Buckle up! Today I’m sharing my beef with something that’s commonly taught in brand storytelling - that you should be the guide, not the hero.
After years of studying storytelling, brand storytelling and otherwise, creating an online course that helps business owners share better brand stories, and working with clients to craft their brand stories, I have some thoughts on the subject.
People don’t typically go out of their way to read a great book, go to a movie, or hang a poster on their wall of a supporting character. Kids and adults all over the world love heroes. They want to see what a hero did, how they did it, what makes them tick, what they had to overcome. They want to cheer for a hero who can show them what’s possible in their own life. It’s the hero that fills them with new excitement and momentum to move forward - not their trainer or coach.
Not that coaches and trainers aren’t important or have helpful information to share, but part of teaching is entertaining and the hero is the center of the excitement. That’s who people want to connect with - someone who has been there, done that.
Listen as I share why we shy away from sharing our stories from the perspective of the hero, how to shift your perspective on sharing stories from this perspective, core pieces of great stories, how to share more of the parts your audience desperately wants to know, and a different way to think about digging into the process of finding the right details to create stories that immerse your audience in it as though they are experiencing it.
A glance at today’s episode …
(1:10-3:35) Why I don’t think you should think of your brand stories from the perspective of being the guide. I share why I think it’s both ok and important that you show up as the hero of your story.
(3:40-5:30) What stops us from sharing our stories as the hero?
(5:40-7:35) How to share your story from the hero’s perspective without feeling uncomfortable doing it.
(7:40-10:00) Share stories more effectively by including these core parts.
(10:05-11:57) How our minds like to mess with us that make us shy away from sharing the pieces of our story that can serve our audience the best and draw them closer to us in trust and relationship.
(11:58-13:29) Another way to think about the process of what’s involved in creating great brand storytelling.
Ways to reach Christie
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiebilbrey/
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