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Becoming Preferred

Becoming Preferred

Written by: Michael Vickers
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In this informative and practical podcast, Michael and his guests share the latest strategies and tactics to help you become the preferred provider (the emotional favorite) in the markets you serve. The key insights and strategies discussed, come from Michael's experience working with many of the finest brands in business today and his guest interviews will inspire you, educate you, and give you the tools you need to be successful in today's turbulent and competitive marketplace.Copyright 2026 Michael Vickers Economics Leadership Management Management & Leadership Marketing Marketing & Sales
Episodes
  • Park Howell - The Business of Story: Shifting Your Brand from "What You Make" to "What You Make Happen"

    Park Howell - The Business of Story: Shifting Your Brand from "What You Make" to "What You Make Happen"
    May 25 2026
    SEASON: 6 EPISODE: 28Episode Overview:Welcome to Becoming Preferred, the show where we level up your business and become the best version of you. Today we are tackling the one tool that separates iconic brands from the 'white noise' of the marketplace: Story.Our guest today is an Emmy Award-winning advertising veteran who has spent over forty years proving that story isn't just a creative exercise—it’s a growth engine. Park Howell is the founder of The Business of Story and the creator of the StoryCycle System™, a framework that has helped brands scale by as much as 600 percent.He’s the author of Brand Bewitchery and has just pioneered a way to merge human emotional intelligence with AI through his StoryCycle Genie™.If you’ve ever felt like your message is getting lost, or if you're struggling to explain your value with a 20-slide deck, this episode is for you. Park is going to show us how to use 'Artful Intelligence' to sharpen your positioning, reduce the cost of brand development, and ultimately, help you win the battle for the mind of your customer. Join me for my conversation with Park Howell.Guest Bio: Park Howell is the founder of The Business of Story and creator of the StoryCycle System™, a proven brand narrative framework that has grown purpose-driven brands by as much as 600 percent. An EMMY Award-winning advertising veteran with more than four decades in the industry, Park hosts the Business of Story podcast, authored Brand Bewitchery, and co-authored The Narrative Gym for Business.He recently co-created the StoryCycle Genie™, an AI-driven (Artful Intelligence), narrative-native platform designed to help agencies and consultants craft powerful brand strategies in minutes instead of months.Today, Park helps agency principals turn storytelling into a scalable growth engine. By combining emotional intelligence with AI, agencies can amplify impact, sharpen positioning, and dramatically reduce the time and cost of brand development. For firms looking to grow revenue without adding headcount, his frameworks and tools provide a practical path to smarter, faster, more profitable brand strategy.Resource Links:Website: https://businessofstory.com/Product Link: https://businessofstory.com/storytelling-resources/Insight Gold Timestamps:04:03 I knew I'd starve as a composer, but thought I could make it in the ad world05:44 What is a brand? It's the story people tell about you when you are not in the room06:52 Why is story so important, and why is it so effective08:36 People buy first with emotion and back it up with logic,second10:55 When I looked at the hero's journey, Michael, I said, "Oh my God, well, this is a customer journey."14:04 What do you stand for in the world that makes you stand out15:34 The AND, statement of agreement, is your setup. The BUT, statement of contradiction, is the problem, and the THEREFORE, statement of consequence, is your way forward or your call to action17:45 You basically deliver or manifest what I call the three forces of trust-building20:14 But people will buy into a story23:18 The reason I bought it is not so much because it was a Rolex...27:00 You are not the center of your story, your audience always is30:25 Go and look at your bio, and rewrite it as an And/But/Therefore (LinkedIn)32:57 You've talked about 400%, 600%37:34 Yeah, we're all homo sapiens storytelling apes, aren't we?42:26 So, it's a tool specifically to help you develop world-class branding and make you stand out in the world very, very quickly45:03 You can go to storycyclegenie.ai47:05 I've got my Business of Story podcast every Monday47:14 Go test your brand's story, storycyclegenie.aiConnect Socially:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parkhowell/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BusinessOfStory/X: https://x.com/ParkHowellYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BusinessofstoryInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/businessofstory/Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-of-story/id1012379862Email: park@businessofstory.comSponsors: Rainmaker LeadGen Platform Demo: https://calendar.summit-learning.com/widget/booking/JKItVP7WErmCBjU2cCIxRainmaker Digital Solutions: https://www.rainmakerdigitalsolutions.com/
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    49 mins
  • Ghazenfer Mansoor - Beyond the Download: Engineering Trust and Long-Term User Retention

    Ghazenfer Mansoor - Beyond the Download: Engineering Trust and Long-Term User Retention
    May 18 2026
    SEASON: 6 EPISODE: 27Episode Overview:Welcome to another episode of Becoming Preferred, the show where we dive deep into the strategies that help you level up your game and stay relevant in an ever-shifting marketplace.I am happy to introduce our guest today, a man who sits at the intersection of high-level software innovation and human-centric design. Ghazenfer Mansoor is the CEO of Technology Rivers, a powerhouse firm known for building everything from HIPAA-compliant healthcare tech to cutting-edge AI solutions.But Ghazenfer doesn’t just build software; he understands the psychology of why we use it. He is the author of Beyond the Download, where he breaks down the alchemy of creating mobile apps that people actually love and share. Beyond his technical expertise, he’s a fellow storyteller as the host of the Lessons from the Leap podcast, uncovering the raw failures and bold breakthroughs that define the entrepreneurial journey.Whether you’re looking to scale your startup, automate your processes, or simply build a brand that resonates, you’re going to want to take notes. Join me for my conversation with Ghazenfer Mansoor!Guest Bio: Ghazenfer Mansoor is the CEO of Technology Rivers, a software development firm recognized in Washington, D.C. for creating AI-powered solutions, innovative SaaS products, and HIPAA-compliant healthcare technologies. He helps startups and service businesses scale faster, automate processes, and build technology that drives real-world impact.As the author of Beyond the Download: How to Build Mobile Apps That People Love, Use, and Share Every Day, he shares practical insights and proven strategies to help app developers and entrepreneurs build mobile apps that not only acquire users but keep them engaged and growing.In addition to being a thought leader and speaker, Ghazenfer hosts the Lessons from the Leap podcast, where he uncovers the bold decisions, failures, and breakthroughs that shape entrepreneurial success.Resource Links:Website: https://ghazenfer.com/Business Website: https://technologyrivers.com/Product Link: https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Download-Build-Mobile-People/dp/B0GP9T86DZ/Insight Gold Timestamps:03:17 Technology's changing with amazing speed04:58 To your point, it can be disruptive if we don't evolve05:07 In your latest book, Beyond the Download...08:03 How are you competing? Are you competing on people? Are you competing on pricing?09:21 You want to look at what are the bottlenecks in your business?13:44 I think security ought to be a feature, not a footnote16:02 The focus has to be building the product the right way the first time, so that you can focus on growing your business17:45 You build the foundation, you have the sketch, and then you gradually scale21:00 It's not easy for existing users of other products to just switch to your product22:56 So it's about what is missing in the industry26:04 Everybody is trying to get into the AI race, which is exciting, but at the same time, some people are scared to take that leap26:15 On our Lessons from the Leap (podcast)28:11 So I think as a society, we have to evolve our EQ...32:19 There's something called RAG, (Retrieval Augmented Generation)34:20 It's ghazenfer.com and technologyrivers.com is your company34:33 Beyond the Download: How to Build Mobile Apps that People Love, Use, and Share Every DayConnect Socially:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gmansoor/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/techriversYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@technologyriversInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/techrivers/Lessons from the Leap Podcast: https://ghazenfer.com/lessons-from-the-leap/Email: GMansoor@TechnologyRivers.comSponsors: Rainmaker LeadGen Platform Demo: https://calendar.summit-learning.com/widget/booking/JKItVP7WErmCBjU2cCIxRainmaker Digital Solutions: https://www.rainmakerdigitalsolutions.com/
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    36 mins
  • Mark Coleman - Pragmatic Sustainability: The New Path to Prosperity

    Mark Coleman - Pragmatic Sustainability: The New Path to Prosperity
    May 11 2026
    SEASON: 6 EPISODE: 26Episode Overview:Welcome to another episode of Becoming Preferred, where we examine the traits, strategies, and mindsets that will help you become the best version of you.Today, we are looking into a topic that is often misunderstood: the intersection of high-stakes business growth and global responsibility. Our guest today is a master of navigating that nexus. Mark Coleman is an award-winning author, a strategic advisor with over 25 years of experience, and a leading voice in sustainable change management.Mark works at the front lines of the energy transition, helping organizations navigate a world that is becoming rapidly decarbonized, digital, and decentralized. His latest book, Planet Pragmatism: The New Path to Prosperity, challenges us to move beyond the rhetoric and build enterprises founded on dignity, trust, and accountability. Whether you are an entrepreneur looking for the next economic edge or a corporate leader managing complex environmental risks, Mark is here to show us how principled leadership is the ultimate competitive advantage. Join me for my conversation with Mark Coleman.Guest Bio: Mark C. Coleman is an award-winning author and recognized voice as a business and leadership advisor, entrepreneur, and educator on sustainable change management and enterprise development. He is inspiring the “now and next generations” to discover, develop, and deploy principled leadership through dignity, trust, and accountability. As a practitioner with more than 25 years’ experience, he has served as a strategic advisor to leading academic, industry, emerging enterprises, and government-based organizations on the convergence of societal change, environmental risk, and sustainable innovation.Mark currently serves as Director of Advisory and Innovation within TRC’s Advanced Energy (AE) business segment where he works with leaders across the organization and with partners and clients, to strategically advance best-in-class integrated solutions to complex energy challenges. Through intentional design and delivery of transdisciplinary teams, Mark works at the nexus of energy and environmental innovation and the emergent sustainable economy, marked by solutions which are decarbonized, digital, decentralized, and which also embody social impact, environmental justice, and economic equity at their foundation.Mark’s 4th book, Planet Pragmatism: The New Path to Prosperity, was published in July 2025. He also serves as an adjunct instructor of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprise at the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University where he teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses in Sustainable Enterprise. He resides in the Finger Lakes region of New York with his wife and two sons.Resource Links:Website: https://www.markcolemaninsights.com/Business Website: https://www.cmm-insights.com/Product Link: https://www.amazon.com/Planet-Pragmatism-New-Path-Prosperity/dp/1958233439Insight Gold Timestamps:03:35 Probably like most graduating seniors, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life06:30 I work hard, I think, to try to bring that sense of unbiased, independent perspective07:21 Think about the lens by which they bring to the world08:19 Your latest book is titled Planet Pragmatism10:45 What's near and dear to the customer?12:03 My premise of this book is that prosperity broadly is under assault14:06 Right now people feel as if they don't have that high quality of life15:19 It's not about compromise, it's about, as you say, realistic innovation20:54 Let's not repeat the mistakes of the past24:50 This idea that we need to have a Preventive, Predictive and Proactive Posture towards how we're living in the moment and how we're focused on the future26:23 No business exists without some foundation and grounded principles in their why, as Simon Sinek would say it28:31 I think that we have to lean into the humanity that exists within how we design, engineer, and bring enterprise together for the world32:27 I think we're at a place where no idea necessarily is bad...conceivably34:40 It also has to be the type of leadership that says, "That's a great idea. Go build it. Go take that on!"35:24 The latest book is called Planet Pregnatism: The New Path to Prosperity by Mark C. Coleman35:30 The website is markcolemaninsights.comConnect Socially:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markcolemannow/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MarkColemanInsights/Email: mark@cmm-insights.comSponsors: Rainmaker LeadGen Platform Demo: https://calendar.summit-learning.com/widget/booking/JKItVP7WErmCBjU2cCIxRainmaker Digital Solutions: https://www.rainmakerdigitalsolutions.com/
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    38 mins
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