You probably know that there are a lot of podcasts out there to listen to. By one estimate, as of January 2026 there are 4.58 million podcasts. That’s a lot of people churning out content that runs the gamut of topics and guests. If you look at the podcast stats, you also will see that nearly one-third of podcasts are 20-40 minutes in length.

Which makes Experience by Design stand out in a somewhat unique way in terms of the length of my conversation with guests. Only about 15% of podcasts last an hour or more.

So why go for an hour when most podcasters go for a much shorter length? Stories.

Part of my goal here at ExD is to hear the stories that people have to offer, to learn about the people behind the products and offerings. I like to think about it like “Humans of Experience Design.” As an ethnographer, I like to hear people’s stories. I’ve also found that people like sharing their stories. In many ways, the manner in which we share stories is what makes us human, or more human.

My guest today knows all about telling stories. Bill Blankschaen is here to talk about his book “Your Story Advantage: A Proven Path to Maximize Your Impact, Influence, and Income.”

Bill’s background has roots in his study of English and History, both of which are rich in stories. He then found himself leading a private school. While rewarding, he felt a calling for something more, and that was to help people tell their stories. This led to his company StoryBuilders, “a creative team of storytellers who are passionate about serving people with excellence in genuine, high-trust relationships.” Bill and StoryBuilders provide coaching, assistance with writing, getting it ready for launch, and getting it in front of your audience. They have worked with a range of business leaders, political figures, cultural influencers, and many more, helping to tell their stories and get their message out. Bill also is a multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling writer and business founder.

Bill and I talk about the path to finding purpose in life by engaging in your passion. We explore writing as a journey of exploration rather than just a final product. Bill relates about working with people who have a clear vision on what they want to do, as well as those who just have the desire to tell a story but not quite sure how. We also talk about the emergent area of hybrid publishing. While self-publishing has become more accessible, it’s still important to ensure quality and align publishing strategies with the author’s goals. He also emphasizes StoryBuilder’s approach to customize the publishing approach to each author’s needs.

Finally, Bill talks about the role that AI is starting to play in the writing and publishing process, and how it should compliment creativity rather than replace it.

StoryBuilders, LLC: https://mystorybuilders.com

Bill Blankschaen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billblankschaen/

“Your Story Advantage: A Proven Path to Maximize Your Impact, Influence, and Income”: https://www.amazon.com/Your-Story-Advantage-Maximize-Influence/dp/1954521901

Once again, we are living in a time of military conflict. It seems like it is something that is inescapable, which is enough to make one who wishes for better to lose hope that it is possible. It can start to feel pretty overwhelming given the amount of suffering that continues to go on without reprieve.

This once again introduces the central importance of dispute and conflict resolution in our lives. It also emphasizes the importance of those who have the skills to help us navigate conflicts and dispute in order to come to some kind of outcome that is fair and equitable.

In this episode of Experience by Design, I’m fortunate to have Colin Rule, CEO of ODR.com, with ODR standing for online dispute resolution. Colin is the author of the book “Online Dispute Resolution for Business.” He also was the Director of Online Dispute Resolution, meaning that he has seen more conflict than the most experienced global negotiator. Colin shared insights from his experience at eBay, where they managed 60 million disputes annually across 54 countries, emphasizing the need for a fast and fair resolution system to maintain trust in online marketplaces.

We talk about his early stage appearance as Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof” in high school, and his involvement in the debate team. He describes how debate influenced his desire to form authentic and genuine belief in his arguments. Colin explains how his interest in peace studies developed through mediation training and his understanding of conflict resolution as a form of peacemaking.

Colin shares personal experiences where empathetic listening resolved a long-standing dispute, highlighting the value of authentic apologies and understanding. We also discuss the concept of fairness and justice, especially in an era of artificial intelligence. Colin suggests that AI has transformed the landscape of dispute resolution, and while this change is irreversible, it presents new challenges and opportunities for the field.

In a time of needing greater dispute resolution to end conflict, it is a great moment to hear from Colin’s work in creating dispute resolution experiences.

Colin Rule: https://www.colinrule.com/

Colin Rule LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/crule

“Online Dispute Resolution for Business”: https://www.amazon.com/Online-Dispute-Resolution-Business-Employment/dp/0787957313

The 2026 Winter Olympics are now over, and it was great to watch. As always, there are a lot of compelling stories that happened. There are stories of triumph and disappointment, as it goes with sports. It is hard to imagine putting so many years of your life into something to have it all turn on minutes or seconds.

There were a lot of athletes that were projected to win gold, including Jessie Diggins who is the greatest US cross-country skier ever. However, no US woman or man has ever won a cross-country skiing gold, so there were a lot of hopes that this would be the year. But that didn’t come to pass. The men were able to secure two silver medals, and Jessie Diggins won a bronze. To add to this, Jessie Diggins is retiring at the end of this season, marking the end of a remarkable career.

So was it a disappointment? Depends on how you measure it. By one metric of success, she failed to achieve the top goal of winning a race and taking home the gold. But other measures, according to Jessie, she did all she could, left it all out there, and represented herself, her friends and family, and her country well. The same could be said for a lot of athletes who ‘failed’ to live up to expectations, but nonetheless did what they could to succeed.

In a culture where second place might be referred to as “first loser,” coming back with less than complete victory is a high standard. And maybe it is time for that standard to change, and the culture around metrics to shift.

To talk about the impact of measuring what matters, and more broadly the need for changes in organizational culture and employee experience, I welcome Dr. James Killian to Experience by Design podcast. This is the second Industrial/Organizational Psychologist in two weeks, so that might be a record for any podcast.

James has a new book coming out titled “Obsessed: Cultivating the Customer-Driven Leader.” The book describes how to develop customer-focused leadership habits, establish employee-centric cultures, create linkages between employee and customer experience, and establish metrics that really matter to your strategy.

James explains his entry into the field after discovering it during an introductory psychology class at Texas A&M, describing his interest in combining business and psychology. We also talk about his experiences in industry as well as working in the Michigan State University Customer Experience Management Masters program. Finally, there is the familiar theme about needing to create better connections between industry and academia.

Dr. James Killian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-killian-ph-d-859182/

“Obsessed:Cultivating the Customer-Driven Leader”: https://the-customer-driven-leader.com/

Pre-order now!: https://books.manuscripts.com/product/obsessed/