How Much is a Story Worth?
How Much is a Story Worth?
How Seven Minutes Changed The Way I See the World
I used to think great storytelling was just a good party trick. Some people could hold a room’s attention with a deck of cards. Others could sing, play the piano, or just had interesting accomplishments or achievements to share.
I never really had any of that.
I just had stories. And I honestly didn’t know how valuable they were until a few years ago when I sw how absent good ones were in so many spaces.
I was scrolling on IG a few weeks ago and came across a group who was giving away several grants for something that was loosely related to a business venture I’m involved in. I replied, and re-wrote the story of our business—sculpting it to the shape of the request. It’s the same story that I’ve used since 2019, I just adjusted the emphases. The application took me all of seven minutes to fill out. SEVEN! And about 14 days later, I come to my email inbox and read the following words:
“Congrats, where do we make out the $15,000 check?”
That’s the power of a story. Not just for customers buying a product, but businesses with resources who are looking (hear this!!!) not just for good business plans–but good stories. (Mind you, if you’re business plan is trash and you don’t have a good product, a good story won’t do anything but make you a good con-man. BUT…if you have a story that matches the quality of your product, something amazing can happen).
In a content age, stories are king. Whether you’re in a for-profit or non-profit space, businesses and philanthropists alike are looking to invest their money in great stories. When they report about who they’ve helped, they don’t just want to share about a good product. They want to share good stories.
Your story has equity. It may just need to be sculpted down a bit.
Sometimes you hinder yourself by thinking your story is limited as you pass up on opportunities available to you. Having control of your story doesn’t just put you in the running for existing opportunities; it opens you up to a whole new world of possibilities.
Storytelling takes the blinders off. It doesn't just affect the way other people see us - it affects the way we see the world. It gives us the confidence to go after opportunities we imagine, instinctively, aren’t for us.
The better you tell your story, the more likely it is to take advantage of opportunities like these. I’m not saying that you’ll get everyone. I’m not here to hustle you and make you believe that you’ll get any specific type of results. I can’t promise that (and you shouldn’t believe anyone making those promises). I am saying, that there’s a whole world of possibilities out there that you’re not even exploring because you’ve told yourself a story that you don’t fit. I think there’s a better story out there for you to embrace.
Stories aren’t just valuable. They’re more valuable than you could possibly imagine. You’ve just got to slow down enough to see them for what they’re worth.
STORY SCULPTING MASTERCLASS: THIS THURSDAY NIGHT @ 7:30pm
This Thursday, I’ll be hosting a FREE MasterClass online where I share my framework for telling these kinds of stories. It’s a 5-Step Framework that’ll help you learn how to sculpt the type of stories that . . .
Make you stand out in a sea of people applying for the same opportunities and
Open your eyes to a world of possibility you never imagined was for you.
Click the link below to register for the upcoming October 20 at 7:30pm