#28: John Mark McMillan—How to Make Promotion a Part of the Creative Process

Why That Worked – Presented by StoryBrand.ai

StoryBrand.ai

Marketing, Story, Bmsu, Businessmadesimple, Brand, Business, Bms, Storybrand, Entrepreneurship, 474622, Storytelling

4.8 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 14 July 2025

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The biggest challenge creative people face isn’t making something meaningful, it’s figuring out how to share it without feeling like a sellout. Whether you’re an artist, entrepreneur, or thought leader, there comes a point when the art alone isn’t enough. You realize that if your work is going to make an impact, you have to learn how to promote it. But how do you do that without compromising your voice or turning into a walking ad?

In this episode, musician and songwriter John Mark McMillan joins hosts Donald Miller and Kyle Reed to unpack that exact tension. With more than 20 years of music and 10 albums behind him, John Mark shares how he finally merged the art and the business without losing his authenticity. You’ll hear his story of personal and creative transformation, how he learned to lead his own vision, and why real connection (not just attention) is what makes art last.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to the Why That Work podcast presented by storybrand.a.I.
0:07.7	If you've ever wondered why certain brands, trends, or cultural phenomena find success while others don't,
0:12.6	you're in the right place. Every week we unpack why something worked,
0:15.9	then give you actionable insights that you can use in your own life.
0:19.4	Now let's dive in with your hosts, Donald Miller and Kyle Reed.
0:24.8	John Mark and Millen.
0:26.0	We're so excited to have you here in the studio with us and to talk about this important topic of art, messaging, music, social media, all the things.
0:36.3	We invited you here today because not only am I a fan of your work, I've followed you
0:40.9	for a long time, but I think you're making some great music, but also doing some really
0:44.4	interesting things online.
0:46.8	Let me give people a little bit of a backstory to your career.
0:50.1	You've been doing music for 20 years.
0:52.2	Yeah, at least.
0:53.0	Yeah.
0:53.7	I was reading 10, 10 albums, 10 plus albums?
0:57.1	Probably a lot.
0:57.7	You've done a bunch.
0:58.4	That sounds like a marathon.
0:59.9	Oh, man.
1:00.8	Well, 20 years.
1:01.7	Do you believe it, though?
1:02.6	I mean, because you probably feel like you've created three, but then you look back and go,
	...

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