#237 3 Storytelling Strategies to Power Up your MBA Application (from Storytelling Champion & Author Matthew Dicks)

“No one wants to hear anything you want to say, unless you give them a reason to listen.” – Matthew Dicks

Almost 2 years ago, I heard ten-time Moth GrandSLAM winner and novelist Matthew Dicks share his storytelling secrets on the Knowledge Project Podcast with Shane Parrish. Then, I listened to entire the 2-hour podcast again, it was that good! I’ve now listened to this interview three times!

I wanted to share 3 storytelling tips from the episode to help you craft compelling stories for your MBA applications.

Topics

  • Introduction (0:00)
  • Story is Change over Time (3:00)
  • The Architecture of Story: How to Structure your Stories (12:45)
  • Beginnings: Give Them a Reason to Listen (15:10)
  • How to Maintain Interest: Stakes, Suspense, Surprise (17:00)
  • Summarizing Key Takeaways (22:30)

Show Notes

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4 responses to “#237 3 Storytelling Strategies to Power Up your MBA Application (from Storytelling Champion & Author Matthew Dicks)”

  1. The central lesson is that a story needs to earn attention before it can communicate an applicant’s strengths. That shifts the task away from listing achievements and toward selecting a moment with tension, change, and a clear point of view. Revisiting a long interview can be worthwhile when the advice concerns choices that are easy to understand abstractly but harder to apply in a personal essay. For an MBA application, specificity is what turns an accomplishment into a memorable narrative.

  2. The repeated listening described here points to an important distinction: a memorable story is not merely a polished anecdote, but a reason for the listener to stay engaged. The quoted idea about earning attention is especially relevant to MBA applications, where readers may encounter many accomplished candidates with similar credentials. A focused narrative can show how an applicant interprets a turning point, makes decisions, and learns from consequences. That kind of specificity gives achievement lists more context and helps the application feel intentional rather than assembled.

  3. The point about earning attention before delivering a message is especially relevant to MBA applications. A strong story does more than list achievements: it creates a clear moment of change, then lets the reader see why that moment matters. Selecting one precise scene and building its scale around concrete stakes can make an application feel memorable rather than merely comprehensive.

  4. The central idea is useful for MBA applicants: a story earns attention only when it gives the listener a reason to care. That shifts preparation away from listing accomplishments and toward selecting a specific moment, tension, and change in perspective. The reference to Matthew Dicks’s storytelling work also suggests that strong application stories need deliberate structure, not simply polished language. A practical next step is to test whether each anecdote reveals judgment, values, and a memorable outcome.

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