Lydia Chan is joined by Braden Dragomir, filmmaker, story strategist, and founder of Untold Storytelling, to explore the intersection of authentic storytelling, brand strategy, and the science behind what makes stories stick.

Braden shares how he bridges authentic documentary storytelling with brand objectives and reveals why his team dedicates 60 percent of project time to strategy before filming begins, conducting extensive character research to find the most emotionally compelling stories rather than defaulting to safe choices like CEO profiles. He explains the science behind why our brains are wired for story and how conflict creates psychological questions that keep audiences engaged, resulting in his team achieving 60 percent completion rates on 15-minute brand documentaries.

The conversation covers practical approaches to measuring storytelling impact, including how customers who first encounter brands through storytelling are twice as cheap to convert as those from traditional marketing. Learn how brands like Yeti and Patagonia have built loyal audiences through patience and purpose—not quick wins.

Whether you're a content director, marketing leader, or communication professional struggling to convince stakeholders to invest in storytelling craft, this episode offers actionable insights on creating brand films that actually move audiences and deliver measurable results. 

• 00:45 - From News to Brand Storytelling: How journalism background and interviewing skills translate into finding authentic human stories that balance documentary filmmaking with brand objectives and ROI
  
  
• 06:59 - The 60% Strategy Rule: Why loading most decisions into heavy upfront strategy work—including character briefs and ranking systems—removes boring stories and aligns brand goals with emotional storytelling
  
  
• 19:23 - Single Story, Single Purpose: The principle that very few stories can achieve multiple goals, and why trying to serve multiple audiences or objectives sets both creatives and brands up for failure
  
  
• 55:45 - Measuring What Matters: How conversion efficiency metrics reveal that customers experiencing brand storytelling first are two times cheaper to convert than those from traditional pay-per-click marketing
  
  
• 46:06 - Seven Second Brand vs 70 Year Brand: The fundamental question every company must answer—are you chasing short-term clicks or investing in long-term brand loyalty through patient storytelling like Yeti and Patagonia