Most of us are starring in a film we didn’t mean to make. We improvise through scenes, change scripts mid-act, and wonder why the audience isn’t moved. Our brand, whether personal or business, isn’t broken. It’s just missing a director. Someone to help shape the story we’re really here to tell.
The shift that changes everything
I went to a friend’s book launch this week, Greg Logan’s new book, Creating a Blockbuster Brand. You can pre-order it here by or before June 24 and get some generous bonuses along with it.
This wasn’t your typical book launch. It felt more like a creative intervention. No slides. No grandstanding. Just a room of business humans and founders asking a very honest question:
Why do we matter to the people we’re trying to reach?
At some point during the evening, we each created our Quest, a sentence that cuts to the truth of what we do and who we do it for. Not a tagline. Not a mission statement. A Quest. It’s just one of many tools in Greg’s book that helps you name exactly who you’re for and why it matters.
Mine:
Fulfilling executive leaders’ ambitions, even when they don’t know what that is.
It came out simply. But it hit something deeper. Like naming what I’ve always known, but hadn’t put words around until now.
That’s what Greg’s framework does: it clears the fog.
And while I haven’t formally used the framework in my own business yet, I’ve seen it in action. I’ve watched teams shift from confusion to clarity. From playing small to landing big. The kind of change that doesn’t just feel good — it works.
Why the Quest Matters
Every great movie centers around a Quest.
Dorothy wants to get home.
Frodo wants to destroy the ring.
Nemo’s dad just wants to find his son.
The audience stays with them not because they’re flawless, but because their desire is clear. The tension is real. The resolution matters.
That’s what most brands miss.
They spend so much time describing what they do that they forget to connect it to what their customer wants.
Greg’s Quest formula flips that script.
What you do + Who you do it for + What value it adds to their lives
It’s how you become the guide, not the hero. And that shift changes everything.
What You’re Fighting, And What You’ve Got
Here’s another part of the book that stuck with me: Enemy & Superpower.
Every brand has one, an obstacle in the way of the people you serve, and a way through it that only you can offer. Most companies don’t name either one. They stay stuck in features. Or benefits. Or “unique differentiators.”
Greg cuts through all that. He forces you to say it plainly: what’s getting in the way of your people, and what’s in your hands that helps them overcome it.
And here’s where I’ll be blunt: if you can’t name those two things, you’ll struggle to connect.
When I coach executive teams, the moment we name the real block, not the surface-level problem, but the deeper enemy, the invisible thing in the way, everything opens up. That’s where leadership starts to feel real. It’s the same with a brand. It has to get honest.
Greg calls this out without being preachy. He makes it approachable. I’ve seen teams go from fuzzy, bloated messaging to clear emotional stakes in under an hour using this part of the framework.
And more importantly, I’ve seen what happens when you lead with it. More trust. More clarity. More buy-in. Because people know what you stand against, and what you’re standing up for.
Real Impact, Real Fast
In the book, Greg shares a case study from Ultimate Finance, a British business lender that initially claimed its mission was to “be the number one Independent Funder for SMEs in the UK.”
Impressive? Maybe. But irrelevant to the customer.
Greg pushed them to redefine their Quest. What came out was this:
Relieving business owners from the pressures they’re under.
Same product. Same pricing. Same people. But a new story. One that made their customers the center of it.
The result? Within six months, they became the actual number one independent funder in the UK. Not because of a rebrand. Because of a refocus.
There’s another one I love: a nonprofit working with people who have criminal histories. Their old story was buried in complexity. But once they defined their Quest, giving people with criminal histories the best shot at a second chance, everything clicked.
Messaging, funding, engagement. It wasn’t just easier to talk about. It was easier to believe in.
I’ve seen these kinds of shifts before. I spent 24 years running a global agency in Silicon Valley, and I’ve seen firsthand how even the most brilliant companies get stuck when they can’t tell a clear, human story.
What’s Inside
Creating a Blockbuster Brand is a hands-on workbook you keep on your desk, designed to help you craft your brand story like a Hollywood hit.
You’ll build:
The Hero — shifting focus from your business to your audience
Genre — defining tone and emotional terrain
Enemy & Superpower — identifying obstacles and your unique ability to overcome them
Quest — your core promise, in one unforgettable line
Tagline — a line that resonates like a movie trailer
Tone — the emotional heartbeat behind your message
Love Story, Backstory, and Synopsis — yes, even brands have these
The Hero’s Journey — a map of transformation, for your customer and your company
And no, you don’t need to be a “brand person” to use this. That’s the point. It’s written for founders, creators, and leaders who are too close to their own work to describe it clearly.
What’s important to know is that Greg has helped shape brand narratives for companies such as Adobe, Qantas, and Virgin, and his film work has earned him international awards.
But what makes him rare is his ability to move between the epic and the intimate. He can spot the cinematic arc in a Fortune 100 pitch just as easily as he can help a solo founder rewrite a website headline. He sees what most of us miss, and then gives you the language to say it out loud.
Your Turn
If you’ve ever struggled to explain what you do in a way that makes people care, this book will help.
If you’ve ever felt like your message sounds like everyone else’s, this book will help.
If your team is unclear. If your customers aren’t converting. If your work feels good but your story doesn’t land, this is a place to begin.
Pre-order Creating a Blockbuster Brand here. Use the Barnes & Noble or Amazon link to help get the book on shelves and unlock bonuses by or before June 24.
The right story doesn’t just sell, it calls the right people in.
Stay human,
Bryan
P.S. What’s your Quest? Comment and tell me.
You are reading BEing Human, a weekly newsletter about an honest exploration of trust and leadership from the bestselling author of Human-to-Human and Shareology, 3x CEO of Silicon Valley companies, and TEDTalker. Written by Bryan Kramer, an executive coach, mentor, and board advisor. Bryan helps fulfill executive leaders’ ambitions, even when they don’t know what that is.
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What a great post Bryan. After reading it , anyone would and should immediately get Greg’s book, and read it . You are such a good supporter and friend.
Xo
Ordering it now. I need to reexamine the story I'm telling regarding AI technostress to ensure it lands. Thanks, Bryan!