What if the reason your marketing isn’t working has nothing to do with your tactics and everything to do with how you’re positioning yourself?

In this Season One finale of The Story I’m Telling Myself, host Rita is joined by Brad Luttrell, founder of Prologue Stories LLC, for a powerful live conversation on marketing, storytelling, personal branding, and relationship-driven growth.

At the center of this episode is a game-changing idea:
👉 Are you positioning what you do as a painkiller, or just a vitamin?

Most businesses, entrepreneurs, job seekers, and personal brands unknowingly market themselves as “nice-to-have” solutions. Brad breaks down why this approach fails, how to identify the real pain your audience is trying to solve, and why people are willing to pay a premium for immediate relief, not long-term promises.

• The painkiller vs. vitamin framework and how it applies to marketing, sales, and personal branding

• Why feature-based messaging doesn’t convert—and what to say instead

• How internal teams lose context and assume their message is clear when it isn’t

• Why you can’t rush trust or assume relationship buy-in

• How to build a warm network so you never have to rely on cold starts

• Why content marketing is a long game (and why “instant results” are a myth)

• The 80/20 content rule that builds emotional connection without selling

• How consistency compounds into momentum over time

Brad also shares his entrepreneurial journey, from founding and scaling GoWild, navigating rapid growth, fundraising, and market collapse, to ultimately shutting it down and discovering his true strength as a storyteller. That realization led to the creation of Prologue Stories, where he now helps companies clarify their messaging, reposition their brands, and launch podcasts that actually resonate.

• An entrepreneur, founder, or business owner

• A marketer, consultant, or creative

• A career changer or personal brand builder

• Someone struggling to explain what they do in a way that clicks

• Tired of chasing tactics and ready to build trust, clarity, and demand

The episode closes with a powerful reminder:
👉 Don’t assume your audience knows you.
👉 Don’t lead with vitamins.
👉 Build the relationship and offer the painkiller when it matters.

Because you never know who’s paying attention.

🎧 Listen to the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Audible.

Do you feel stuck in self-doubt, constantly battling negative thoughts, or struggling with an inner critic that never seems to rest? In this episode of The Story I’m Telling Myself, host Rita sits down with executive coach, workshop leader, and international speaker Michelle Phillips to explore the transformative power of discovering, naming, claiming, and taming your internal narrators.

Michelle shares her personal journey of identifying her relentless inner critic, Wanda, and her empowering inner coach, Grace, offering practical strategies to take control of your thoughts, emotions, and personal destiny. Learn how to create emotional distance from self-criticism, invite supportive inner voices, and reclaim your personal power—both in your relationships and within yourself.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How naming your inner critic can create an emotional buffer and stop self-sabotage.

• The difference between your inner critic and inner coach, and how to summon your supportive voice.

• Techniques to process emotions, prevent negative spirals, and manage stress effectively.

• How to use awareness and forgiveness to reclaim agency and strengthen relationships.

• Insights from Michelle’s work with Fortune 100 & 500 companies on mastering mindset and emotional intelligence.

Whether you’re navigating self-doubt, emotional overwhelm, or career transitions, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you quiet your inner critic, strengthen your confidence, and make empowered decisions.

🎧 Listen to the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Audible.

What happens when being late to a dinner changes your entire leadership philosophy?

In this episode of The Story I'm Telling Myself, host Rita sits down with John Brooks, CEO of Warehouse on Wheels, to explore a transformative moment that redefined his approach to business leadership and company culture.

John shares the remarkable story of arriving late to a CEO dinner—only to find himself seated between two intimidating strangers in the back corner. Those strangers turned out to be Navy SEALs Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, co-authors of the bestselling leadership book "Extreme Ownership."

In This Episode, You'll Discover:

• The four words that transformed a $37M company: "If not us, then who?"
• How John grew Warehouse on Wheels from 2 locations and 4,000 trailers to 37 locations and 37,000 trailers
• Why every employee at his company has the CEO's personal cell phone number
• The "Ultimate Expectations Letter" that empowers team members to act without permission
• How to measure employee engagement like an operating process (99.9% participation rate)
• The meaning behind the red chairs in the boardroom and what they represent
• Why John prefers "team" over "family" when describing company culture
• The simple 5-measure operating system that drives decentralized command
• Practical extreme ownership principles you can implement in your organization today

About John Brooks:John Brooks is the CEO of Warehouse on Wheels, a company providing cost-effective storage and logistical solutions for manufacturing, distribution, and reverse logistics companies. Under his leadership, the company has experienced exponential growth while maintaining a culture of accountability, ownership, and purpose.

Key Topics Covered:Leadership development | Extreme ownership | Company culture | Employee engagement | Business growth strategies | Navy SEAL leadership principles | CEO insights | Entrepreneurship | Team building | Decentralized command | Humble leadership | Performance accountability

Connect with John Brooks: LinkedIn @JNBrooksSIV

Sometimes being late is exactly what you need. Tune in to discover how one unexpected dinner conversation sparked a leadership revolution.

🎧 Subscribe to The Story I'm Telling Myself for more inspiring conversations about transformative moments, leadership lessons, and the stories that shape who we become.

#Leadership #ExtremeOwnership #BusinessPodcast #CEOInterview #NavySEALs #CompanyCulture #Entrepreneurship #LeadershipDevelopment #BusinessGrowth #TeamBuilding