Podcast Interviews
Storybuilding in Conversation – Dialogue on Positioning, Alignment and Meaning
In these interviews, I unpack the Storybuilding method with hosts from around the world. We go beyond slogans and campaigns to discuss how companies define who they serve, why it matters, and how to build a story that holds together internally and externally.
Innovation Storytellers with Susan Lindner
22 January 2026
In this episode of the Innovation Storytellers Show, I sit down with John Elbing, Business Storytelling Strategist and founder of Standpoint, for a thoughtful conversation on how organizations can tell stronger innovation stories by shifting perspective outward. This interview is the second in The Storytellers Series, where I invite other storytellers I deeply admire, people who bring their own lenses, frameworks, and lived experience to the craft of story.
John introduces his Story Building Method, a three-stage framework built around recognition, perception, and projection. He explains why compelling stories help customers recognize themselves first, understand where a brand fits second, and finally imagine what life looks like after engaging with a product or service. Throughout the discussion, John emphasizes that storytelling works best when it allows customers to see themselves as the hero of the narrative rather than being positioned as an audience to a company’s internal achievements.
The conversation also explores why narrowing focus can actually expand impact. John challenges the overuse of demographic personas and argues for building stories around aspirations and challenges instead. By targeting what people are trying to achieve or overcome, organizations can connect with audiences that may look very different on the surface but share the same underlying motivations. Susan and John unpack real-world examples from consumer brands, B2B software, and even nonprofit work to show how this approach changes clarity, positioning, and engagement.
They also address common storytelling mistakes, from overreliance on clever language to feature-heavy messaging that misses emotional relevance. John makes a strong case for clarity over cleverness and explains why the most effective brand stories are the ones that make customers feel seen, understood, and supported. The episode closes with John sharing how listeners can continue the conversation through his book, Story Building, and offering a complimentary 45-minute pre-call consultation for those looking to sharpen their own innovation story.
The Inside Scoop with Sam-Erik Ruttmann
30 January 2026
In this conversation, storytelling strategist John Elbing reveals how great hospitality brands are built from the outside in, not the inside out, and why the most powerful brand stories are created by employees, not marketing teams.
Key Takeaway Moments
Storytelling starts with employees, not marketing If a housekeeper can’t explain what the hotel stands for, the story isn’t alive. Culture is the first channel of communication.
Memorable beats perfect. Guests don’t remember consistency — they remember moments. A single “red telephone” moment can outweigh a flawless stay.
Stop appealing to everyone. Hotels that try to please all guests become invisible. The strongest brands choose a niche and build raving fans.
Sustainability must be felt, not claimed. When sustainability is real, guests sense it without being told. Generic green messaging destroys credibility.
Leadership is where storytelling lives or dies. When leaders use story as a daily tool — not a campaign — employees gain autonomy, and guests feel it instantly.
Arrival and departure define memory. The first and last five minutes of a stay shape the entire perception of the hotel.
Technology should remove friction, not humanity. Automation works only when it enhances the experience, not when it replaces it.
Marketing from the Frontline with Blake Sweeting
27 January 2026
In this episode of Marketing From the Front Line, I’m joined by John Elbing, strategic storyteller and author of Story Building, to talk about why so many businesses struggle to connect with customers, even when their product or service is solid.
We get into what it really means to take the customer’s standpoint, why most websites fail at the first moment of recognition, and how businesses accidentally design marketing that works for themselves rather than the people they want to reach. John shares hard-won lessons from building brands across startups and global companies, including what didn’t work when he tried to scale his own visibility.
We also talk about consistency, credibility, books as marketing assets, where AI helps and where it actively gets in the way, and why differentiation matters more now than ever in a sea of sameness.
If your marketing feels “fine” but not effective, this episode will challenge how you think about brand, messaging and growth.
The Vignette Effect with Raquel Furman
22 January 2026
Brand storytelling has become an overused term that’s pretty vague. John’s take will give you a new take and things you can apply today to your website and marketing. He’s focused on building a customer-centered story framework you can use everywhere, so your marketing doesn’t end up sounding like a company talking about itself.
In this episode, we talk about:
- Storytelling vs story building
- How to make your customer the hero:
- The 3-step story arc John uses: Recognition, Perception, Projection
- How B2B needs emotion, too
- One simple audit prompt
- A myth worth deleting from the internet
- Plus, John shares the “three beers” idea for loosening up B2B content without going off-brand
In Clear Focus with Adrian Tennant
13 January 2026
Brand strategist John Elbing of Standpoint explains why people don’t care about your story, they care about how you fit into theirs.
John introduces his “Storybuilding” methodology, a canvas-based approach that helps companies find their foundational story before crafting marketing messages. He breaks down the three stages of encountering a brand—Recognition, Perception, and Projection—and shares how to use AI as a sparring partner to achieve authentic customer-centricity.
On Brand with Nick Westergaard
12 January 2026
Storytelling is easy to talk about—and hard to do well. On this episode of On Brand, I’m joined by John Elbing, Chief Storybuilder Officer at Standpoint, to unpack how his Storybuilding approach helps startups and brands clarify their value, sharpen their pitch, and actually connect—with a framework so effective it’s now a #1 international bestselling book.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
- Why most brands jump to storytelling tactics before they understand the story they should be telling
- How recognition, perception, and projection shape whether people connect with your brand
- Why customer standpoint matters more than founder backstory
- How structure can unlock creativity instead of killing it
- A simple way leaders can improve their story starting this week
Your Marketing Dude with Mike Cuevas
3 January 2026
In this episode, Mike sits down with brand strategist and communications expert John Elbing, founder of Standpoint, to explore why clarity of story is the foundation of every successful brand. John explains why most businesses struggle not because of poor marketing execution, but because they’ve never clearly defined who they are, what they stand for, and why anyone should care. Together, they break down the difference between messaging and storytelling, how narrative alignment impacts trust, and why growth without clarity only amplifies confusion. John also shares how leaders can uncover their authentic story, align teams around a shared narrative, and create consistency across branding, sales, and communication. If your marketing feels scattered or your growth has plateaued, this episode shows why the problem might not be tactics—but story.