Nickolas H. Westergaard
Frank Business Communication Center Affiliate, Director of Story Lab, and Associate Professor of Practice
Introduction
Nick Westergaard is an Associate Professor of Practice at the Tippie College of Business, where he leads the Story Lab program and hosts the Tippie Leads podcast. His work helps leaders and marketers connect with their audiences through the power of story. Nick is the author of the books Brand Now and Get Scrappy, a contributor to the Harvard Business Review, host of the popular On Brand podcast, a Moth StorySLAM Champion, and a keynote speaker at conferences throughout the world. As a strategist, he's spent his career building standout brands at organizations of all sizes—from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies to President Obama's Jobs Council.
Current Positions
- Associate Professor of Practice, Management and Entrepreneurship
- Frank Business Communication Center Affiliate, Dean's Office
- Director of Story Lab, Dean's Office
Education
- BA in Psychology, University of Iowa
- BA in Theatre Arts, University of Iowa
Research Interests
- Personal Narrative Storytelling
- Business Communication
- Leadership Communication
- Brand Storytelling
- Digital Marketing
Selected Awards & Honors
- Colleen Downie Graduate Management Programs Award - Tippie College of Business, 2023
- Forty Under 40 - Corridor Business Journal, 2013
Professional Memberships
- Association for Business Communication, 2019
- National Speakers Association, 2016
Selected Publications
- Westergaard, N. (2025). Why All Business Schools Should Teach Storytelling. (Association) AACSB.
- Westergaard, N. (2023). 5 Types of Stories Leaders Need to Tell. Harvard Business Review.Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Westergaard, N. (2018). Brand Now: How to Stand Out in a Crowded, Distracted World Harper Collins Leadership.
- Westergaard, N. H. (2016). Your Content Marketing Strategy Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated. Harvard Business Review.Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Westergaard, N. (2016). Get Scrappy: Smarter Digital Marketing for Businesses Big and Small Harper Collins Leadership.
Selected Presentations
- "Scrappy Digital Marketing Master Class," Keynote/Plenary Address at International Franchise Association, Las Vegas, Nevada, February 2025.
- "The Power of Storytelling," Guest/Invited Speaker at University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, January 2025.
- "Leading with Your Story," Guest/Invited Speaker at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Coralville, Iowa, December 2024.
- "Standout Brand Storytelling," Keynote/Plenary Address at Digital Summit Dallas, Dallas, Texas, December 2024.
- "How to Build a Bank Brand Now," Keynote/Plenary Address at Wisconsin Banker's Association, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, November 2024.
- "Scrappy Digital Marketing Master Class," Keynote/Plenary Address at Nutrition Grantee Annual Conference, Des Moines, Iowa, May 2024.
- "How to Build a Content Brand Now," Keynote/Plenary Address at National Auction Association, Kansas, February 2024.
- "Scrappy Digital Marketing Master Class," Keynote/Plenary Address at More Than Just Great Dancing, Wisconsin, February 2024.
- "Brand Now: How to Stand Out in a Crowded, Distracted World," Keynote/Plenary Address at IBM Partner Growth Summit/TD Synnex, Florida, January 2024.
- "Get Scrappy: Smarter Digital Marketing for Organizations Big & Small," Keynote/Plenary Address at Montana Credit Union League, Montana, October 2023.