Magnetic Stories (eBook)

In true form, this book is littered with magnetic stories that make you feel like running back to your work and completely re-thinking how you tell your company's story, if not your own. You will come away from reading this wanting to connect the head with the heart, and with the certainty that storytelling is the key to bridging the two. It's a compelling and easy read with powerful case stories, and a swag of footnotes that will give you a chuckle along the way.

— Jenelle McMaster, Managing Partner, Oceania Markets, EY

There's a lot of gold in this book. Magnetic Stories reads like a compelling story of its own, with clear explanations, relevant examples and practical outtakes peppered throughout that take you on your own journey to becoming a better storyteller.

— Tim Duggan, Author of Cult Status: How to build a business people adore & Co-Founder Junkee Media

A brand, personal or company, really needs to have human connection. There is no better way for us to connect than through the power of inspiring and emotive storytelling. Whether communicating your company strategy, vision, values or just relationship building, an authentic story will resonate better, be remembered and re-told. Magnetic Stories is packed with great examples of ‘case stories’ and will give any reader the confidence on how to create and tell your messages through storytelling.

— Michael Ebeid, former CEO, SBS, and Group Executive, Telstra

Thank goodness Gabrielle Dolan doesn't ever run out of things to say, because every time she writes another book and tells us more stories, her expertise teaches us further how we can use the power of storytelling for greater connection and engagement in business.

Written in four parts, sharing the five types of stories businesses need, and using real life examples from companies around the world, this excellent ‘brand storytelling bible’ is a magnetic source of inspiration for those who want to attract commercial success. And check out page 81 if you want to know where she gets her rockstar shoes from!

— Jac Phillips, Senior Director and Head of Marketing, Visa

As 2020 has so acutely demonstrated, we live in an unpredictable and demanding world, where an organisation's brand and their leadership must connect and build trust in a real and meaningful way with their customers and employees. Magnetic Stories provides an easily digestible and relevant way to do exactly this across any sized organisation through the use of storytelling.

— Carrie Hurihanganui, Chief Operating Officer, Air New Zealand

Gabrielle captivates readers with her use of stories to demonstrate their power. She shows how stories create an emotional connection that helps us remember them and influences decisions. For those who may not yet be convinced of the power of storytelling in building a culture and brand, Gabrielle brings these realities into focus and shares practical tips for implementing storytelling in your organisation.

— Heather Brilliant, President and Chief Executive Officer, Diamond Hill Capital Management

The importance of storytelling and being able to paint a memorable and visual mental picture is so important for leaders to connect staff emotionally to the what and the why. Magnetic Stories is a useful reminder not to fall into the trap of ‘don't let the audience get in the way of my message’. The story should have relevance and meaning. The case studies, examples and questions make for a practical book to use rather than gather dust.

— Gavin Slater, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Nimble

Every time I read Gabrielle's wisdom, I am reminded of the need to be more thoughtful in the stories I tell. Magnetic Stories reinforces the emotional power of storytelling. It reminds us that stories build deep connections with our stakeholders for the betterment of ourselves as individuals, of teams and of organisations. Gabrielle has hit yet another home run!

— Gretchen Gagel, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Conversant

In my thirty years in business, I have seen many companies struggle with authentically communicating their brand story … who they are and why we should choose them. Worse still, storytelling is often treated with some suspicion, that somehow being good at storytelling suggests a lack of substance.

And yet the most compelling leaders (and businesses) are those who can really connect with people, inspire them and enrol them in their mission.

In her new book, Magnetic Stories, Gabrielle Dolan presents the case for storytelling as an essential skill for connecting with customers and employees, to bring your brand to life. The book is a no-nonsense, accessible ‘how-to’ guide that uses well-researched case studies to show how successful businesses have built their brand and reputation through stories and actions.

I have seen Gabrielle in action, inspiring and teaching people about the power of storytelling, and she brings that skill and passion to life in this book with an effortless style that is easy to relate to.

Great stories, simple rules and powerful insights – this book is an essential guide for anyone who wants to have a positive impact on their employees and customers and for any business looking to more effectively build their brand through storytelling.

— Anthony Healy, CEO and Managing Director, Australian Business Growth Fund

In Magnetic Stories Gabrielle delivers again. Who would have thought that a story about a goldfish could deliver a powerful message about what ownership means or that the story about the creation of a toilet paper manufacturer could be so inspiring (and funny). Magnetic Stories is engaging, thought-provoking, easy to digest, littered with humorous asides and, most importantly, practical.

— Stephen Purcell, Non-executive Chairman, Nexia Australia

Love this book! Brand storytelling from the inside out is one of the hallmarks of a strong brand. Arm your people with information and inspire them to pass it on.

— Adam Ferrier, Author of Stop Listening to the Customer & Founder of Thinkerbell

An enthralling and informative read from cover to cover. The inclusion of so many different company's and people's stories really cemented my understanding of the power of storytelling and how to build a bank of brand stories in my teams.

— Anne Bennett, Senior Executive

As someone who has responsibility for nurturing culture within an organisation, Gabrielle's book – Magnetic Stories – gave me an inspiring platform from which to creatively engage my staff and ensure a long-lasting culture of storytelling about performance, resilience, and leading by example was left within our firm. Highly recommended for anyone trying to engage their employees on a deeper level.

— James Bell, Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand, Bloomberg

In Magnetic Stories Gabrielle Dolan again showcases the power of storytelling, especially for ‘about us’ brand purposes.

This book had me reflecting on how working from home during COVID has provided a window into ‘about me’ conversations with so many of our team. Their magnetic personal stories have revealed more about our culture and why they want to work for us than any recruitment materials ever could.

Magnetic Stories is a timely reminder of the power of brand stories and a practical guide in how to implement brand storytelling.

— Lee Scales, Chief Customer Officer, UniSuper Management

Gabrielle has developed proven and thoughtful communication methodologies that are designed to help leaders succeed in an increasingly cluttered world of long worded mission statements and elaborate values descriptions. Gabrielle convinces the reader that the practice of good storytelling engages us emotionally, connecting the organisation to our personal values.

In Magnetic Stories, Gabrielle demystifies the art of storytelling. As a primer on the art of storytelling, chapters are well organised with useful check and reflect prompts, and self-assessment questions. In a world of virtual meetings in the place of face-to-face conversations, Gabrielle's latest book is a fantastic resource in the quest to connect with others in a tangible way.

— Sarah Williamson, Chief Executive, Antarctica New Zealand

At a time when connection has never been so important, Gabrielle gives us the gift of sharing and showing us how to craft magnetic stories – ones that stick for our customers and our people. A must-read for all those who want to connect at the heart, not just through facts and logic. Can't wait to take out my highlighter and dog-ear some pages (book sacrilege I know!) and the check and reflect points are a master stroke.

— Christine Corbett, Chief Customer Officer, AGL

In Magnetic Stories, Gabrielle provides a full picture of how an organisation can not only communicate its brand, but also connect deeply with all kinds of stakeholders through the power of storytelling. Rather than theoretical, Gabrielle uses lots of real stories to demonstrate what it looks like when organisations are doing this. Spanning origin stories, core values stories, customer experience stories, employees' personal breakthrough stories,...