Kathryn Binkley:

Hey there, Dallin. I'm so glad to have you here. How are you doing?

Dallin Nead:

Good. What's up, Kathryn? How are you doing?

Kathryn Binkley:

Great. I'm glad that we got to meet. It's been several months ago. We were just chatting and reconnecting, and I couldn't wait to get you on the podcast and let you talk about your story and just our story as well. Right? We get to talk about both our stories and yours. So first, can you tell us a little bit about you and your business just to give everyone an intro to what you do?

Dallin Nead:

Yeah. My name is Dallin Nead, and I run an agency called Content Display where we help entrepreneurs and influencers just become the go to experts in the industry through using story to sell and to serve their audience. We're a big believer in the power of story.

Kathryn Binkley:

I love that. And how did you get into this?

Dallin Nead:

Do you want me to go into my whole backstory?

Dallin Nead:

Yeah. So long story long, getting into this, just it was definitely a long road as it is for many of us. I have always been entrepreneurial. I think there's plenty of projects, I was starting to grow up. One of that was my love of making little movies. I picked up a video camera. It was tape based, very nondigital back then, although it wasn't back then that long ago. Just and, and I found that I was doing that as a way to create connection because I was a very shy kid. Just I stuttered a lot. I remember getting teased a lot. I probably still get but I think we all get teased in different ways. Right? Just adult teasing. And so like, you know, it was it was hard. Like, I felt really alone, and so the few friends I did have, we would come together and create just movies as a way to, like, share, like, our inner feelings and share stories that it was hard for us to communicate or just or connect with, right, on a bigger level.

Dallin Nead:

And so, did that a lot. And as I got older and became more confident and just sure of myself, so to speak. I got to thinking that, well, I love doing this whole story video stuff, but just this whole world, and everyone's telling me that I can't make money at it. I wanted it. Like, I got so much satisfaction out of doing all these things, but I just got told, and I began to tell myself that it wasn't possible. And so, I studied IT in school. I was goanna be an IT guy just late doing all nighters.

Dallin Nead:

For those unfamiliar with the IT world, we covered various topics, but one key aspect is writing code to ensure a program runs flawlessly. There are hundreds, sometimes thousands, of lines that need to be perfect. A single missing character, like a semicolon, can cause errors and require troubleshooting. I remember late nights spent questioning the value of this work. Would I look back in ten, twenty, even fifty years and be proud of this path? The answer was no. It lacked the satisfaction and connection I craved. That's when I started reflecting. What truly sparked my passion? It came back to my love for filmmaking and storytelling. So, I knew I had to learn quickly and get back to it. That's why I decided to write and direct a feature film.

Dallin Nead:

I was 23 at the time, a student. Yeah, something like that. I was just a 23-year-old student. We released the film theatrically, and it sold out most screenings. It felt like I'd been avoiding owning my story for the longest time. Here I was, getting this response from a whole crowd of people, many of whom I didn't know, all responding to a piece of work I put together. It was like a lightbulb moment. I realized that you could make money telling stories like this, no matter the genre or whether they were true or fictional. That was a real turning point for me.

Dallin Nead:

Just then where I began to own my story much more and move from this miserable state of doing things I thought I was supposed to do, and then doing things I actually needed and wanted to do. And so just I still graduate in IT because I was, you know, kind of in too deep, which is totally fine. But I quickly landed a job just At Princess Cruises doing, leading their video team. So, we delivered videos just to ships all around the world and employees all around the world, and I loved it. It was incredible. Just I was, getting deeper into telling him a lot more stories, and there's also a side of me that was dissatisfied because I was working for someone else, just and there's a lot of restrictions still. And, as I just As I was working my way up the corporate ladder, it's a massive corporation. I had great support, great friendships around me.

Dallin Nead:

Mean, I got promoted and pay raises very quickly. And after my last promotion, my boss told me, you know, this is incredible. We you, but we can't give you any more raises for the foreseeable future or whatever, or I was stuck into the typical, like, 3% raise, right, which is nothing.

Dallin Nead:

I was like, well, wait a minute. So, my title can't go any higher because I've reached the max to my boss, and I don't want my boss's job. Had to be plateaued a little bit. I was already kind of complacent and too not too good at the job sounds weird, but just I was just getting too comfortable with it, not being challenged enough. And so alright. Around this time, I was moonlighting what would become content supply, and, and I was doing so, And I started with her origin story video, and that was, I started with her origin story video, and that was it was, like, just a massive success. Like, she was still an agency owner at that point before she became a coach, and eventually got hired on as the head of marketing at ClickFunnels. And we use that order story, organically got her, like, 60,000 views, got her featured in Forbes, and it really was a snowball effect for us both where she became a business coach for me for sure.

Dallin Nead:

She introduced me to this whole world of online business, and, you know, we kind of grew together and, obviously, like, she just exploded into this massive influencer. Just With all the the right tools to get started beyond. And so, as that happened and quickly, I got in the momentum of quitting my job, and a common friend we have, Tanya. I met her before I quit, and I told her she's all about quitting. She also quitted her corporate job, rooting me on. She's like, do it.... Do. It.

Dallin Nead:

And so, yeah, I could've in July of 2018, and it's just been incredible, incredible experience. Ups and downs for sure, but really haven't looked back because, like, I committed to it. I made it happen, and it's just everything's kinda fell into place so nicely.

Kathryn Binkley:

I love it. I absolutely love so much about your story, but I talk a lot about building a profitable business that lights you up. Just and so I love that pretty early on in your journey, you started to ask yourself before you even started your entrepreneurial journey, you were starting to ask yourself these questions about, what do I really want to do? Is this it? And started to transition based on what you thought was going to I think you put it in words of, like, bringing value and that kind of thing. But in the terms, I use, something's going to light you up.

Dallin Nead:

Yes. Yeah.

Kathryn Binkley:

Feels like just that's become true for you and that what you're doing truly does let you up.

Dallin Nead:

Absolutely. You can see it too, right? Like, I mentioned the IT world compared to the creative storytelling side. Looking back, it's clear which one resonated with me. It was hard to see that while I was swamped, but it became clear what ignited my passion and what didn't. I don't know if you're familiar with Marie Kondo's tidying method, right? She asks, "Does it spark joy?" That's a great question. So, I was metaphorically picking up different aspects of my life and asking myself the same thing: "Does this spark joy?" It was very enlightening for me, for sure.

Kathryn Binkley:

And it's a continual process because I think you can take that same thing as we were actually chatting before going live and talking about just looking at your own role and within your company, and I think that that's something that we all have to do as well. As we grow and our and our businesses grow and we bring on team members, have to continue that process of figuring out what lights you up and what doesn't. Because even within the business, even if you love just the business overall. There are a lot of things within the business that you might not like or love to do or that you just can't simply handle.

Dallin Nead:

It's so true. Yeah.

Kathryn Binkley:

So, it's an ongoing journey.

Dallin Nead:

Absolutely, and I love that you use the word "journey." It reminds me of a powerful idea. We're all familiar with stories like the hero's journey, right? What I love is dissecting our own journeys: what dreams do we have? When we dissect what we want from life and business (which often support each other, especially for entrepreneurs), we discover there are really two forms of achievement to seek. The first is external validation - chasing accolades, awards, and extra money. I was definitely chasing that with corporate ladder climbing, but it wasn't fulfilling enough. I needed internal transformation, something that would add lasting value to my life. While I got a sense of it, I felt like others were limiting my value by deciding aspects of it for me. That's where entrepreneurship comes in. The internet opens up unlimited potential for growth, limited only by our dreams.

Kathryn Binkley:

Just wow. So how do you begin to communicate that? Because it's one thing to have that dream. It's another to effectively communicated, and you helped with that. I mean, you may help with both, but for sure, you help with communicating it.

Dallin Nead:

You know, it actually starts simpler than we think. I developed a process called Story Therapy, which became my podcast title, though I'm not a therapist! The core idea is that stories create a therapeutic experience. Before we publish everywhere and chase influencer status (love that term, by the way!), some internal auditing is crucial. It's not sexy but reviewing where we are and what we want is key. We need to dissect our stories: what do we want from life and business, and what steps are needed to get there? The therapeutic side comes in by taking ownership of our past stories, no matter how difficult. These "skeletons in the closet" don't need a Facebook Live right away. Start privately – journaling, documenting, and formulating your thoughts and emotions around past, present, and even future experiences. Take stock privately, then maybe share with a trusted person.

Dallin Nead:

Perhaps it's someone you trust, like a customer. Testing different parts of your stories with a trusted audience can help you connect them to your business. And there's no harm in shelving stories you're not ready to share yet.

But the idea is the more we

Dallin Nead:

But the idea is the more we practice publishing, whether it's privately or publicly, the easier it will be to control our emotions around certain stories, especially as personal as they may be. And, and then therapy is then, I believe, like, experienced just When we keep publishing in those different forms, and then we get better at communicating them. And so naturally so the process will create just bridges between the stories and an offer in our business. And sometimes that bridge can take in the form of just people growing in their ability to know you more, love you more, and trust you more.

Kathryn Binkley:

Wow, that's fascinating! It's funny we knew each other in August, but this background is new to me. You mentioned breaking your arm shortly after, which forced you into reflection. As a business owner, this limited your ability to work, leading to a period of thinking and reflection. During this time, you focused on your story, wanting to share it more comfortably. It sounds like you'd have loved a process or guide for navigating this vulnerability. It seems like you found your way through it, but it's an ongoing process. The challenge lies in sharing your most vulnerable moments, the ones that define who you are and your work.

Kathryn Binkley:

But then, also, there's the other side. I'd love to hear your take on this. Sure you get this a lot. There's the other side of thinking, okay. There's the stuff that I felt uncomfortable sharing, and we have to work through that. You just spoke to that. In a certain field of expertise. We might think, oh, that's not even a big deal or it's not important, but we take it for granted.

Kathryn Binkley:

So how do you when people are taking their stories for granted, how do you kind of pull that out of them?

Dallin Nead:

Yeah. That's so good. I do have some frameworks I follow, and a lot of it just requires a lot of just asking inspired questions and listening, but one thing that I do love is and as far as creating our unique just stories, particularly starting with the origin story. The why behind our business and what we do is to recognize that it's unique just because we are each unique. Like, the basis of like, the themes of stories are the same across the board. You think of movies. Right? Like, every superhero movie has very similar themes about it. Like, it's, just you know, there's always there's always an order story to how they got their powers and all those things.

Dallin Nead:

On the surface, many stories share similarities, and that's fine. What makes them unique is the perspective we bring and share. We often hear, especially from men, the "broke on the couch" narrative: applying a framework, running ads, becoming a millionaire. These empty promises and unoriginal stories lack a unique perspective. Even the classic rags-to-riches tale, if that's part of your journey, deserves a fresh approach. Think about reading a favorite book, fiction or nonfiction, even scripture for Christians - each interpretation is unique. Across stories, our perspectives shape our understanding.

Dallin Nead:

Like, my wife and I have plenty of discussions, and we see things differently. You know? Although we have shared a shared vision, we see things differently. And so just our different perspectives create the unique approach we have to how we can show up to communicate our stories. And so, just like for you, Kathryn, you've had a massive break on your arm, and, you know, 1,000, millions of people have broken their arms, just but what kind of new insight and discoveries have you had into your own life, into your business, and how it relates to your customers, those you're serving? Unique is your ability to be like, hey. Because of my like, yes, I broke my arm, but it's not about that. It's about what I learned as a result. Just And, and so the cool thing about that too is, on a daily basis, we can have those epiphanies and discoveries like, small forms, maybe going to the grocery store, you know, and be like, woah. Here's a new perspective. But, yeah, like, at the core and the why behind our business, a lot of people words of influence and impact and profits and rev you know, all these things of which are great and results, just But but it's the perspectives along that journey and how you can specifically add people based on your own experiences just Is I think that's the way. Like, story is always the way to get you to the next level of impact.

Kathryn Binkley:

Just yeah. You know, I think scripture was a really great example, because as I continue to reflect on that, I'm just thinking you can take just any one of the most common texts and look at how many different sermons have been preached on this, just, you know, a verse or 2 or 3. Right? Yet they're also different and unique, and you can read through the Bible multiple times and take away different things every time you read the same just, so really good example there. And then I love the idea of this because I remember after I did break my arm just after I went through the emergency room and got out, and nothing was, and we were planning to head to the beach whenever it all happened. And so the first thing I did was look to Tanya and was like, can we still go to the beach? Died laughing, but I still wanted to go to the beach. And later, I was just reflecting about, like, how much there was to be grateful just 4. And not just in that moment, for still being able to make it to the beach and see the ocean and put my feet in the water even though I had a broken arm. Just but then that whole journey, like, there is a there are so many ways that breaking my arm actually benefited just me, and yet I would never have asked to break my arm.

Kathryn Binkley:

Never wanted to break my arm, but I came to a place eventually where I was actually grateful just for that, and so I can see how there are different little aspects of that that I could break off into stories and begin to tell, so it's really cool to think about that.

Dallin Nead:

You know, and what's so cool about you sharing that and there you said there's so many different ways. You're basically saying there's so many different pieces of content you can be publishing. And I think a lot of people get strapped, and oftentimes, we create excuses around why we're not publishing, you know, whether it's a video or a podcast. We're doing it right now, just A podcast or blog, email, whatever. We have unlimited opportunities for content ideas if we just stop and and be like, oh, what perspective do can I share on my phone or on this cable? You know, like Yeah. I'm pulling a random object, but unique perspective or a story from the day that we can share and show up to do, and just and we have easy tools to do it, as well. So, there's unlimited possibilities.

Kathryn Binkley:

It's hard when you're an introvert sometimes. Right? So, you have to fight harder like me. Yeah.

Dallin Nead:

But Me too. But it works.

Kathryn Binkley:

I know. That's a great reminder. So, I'd love to know, are there any big mistakes or myths or anything that you feel like just we should cover surrounding this whole idea of owning and sharing your story.

Dallin Nead:

That's such a great question. As far as owning your story, just I'll break it that down a little bit more, and then, I'll talk about some myths. To me, what it means to own your story just is to live true to what you want. And so, I, you know, I talked about in the past where I wasn't owning my story because I was living just a lifestyle that wasn't what I wanted, and it wasn't till I had those epiphanies and really self-reflected that I was like, oh, just and so owning our stories come into, like, owning what we actually want and chasing that. And once we just Achieve a dream, set a new dream, keep on having a dream. And so, like, you know, for example, my next dream is just to build, my business so it can run without me. Run with me, run without me. Operate without me, scale it in a way that it can serve a lot more people.

Dallin Nead:

To me, what I see as far as myths go with owning our stories is that you mentioned 1 earlier is feeling like we're not unique enough. Our stories are not unique enough. Who would care about, you know, Jane Doe in a little town in Arkansas? I'm making a brand a little town in Arkansas. You know, like, I have no special background. I don't have a rags to riches story. You know, I've never really had a life of much struggle like other people just have incredibly impactful stories. You know? I haven't broken my r. I there's been there's been a lack of struggle, and I think it's just we're selling ourselves too short when we jump to that conclusion because no matter who you are, just there's always struggle in our lives, whether it's physical struggle, emotional struggle, family struggle, societal struggle, whatever it may be. There's always conflict that exists, and conflict makes for a unique story and a remarkable story.

Dallin Nead:

But the uniqueness comes into our unique perspective to that story. But I just think I think we need to become more real and honest with ourselves around the hardship we have experienced or will experience because it's always inevitable. Always two sides to the coin of having success and having failure in whatever stage that takes. And, and another big myth I want to head on to is just I feel like the I know the only thing, the biggest thing holding us back is our fear of judgment.

Dallin Nead:

We fear how we'll judge ourselves. We'll fear what our family will think. We fear what our customers will think. We'll fear what, just random trolls on the Internet, we'll think, whether we admit it or not. And as far as publishing and owning our stories, and ownership of our stories, just we first own it, then we must publish it. Like, that's a nonnegotiable when we create ownership over that. And so just That fear of judgment holds its back, every single day. Yeah. So that begs the question, just so what do you do? How do you get over it?

Dallin Nead:

Yeah. I believe it goes back to what I was mentioning earlier. Just With ourselves privately. We document it, like, give yourself dedicated time, you know. In some ways, it can be seen as meditation, I guess, but just stories. Just start documenting it. It's a little bit of personal, like, history, honestly.

Dallin Nead:

But just kind of document, like, why am I doing what I'm doing? Like, what is it that I want, out of this business, out of my life just Kinda thing. Like, big questions. Yes. I know. But be honest with us of what we want so we can, you know, own that just and write down all the difficulties you've had in your life. Like, just take stock. Like, literally create, a story bank just of just everything that's happened. Document it all, write it down, maybe do an audio record, maybe record yourself a video or something privately.

Dallin Nead:

Just one thing that is incredible to help too is find someone who is, like, a third party, someone you trust that you can feel like they can speak freely, they're a good listener, just and they're they ask some good questions. They're engaged. No distractions. They have that conversation around what you want and what their perspective is, so what they see, just document that as well.

Dallin Nead:

So, record those audio conversations for reference. As you document them, you'll become more comfortable sharing. When I started, I used my wife. We both cried a lot – she's a sympathetic crier, but it was good. I documented a lot, thinking that was my entire story, but pieces of it were. It wasn't until later that I realized it wasn't my exact origin story. Yes, it was a difficult time, but that wasn't it. The more we communicate our stories, the clearer they become, and it's easier to do this on a smaller scale. As we practice and share more, public sharing becomes natural. But story sharing starts privately too, like at Tony Robbins events. There, people quickly adapt to massive public sharing, emotions come out fast. Then, they pull back, sharing with trusted circles privately to understand what it meant for them. Did this big event change their life?

Dallin Nead:

Public sharing can be a starting point, but there are three stages for clarity: private reflection, trusted circle discussion, and public communication. This helps us communicate the hard and exciting parts of our stories. Publishing them is non-negotiable, especially as we create ownership. It's healthy, and not publishing prevents us from creating a personal history. Our stories benefit not only ourselves financially but also generations who can learn from them.

Kathryn Binkley:

Just yeah. I think when it comes to the judgment specifically, at some point, just it's not that there's ever a way to of course, you can't make the judgment go away. It's always going to be there. It's just at some point, what you're saying about having this just compulsion, like, you must share. You must publish. The mission becomes so much greater than just whatever judgment could come, or you just learn to not care what other people think, and it's going to benefit more people than whatever pain you're you might feel from a meeting her a lot, not resonating.

Dallin Nead:

Absolutely. Owning your story is key. When we take true ownership, it's like saying, "Bring it on!" – no matter what's said or done. Judgement is hard, we all struggle with it. But ownership brings clarity and the power to push forward, regardless of external negativity. Those who judge or hate likely haven't owned their own stories – that's their burden, not ours. Owning ours empowers us.

Kathryn Binkley:

True. Love that! And so much about sharing your story or any message just marketing content is about creating the polarizing content. Like, it's going to attract some people and repel others, and just that's actually a really good thing.

Dallin Nead:

Yeah. So true.

Kathryn Binkley:

Okay. Well, I've thoroughly enjoyed just chatting with you. And while we could continue talking forever, I think it's best to perhaps just tell everyone who's listening in where they can learn more and follow you and get just know you, and so where can they find you online?

Dallin Nead:

You can find me on all social media platforms. Storyvideo.com is my signature service, helping people own and publish their stories. And ContentSupply.com is the hub of my agency.

Kathryn Binkley:

Absolutely. Let's delve into both those areas. We've covered your origin story in detail today, which sounds like a great first step on this whole journey. Cool. Well, thank you so much for chatting with us. Any last final words that you'd like to share before we sign off?

Dallin Nead:

Sure, I'll share some advice. We've talked about sharing and publishing. Don't feel pressured to have everything perfectly documented before you start. Simply begin sharing your insights today. You might be in a better emotional state now than you will be later. The more you show up and publish, even if it's imperfect, the more comfortable you'll become with sharing your story. So, start simple and publish right away.

Kathryn Binkley:

Love it. So that's your challenge. Everyone who's listening, go somewhere, somehow, publish something imperfectly.