Brand Storytelling Academy® by Sarah Panus

Get ready to advance your career AND drive stronger content results!

APPLY NOW

Humanize Your Brand & Connect With Your Audience to 7x Engagements

Professional Development: Level-up Your Mindset, Framework & Skills

Improve & Retain Existing Team Without Having to Hire More People

You want to be more confident at work.

In an ideal world, you/r content team are high-level strategic thinkers that know how to humanize your brand to drive 7x engagements.

You have the right creative mindset to attract your ideal audience and build brand trust and loyalty through storytelling.

You're viewed as top performers in the company, and brand storytelling is valued because it's driving business results and supporting multiple channel teams.

But, things don't always go our way, right?

Maybe you and your team are asked to deliver a lot for your company and it's hard to keep up.

Maybe your brand lacks a cohesive content strategy.
And you personally want to level-up your skills because you know you need to know these things to advance in your career.
Or, you realize you need to invest in figuring out next steps in your company's brand storytelling plans, but haven't had time to figure out how (yet), and need help integrating across the organization.
And, you want your work to be valued so you love coming to work each day; attract leads; increase repeat & referral actions; or create a loved brand.

You're ready to think like Editorial Directors, but you/r team needs mentorship to step into their confidence.

And, in this competitive market, you're looking for ways to retain and attract top talent at your company.

I'M READY TO APPLY!

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN?

Imagine having the skills, confidence and know-how to advance your brand storytelling.

You'll feel more empowered to build effective plans.
You'll enjoy your job more (and retain your top employees)!
You'll provide more value to your customers, who in turn will love your brand more.
You/r team will be waaaay more focused, creatively-inspired and efficient.
And, you'll be viewed as an even more strategic leader than you already are. #GoYou

Testimonials

YES! I WANT TO APPLY & LEARN MORE

"I recommend working with Sarah on content strategy, brand storytelling, and the strategic development of programs to support purpose and mission. Learn from her, I guarantee she will make you think differently as she leans into her strengths of strategic thinking, organizational effectiveness and collaborative leadership."

Lisa B.

VP Media

"Her energy to make things happen is contagious and it helped us achieve great goals. Sarah is highly focused, positive, detail oriented, and adds value with every decision she makes. She has an exceptional ability to grow brands through creative and strategic storytelling."

Stephanie G.

Thrive Global

"Sarah makes a difference and I highly recommend working with her. She has a unique talent using each department's strengths to build teamwork and achieve high-performance. She revolutionized the company's storytelling. This strategy contributed to improved sales by improving repeat, referral sales and drive new business."

Ronald D.

Loyalty Director

Can't wait to guide you & your team

Hey! Hey! I'm Sarah Panus. I've spent the last 20 years helping large brands build winning brand storytelling strategies and drive leading ROI. Now I'm here to help you more confidently do your job - without feeling overwhelmed or confused.

My mission is simple: to make people’s days better by creating useful (and more meaningful) connections between brands and consumers. How? By using the power of empathy+data infused storytelling to improve the lives of content marketing professionals (YOU) and the people your brand serves.

In addition to coaching content marketers how to think like Editorial Directors through my online courses, I'm a brand storytelling strategist, podcast host of Marketing With Empathy®, and owner of Kindred Speak® consulting.

What makes me different: I'm not just another brand storytelling strategist. I've been a leader in the corporate trenches working on editorial, social, influencers, SEO and PR. Worked with CMOs and large internal and external teams. Gone from Minnesota farm girl to New York City fashionista; from Boston PR-leader and corporate America manager to suburban mom boss. Small budgets to $10 million budgets. Agency and corporate life, to now running my own consulting biz.

INTRODUCING

Brand Storytelling Academy®

A hands-on 3-month group training program designed to help brand content marketers attract top-funnel leads that drive bottom-funnel results through storytelling.

For a fraction of the cost to hire a person on the team, or onboard a high-level brand storytelling strategist, you, or up to 5 people on your team, can be developing & accelerating your brand storytelling skills.

Think of it like a college certification program for you & your team -- but you get the knowledge a lot quicker, and your "professor" has 20 years of hands-on experience.

OK, I NEED THIS

BRAND STORYTELLING ACADEMY®

$4,875 per person ($22,375 value)

100% virtual, 3-month hands-on training program led by 20-year expert, Sarah Panus.
Companies or individuals sign up to reserve 1, 3, or 5 people spots.
Each group cohort has no more than 10 people total. No direct competitors in same group.
Training is provided through a mix of pre-recorded and live online modules.
Participate in weekly 60-minute calls, to review and discuss weekly projects to advance your business & career.

Plus! These Bonuses to Help Drive Quicker Results

BONUS #1

Need extra arms & legs to get stuff D-O-N-E?! How’s a quick win sound? Book your spot in BSA within 3 weeks of your sales call and get a free half-day of work done by Sarah herself (a VIP Day Rate) to help check something off your to-do list. ($1,000 value)

BONUS #2

Get private access to Sarah during weekly 1:1 Voxer office hours. ($7,500 value)

BONUS #3

Submit your work each week for personalized critiques and feedback from Sarah herself. ($7,500 value)

BONUS #4

15+ brand storytelling templates and frameworks to help you quickly plan, organize and merchandise. ($1,500+ value)

BONUS #5

Engage with the whole group any time you want through a private Slack community.

THAT'S AN EXTRA $17,500 IN VALUE

By purchasing you're ALSO helping rescue kids trapped in child trafficking

As a mom, I'm extremely passionate about helping kids. It sickens me that today, there are more people living in slavery than at any other time in history. ~10 MILLION KIDS ARE ENSLAVED TODAY. But, we can be part of changing that. I donate a portion of all my profits to the International Justice Mission to help fund child trafficking rescue missions and urgent needs. Together we can help fund freedom and create more news like this photo.

"We just completed a project with Sarah Panus and we could not have been happier. Her experience is extremely evident in the presentation and the plan she provided. She made me look exceptional by bringing her in."

Bryan W.

Digital Director

This IS for you if you can say yes to any of these:

You're a brand content marketer that wants to connect with your audience through editorial brand storytelling and need help to do it better.

You want to advance your brand storytelling skills for more empowerment, sanity & fulfillment. (i.e. you want to really like your job!)
You're part of a content marketing or communications team at a B2C or Non-Profit company and you're ready to commit to advancing your career in a creative, hands-on group of people who get you. (note: B2Bers can still apply)
You want to create a more valuable interaction with your customers by learning how to humanize your brand.

Your brand lacks a cohesive content strategy or professional development opportunities.
You know you need to invest in figuring out a brand storytelling plan for your company, but haven't had the time to figure out how (yet), and need help integrating across the organization.
You want to retain and improve the team you have; attract leads; increase repeat & referral actions; and create a loved brand.

This is NOT for you if...

You're not willing to commit during the 3-month program by participating in weekly calls, going through the online modules, and playing a hands-on role in advancing you(r) team's results.
You don't care about advancing you and your team's brand storytelling skills.
You're looking for a writing course. BSA is about strategy and does not cover content writing.

Better Results Are Around the Corner

Ready to have more thinking time to focus, strategize and develop your professional skills? To be energized (and recognized)? It's exactly why I'm excited to dive in with you/r team!

YES, I WANT TO APPLY NOW!

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the next cohort begin and end?

Each cohort lasts 3 months. Start dates vary based on the number of applicants. Apply using the above application links and Sarah will contact you to discuss what start date works best for you.

How much does BSA cost?

The full 3 months of coaching and reviews from Sarah, along with $17,500 worth of bonuses = $4,875 per person.

Teams of 5 can enroll for a flat $20,000 (savings of $4,375).

Sarah can discuss payment Qs during your application call.

What kind of positions is this course for?

BSA is for content marketing/comms employees working inside a B2C or Non-Profit company. If you're responsible for creating and implementing your company's brand storytelling plans in some way, you will benefit from the skills, frameworks and mindset taught inside Brand Storytelling Academy.

Common Titles Are: Director, Manager, Specialist, Planner [Content, Editorial, Communications, Public Relations, Social+Content]

Note: I've been asked if this program can also help those in the B2B space, or individual entrepreneurs. While teachings and examples in BSA are geared to those in the B2C and Non-Profit industries, the principles taught translate to all industries. Go ahead and apply and you and Sarah can chat through it more to see if it is or isn't a good fit for you.

What happens after I fill out the application form?

If you're curious and interested, please fill out the application form through any link on this page.

Sarah will contact you 24-48 hours after receiving your application to schedule a call to discuss your questions, talk more about what the curriculum covers, pricing, and determine if it's a good fit.

If we both determine it's a good fit, Sarah will welcome you into the program (we'll both do a little happy dance) and get the contract process started!

Note: Submitting an application does NOT automatically enroll you in Brand Storytelling Academy®.

How much time will me/my team need to invest?

I know you're busy and don't take as much time as you'd like to pause, and actually THINK. Right?!

That's why this hands-on 3-month group program is your permission slip to spend a couple hours each week learning how to better attract top-funnel leads to drive bottom-funnel results; and elevate you and/or your team's career(s).

During the 3-month program, you/r team will watch pre-recorded video trainings at a time convenient to you, and then participate in weekly 60 minute calls to review and discuss weekly projects to advance your business.

What is the refund policy?

Because of how the program is structured, there are no refunds or chargebacks.

Brand Storytelling Academy® is offered to a very limited number of participants. Each company or individual participant is hand-selected by Sarah to ensure the right fit and blend that complements and doesn’t compete. Many factors impact Sarah’s decision when selecting best fit participants, including, but not limited to, group dynamics.

A great deal of time and effort is invested in preparing for the Program, coordinating the Program, and conducting the Program. When you start BSA you unlock all of the trainings, templates and materials. As there is no way to return this product, or quickly back-fill with another brand participant, no refunds or chargebacks will be issued for any reason at any time. But, in the unlikely event that you feel dissatisfied, please speak with Sarah.

What type of direct support from Sarah Panus will I receive?

Training is provided through a mix of pre-recorded and LIVE online modules directly from Sarah.

You'll have direct access to Sarah during the weekly 60-90 minute calls, in which we review and discuss weekly projects to advance your business.

You also receive private access to Sarah during 1:1 weekly Voxer office hours, and group discussions in our private Slack community.

Can you explain more about how I can have 1 or 5 people participate?

Because teams have varying sizes, and BSA participation is funded by either your employer or you personally, I give you the option to enroll as a solo individual, or have up to 5 people from your company team. There's a price break for 5-person teams.

Once your cohort begins, you'll have access to Sarah along with any other content marketers starting at the same time as you.

I'm an individual who wants to invest in this myself? Is that ok?

Absolutely! You need to take your professional development into your own hands. So, if your company doesn't offer compensation for professional development training; or you're looking to advance your skills on the side by yourself to take with you to a new job -- Brand Storytelling Academy® can definitely help level-up your skills to advance your career.

How long will I have access to BSA?

Each member enrolled in Brand Storytelling Academy® can access all the training modules for 3-months after the program's end date. So, if the program ended in June, you'd still have access through September.

However, a team members access is terminated if they no longer work for the BSA-enrolled company during their enrollment timeframe (no refunds given if an enrolled employee leaves mid-program).