Brand Bewitchery: How to Wield the Story Cycle System to Craft Spellbinding Stories for Your Brand

What happens when you take the communications knowledge presented in over 250 episodes of a great podcast about the importance of story in business communication, then condense it down to a single book? You get “Brand Bewitchery,” a great synthesis from business story guru Park Howell.You know the old adage of judging a book by its cover — this is a case where you SHOULD judge this book by its cover. On the cover is what’s probably the greatest of all the many gems of wisdom in this book. It’s the Narrative Spiral diagram — Park’s modification/upgrade of Joseph Campbell’s iconic Monomyth template for the structure of a story.What Park has done is change how the story ends for that template. Campbell had it ending as just a return to the beginning. Park points out that if the journey was successful and you’ve ended up wiser, then you’ve actually moved the quality of your life up by a level. Which means that it’s not a circle — it’s an upward spiral — level by level, as you travel through life getting wiser.It’s such a simple realization, and yet incredibly powerful. As is the book itself — presenting simple prose and a conversational style to address the deepest element of the business world, branding.The bottom line is that this book is an essential resource for not just the business world, but really anyone engaged in communications in general. It presents new thinking and is a significant milestone.

What do you do when you discover a brilliant idea?You use it!I thought I knew all I needed to know about storytelling. I've had world-class mentors and was having a positive impact on my speech coaching clients. But then I met Park Howell. His Story Cycle System provides depth and clarity that few others provide. In a step-by-step fashion, Park helps you discover your meaningful stories, wrap them around your most powerful message, and then deliver a concise and compelling final version that leaves a lasting impact on the reader.No matter how many books you've read, courses you've taken, or the amount of wisdom you've gained about this topic, your library is incomplete until you invest in and use the gems in 'Brand Bewitchery.'Michael Davis, Presentation Skills Consultant, author of 'THE Book on Storytelling'

Park's new book is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to craft your own spellbinding brand stories using his Story Cycle System. In the book, he provides numerous real-life examples and case studies to demonstrate how his framework has helped companies large and small connect in a more powerful way with their customers and influence results.What I love most about his Story Cycle System is that Park brilliantly integrates novel techniques with timeless story strategies that have consistently produced positive outcomes throughout history in many industries, including Hollywood. As a filmmaker and business storyteller, this connection between art and business resonated with me personally.Park's authentic writing voice and personal anecdotes make this book a fun and highly educational read. It's a hard one to put down once you start it!

I work in story, and therefore, read a lot of books on story, and Brand Bewitchery has helped me more than any other. His explanations are clear and perfectly ride the line between being witty and conversational and cutting to the chase, but the exercises are the key. If you do them thoughtfully, you will come up with new ideas about your brand, and have a way to say them quickly and powerfully. I now have two new positioning possibilities that both speak more powerfully than my current one, and I owe them both to this book. And since I now have stories for both to run by my clients, picking a winner will be much more clear. Thanks so much, Park.

Was stuck trying to update my shop’s brand story. Sometimes the magician needs the aid of another magician on their journey. This book helped walk me through changing the perspective in which I was approaching my business’s journey. Thank you for showing the magic tricks to help tame that dragon.

Accomplished podcaster Park Howell has written a practical guide to how the art of storytelling can distinguish and elevate a product or service's brand. He includes useful case studies, draws creatively from sources ranging from mythologist Joseph Campbell to "The Wizard of Oz," and engages in a kind of conversation with the reader. The result is a useful, imaginative book that is both well-written and thoughtful.

Park's storytelling methodology and expertise literally transformed my entire business and set it on a trajectory I never thought I'd accomplish.His book walks through the components of storytelling as your core marketing (and business) foundation, in an efficient no-nonsense way.Highly recommend to anyone! Park is the last word in "The Business of Story."

Very well written and easy to understand. I really appreciate the mix of stories from Park as well as other business owners and marketers. The assignments are very helpful to immediately understand and apply the storytelling practices to your personal brand or organization. I can tell this will definitely impact the way I communicate going forward!

My business is simplifying complex brands to make them more compelling and persuasive. Core to that is enabling them to craft a great story.The problem is, if I unleash the Hero's Journey on them, they usually hit the cognition ditch about halfway through. It's a great construct - but it's a bitch to learn and wield effectively.So hat's off to Park. He's a brand builder, and he's hit all the same speedbumps I have. Difference is, he's applied some serious brain cells to simplifying the damn Journey into something we can use - and clients will rave about.I intend to shamelessly steal Park's 10 Steps for my own clients. With any luck, I'll never have to say 'Bringing home the boon' (last step of the Journey) with a straight face again.Thanks Park. You've made my life easier.

Incredibly impactful. The Story Cycle helps to create a story you can be proud of and that connects you to your customers. Not only a fun read, but a must-read for any marketeer or brand owner.