Where does your story start?

During those first months of shutdown when business was light, life was heavy and I was grateful even for the ping of a stranger on Linked In, I was invited to present to a group working with organ donors. The title of the webinar was The Art and Soul of Storytelling.

My portion was about Your Why. Why you get out of bed every morning, why you sink your time and talent into your chosen profession and why you care about whatever it is that you care about. Your why is your personal story. It’s all in there. Why<>Story. Makes sense, right?

But as I sat at my desk preparing, I realized I was gonna have to hijack the moment, get practical and focus on the How. Because, we can’t explain our Why until we know How you got your Why in the first place:)

Great storytelling starts by bringing you into a conversation or moment. When I tell a story I like to get right into a scene. I like using dialogue or sharing what I say to myself to bring that moment, that feeling, to life.

But, sometimes when I try to talk about, introduce or pitch myself - or answer that dreaded question ‘Tell me about yourself’ - I don't know where to start. I don’t necessarily want to drop into just one moment. And let's face it, our life is big and there are a bazillion stories and moments to share. Many of us don't have that-organ-donor-saved-my life moment, either.

In fact, most of us start with our education, and I’m not talking about grammar school, usually where we went to college or graduate school. Please stop that. I understand the gravitational pull to do so. When I worked at Summer Search for 20 years, my story almost always started when I met the founder. It was as if my life wasn't worth talking about before that moment! Although I always love a how-I-got-hired or a how-we-met-and-fell-in-love story. Listening to those stories makes me feel closer to the person telling them. Anyhoo, I now take my own story medicine: go deeper and start a little earlier.

So where do you begin? Where does your story start?

Start earlier too, at the beginning. Where you grew up, who you grew up with, and other facts that may seem trivial to you. You are painting a canvas in which others will begin to see you. Bring in what you're grateful for and a challenge you faced. We are all overcoming something. [Beginning<>Challenge]

Next, zero in a turning point, defining moment or significant experience where a choice, or series of choices, changed the trajectory of your life. This middle part is giving us a deeper glimpse into your journey and who you are as a person. [Middle<>Choice]

Lastly, you need to wrap it up. Yep, hand the floor over and stop talking. But wait, be sure to let us know: Who are you becoming as a result of the challenges you’ve faced and the choices you’ve made? Stories are about transformation. When we hear the person you are becoming, we get to feel the rush of changing alongside you. We get to feel something. A great story releases a rush of feel good hormones like serotonin, oxytocin and dopamine. [End<>Change]

Knowing how to structure your narrative will pull people closer to you, help them see you, understand you, trust you, want to do business with you, hire you, date you, and move them into action.

The bottom line is we are all natural storytellers.Yes, you are a storyteller, too. But just in case, here is a one-of-a-kind graphic to help you chart your own story:

So yeah, people walked away from the webinar knowing How to get to their Why.

But the real secret to storytelling?

The real secret to storytelling is to believe that you have a story worth telling in the first place.

That, my friend, is where the story starts.