Last night, I gave a talk about Brand Storytelling for Good.
It was a charming evening with 30-odd local business owners and brand leaders in the room. From photographers to yoga teachers to placemakers.
My intention was simple: light a spark for interesting conversations.​
And, on hearing some of the chatter after my talk, I think I succeeded.
One person grabbed me afterwards and asked a question:
"How do I tell my story?"
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard this.
I've also spent a lot of time thinking about why people struggle to tell their story.
My theory is this.
For many purpose-driven folk, the hardest part isn't speaking. It's having an opinion.
On the face of it, “How do I tell my story?” sounds like a messaging problem.
But that's only half the picture.
When someone asks this question, it reveals a lack of trust or belief in your story. No matter how many frameworks, story arcs, or messaging strategies I throw at you, if you don't believe in your story, the 'how' is pointless.
So, a lot of the time, when I'm consulting a founder, the work is really about helping them realise their story matters.
And it always matters.
Now, maybe you're nodding your head, going "Yep! That sounds familiar."
So what can you do?
Here are two things to practice to help you truly believe in your story
#1 Separate craft from conviction
When people ask this question, they're often looking for a better way to tell their story.
What you actually need is a stronger reason to tell it.
So instead of firing up Ecosia and searching for storytelling frameworks, carve out 15 minutes in your day to ask yourself this:
"What do you believe that not everyone agrees with?"
Maybe it's that fast fashion is broken.
Maybe it's that corporate wellbeing needs to focus on prevention.
Maybe it's that GDP doesn't work and overlooks the true value of things.*
*Side bar: Big kudos to AntĂłnio Guterres for standing up and saying this. GDP was never a good measurement tool, and it's about time we stopped using it.
If you don't know what you stand for, how will you be able to tell a story that shows this?
Good. Now you know what your message is.
#2 Lower the stakes
Too often, we act like every post, every talk, every webpage has to be perfect.
It doesn't.
This is the Spotlight Effect in action: we tend to believe we are being noticed more than we really are. The numbers vary, but it's estimated that only 1-5% of your audience sees any one post on social media.
That's it.
1-5%.
Your story isn't carved into stone. It's a working draft (and always will be).
While perfectionism can feel productive. It's often just procrastination in disguise. No bueno.
Self-belief grows through self-expression.
Confidence grows through repeated action.
Telling your story over and over and over and over again.
Getting it wrong.
Stumbling over words.
And sometimes, just saying outright nonsense.
That's part of the journey.
Embrace it.
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Ultimately, what I'm saying is this...
Don't obsess over hacks and frameworks that might improve your technique by 1%.
Focus on creating opportunities to share your story. Then go share it.
If you're doing work that makes the world better for people and planet, the world needs to hear your story.
I believe in you.
Now it's time for you to believe in you, too.
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