The Ending Is Where You Should Start — Rich Bornstein on the Story Gap

PIVOTING TO TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION
EP132 — The Ending Is Where You Should Start
Guest: Rich Bornstein, Founder, Bornstein Media | Creator, The Clarity Framework
Host: Donna P. Mitchell, The Transformation Authority
Published: Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Donna P. Mitchell (0:00): Welcome to Pivoting to Technology Adoption. I'm your host, Donna P. Mitchell, The Transformation Authority. Every week, I sit down with executives, strategists, and innovators to tackle the one problem no one's solving: why 70% of technology transformations fail. Let's pivot.

Donna P. Mitchell (0:24): Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening, and welcome to Pivoting to Technology Adoption. And today I am really excited to have back Rich Bornstein, the storyteller and founder of Bornstein Media, creator of The Clarity Framework. And he believes most companies don't have the marketing problem, they have a story problem. So today he helps business-to-business founders, CEOs, and senior executives discover the story they didn't know they had before it shapes their marketing presentations or video. Through The Clarity Framework, he helps leaders uncover the clarity that drives trust, aligns teams, and gives every piece of communication a common purpose.

Donna P. Mitchell (1:10): And that's exactly why I really wanted you back here. Because at the end of the day, we can keep talking about the gap and the different infrastructures. But I find it most important in talking to some of the people that I have had on the show and also some clients, there's really a gap in how you communicate internally to your workforce. How do you tell the story? What can you share with the audience on what is the difference in just communicating the message and the narrative that makes it work so people want to adopt the change? We're at the crossroads in a lot of areas. And because everybody thinks, oh, we have AI, I don't need to think anymore. I just plug my thoughts into AI and then they'll spit out something perfect and I'll be good. You know, it hurts all of us because, oh, I don't need to hire a writer. Oh wait, I don't need to do any video stuff. I'll just put it in AI and it'll, you know, spew something out.

Rich Bornstein (2:13): Nothing could be further from the truth. And so, you know, look, AI is a tool. It's a very important tool. I mean, it's all the people, you know, that for a long time, oh no, I gotta talk on the phone. You know, I'm not texting. I'm not gonna do this. Look, everything is a tool. AI is only as good as the information you put into it.

Rich Bornstein (2:37): And I just wrote about this, and that is AI can only spew out the information that you give them. They can't uncover the things that you haven't discussed. They don't know the intricacies of why you started your business and what gives you your special sauce. That takes work, that takes effort.

Rich Bornstein (2:59): And that's really where I come in, because starting as a journalist and then moving to the executive side at various studios and then running my own business, I learned how to ask the tough questions, you know? So someone would say, we're gonna position this this way. And I'd say, wait a minute, that's great if everybody keeps it that way. But there's always the other side of it. Someone's gonna bring up this and they don't like that, you know, then they get uncomfortable and then they squirm. And then I know that I'm onto something.

Rich Bornstein (3:34): And so when I interview founders and leaders and executives and so forth, I ask the tough questions, the one that they haven't asked themselves, maybe the ones that they've buried in the background because they're just concerned about their mission statements. I know that we're doing something worthwhile. I know we're gonna get it. And that's when I say, you know, I uncover the stories that you didn't know you had — and it takes years of training. That's what my special sauce is.

Donna P. Mitchell (4:02): So when you have your special sauce and you're really working with somebody, for those listening, what do they need to take away from this conversation, at the start of this conversation, when they're talking to their employees or their directors or C-suite? What is it about the narrative? Because you told the story at so many different levels to so many big audiences. For those large and smaller audiences, what do they really need to do to make it work so they can really communicate and somebody really wants to change or adopt a new tool, or really pay attention to what they're saying so there's action?

Rich Bornstein (4:44): Well, you know, that's another great question. And ironically, I did write about that a few months ago too. Look, I believe in the power of authenticity, truth, and clarity. You know, these are things that you can't manufacture. You just have to communicate. And believe it or not, your employees or the people that work with you or your clients or whatever, they know when you're full of it. They know when you're just spewing a mission statement and whatever.

Rich Bornstein (5:18): So I say, hey, talk to people the way you want to be spoken to. So in other words, don't ignore the challenge that's out there. Hit it head on. Yes, these are difficult times. Interest rates just went up to 7% on real estate loans today. Okay? So to say, oh no, we're going to be fine. We don't know whether we're gonna be fine, right? I mean, chances are we're gonna be fine, but maybe we don't.

Rich Bornstein (5:45): So if I'm talking to people about interest rates, I'm gonna say, look, I'm just as concerned about this as you are. Everybody in this company is worried about it. You know, we think it could create a slowdown in property sales and all the rest of it. That's authentic. And then when somebody's authentic, then you prick up your ears, then you go, okay, I'm talking to a real human being and I'm not talking to a robot.

Rich Bornstein (6:10): And I think that's the mistake people make. They think they gotta get on, they gotta look perfect, they gotta do all this stuff. No, it's the human part of it. It's the stutter. It's the, you know, that's a great question. Let me think about that for a second. Those are the moments. That's when people lean in and go, ah, okay.

Rich Bornstein (6:29): I mean, you know, someone said to me once many years ago, I'd follow you into battle. And I said, what are you talking about? And he was basically complimenting me, saying that whatever I was telling him at the time, he was following me and I was giving him confidence. And I took it as a supreme compliment. Not that I'm a leader in battle because clearly I'm not, but I was just being my authentic self.

Rich Bornstein (6:59): Look, that works both ways sometimes. Some people, sometimes your audience doesn't want to hear it and they get uncomfortable, you know. But to me, I'd rather err on the side of authenticity and truth and clarity than just spewing out stuff and people go, oh yeah, that was fine. I want somebody to walk away from a conversation with me feeling something.

Donna P. Mitchell (7:22): So when you think about some of the projects you've had in the last nine months, what really sticks out in your mind that would really be able to help those that are listening on the steps that are necessary where you may want to go one direction and someone like you would say, no, that's not going to work. Let's go this direction.

Rich Bornstein (7:44): Well, it's interesting that you bring that up. I mean, I'm actually just, it's kind of a, listen, I've — at this stage in my life and in my career — but no, at this stage, I like, if I can make the world a better place, you know, then I feel like I've accomplished something.

Rich Bornstein (8:07): I mean, back in the day, I wanted to get the biggest box office or I wanted to get the biggest audience for a film or TV project. You know, when I helped launch the Sundance Channel, I wanted to put that on the map. And that was a different time. It's not like now where you got unlimited platforms. In those days, the bandwidth was limited. You had to fight for your spot on the cable channels and certain places like that. But the world's changed.

Rich Bornstein (8:39): So I'm actually working on something on cervical cancer awareness, and we started out in Africa. The company has done some work in Ethiopia. We're trying to expand to ten other countries. And the first thing I did is when I looked at the materials, I went, okay. You have to engage the audience and you have to earn their trust.

Rich Bornstein (9:06): So how do you do that? You have to admit that there's a problem. You know, we don't have the resources. We don't have the technology, we don't have the bandwidth, we don't have the facilities. Okay. But now we have the solution, and that is a self-test that you could do that actually determines whether you — which virtually eliminates false positives. That's the story that I wanted to tell. And that's what I'm telling.

Rich Bornstein (9:37): The previous stuff, it was very personal about other people. Oh, you know, my mother had it and I didn't. That's great. And then, you know, my mother had it and it made me committed to this. That's great. That's down the road. First, you have to build the audience's trust. So I fought hard to develop the global story.

Rich Bornstein (10:02): And then, you know, look, I say this and it's absolutely true. Sometimes you have to start at the end and then backtrack to the beginning. And, you know, I learned that many years ago. I was editing something. This was back in the day when everything was linear, and you had to walk into an office and then they put it on a timeline and did whatever.

Rich Bornstein (10:24): And one of the guys I was working with said, hang on — put that ending in the front. And let's see how it plays. I don't care, don't try to make it perfect. Just put the ending in the front. And let's see how that plays. And it was like, whoa. So it was eye-opening to me. And that's really the way that I approach things now. The ending generally is where you should start.

Rich Bornstein (10:52): I mean, I can't think of very many things where you have to start at the beginning and tell that linear story. Start with the outcome. What happens? You know what I mean? And that's really something that I take very seriously now.

Rich Bornstein (11:11): Because again, if I'm talking to somebody or if I'm using AI as a sounding board — and look, for those of us who are solopreneurs, I have people that work with me, but, you know, the only one working alongside me is my dog. You know, that's one of the things that AI is great for. It's like having an office. It's like having a staff that you can say, what do you think of this? And they can say it's landing or it's not landing.

Rich Bornstein (11:37): So that's one of the things that I do, that I work on. Okay, I'm starting with the end. I want someone to go, oh, that's what I can accomplish. That's what I can do. Okay, how can I do that? So that's probably one of the greatest things that I've learned. And I really incorporate it now pretty much in everything that I do.

Donna P. Mitchell (11:56): You know, I like the way you're saying, you know, put the ending first. That's gonna really change the perception, the outcome, and how things land. You mentioning AI and how you're using it now — and I remember through the year, it was really interesting on what we were doing and not doing as solopreneurs or running companies and all the different tools that were coming out. What are some of the bigger differences that you're seeing that you've gotten more comfortable with that people need to pay attention to?

Rich Bornstein (12:34): Oh, man. I mean, I think the biggest thing for me is that people look at AI as the panacea. It's my cure-all. I mean, listen, I talked to somebody that — you know, one of the things that I do — look, what's more boring than explaining data? Okay? You know, there's nothing more boring than explaining data. But yet for those of us that don't understand data, we need someone to explain it to us and create some forms.

Rich Bornstein (13:07): So I've had the privilege of working with three different companies that are data processors. And they have kind of an intricate way of looking at things. And so, you know, when you're doing that, when you can tell those stories and make that accessible to people, that's really the goal.

Rich Bornstein (13:32): So, taking AI into account, everyone thinks it's the panacea. And I can tell you, one of these data companies, he was building a website for somebody and they put in AI, and they dismissed everything the guy said and it turned out to be garbage. And then he came back to him and they said, what'd we do wrong? He goes, you listened to AI. You know, all they are is another tool. They are not the tool.

Rich Bornstein (13:56): Okay. I mean, I know I hear this all the time. You can build your site through this and you just put in the information, it'll do it. Yes. If you are not looking for anything that has any human connection, if you are just looking to put a footprint out there somewhere and you're not really looking to stamp it with, you know, Donna P. Mitchell in it, go ahead. But if you're looking to get that human element, to make those human connections, better damn well be part of the process and you better push back on it.

Rich Bornstein (14:30): And the other part about it, you know, that AI does — because look, I compete with this. I believe, you know, once you uncover the stories, well, what's the greatest platform? You know, I know somebody's yelled at me because people are not reading. I've written ten books. How dare you? Look, I grew up as a writer. All right. So that was — you know, I was a print journalist, working for newspapers and contributing to Time and Newsweek and places like that. And I covered the Olympic Games writing about it. That is not how you're gonna get your message out today. Yes, you have to have intros and all that, but what's your platform? It's a video platform.

Rich Bornstein (15:09): And, you know, I noticed that pretty much everything that you do in AI, it can look good, it can sound good. There's always a mistake in there. I mean, always. It's a mispronounced word. It's that you would never mispronounce. Something that lets people know that it's not human. And the voice is always here. It's always like right down the middle. And I don't care what prompt you put in there. Oh, I want some exclamations and all that. It is not human. And so you better be part of the process every step of the way.

Rich Bornstein (15:43): And that's really, again, AI is a tool. And I think we are, and hopefully forever, but we are years away from AI replacing humanity, I think. Then kind of go from there, really dig into those things.

Rich Bornstein (16:03): And I think that's the part that people miss. They sit there and — I mean, how many times have you talked to people that you know you can help? And just in terms of consulting or creating or whatever it is that they need, and they say, well, first thing I'm doing is working on a business plan. Who cares? The business plan is just a financial thing that you need for whatever.

Rich Bornstein (16:27): The first thing you need to work on is why the hell do you do what you do? Okay. I don't mean to bring it down to that level, but why do you do what you do? What's your why? I think that's really the part that I try to get through to people. What is your why? And let's articulate that. Let's get the tough questions asked. Let's get the tough answers finalized — not finalized, but formalized.

Rich Bornstein (16:54): And it's an evolving thing. What you say tomorrow is not what you can say next week. Something may have happened. Something may trigger something. But that's okay. You know what I mean? Humanity is what makes us interesting to people. Not some statement.

Rich Bornstein (17:13): Now, the converse to that is, you know, if you become a gazillionaire, then sure, everyone's going to write down every little — it doesn't matter about the humanity. But there's only a couple of those out there, you know? So for the rest of us that have to roll up our sleeves and work, we have to articulate our stories in a certain way.

Donna P. Mitchell (17:32): So for those that are listening that want to work with you, how can they reach you?

Rich Bornstein (17:38): There's a lot of ways they can reach me. They can go to my website, bornsteinmedia.com. And, you know, they can drop me a note. They can email me richb@bornsteinmedia.com. And those are two of the best ways. When, you know, email me or go to my website.

Rich Bornstein (17:57): I mean, I know I worked with this guy who believes in the power of texting. For somebody that I don't know, I have a hard time with the texting thing. And I pushed back with him and I said, you know what, I know texts are more immediate, but I think there's a level of trust that you need to develop before you're going to accept a text, especially in today's world. You don't know where they're from. And you don't know what the ulterior motive is.

Rich Bornstein (18:27): And so I tend to like the old-fashioned way of send me an email, going to my LinkedIn page, linkedin.com/in/RichardBornstein. Those are the three areas that I think are the easiest ways to do it. Email, my website, LinkedIn. I mean, that's how business is done today, at least the way I like to do it.

Donna P. Mitchell (18:54): And I think it's been great to have you back. I know you're really busy, and I'm glad that you said yes to returning from Episode 98. A lot has evolved. We've evolved, you've evolved, society has evolved, AI era has kept moving forward. But at the end of the day, Bornstein Media tells a great story, even to scale. Well, thank you for returning and sharing the information. I'm sure everyone appreciates it, and we're shaping tomorrow together.

Donna P. Mitchell (19:25): Thank you for listening to Pivoting to Technology Adoption. If this episode gave you something to think about, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a colleague who needs to hear it. My new book, Pivoting to Technology Adoption: Mind the Gap, is available now on Amazon. Visit pivotingportal.com to work with me directly. I'm Donna P. Mitchell, The Transformation Authority. Until next time, mind the gap.

GUEST

Rich Bornstein is the founder of Bornstein Media, creator of The Clarity Framework, and a Forbes Communications Council Member. For more than 20 years, he has helped technology companies, sports organizations, businesses of every size, and nonprofits discover and tell the stories that define them. Before founding Bornstein Media, Rich worked as a journalist for Time, Newsweek, and the Long Beach Press-Telegram, and held publicity and marketing leadership roles at Warner Bros. Television, Paramount Pictures, and the Samuel Goldwyn Company, contributing to campaigns seen by millions and to Oscar- and Emmy-honored productions. He was a producer on an Emmy-nominated Spectrum News 1 series. He also helped launch the Sundance Channel.

Website: bornsteinmedia.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/RichardBornstein