Welcome to Your
Backstage Pass
You've read Innovation Unleashed.
Now it's time to put the ideas in action.
Below, you'll find tools, checklists, and resources to help you apply what you learned—and unleash even more innovation in your world.
Your bonuses
Click any of the bonus tools below to start turning insight into action.
If you're not sure where to start, begin with the Innovation Mindset Self-Check. It'll help you choose the right tools for you.
Bonus resource #1
Innovation Mindset Self-Check
What it is:
A quick self-assessment to see where you are on the innovation continuum right now.
Why it's valuable:
Before you can grow, you need to know your starting point. This checklist gives you a snapshot of your current innovation mindset and helps you track your progress over time.
How to use it:
Download the PDF, check off the statements that describe you or your team, and note the areas were you want to improve.
Bonus resource #2
8 AI Prompts to Unlock Game-Changing Ideas
What it is:
A curated set of prompts designed to help you use AI as a creative and strategic partner in your business.
Why it's valuable:
When you ask better questions, you get better answers—especially from AI tools. These prompts are engineered to spark new ideas for products, services, customer experiences, and internal systems.
How to use it:
Copy and paste each prompt into your preferred AI tool (like ChatGPT). Customize the bracketed parts to fit your specific business or challenge. Review the AI’s responses for ideas you can refine and apply.
Bonus resource #3
Psychological Safety Checklist
What it is:
A practical checklist for creating an environment where every voice can be heard.
Why it's valuable:
Without psychological safety, innovation stalls. This tool helps you identify the cultural and leadership practices that make team members feel safe to share bold ideas.
How to use it:
Review the checklist with your leadership team. Discuss the areas where you’re strong — and where you need to build trust.
Bonus resource #4
38 Questions That Break the Pattern
What it is:
A collection of unconventional questions that challenge assumptions and open the door to new thinking.
Why it's valuable:
Our default thinking patterns keep us stuck in familiar solutions. These questions disrupt that autopilot mode, helping you and your team discover fresh insights and opportunities you might otherwise miss.
How to use it:
Pick one or two questions at random and use them to start a team meeting, brainstorming session, or solo reflection. Let the question guide the conversation into unexplored territory.
Bonus resource #5
Innovation Risk-Reduction Matrix (Impact/Effort)
What it is:
A simple, interactive tool for evaluating potential ideas based on impact and ease of implementation.
Why it's valuable:
Not every idea is worth pursuing right now. This matrix helps you prioritize smart bets — the ones with the highest upside and lowest risk — so you can move faster with more confidence.
How to use it:
Click on the link. Google will ask you if you want to "Make a copy." Hit that button, and—boom!—you've got your own editable version of the Impact/Effort Matrix to play with in your Google Drive!
Thinking About Bringing Me In?
If you've read the book and thought,
"You know, we should probably get this guy in front of our team..."
—well, first of all, thank you. Excellent judgment.
Here's a quick demo of what I do on stage.
It's not just theory. It's not death-by-PowerPoint.
It's engaging, insightful, interactive, and entertaining (which you'd kind of expect from a guy who's won 29 Emmy® Awards for Entertainment).
Let's help your audience think differently, and actually do something with it.
critics corner
What they say
“
"Bill Stainton presents some big ideas based on a comedy television show, which he produced every week for 15 years—off the leash. He wants you to join the cool kids and try a few big unleashed ideas of your own—in timely fashion, and as a matter of habit. I'm not objective; Bill Stainton's open-mindedness, and habit of trying something new, gave me a big opportunity and changed my life. I'm on board. Read on!"
