Ask a story theorist what makes a story, and you will likely hear a single word: Because.

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, host Matt Abrahams speaks with Troy Campbell, chief scientist at the experience-design firm On Your Feet and a former marketing professor at the University of Oregon whose career runs from Disney Imagineering to Netflix Consumer Insights. Troy studies persuasion, identity, and consumer enjoyment, and he works by a simple credo: scientific mind, artistic heart.

Together, Matt and Troy discuss:
• Nearly every definition of "story" comes down to a single 3-letter word
• Steve Jobs organized Apple's big announcements around a simple, repeatable three-part structure
• One sentence from a physician, delivered before any lab results, neutralized a patient's refusal in advance
• A princess, a farm boy from Tatooine, and a wayfinder all share the same character arc
• All Disney rides rehearse a visitor's brain through three psychological moves before they start

From the subject line of a memo to the moment a skeptical room stops pushing back, Troy maps each beat like one of his old theme rides. By the end of this episode, you will have gained enough tricks to make your next presentation engaging till the very last slide!

About The Guest
Troy Campbell is the chief scientist at On Your Feet, a consultancy where he designs behavioral-science programs for global organizations, and a former professor of marketing at the University of Oregon. A former Disney Imagineer and Netflix Consumer Insights researcher with a PhD from Duke University, he blends a scientific mind with an artistic heart to study storytelling, consumer behavior, and the psychology of human connection.

About Matt
Matt Abrahams is a leading communication expert, lecturer in organizational behavior at Stanford GSB, and host of the award-winning Think Fast, Talk Smart podcast. He has coached presenters at TED, the World Economic Forum, and the UN Secretary-General's office, and his online talks have garnered millions of views worldwide. He is the author of Think Faster, Talk Smarter and Speaking Up without Freaking Out, two bestselling guides to confident, spontaneous communication.

Key Quotes
• "Once you start saying ‘because’ and you say ‘because’ a couple times, it's going to transform something into a story." - Troy Campbell (02:30)
• "The very first thing I do is prove to them that they're already a storyteller." - Troy Campbell (10:03)
• "You might start with a bang, but you really don't. You just need to slowly transition people into it." - Troy Campbell (12:18)
• "Your brain is obsessed with understanding characters." - Troy Campbell (20:54)

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:08 The Word That Makes Stories
03:41 Why Jobs Ditched Data
05:57 The ‘Out Loud’ Rule
07:09 Why People Fight Facts
08:50 You're Already a Storyteller
11:35 The Secret to Disney's Rides
13:55 How to Craft The Perfect Hook
17:54 Matt's 3 Questions
23:35 Conclusion

Relevant Links:
Troy Campbell: https://www.fastersmarter.io/guests/dr-troy-campbell/

Episode References:
Ep. 156. Storytelling Through Design: How Our Choices Communicate Our Values
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqE2z7xUs1I / https://www.fastersmarter.io/156-creative-communication-how-our-design-choices-illustrate-our-values/

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