Vince’s brother was in a car accident and almost killed when he was just 21. He never fully recovered.

As he told the story of his brother, Vince said his brother would kind of hobo around. He would often spend time at the mission.

Vince then plays the song for us.

The opening stanza of “Bread and Water” goes like this:

One night he wandered into that old mission
The one out on the poor side of town
He really had no interest in salvation
Just a place to lay his drunk ole body down

Vince got a little choked up when he told the story of his brother as he introduced the song.

Once he played it, the song took on such a different and more powerful meaning for all of us in that studio. Check it out on YouTube. You’ll see what I mean.

INTERESTING STORIES

After about four songs, Vince says, “Are you guys enjoying this or are you just getting bored with my old stories?”

Each and every one of us emphatically chimed in that we wanted more stories. I could have sat there for a week and listened to Vince tell stories.

It was truly one of the highlights of my career. When the Eagles recently came to town, I went to see this tour, because Vince was playing guitar and singing the parts left vacant with the passing of Glenn Frey. It was so great.

I have seen Vince Gill play probably half a dozen times at various events. I’ve met him twice. He has always told great stories, and everybody loves him.

His stories make you feel like you’ve been best friends for years.

That’s what stories can do for you. When you tell stories, you build relationships. You create an identity and personality. People are attracted to you.

To discover how to use stories to grow your audience and build your authority, join me for my next Audience Explosion Blueprint Workshop. You can get full details at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/audience.

During this 3-day workshop, you’ll have a clear, step-by-step blueprint to grow your audience. You will lay the foundation to be known as an influencer and respected authority in your niche.

This workshop will help you begin attracting raving fans who share your podcast and purchase your programs.

Come join us. Find the details at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/audience.

MICHELE GUNDERSON ON STORIES

On this episode, I want to share with you an interview I did with Dr. Michele Gunderson. She is an expert on stories.

As a former University instructor and Iyengar yoga teacher turned entrepreneur, Dr. Michele Gunderson has the unique ability to help you align your inner world and outer world stories in ways that will catapult your business.

Her clients go from having less impact than what they’re capable of, to creating five- or six-figure months in a business they love.

This conversation is all about the power of story in your podcast.

Enjoy my conversation with Michele Gunderson.

ADD STORIES

To get Michele’s free gift “7 Quick Tips for Crafting an Inspiring Story that Sells”, visit www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/storytips.

To discover how to use stories to grow your audience and build your authority, join me for my next Audience Explosion Blueprint Workshop. You can get full details at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/audience.

If you don’t have a mentor who can take your hand and walk you every step of the way, go to www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/apply, click the button and apply to have a chat with me. We will develop your plan and see how I can help and support you to achieve your podcast goals.