Stories With Traction
The Stories With Traction Podcast was created to empower leaders to elevate their businesses through the art of strategic storytelling. By engaging clients and inspiring team members, leaders can significantly impact the world around them. Each episode offers insights into storytelling, marketing, sales, company culture, and leadership, providing practical tools to drive growth and influence positive change. Tune in to transform your approach and lead with purpose.
Stories With Traction
#163: Unlocking Creative Confidence in Corporate Culture
5-Day Storytelling Challenge
Whether you're looking to boost sales, enhance marketing, or captivate audiences in meetings, this challenge is for you.
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Show Notes:
In this episode, Matt Zaun sits down with Mary Messner, a former healthcare executive turned keynote speaker, to explore how creativity, not just innovation, fuels business momentum.
Mary shares how creative thinking helped her rise through the corporate ranks, lead global teams, and eventually launch a thriving speaking business. She unpacks how leaders can unlock creative potential across their organizations and why failing fast might be the most strategic move a company can make.
In addition, they talk about:
✅ Why creativity is not arts and crafts and how to reframe it as a business growth tool
✅ The power of “hackathons” in non-tech environments and how they foster surprising breakthroughs
✅ Why creativity should permeate every level of the organization, not just the innovation team
…and much more!
BIOS:
Mary Messner is a former healthcare exec turned keynote speaker who helps teams swap stale routines for sparks of creativity. Her talks feel like a field trip for your brain…fun, unexpected, and full of “why didn’t we think of that?” moments.
Matt Zaun is an award-winning speaker and strategic storytelling expert who helps business leaders inspire action and drive results. With a track record of catalyzing growth across 300+ organizations, Matt shows clients how to leverage story to transform sales, marketing, and company culture.