About Our Guest, Gavin McMahon
Gavin McMahon builds things. Once, they were submarines, sports cars, and steel plants; massive, intricate systems built on logic and precision. But plans fall apart when people enter the equation. That realization led him from engineering to storytelling. Now, as CEO and co-founder of fassforward, Gavin helps companies shape strategy, leadership, and culture through the stories they tell. His new book, Story Business, captures a lifetime of learning about how great ideas move or die based on how they’re told.
Show Summary:
In this episode, Justin and Virginia reconnect with Justin’s old friend Gavin to talk about his new book, Story Business, and explore the craft and psychology of storytelling in a world drowning in content. In the conversation, they discuss why humans still fall for their own narratives, how propaganda and storytelling share the same tools, and why “the best idea” rarely wins. From ancient Assyrian tablets to PowerPoint decks, Gavin shows that storytelling has always been the way humans make sense of chaos. Together, they dive into emotion, neuroscience, leadership, and humor as the universal teacher.
5 Key Takeaways
Story is the Original Operating System
From cave paintings to PowerPoint, humans have always relied on story to translate complexity into meaning.The Best Idea Never Wins. The Best-Packaged One Does
Gavin’s core premise: great ideas die in silence if they aren’t told well. Storytelling is the delivery system that carries ideas into action. Every leader needs to learn how to do it consciously and skillfully.AI Slop and the Crisis of Meaning
In an age of algorithmic noise, leaders must return to storytelling as a human skill. Story cuts through the overload because it connects to emotion and shared experience, not just data or logic.Emotion Drives Action, Not Reason
Neuroscience confirms what the ancients already knew: we act on feeling first and rationalize later. Storytelling works because it engages emotion, and emotion is the trigger for movement, decision, and change.Storytelling Is a Daily Practice
Storytelling is more skill than a natural gift, and the fundamentals of storytelling (words, structure, and pictures) can be practiced in every conversation.
