Today’s guest had our host circling back, wondering how he could have begun the episode more fascinatingly. That is because Mario Juarez specializes in compellingly communicating messages as the founder and CEO of StoryCo. Companies seek Mario’s counsel on how to share their stories – their communications – most effectively and transformatively. He discusses how strategic storytelling ultimately influences transactions (and whether anyone can be trained to lead an effective TED talk), the factors that make a powerful storyline and how much more engaged people are when they hear a story about how someone successfully overcame a challenge or adversity. Mario began his career as a journalist in Alaska and then worked at Microsoft for nearly 30 years. Some of his own fascinating stories include the time he and his friends set a picnic table on fire and how he created an underground newsletter as a boy scout.