Build Your Story

buildyourbook.org

Branding Through Stories

Beyond your unique selling proposition, your personal story is the most unique thing about you. Sharing it with the world is a lasting way to build your brand.

 

It is the source of your ultimate competitive edge. There can only be you with your unique story, experiences, background. Telling that story in a compelling way is the backbone of your content story, your talks, your internet branding, everything!

 

We will use the monomyth framework to make that happen...

Source: What Makes a Hero (TED Ed)

Main Archetypes

Hero

Change

Mentor

Guardian

Ally

Shadow

Trickster

 

A story about all this is a content idea. Also a part of your story!

Hero

Your story. Is the basis of a case study for your audience.

Change

The inciting "thing". Could be an event/person/thing. What was it? Was it "good" or "bad"?

Mentor

Your present or past mentors. External, internal, even fictional. What did you learn from them? What difference did they make?

Guardian/  Gatekeeper

Something/someone that tests your "power". Who or what was it?

Ally

Who were the peers/sidekicks along the journey?

 

E.g. your Build Your Book cohort. Can you make your experience into a story?

Shadow

Your "opponent". Could be internal or external. What is the story there? How are you (or did you) overcome this opponent?

Shapeshifter

Someone whom you cannot really pin down/understand, but plays a role in your story.

Could be an event, an industry shift, a thing that keeps changing form.

 

E.g. CoVID -- what is its long term impact?

Trickter

Someone/something that pulled a trick on you. A Loki like character. Did someone mislead you along the path purposefully?

Your Homework

Think of 3-5 major stories that follows the hero's journey--the mono myth. Find one place to use it (next slide for ideas).

 

Optimize for:

1. Drama+tension

2. Lessons Learned

3. General engagement value for others

 

Note: all 3 are guesses.

How to Use These Stories

1. Have someone interview you about this story in chunks and put it up as a video OR audio.
2. Write out these stories on your website (for solo-practitioners).
3. Adapt the story for your firm's page to give greater flavor.
4. Use them for milestone LinkedIn posts.
5. Write blog posts about them.
6. Use them in client conversations to share a bit of your humanity.
7. Use them in your public talks to create greater engagement.

example: dtank.co/about-me

buildyourbook.org