Everyone Loves a Good Story.

Campfires and Good Stories.

I was 11 years old, and it was my first time at summer camp; also my first time away from home. I’ll be honest – the first couple of days were rough. I felt out of place and homesick. Thankfully, the camp nurse was an older woman who was a friend of the family, and since she was the only person I knew, I hung out in the nurse’s quarters quite a bit as the week began. Her name was Elsie, and she was kind enough to welcome me in, and help me navigate the new territory I was in.

Nothing about summer camp appealed to me that first year (forced group sports … is there anything worse?!) until we circled up around the fire pit late one evening. The relentless daytime heat had finally dissipated, and the crackling fire with dancing flames was somehow comforting. But what really connected with me around the campfire that night was the storytelling. Some of it was planned by the staff, some was more spontaneous and from the students – but it all worked together to capture my attention and my imagination. By the time I curled up in my sleeping bag for the night, my mind was brimming with ideas and dreams. And ironically, I even felt a kind of bond with the people who’d surrounded me that evening. For an 11-year-old-summer-camp-rookie, it felt good to be finding my way.

The Power of Story.

That’s the power of story, and good storytelling. It helps us find our place in the world, and connect with people and ideas in a meaningful way. Psychologist, professional storyteller and executive coach Vanessa Boris, says “This [understanding] also holds true in the business world, where an organization’s stories, and the stories its leaders tell, help solidify relationships in a way that factual statements encapsulated in bullet points or numbers don’t.”

Author Kendall Haven feels similarly. He says “Your goal in every communication is to influence your target audience (change their current attitudes, belief, knowledge, and behavior). Information alone rarely changes any of these. Research confirms that well-designed stories are the most effective vehicle for exerting influence.”

Simply put, this is why I believe in the StoryBrand marketing framework, and put it to work on behalf of my clients (small business owners and solopreneurs just like me).