Stories can be powerful tools for moving people and building brands. This isn’t as easy as it could sound. Storytelling is both an art and a science. We unpacked all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast with Patti Sanchez, Chief Strategy Officer at Duarte.
About Patti Sanchez
Patti Sanchez, Duarte’s Chief Strategy Officer, creates IP and counsels clients to create authentic connections with their audiences through persuasive presentations and story-based communications. She is the co-author, along with Nancy Duarte, of the award-winning book, Illuminate: Ignite Change Through Speeches, Stories, Ceremonies, and Symbols. Patti leads an expert team of communication consultants and creative writers who help clients move their audiences in one powerful moment or in a movement over time.
Applying insights from more than 25 years of communication experience, Patti helps leaders and persuaders understand the inner workings of the human mind and heart and then use that knowledge to craft engaging narratives that cut through the clutter and resonate on a deep level. Patti packages her expertise into inspiring and educational keynotes for executives, entrepreneurs, and marketing and communication professionals on how they can lead movements, use storytelling as a strategic tool, and harness the power of presentations as a persuasive communication platform.
She has delivered highly rated presentations at conferences and events including Khosla Ventures CEO Summit, The CEO Alliance, Vital Speeches CEO Communications Summit and Leadership Communication Days, IABC World Conference, HBR, Marketing Profs, Salesforce ExactTarget Connections, Invent Your Future, WATT, CASRO, and Presentation Summit. Patti also delivers custom keynotes, addressing corporations such as Facebook and Google as well as higher-education institutions such as Stanford and Rice University. Her work has been honored by IABC, BMA, Vital Speeches of the Day, and Axiom.
Episode Highlights
Co-author connections. This may be the first episode of the On Brand podcast where both co-authors were interviewed separately! I chatted with Patti’s Illuminate co-author, Nancy Duarte, last summer.
The inciting incident. How did Illuminate come to be? “We noticed a changing nature of the questions coming from our clients. More and more were saying, ‘We want to use the power of stories.’”
The Duarte storytelling methodology. “It follows the heroes journey — the 3 part story where we meet the hero, something happens, and the hero is changed.” We can use this archetype in moving ideas internally and building brands externally.
What brand has made Patti smile recently? Mini! Talk about a brand full of smiles. Every part of the MINI experience has Patti grinning from ear to ear.
To learn more, go to duarte.com and follow Patti on Twitter and LinkedIn.
As We Wrap …
Before we go, I want to flip the microphone around to our community …
Steve Hutt gave us a shout on Twitter for several of our recent episodes. Thanks for listening!
Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show.


Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via iTunes, Stitcher, and RSS.


Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to iTunes and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast.


OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? Check this out.


Remember – On Brand is brought to you by my new book — Get Scrappy: Smarter Digital Marketing for Businesses Big and Small. Order now at Amazon and check out GetScrappyBook.com for special offers and extras.

Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!
Learn more