An Anthem for Storytellers | Jay Acunzo

Why It Matters

For businesses and creators, this reframes content strategy: emotional stakes and craft-driven storytelling outperform formulaic, AI-optimized shortcuts in building audience engagement and brand differentiation. Investing in storytelling skills can yield more authentic, long-term audience loyalty than chasing trends or hacks.

Summary

Speaker Jay Acunzo argues that storytelling is a learnable craft, not a mysterious gift or a product of hacks and viral formulas. Using the image of an ordinary diner—nostalgic, small details, everyday tension—he shows how meaning and emotional stakes turn mundane moments into compelling stories. Acunzo warns against complacency and the allure of shortcut thinking, urging creators to practice techniques that help them notice and translate ordinary life into resonant narratives. He positions skilled storytellers as distinct from algorithm-driven content by emphasizing emotional resonance and craft over gimmicks.

Original Description

I help experts become storytellers. I work with entrepreneurs, execs, and business leaders to help them say something that matters and ensure others deeply care. In a world focused on reach, your ability to resonate matters most to grow your business and cause.

My mission is to help others make what matters to their careers, companies, and communities. To do that, I believe we should all prioritize resonance over reach to grow our businesses, audiences, and causes.

I was an early voice in the rise of content marketing, emphasizing quality, creativity, and storytelling in jobs at Google, HubSpot, a tiny startup, and a premier VC firm (NextView Ventures).

Since starting my own business in 2016, I’ve written books, built a six-figure speaking business (with speeches in 25 states and 3 countries), partnered with brands like Mailchimp, Salesforce, GoDaddy, Wistia, Podia, and Help Scout, and consulted some of the most incredible individual voices and experts leading the way in their respective niches, helping them turn their thinking into IP and their IP into speeches, shows, messaging, and thriving businesses.

Don’t market more. Matter more.

When you matter more, you can hustle for attention less.

Don’t be the best. Be their favorite.

ANTHEM CREDITS

This video was produced in collaboration with Pennant Video https://www.pennant.video/

Co-Writer along with me: Shaw Flick https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaw-flick/

Director/Editor: Tim Bradley https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-bradley-pennant/

DP: Colby Todisco https://www.linkedin.com/in/colby-todisco/

Gaffer/Fog Machine: Colin Davy https://www.linkedin.com/in/colindavy/

Additional Footage: Kel Tracey https://www.linkedin.com/in/keltracey/

Assistant Editor: Lennon Mapes https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennon-mapes/

Sound Mix: Trent Toner, Rian/Hunter Productions https://www.linkedin.com/company/rian-hunter-production-llc/

If you get the chance to work with Pennant, I highly suggest it!

Keep making what matters, one story at a time.