RPS Book Review: "Meaningful" by Bernadette Jiwa

What we have learned in the 30 plus years we have been in business is that to succeed, you can never stop learning. There are so many different ways to learn now, but we keep coming back to books. Books disconnect from the grind of the day, they help us escape from today’s reality as we step into someone else’s and even give us a reprise of the continuous need to be around screens (if you like the old-fashioned style of printed books).

Don’t get us wrong, we love our blogs, newsletters, social media feeds, videos and don’t get us started on podcasts. However, we keep turning to books because much more work goes into a book just to get in your hand that there is a level of care and love that you just don’t get from the other learning outlets. And there is something about the commitment to a book as well. It takes more than one sitting or commute so that you have time to think about a new idea and then come back to it so that your learning is deeper.

Our team reads all kinds of books, but we are just going to share the books that are helping us show up better for our team, clients and community. As we each finish a book, we are documenting what we learned. This is by no means a middle school book report, it is meant to be a quick, helpful and maybe even fun resource if you are looking for your next business, leadership, or marketing book. And these posts are just as much for us so that we remember what we learned and can find some of the great resources from some amazing thought leaders who are sharing their knowledge to make the world a better place.

To kick-off the Rock Paper Scissors book reviews, we are going to start with one whose cover just happens to match our current homepage image :).

Bio/Expert Positioning:

Bernadetta Jiwa is one of our all-time favorite marketing thought leaders in today’s ever more complicated marketing world. She is based in Australia, so we are also big fans of her audiobooks that she reads herself. Her approach to marketing is telling stories worth telling and making amazing customer experiences one customer at a time, and to really take care of people. Each of her books expands her approach and successes. She is also a blogger, so check out her bio and blog here: https://thestoryoftelling.com/about/

Book Summary:

When we think about our customers and clients, we don’t need to think about them as our next sale, but how we can create meaning in their lives. We live in a world that is being flipped over by industry disruptors like Warby Parker, Airbnb, and Uber, to name a few. Ten years ago, we would have thought all of these concepts were just weird, but we would have a hard time imagining life without them today. Bernadette Jiwa dissects what these entrepreneurs and storytellers did to make an impact and create meaning for people. Meaningful is a brilliant, quick, and easy to read book.

Favorite Story/Example:

The big idea in this book is the Story Strategy Blueprint. It is an easy-to-use framework that ties in listening to your customers, finding inspiration, developing your product, and then continuing to listen to your customer to continually improve your offering to them to show your care to build brand loyalty like you have never seen before.

Amanda’s Takeaways:

I am not entirely sure where to start with this one, but she has fantastic case studies in this book to show that these industry disruptors are not just a fluke, but that there is a definite pattern here and it comes from a place of genuine care.

One other thing I love about Bernadetta Jiwa’s love of marketing is that it has no ideal size. She shares stories of local coffee shops all the way up to the likes of Nike. Good marketing is not about market share but sharing with your customers.

Book Resources:

Story Strategy Blueprint

Meaningful Case Studies: If you don’t have time for the whole book, her case studies are quick reads that map these successes against the Story Strategy Blueprint. Below is a complete list of who you will find on her website and in the book: