#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

Resources for MBA Applicants

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Comments

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

Madison

June 17, 2026

Great podcast episode! The emphasis Matthew Dicks places on “change over time” as the core architecture of a story makes perfect sense for crafting an MBA application. While outlining these strategies, I started wondering how this narrative framework applies to unconventional professional backgrounds. For instance, if an applicant has spent their career analyzing digital platforms or complex regulatory and compliance systems—similar to the deep technical audits documented on resources like https://e2betbdguide.com—how can they best translate that rigid, analytical structure into an engaging emotional hook for the admissions committee without losing the core professional impact?

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