This episode reunites me with my friend and client, Mellissa Tong, a three-time #1 Best Selling Author on Amazon, Award-winning Storyteller, and Founder/CCO of a Creative Marketing and Content Production Company, DuckPunk Productions, Inc. Mellissa is direct, engaged, modest, and knows what's up - which is why global brands like Westin, McDonald's, Old Navy and more heed her advice. Pay heed, dear listener, especially if you're a professional, and entrepreneur, a thought leader, or a person trying to navigate the rapid-fire realities of today's world (Mellissa is also a former journalist). And, of course, I pitch her some creative when the opportunity arises!

Find Mellissa:

www.duckpunk.net

More About Mellissa Tong:

Ms. Tong has over twenty-five years of both in-front-of and behind-the-camera experience on storytelling. She worked as a News Anchor/Reporter/Producer at the International Channel in Los Angeles, one of the first satellite TV stations in the US. Aside from anchoring the news, she was also producing a daily 5-min human interest segment, where she covered stories ranging from beauty, health, science, technology, to movie premieres, red carpet events, Star Trek Conventions, and more. During the four years at the station, she interviewed thousands of people from all walks of life, including Hollywood celebrities such as Anthony Hopkins, Russell Crowe, Julianne Moore, etc., and crafted over 1,200 stories. Later, she took her storytelling skills to the fiction side and worked on a primetime CBS show called Martial Law before

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(0:00) Introduction and Hersh Rephun's conversation with Melissa Tong (1:36) Melissa Tong's storytelling training and example with an AC company (8:12) Current state of journalism, advertising, and brand communication (13:15) Melissa Tong's journey into storytelling and its impact on her work (16:48) Role of news and social media in shaping perceptions (19:11) Brands with a purpose-driven element and working with Western LAX (23:18) Live events at hotels and Hersh Rephun's collaborative project idea (25:06) Discussion on women's issues, social action, and democracy (30:20) Complexities of the abortion debate and brands taking a stand (34:19) Mellissa Tong's future projects and storytelling training for women business owners (34:56) Closing remarks and call to action for listeners