Jon Grannis is a training-industry veteran who began in the early 1990s and co-built Sollah’s high-impact content library to help employees maximize potential through facilitator-ready programs and microlearning.
Bob Chonka entered the industry in 1989 and co-developed the E+I=C formula and “dramatic edutainment” approach that transforms compliance into culture change and advocacy.
In this episode, Sollah Interactive’s Jon Grannis and Bob Chonka sit down with Freddy D to unpack the power of employee empowerment—and how it transforms everyday training programs into engines of culture change and business growth.
They reveal their signature E+I=C (Emotion + Information = Communication) formula, a proven approach that combines emotional storytelling with practical insights to drive real behavioral change. Through their method of “dramatic edutainment,” Sollah turns mandatory compliance sessions into memorable learning experiences that employees actually enjoy—and advocate for.
You’ll hear inspiring case studies, including how one major automaker turned a harassment prevention course into a company-wide success story, and how a lean HR team delivered 500+ training sessions with Sollah’s facilitator-ready assets.
This conversation dives into microlearning, recognition, and leadership practices that replace reaction with purposeful response, helping organizations build superfan-level cultures where employees feel valued, connected, and driven to fuel growth from within.
[00:00] Introduction – Empowerment & Superfans premise
[01:03] Origin Stories – Mailroom to training leaders (1990s & 1989)
[03:12] The E+I=C Formula – Emotion + Information = Communication
[04:47] Dramatic Edutainment vs. Boring Lectures
[09:31] Respond vs. React – Redirection and leadership habits
[14:46] Recognition & Contractor Advocacy – Little things, big impact
[21:21] Micro-Messaging & Consistency – Communication that sticks
[26:00] Case Study: Automaker’s Harassment Training Wins Fans
[28:46] Case Study: 500 Sessions with Facilitator-Ready Assets
[35:36] The Cost of Turnover – Why empowerment saves $$$
[36:22] How to Connect with Sollah
Employee empowerment beats compliance — Empowered teams make better decisions and excel when trusted and equipped.
E+I=C training formula — Lead with emotion, layer information, achieve real communication that changes behavior.
Dramatic edutainment works — Hollywood-level scenarios create engagement that boring lectures can’t match.
Microlearning + consistent messaging — Short, consistent communications empower faster understanding and action.
Recognition drives retention — Small gestures of appreciation and flexibility spark culture shifts and advocacy.
Leadership: respond vs. react — Redirection and facilitation boost performance more than top-down commands.
Case study—automaker turnaround — Engaging harassment training created internal buzz and voluntary promotion.
Case study—500 sessions at scale — Facilitator-ready assets helped green trainers deliver hundreds of classes.
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Jon and Bob show how emotion unlocks learning and how empowerment fuels advocacy. Their E+I=C framework maps perfectly to ecosystem transformation: spark emotion with cinematic scenarios, guide with clear information, and establish communication norms that stick. I loved the sports analogy—momentum and synchronization win games and workplaces. Their case studies illustrate how recognition, micro-messaging, and consistent leadership shift teams from reacting to responding. This is exactly the type of strategy I help clients implement through my SUPERFANS Framework™ in Prosperity Pathway coaching within the Superfans Growth Hub—turning employees, contractors, and partners into amplifiers who reduce churn and accelerate growth.
The Action: Launch a 30-day “micro-messaging” cadence around one behavior (e.g., respond vs. react).
Who: People managers and team leads.
Why: Consistent, brief prompts create clarity, confidence, and culture—accelerating empowerment and retention.
How:
Pick one skill and define it in one sentence.
Record a 60–90s scenario-based video weekly.
Share a one-question reflection with each video.
Recognize one example publicly each week.
Gather quick pulse feedback at day 30 and iterate.
Where stories ignite loyalty, insights spark growth, and connections create superfans.
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