How to Use Storytelling to Inspire & Influence

Paul Furlong was born in Liverpool, a city that nestles at the place where the River Mersey and the Irish Sea meet.  Like other major cities in Europe, Liverpool is rich in history.  From the 18th to 20th centuries, Liverpool served as a major trade port, a place that people came together to tell stories. 

Paul and his brother Daniel were raised here by two hardworking parents in difficult financial circumstance.  In fact, their father held two jobs while the mother had five jobs, but their wages were all spent on the basics.  Unlike other kids in the neighborhood, Paul and his brother Daniel didn’t have any toys to play with.  That was a luxury that their parents couldn’t afford at that time.

Even so, the boys never got bored because they spent their time making up stories and acting them out the entire day as they waited for their parents to come home after work.  That is how his storytelling skill developed, and with hindsight he is thankful this happened.

As time went by, Paul’s family finances improved slightly, and that was good news for them.  Because of that, their parents introduced them to cinema which further nurtured him into the great storyteller he is today.  From there, Paul began traveling the world, telling stories, and making films.

Paul tells stories through films and TV programs, first for his company, Opus Media, and others such as BBC, ITV, and Channel4.  He specializes in TV ads, photography, online video, and more.  Today, he has 52 episodes of TV to his name where he plays the role of a producer, director, or assistant director. 

Julian’s magic show bring connection and joy to your company’s clients, customers, teams, and friends.

Obsession is one of the films that he produced and won the Royal Television Society award.  It won the best film and best actress categories.  Paul and his team are currently working on several feature films, and a film called Indignitas will be shooting this September.  Some of his corporate clients include The National Grid, NHS, The National Lottery, Formula One, and Subway, among others. 

Aside from his knowledge and experience in storytelling and filmmaking, he is an expert in sales and marketing.  Paul gathered his expertise and know-how over the years from his corporate work, and he is eager to share it in various forums.  So, you’re likely to see him in public or corporate seminars, in-person or virtual training programs, listen to him on podcasts, including his own (search Rule the World in whichever podcast platform you use) or read his books or articles in different publications such as Entrepreneur.

Additionally, he is a founding member and sits on the Producer’s Collective board, and is a member of PACT, and the RTS.

Besides telling stories through films and TV programs, Paul has authored the international best-selling book, Rule the World: Master the Power of Storytelling to Inspire, Influence, and Succeed.  He wrote this book because he understands how storytelling can be effective in persuading just about anyone.  It can help business owners, leaders, and sales and marketing executives sell their products, services or ideas and make sales through storytelling.

Sadly, many business leaders and organizations struggle to engage with their audiences because they lack an essential communication skill – storytelling.  His goal is to help them resonate, engage, and connect with their loyal and potential customers through well-told stories.  Stories are an excellent tool that can literally shape people’s thoughts and behaviors.

Indeed, business messages and the result should improve after reading and applying the insight found in this 242-page book.  Readers will be able to emotionally connect with their audience through stories and capitalize on the illustrations or examples to drive the message home.

The book has actionable content, high-level concepts, and techniques, as well as diverse real-world examples and references such as the wire, The Big Lebowski, The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings, Toy Story, and much more.  Paul has incorporated his love of films and a few examples he gathered from YouTube to help people make great stories.  They will learn a lot from this book, and after completing the exercises, they will become a better storyteller.  Their stories will inspire people to action and make their business a success.

Paul wants his readers to harness the power of storytelling to optimize their messaging.

You can find the book Rule the World on Amazon and its reviews here, and can find Paul on Twitter at @PaulFurlongOpus.