3 stories that did nothing to help my brand

Business storytelling means you build your personal brand with every story.

Photo by Michael G on Unspkash

You’re hearing lots of advice to “just tell stories.” But in fact telling the wrong stories can send the wrong message. Here are 3 stories I’ve told over the years, before I understood the importance of understanding your marketing archetype.

(1) The story that creates distance, not closeness, with your audience,

Many of my stories fit this pattern, especially (a) in my earliest days online and (b) when I listen to well-meaning but misguided advice.

When I was doing standup comedy, an experienced comic advised me to tell stories about my time in Alaska. So I shared the story about flying around Alaska in a tiny Cessna with a colleague who had less than 100 hours of flight time.

Alas, the vast majority of my audience wasn’t sure what a Cessna was. They did know they weren’t crazy enough to fly around the mountains with an inexperienced pilot.

(2) The misunderstood story that sends the wrong message.

I didn’t share the Alaska stories in my business. But when I first started, I was advised, “People want to know…