How Akeem Shannon Thinks About Storytelling for Business Success
On today's episode of "How Leaders Think," Kenny Lange sits down with Akeem Shannon, CEO and founder of Flipstick Inc., for an inspiring conversation on the power of storytelling in business. In this engaging episode, they discuss the crucial role of storytelling for career advancement, project approvals, and forming genuine connections in the business world. Akeem shares his journey from losing a college scholarship to becoming a top sales professional and successful entrepreneur featured on Shark Tank. He emphasizes how anecdotes resonate more deeply with people than technical details and illustrates this through Apple's marketing strategies and his own pitch experiences. Whether you're an emerging entrepreneur or a seasoned business owner, this interview offers valuable insights into harnessing storytelling to drive success and foster lasting relationships.
Other places to find the “How Leaders Think” podcast:
Other places to find the “How Leaders Think” podcast:
* Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-leaders-think-with-kenny-lange/id1434737807
* Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy50cmFuc2lzdG9yLmZtL2tlZXAtcmlzaW5nLXdpdGgta2VubnktbGFuZ2U=
* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KennyLange/podcasts
* Website: https://howleadersthink.kennylange.com/
Akeem Shannon Resources:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akeemshannon
Website: https://www.akeemshannon.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/akeemshannon
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCSbX1jh7wXG65jT19HAmTiQ
#Leadership #Storytelling #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #SuccessStories
- (00:00) - Podcast transforming minds with entrepreneurial success story.
- (04:19) - Story shared, led to introductions with executives.
- (06:58) - Storytelling captivates in today's data-driven economy.
- (10:28) - Ozempic's popularity driven by weight loss stories.
- (13:25) - Driving Gen Z to Target through influencer engagement.
- (18:40) - Missing opportunities without direct, impactful communication.
- (22:03) - Different people need different levels of support.
- (24:24) - Attract talent by sharing vision and passion.
- (27:01) - Everyone contributes equally despite their roles.
- (30:35) - Creating pipeline for black talent through HBCUs.
- (34:15) - Focus on completing the first step only.
- (38:09) - Support, share, and lead together for growth.
Creators and Guests
Host
Kenny Lange
Jesus follower, husband, bio-dad to 3, adopted-dad to 2, foster-dad to 18+. @SystemandSoul Certified Coach. Dir. Ops @NCCTylerTX. Go @ChelseaFC
Guest
Akeem Shannon
After losing his college scholarship, Akeem leveraged his sales skills from a $10/hour job to become a top sales professional at two Fortune 500 companies. Pursuing his entrepreneurial dream, he scaled Flipstik from a single mall kiosk to an Inc Magazine Top 50 Fastest Growing Consumer Brand, gaining support from celebrities like Snoop Dogg and appearances on Shark Tank. Akeem’s inspiring journey has been shared on stages at SXSW, CES, Fast Company, Bank of America, and the Smithsonian.
