The Storytelling Lab

• The Key to Building a Creative Career That Actually Lasts with Stewart Cohen

  “People want to feel heard. If you don’t create a collaborative space, they won’t come back.” — Stewart CohenHow do you build a long, successful creative career when you are the brand? In this episode, Rain sits down with director and visual storyteller Stewart Cohen to explore the balance between artistry and entrepreneurship. With decades of experience in commercial production, photography, and branded storytelling, Stewart has mastered the dance of creating great work while sustaining strong client relationships—and still making time for passion projects.They discuss how personal work often leads to professional opportunities, the importance of trust and collaboration, and how to get authentic performances from real people. Stewart shares how his curiosity drives his creativity, why connection is the true metric for success, and why making stuff just for fun might be the smartest business decision you ever make. If you're a storyteller trying to make it in a noisy world, this episode is packed with hard-earned wisdom.In this episode, you will learn to:Balance creative work and client relationships by focusing on trust, collaboration, and communication.Use curiosity and personal projects to fuel professional growth and keep your creative spark alive.Make non-actors feel comfortable on camera by creating a safe, relaxed environment that encourages vulnerability.Understand how story-first branded content builds stronger emotional engagement than traditional marketing.Recognize the long game of creative careers and why real relationships outperform short-term wins. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Joseph Campbell’s Legacy of Myth and Why It Still Matters with John Bucher

  “The stories we take on as children are often the ones we spend the rest of our lives trying to rewrite.” — John BucherWhat if the story you’re living isn’t the one you were meant to live? In this episode, Rain sits down with John Bucher, President of the Joseph Campbell Foundation, to explore how the ancient patterns of mythology still shape our modern lives. Together, they dive deep into Joseph Campbell’s enduring influence on storytelling—from Star Wars to brand narratives—and how we can harness those same mythic structures to better understand our own identities and destinies.John shares his personal journey from a small Texas town to becoming a global thought leader in mythology, and how a series of “accidents” and calls to adventure helped him rewrite his life’s story. They also discuss how stories evolve, how to avoid getting stuck in the romanticized “Hollywood version” of your life, and why lived experience will always outshine AI-generated narratives. This is a powerful, heartfelt conversation about the stories we inherit, the ones we believe, and the ones we choose to write next.In this episode, you will learn to:Recognize the power of personal mythology and how your childhood beliefs shape the stories you tell—and live—today.Use the four story endings from Aristotle to understand your own journey and navigate expectations around success and fulfillment.Reframe your career path and goals by identifying moments that call you into a new chapter, even if they start as mistakes.Embrace storytelling as a tool for community and healing, especially in a world increasingly influenced by technology and isolation.Keep storytelling human in the age of AI by leading with lived experience, emotional connection, and authentic curiosity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Nancy Duarte's Sparkline: The Secret Structure Behind Every Great Speech

  “You don’t just present a pitch—you present a world your audience wants to live in.” — Rain BennettWhat do the Gettysburg Address, I Have a Dream, and your next sales pitch have in common? They all follow a specific structure—one that Nancy Duarte calls the Sparkline. In this solo episode, Rain breaks down how this framework works, why it resonates so deeply, and how you can use it to capture attention, build trust, and persuade your audience—whether you're on a stage, pitching a product, or crafting a social post.Rain dives deep into the Sparkline’s rhythm of “what is” and “what could be,” how this pattern mirrors the Hero’s Journey, and why it triggers emotional investment and action. He also explores resistance in storytelling, the power of contrast, and the neuroscience behind narrative immersion. To drive it home, he analyzes Steve Jobs’s legendary 2007 iPhone keynote—step by step. If you want to spark belief in your message, this episode is your blueprint.In this episode, you will learn to:Leverage contrast between the status quo and the dream state to build urgency and desire in your storytelling.Use the Sparkline’s up-and-down rhythm to cut through resistance and guide your audience into emotional buy-in.Avoid the two biggest presentation mistakes—the “report” and the “pitch”—by balancing tension and transformation.Apply the Sparkline framework across formats including emails, speeches, pitches, social content, and videos.Spot and replicate masterful storytelling techniques using Steve Jobs’s iPhone launch as a real-world example. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• How to Build Resilience and Rewrite Your Story with Nina Sossamon-Pogue

  “It’s okay to not be okay. It’s just not okay to stay that way.” — Nina Sossamon-PogueWhat do you do when life knocks you flat? Former U.S. gymnast turned Emmy-winning journalist, tech exec, and resilience coach Nina Sossamon-Pogue has fallen—and learned how to get back up more times than she can count. In this episode of The Storytelling Lab, Rain sits down with Nina to explore how we build personal resilience, reframe failure, and use storytelling to take control of our lives when everything feels out of control.They dig into Nina’s practical “T.H.I.S.” framework, which helps people process failure, navigate identity loss, and shift the narrative they’re stuck in. This conversation blends the science of mindset with the art of storytelling to help high achievers—and anyone in a “now what?” moment—redefine success and take back authorship of their lives. If you’ve ever felt lost in the messy middle of your story, this one’s for you.In this episode, you will learn to:Zoom out on your life story using Nina’s “lifetime timeline” exercise to shift from tunnel vision to long-term perspective.Assess and strengthen your support system by identifying who’s helping and who’s hurting in your current chapter.Isolate the moment to reduce anxiety and take meaningful action in the present, rather than spinning in regret or fear.Reframe the stories you tell yourself to stop self-sabotaging with catastrophizing and overgeneralizing thoughts.Move through “Now What?” moments with intention by defining your next chapter based on who you want to become—not just what’s happened to you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  1:01:23
• Fiction Storytelling as a Form of Self-Discovery with Nathan Baugh

  "Most nonfiction books could’ve been blog posts—but fiction sticks with you for life." — Nathan BaughIs fiction just entertainment—or is it the best self-help you’re not reading? In this episode, Rain Bennett sits down with storyteller, writer, and World Builders creator Nathan Baugh to talk about the power of fiction in a world obsessed with productivity, optimization, and self-help checklists. Together they explore the overlooked lessons hiding in classic novels, the creative trap of only producing for money, and the rising role of AI in the writing world.Nathan opens up about how he left a traditional job to build a platform as a writer, how he balances client work with his fantasy novels, and why his mission is to simply write stories he’d want to read. They also break down what makes a twist land, how storytelling frameworks translate across mediums, and the unexpected ways fiction can deepen human connection. If you're trying to create meaningful work in a noisy digital world, this conversation is a breath of fresh air.In this episode, you will learn to:Reframe fiction as a powerful personal development tool, not just an escape or guilty pleasure.Balance monetized work with meaningful creative output, even if your art doesn’t pay off immediately.Strengthen your audience connection by telling stories about your own struggles, not just giving advice.Understand how fiction builds empathy, creativity, and resilience in ways nonfiction often can't.Navigate the impact of AI on creative work by doubling down on voice, experience, and storytelling fundamentals. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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