The 2024 Made Simple Summit wrapped up in Nashville, where StoryBrand Guides and Business Made Simple Coaches gathered for three days of learning and connection. With sessions packed with valuable insights, we walked away with practical advice on leadership, business growth, and leveraging AI for marketing efficiency. Below, I've compiled the main lessons from each speaker to help you apply these insights to your business and personal growth.
Megan Hyatt Miller - Winning at Work AND Succeeding at Life
Megan Hyatt Miller's work with the Full Focus Planner has been nothing short of transformational for someone like me, who has been through the planner journey. My planning journey started with a Hello Kitty planner, and then I graduated to a sleek Filofax during college. Over the years, I tried Erin Condren's planners and explored Carrie Green's strategies, but something hit the mark once I discovered Full Focus. It's a tool that aligns deeply with prioritizing what matters most and making each day count. The Salt Marketing executive team and I now rely on the Full Focus Planner to ensure we stay on track with our daily Big Three goals. It's been the key to turning our big dreams into achievable, actionable steps we revisit and refine daily.
Megan's insights, leadership, and unwavering dedication to balance and productivity have directly impacted me and countless others. Her commitment to helping people achieve a "Double Win" by thriving in work and life is not just a tagline; it's the ethos of everything she touches.
Megan kicked off the 2024 Made Simple Summit with four powerful principles to help us achieve more by focusing on less:
- Do Fewer Things: Megan emphasized the power of concentrated effort, likening it to a power washer versus a watering can. She challenged attendees to evaluate where they might need to be spread more thin and focus on impactful activities.
- Make Friends with Problems: Megan shared, "Problems are a feature, not a bug," encouraging us to embrace challenges as valuable learning experiences.
- Don't Quit Too Soon: Persistence is the backbone of success, according to Megan. She discussed the importance of frustration tolerance, suggesting that enduring challenging moments build the character to sustain success.
- Don't Pretend that Success is Enough: Megan highlighted the importance of holistic success, referencing Hal Elrod's "Miracle Morning" (which I immediately ordered). True success connects daily habits with greater life goals, reminding us not to let life pass by while chasing our goals!
Megan is a remarkable leader and visionary at the helm of Full Focus. As President and CEO, she has not only driven the growth of the Full Focus Planner to over one million copies sold but has also architected a thriving and award-winning company culture. Her leadership and dedication to intentional living have earned Full Focus recognition as one of Inc. Magazine's Best Workplaces for two consecutive years. Megan's impact goes beyond her role as CEO—she's also a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, co-host of the popular Double Win podcast, and a beacon for individuals seeking to win at work and succeed at life.
Sonya Whittam - Elevate Your Content Creation With AI
Sonya Whittam of Story22 has made a name for herself as an experienced StoryBrand Guide and Business Made Simple Summit Coach. She's a strategic marketer (yes, she's my people!) with a knack for everything digital and website-related.
Given her depth of knowledge, it was no surprise that her session at the Made Simple Summit, "Elevate Your Content Creation with AI: Masterclass for Marketers, Coaches, and Content Creators," was packed with practical insights. Sonya's deep understanding of the digital landscape paired perfectly with the rapidly evolving world of AI. As someone always looking to explore new technologies, I was eager to hear her take on how AI can be leveraged to optimize content creation while maintaining a personal, human touch.
In her masterclass, Sonya tackled the complex intersection of artificial intelligence and marketing:
- AI's Role in Marketing: According to Sonya, AI can cut content creation time by up to 60%, allowing marketers to shift their focus to more personalized client interactions.
- Pitfalls of AI: AI struggles with creativity and contextual understanding, leading to mistakes and potential biases. Sonya advised checking AI-generated content for accuracy and originality.
- Optimizing AI: She recommended customizing AI tools by training them on your business data, creating style guides, and using multi-shot prompts. Her actionable advice was to layer your prompts with goals, tone, structure, and keywords for better results.
As Salt Marketing is an AI-adaptive Agency, Sonya's breakdown of exactly how marketers, coaches, and content creators can integrate AI tools to boost efficiency without sacrificing creativity or authenticity was exactly what I needed. From refining workflows and enhancing data insights to creating personalized marketing strategies, Sonya demonstrated that AI isn't here to replace human ingenuity—it's here to enhance it.
I left her session with a fresh perspective on AI's potential and a new toolbox of strategies for saving time and focusing on what really matters: building meaningful connections and delivering value to our clients.
Tiffany Aliche - Financial Freedom and Scaling Your Business
Tiffany Aliche, "The Budgetnista," is a powerhouse in personal finance education and a beacon of hope for countless women striving to take control of their financial futures. As the author of Get Good with Money, a New York Times bestseller, Tiffany has helped over two million women save, manage, and pay off hundreds of millions of dollars in debt. Her work has earned national recognition, including an NAACP Image Award nomination, and made history as the first Black woman to grace the cover of Money Magazine. Beyond her written work, Tiffany co-hosts the Webby Award-winning podcast Brown Ambition and has been featured on major media platforms for her practical and relatable approach to financial literacy.
At the 2024 Made Simple Summit, Tiffany's session wasn't just another talk about budgeting or savings—it was a deeper dive into what truly matters: aligning your financial habits with your life's goals and priorities. Her talk, refreshingly titled "Lay Your Financial Foundation and Scale Your Business," focused on creating a life where money isn't the goal but a tool that enables freedom, growth, and fulfillment.
Her advice?
- Lay Your Financial Foundation: Tiffany stressed the importance of aligning personal goals with financial strategies. "Money isn't the goal; life is the goal," she reminded attendees.
- Framework for Business Growth: She emphasized the need for intention and flexibility in business planning, sharing her philosophy of focusing 20% on the present and 80% on future growth.
- Building a Community: Tiffany also discussed monetizing through online communities. She advised offering monthly challenges, engaging top members as leaders, and using platforms like Patreon or Slack to foster connection.
The most striking thing about Tiffany's approach is how she reframes the conversation about wealth. Her focus isn't on simply accumulating money but using it as a runway to create the life you envision. She emphasized that intentionality and flexibility are crucial in your finances and every aspect of your life and business. Tiffany asked attendees to reflect on their perfect day and encouraged them to build their financial goals around what they want their everyday life to look like, not just their bank balance.
Her message was clear: financial security shouldn't be a finish line but a foundation that allows you to grow, explore, and pursue your passions. Tiffany's wisdom around scaling a business with intentionality resonated with many in the room, including myself. She underscored the importance of living below your means, giving yourself the grace to grow, and thinking long-term to build your desired life. It was a session that went beyond dollars and cents and hit right at the heart of why we seek financial stability in the first place—to live a life of purpose, fulfillment, and joy.
Michael Bungay Stanier - How To Work with (Almost) Anyone
Michael Bungay Stanier is a global authority on coaching and a driving force in redefining leadership. His bestselling book, The Coaching Habit, has sold over a million copies and is the best-selling coaching book of this century, with over ten thousand five-star reviews on Amazon. It's no wonder he was named the #1 Thought Leader in Coaching in 2019 and won the prestigious Thinkers50 Coaching Award in 2023—an accolade often referred to as the "Oscars of Management."
Michael's latest book, How to Work With (Almost) Anyone, dives deep into the art of building the Best Possible Relationship (BPR) with those you work with. In this book, he explores the critical elements of creating psychological safety, a crucial foundation for fostering productive and fulfilling work environments. His insights on nurturing safe, vital, and repairable relationships have resonated widely, as evidenced by his TEDx talk, which has been viewed nearly 2 million times.
During his interactive session at the Made Simple Summit, Michael didn't just present his ideas—he brought them to life. Walking through the audience, he challenged us to reflect on our most significant work relationships and identify where we could foster more trust and open dialogue. His dynamic presentation style encouraged everyone to think practically about creating the kind of relationships that support individual growth and team success.
- Safe, Vital, Repairable Relationships: Michael introduced the concept of the Best Possible Relationship (BPR), which thrives on safety, vitality, and the ability to repair. He explained how these elements create an expansive environment where teams can flourish.
- Five Key Questions: Michael shared five essential questions for building solid relationships, including amplifying strengths and navigating bad days effectively.
- Keystone Conversations: He encouraged leaders to focus on how things are being done to create resilient relationships rather than just what is being done.
Michael's ability to guide leaders in establishing relationships that are not just functional but expansive was both thought-provoking and actionable. He emphasized that while 70% of our relationship issues may be recurring, there's immense power in acknowledging and improving the remaining 30%. This clarity and focus on what we can change makes his approach so practical and inspiring. Michael reminded us that strengthening our key relationships could be the most vital skill in a world of constant change.
Brooke Greening - Get Off the Sales Roller Coaster: Achieve Revenue Growth Without Tossing Your Cookies!
Brooke Greening is not just a sales expert—she's a trusted colleague and someone I genuinely admire. As the co-owner of Building Momentum, Brooke has dedicated her career to training others to achieve tremendous sales success. With over 20 years of sales experience and a Master's degree in counseling, she brings a unique blend of empathy and strategic insight to every client engagement. Brooke's commitment to helping businesses identify and solve their sales challenges is second to none.
What makes Brooke's approach so impactful is that she's not just teaching theory—she's living and refining the systems and processes that drive actual results. Like me, she's a StoryBrand Certified Guide and a Keap Certified Partner, which means we believe in clear messaging, effective automation, and structured follow-up to grow revenue. Brooke's alignment with these proven frameworks makes it easy to trust and collaborate with her.
During her session at the Made Simple Summit, Brooke delivered practical advice with her signature enthusiasm. She walked us through her Daily 5 system—a simple yet powerful framework to keep your sales activities on track and your clients feeling valued. Brooke's emphasis on staying proactive and structured in sales resonated deeply with me, reinforcing why having the right processes in place is crucial for growth.
- The Daily 5: Brooke shared a five-step daily process to drive sales growth. It starts with responding to leads within two hours and creating personalized pre-call plans. She emphasizes letting clients do 70% of the talking and setting clear follow-up actions.
- Service Framework: She introduced a framework for establishing rapport, recognizing problems, and guiding clients toward the next steps without winging it.
- Cultivating Opportunities: Brooke advised spending 15 minutes each day thinking about ideal clients and intentionally nurturing those relationships to increase authority and referrals.
What I love most about Brooke is her genuine passion for helping others find clarity and consistency in their sales cycles. She's about building momentum (pun intended!) and cultivating intentional, long-lasting client relationships. If you're looking to streamline your sales process and see meaningful growth, Brooke is definitely the person you want in your corner. You can learn more about her approach at Building Momentum Sales Coaching.
Will Guidara - Unreasonable Hospitality
Will Guidara is a master of creating memorable experiences and a true visionary in hospitality. As the former co-owner of the renowned Eleven Madison Park, Will led the restaurant to achieve extraordinary accolades, including four stars from The New York Times, three Michelin stars, and the prestigious World's Best Restaurant title in 2017. His journey in hospitality and leadership is now captured in his national bestseller, Unreasonable Hospitality, where he shares the invaluable lessons he's learned about going above and beyond in service.
What sets Will apart isn't just his commitment to exceptional dining—his unwavering belief in the power of making people feel genuinely seen and valued. His philosophy of "unreasonable hospitality" challenges leaders in all industries to go beyond what's expected and create moments of genuine connection and delight. In his presentation at the Made Simple Summit, Will spoke candidly about making every interaction meaningful, whether it's with customers or team members.
- Gamify Everything: Make work feel more like play through creativity and daily huddles with the team.
- Create Magic Moments: He shared the importance of "unscalable" gestures, explaining that the most minor acts of genuine care can have the most profound impact. Will believes in duplicating what works and always being present in interactions.
- Systematizing Graciousness: Will showed how systematizing small touches can turn ordinary moments into remarkable experiences, from Tiffany champagne flutes to personalized newsletters.
Will's approach is all about being intentional, present, and willing to invest in the small details that can turn ordinary experiences into magical ones. His session was a powerful reminder that exceptional service isn't just a business strategy—it's a way of life. It's about bringing creativity, curiosity, and a bit of unreasonableness into everything you do to leave a lasting impact on those around you.
The announcements from Donald Miller and the entire StoryBrand team were genuinely exciting and made me think of opportunities for our clients. They're rolling out new certifications in "Full Focus" and "Unreasonable Hospitality," giving Guides and Coaches the chance to master these proven frameworks more deeply. And the big news? They're releasing an updated and revised version of Building a StoryBrand 2.0 in January! But that's not all—StoryBrand is stepping into the future with the launch of StoryBrand.ai. As an AI-adaptive agency, we at Salt Marketing are seriously thrilled. With StoryBrand.ai, businesses can dive into the StoryBrand framework and craft their messaging precisely and clearly. You can bring your tailored framework to a Certified StoryBrand Guide to create a complete Messaging Playbook. From there, we can help you roll out that clear messaging across your website, blog posts, social media, and more so your brand's story is consistent and engaging. It's a fantastic leap forward in helping businesses connect and communicate more effectively!
Attending the Made Simple Summit 2024 was a masterclass in growth and transformation! This wasn't just another conference but an experience packed with energy, fresh perspectives, and actionable wisdom. Each speaker brought their A-game, delivering insights that had everyone buzzing with new ideas. From Megan Hyatt Miller's motivating call to focus and persistence to Will Guidara's lessons on crafting magical, unforgettable experiences, the Summit was overflowing with strategies to elevate our businesses and lives. I left feeling more inspired, equipped, and genuinely excited to implement everything I learned. You seriously missed out if you weren't there, but there's always next year!
Here are 7 actionable takeaways from the Made Simple Summit that you can start implementing right away:
- Refine Your Focus: Review your current projects and priorities. Eliminate distractions and focus on the most impactful tasks to drive steady, sustainable progress.
- Embrace AI in Your Marketing: Start exploring AI tools to streamline your content creation and data analysis, but always add a personal touch and verify the accuracy of the output.
- Align Your Financial Goals with Your Ideal Life: Reflect on your perfect day and set financial goals that support that vision. Money isn't the goal; it's the tool to live the life you want.
- Build Best Possible Relationships: Strengthen key work relationships by creating a safe, vital, and repairable connection with your team and partners.
- Adopt a Daily Sales Framework: Implement the "Daily 5" system to consistently track and advance sales activities, improve follow-up clarity, and cultivate intentional relationships.
- Prioritize Hospitality in Your Business: Look for ways to create memorable, personal moments for your clients and customers by going above and beyond in your interactions.
- Invest in StoryBrand-Based Messaging: Simplify your message to connect more deeply with clients, build trust, and establish your health and wellness industry authority.
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