Why Most B2B Content Fails (And Storytelling Fixes It)

The Digital Slice Podcast is brought to you by The Friedman Group, LLC

If your marketing feels polished but forgettable, brand storytelling may be the difference between blending in and building trust that converts.

Join Brad Friedman and David J. Ebner as they explore story-first content, authenticity, video, AI, sales messaging, and SEO so you can create marketing that resonates with the right audience and supports real business growth.

David is the President and Founder of Content Workshop, a story-first content marketing agency. While in graduate school, he assembled a collective of storytellers whose sole purpose was to use their storytelling skills to help brands create and convert an audience. That idea became Content Workshop in 2013. After graduating from the University of Tampa with an MFA in Creative Writing, he authored the Amazon Best Seller: “Kingmakers: A Content Marketing Story.”

In 2025, Content Workshop acquired Lush Concepts, a web and technology studio, to heighten storytelling through every aspect of a brand's digital and physical footprint. Today, David runs Content Workshop and Lush Concepts from their headquarters in Clearwater, Florida. He also serves as the treasurer for a national non-profit and roasts his own coffee.

In this Episode:

• David defines what story-first content means and why narrative matters as much as information.
• David explains why effective B2B storytelling should feel closer to Netflix than a textbook.
• David clarifies why the customer, not the CEO, should be the hero of the brand story.
• David shares why product-market fit is the starting point for building a strong brand story.
• David also discusses how storytelling can improve sales decks, websites, email marketing, and social media.

Quotes from this Episode:
“Story-first means that we’re focusing on a narrative thread.” – David Ebner
“So it’s the difference between reading a textbook, and binging Netflix.” – David Ebner
“It’s just the question is whether your brand is brave enough to adopt it.” – David Ebner
“The brand story is not about the CEO or founder, it is about the customer.” – David Ebner
“If you don’t have good storytelling in your sales deck you’re probably losing sales today.” – David Ebner

Resources:

David Ebner:
LinkedIn: David J. Ebner
Website: Content Workshop

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Books
“Brad Friedman on Digital Marketing,” by Brad Friedman
“The Small Business Owner's Guide To Inbound Marketing,” by Brad Friedman
“100 Livestreaming & Digital Media Predictions,” by Ross Brand with a chapter by Brad Friedman

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