Infuse Your Personality Into Personal Brand Storytelling Content
Last week, I met with a new personal brand storytelling client.
She’s got passion. Talent. Results. But no stories to speak of…
… At least that’s what she told me at the beginning of our session.
Over the last 15 years, whether it was as a journalist or brand storytelling consultant, I’ve heard the “I don’t have any stories” line from hundreds of founders.
Then they tell me a story about why they don’t have any stories...
“I’m boring.”
“No cares about that.”
“Nothing interesting ever happens to me.”
Today’s newsletter is about most essential storytelling skill:
How to spot gooood stories from your everyday life.
Let’s dive in.
Why Personal Brand Storytelling Is Hard
People who have a hard time telling personal brand stories have one belief in common:
The notion that good stories need to be dramatic, profound, or (worst of all) impressive. They rack their brains for the “right” thing to say, and end up saying nothing at all.
It’s like trying to hold water in your hand—the tighter you squeeze, the more it slips through your fingers.
When you let go of the expectation that every story must be groundbreaking, you start seeing stories everywhere.
The First Rule Of Storytelling
When I overthink it, it’s usually because I’ve forgotten the first rule.
There are 22 Rules for Storytelling, according to ex-Pixar employee Emma Coates. The first is:
"You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.”
In other words: You don’t have to have it all together to tell stories people find interesting and inspirational.
‣ You don't have to reach a goal.
‣ You don't have to win awards.
‣ You don't have to achieve.
‣ You can tell a story about how your day went to hell.
‣ You can tell a story about why never book clients calls on Monday.
‣ You can tell a story about why you don't look at your phone in the a.m.
Small moments add up to something bigger: A brand narrative that makes it easy to understand who you are and why they should care.
This week, I'm challenging you to put “epic” storytelling aside and share a simple, fun story that builds character. Here's how:
Write Personal Brand Stories with Personality
Most people try to prove their expertise with credentials, case studies, and accomplishments. Those stories have their place.
But the truth is expertise is the bare minimum.
In personal brand storytelling, the messenger matters.
This is why stories that show your character matter.
Character stories let people know who you are so they’re more receptive to listening to what you have to say.
Character Stories 101:
Create trust. People buy into your thinking before they buy into your offer.
Make you memorable. Character stories make you impossible to confuse with someone else.
Show your lens. The way you navigate everyday decisions reveals what makes your perspective different.
These are the types of storytelling posts that create the shared identity needed to build engage communities, which we spoke about last week in How To Post Less And Get Better Results With A Personal Brand Storytelling Strategy.
Character stories act like gravity, attracting the right people into your community and onto your wait list.
Personal Brand Storytelling Example
Character stories are simple and fun to tell.
I love them for Instagram stories and Threads because they’re easy to connect with and bite-sized to consume. This is what I mean.
Here’s an example of a character story I shared last week that not only got thousands of views, it sparked conversation with people who usually look, but never engage— the turning point when followers become community members.
"My husband started a new job last week.
He's psyched because he gets to leave an hour later than normal.
But I'm secretly resentful it'll rob me of my most productive time of day.
It's been a week, and we're getting divorced.
Kidding! But that's just the thing...
I find myself laughing more and dancing around the house as we get ready together.
Instead of my productivity taking a hit, it's filling my cup and getting me into flow faster."
As you may notice, this story isn’t Pulitzer material LOL. But it doesn’t have to be to be effective. This story did a couple of things:
1. It showed my fun side, which can get lost in educational content.
2. It showed my value of being productive without sacrificing my life.
Shared values matter. Research shows 82% of people want a brand's values to align with their own.
But just writing “I believe in flow over hustle” isn’t as impactful as telling a story that shows I walk the talk. Seven sentences is all it took.
StoryCraft Storytelling Content Prompts
This is one of my favorite exercises for spotting stories from your everyday life. What you’re looking for is high-contrast change. Not in the events themselves, but your way of seeing things. Again, this doesn’t have to be groundbreaking or serious. The goal is to give people an opportunity to know you while you practice storytelling. These short-form stories work well on Threads and IG stories.
1. I used to think ____ but now I think __.
Ex. “Plain bagel with butter. White t-shirt. Google docs. I’m a no frills kinda person. I thought this made me seem boring. But then I saw business owners with 10-app tech stacks and 13-point productivity routines complaining on Threads that they don’t have time, and breathe a sigh of relief. There is flow in keeping it simple.”
2. I used to be a person who __ but now I am a person who __.
“Yesterday I felt like garbage so I (reluctantly) sidelined myself from writing. Today, I'm on fire. Thank God I rested.”
3. I used to hate __ but now I don’t because __.
“Waking up 15 minutes earlier to journal would have been laughable to 2023 Cyndi. Now it’s my favorite time of day. Clearly voicing my thoughts on the page before I pick up my phone to take in others’ ideas makes my days noticeably calmer and more creative.”
My challenge for you this week is to use one of these prompts to write a character-building story for Threads or IG Stories.
Bonus points if you share it with me so I can cheer you on.
I’m @cyndizaweski on Threads and Instagram.
Moral Of The Story
Have fun.
Not every story you share needs to be serious, educational, or life-changing to have an impact. The most valuable stories are the ones your audience sees themselves in.
When you pull back the curtain with character stories, you not only let people see who you are, you help people see who they are.
It all comes back to three words, eight letters.
(Not “I love you," Blair Waldorf fans lol).
“You get me.”
Make your reader think that, and you gained a fan.
That’s all for this week.
Thanks for reading, and, as always…
Happy Storytelling,
Cyndi “Have Some Fun” Zaweski
