A few months ago at the gym, my weight lifting trainer asked me what I was up to that weekend. I told her I was teaching at a writing conference, and that I was worried about a presentation I’m supposed to give on how to have a long-term, sustainable career as a writer.
“Everyone’s path is so different,” I told her. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to give advice that will be valuable to enough people.”
“Have you thought about just telling your story?” she asked. “People always really connect with that.”
I mean, she’s right. And that’s literally what I tell Story Rebel clients day in and day out. (Stay in your lane, Heather!) But it simply hadn’t occurred to me to share my story.
Our stories are powerful.
And they’re also the stories we’re least likely to tell.
Why? Because we’re too close to them. Because we think they’re not interesting or dramatic enough. Because we think no one cares, or they make us look bad, or we’re embarrassed of the attention.
And so I’d fallen into the exact same trap I see so many folks get caught by—I was avoiding sharing my story in this talk, even though it would be highly relevant.
I think one problem is that when people hear “tell your story,” they often think it has to be dramatic. Life-changing. Cinematic.
But the truth is, your story doesn’t need to involve a rock-bottom moment or a total transformation. It just needs to show that you’ve solved a problem for yourself—the same problem you now help your customers solve.
That’s it.
The power in sharing your story
It also doesn’t need to be this huge “story of my life” thing. Like, I don’t need to tell everyone at the conference about my childhood and college years to explain that I’ve suffered from RSI pain in my wrists since high school, and here’s the ergonomic desk setup I use because of that.
Sure, I could just talk about ergonomics and leave my own experience out of it—but that’s why my presentation was becoming bland and generic. Heather the trainer was right. Sharing my story will make it much more interesting.
And sharing your story will make your product or service really land with your ideal customer.
- Maybe you used to feel overwhelmed by your to-do list, and now you coach other mompreneurs on systems that actually stick.
- Maybe you struggled to get visible in your own career, and now you teach visibility strategy to women in male dominated fields.
- Maybe you couldn’t find socks that stayed up when you ran, so you made your own.
The power of your story isn’t in inflating its drama. It’s in choosing the specific details that will resonate most with your customers.
Because, remember, in every story you tell in your business—even when you’re talking about yourself—the real protagonist is your customer.
Your job is to show them a version of themselves in your story. To help them recognize their own misbeliefs, struggles, and dreams in what you’ve been through.
You’re saying: I know how this feels. I’ve been there. And I found a way forward.
That’s what makes an company’s founder’s story magnetic.
Here’s a great example from my favorite sports bra brand, SHEFIT. I just scooped this from their about page:
Here’s what I think, a sports bra is the most important piece of gear for women. So it damn well better do its job well. Before starting SHEFIT, I had no intention of starting a business. I just wanted to solve my own problem. After years of frustration with the sports bras on the market, I was still doubling up and tying off excess straps with a rubber band. I called B.S. and decided to take action. After numerous trials, I designed a prototype sports bra that adjusted perfectly to my body. It felt amazing, and my confidence soared. That’s what I want for all women and girls, regardless of size, shape, age, or ability. To experience the incredible feeling of being supported and confident – not just on the playing field, but in life.
Emphasis mine, because do you see how specific that detail is?
As a bigger-chested girl who’s had trouble finding a good sports bra, reading that makes me feel seen. I know the chick who designed these bras understands me. She’s not some A-cup making a cute yoga bra—she means business.
And that’s literally all she tells us about her past. That she’s an athlete who couldn’t find a solution so she made her own.
You don’t need to tell your whole life story here. Focus on one clear turning point:
- What problem were you facing?
- What wasn’t working?
- What belief or assumption did you have to let go of?
- What did you try or discover that changed things?
- What’s different now—and how do you help others through the same process?
You’re showing the before your audience might be in right now, the after they want, and the bridge you’ve built to help them get there.
Want help telling your story?
Download the 60-Second Story Kit
Getting in your audience’s head
These last few weeks, we’ve been talking about all the real-life stories you can tell, like anecdotes and Atomic Stories that define your brand and values, and customer stories that illustrate what you do.
But not every story you tell has to be true.
Let me clarify: I don’t mean make things up. I mean that sometimes, the most powerful story you can tell is one where your audience is the main character, and you’re talking directly to their experience.
These are what I call audience stand-in stories: short, imagined scenes where you describe what your reader is thinking, feeling, or struggling with as if you’re right there with them.
They’re not factual. You’re not pretending to be a fly on their wall. But they’re emotionally true. They reflect your audience’s real inner world—and that’s why they’re so effective.
It sounds like this:
“You’re pouring your third cup of coffee even though it makes you jittery, because there’s no other way to power through the day—and you’re already behind. You can’t afford to keep having these sleepless nights.”
Or:
“You hit ‘delete’ on the draft for the fifth time, because no matter how many stories you try to tell, none of them sound like you. Meanwhile, the days are ticking by without you actually launching that sales page.”
When you tell stories like this, your audience leans in.
Because it feels like you see them. Like you get it.
Louisa Zhou does this extremely well on the sales page for her Employee to Entrepreneur System.
Here’s what she says:
Starting your own coaching business can transform your entire life – your income, your freedom, your future – faster than almost anything else.
But knowing that can make it feel even harder when having your own profitable coaching business feels so far away.
Especially if:
- You know you’re capable of so much more than your current job.
- But you don’t know where to even start, what to do, or HOW to do it.
- And you feel overwhelmed by all the generic and conflicting advice out there. Especially since you don’t have the time to sort through it all or figure it out via trial-and-error.
- So you’re afraid of failing and being stuck in your job forever.
Ultimately, because you’re stuck in a chicken-and-egg type situation:
You want to leave your job as quickly as possible, but you also don’t have a lot of spare time or energy to make it happen. Largely because of your job working for someone else, sacrificing your life and your time to make them rich.
I’ve been there.
So I know – it is suffocating.
She’s speaking directly to her audience, describing their situation in a way that lets them know she’s lived it.
To write these kings of stories, start with empathy. Think about your reader’s day. Their stuck point. Their bad habits. Their desires they haven’t said out loud.
(You’ve probably had those moments, too—dig into those feelings!)
Then write a moment that mirrors that experience—brief, honest, and sensory. Use the second person (“you”) to drop them straight into the scene.
You can use these stories to illustrate struggles, of course. But you can also use them to reflect a future moment—what life could look like after working with you:
“You send the email, hit publish, speak up in the meeting—and it’s not perfect, but it’s real. And for once, it feels like people are actually hearing you.”
Bonus: These are great for sales copy, email intros, Instagram captions, and anywhere you want to show your audience that you understand them on a deeper level.
Audience stand-in stories work best when they’re rooted in truth. Use your own past experiences. Use customer research. Use what your ideal audience vents about online.
Make them feel seen, and you’ll create a powerful connection.
Make them feel like they’re part of a movement, and you’ll win they’re loyalty.
Your manifesto
You’ve told your story. You’ve shared customer transformations, atomic moments, and stories that speak directly to your audience’s experience.
Now it’s time to write something bigger. Something bolder.
I look at manifestos as a type of audience stand-in story. Only, instead of speaking to the struggle, transformation, or misbelief like we talked about yesterday, a manifesto is pure Promised Land.
Think of it a vision board that represents yourself—and your audience—at your best.
It’s a declaration of what you believe. It’s a flag planted in the ground. An compass that keeps you (and your marketing) pointed in the right direction.
- Origin story: I used to believe [misbelief]. Then I struggled in the [old way]. Now I believe [truth] and help others achieve [promised land].
- Audience story: You’re doing [misbelief] and it’s not working. Imagine leaving behind [old way] to enter [promised land].
- Manifesto: We believe [truth]. We reject [old way]. We’re building [promised land].
A manifesto is values-driven and audience-facing. It’s not about what you’ve done—it’s about what you stand for.
A good one does three things:
- Names a belief your audience already holds (or wants to believe)
- Calls out what’s not working in the status quo
- Paints a picture of what’s possible if we do things differently
You might already have an idea of what you want to say, or you may need to do some digging to find the answers. Here are some freewriting questions to get you started:
- What do you believe that most people in your industry overlook, ignore, or get wrong?
- What frustrates you about the way things are typically done in your field?
- What personal values do you bring into every project, decision, or client interaction?
- What’s something you’ve had to unlearn in order to do your work more honestly or effectively?
- What do you wish someone had told you at the beginning of your journey?
- What assumptions or old rules do you want to break?
- If you could only teach your audience one thing, what would it be?
- What’s worth fighting for in your work?
When you’re drafting a manifesto, don’t worry about being poetic or polished—it should be raw. From the gut.
Think short, choppy sentences. Clear language. Punchy, direct words and phrases.
It should be the sort of thing that, when they hear it, will cause your target audience to punch the air and say, “Yes!”
A manifesto should feel a little dangerous, a little risky to share. And it is, because a good manifesto draws a line in the sand—which means that some people will be on the other side of that line.
We all want to be liked. In marketing, we all want to have the largest reach possible—so why lean in to something that can be so othering?
To tell your core audience that they’re in the right place.
You’re speaking directly to the people who already believe what you believe—whether they’ve found the words for it yet or not. And you’re subtly (or not-so-subtly) filtering out the people who aren’t a good fit.
Here’s a good one from the about page of nail polish company Mooncat.
(Which is a brand I love—as I type this, I’m wearing a holographic rose pink shade by them named “Not Today, Satan.”)
mooncat was made for the others.
the misfits, the dreamers, the outcasts, the wanderers. the ones who know darkness is beauty, mystique is power, and the universe isn’t meant to make sense.
we see our products as wearable art, with the ability to tell a story, evoke emotion, or transport you to another time, another place. our products are 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and made in the usa with globally sourced materials.
to me, nail polish has always been a symbol of rebellion. growing up, i wasn’t allowed to wear it, which… obviously made me want to more. it became a deeply expressive process, and i was constantly searching for products that brought both the artistic element and the quality i was looking for. i couldn’t find them, so i made my own.
mooncat is meant for creative minds that see nails as an art form. it’s for unconventional people who have spent their lives refusing to accept the ordinary. here, you can embrace your quirks and idiosyncrasies, and feel less like an anomaly. weirdos, welcome home. :)
“Weirdos, welcome home.”
What an extremely specific invitation.
(By the way, the lower case is intentional. It makes it feel a bit more quirky, ethereal, and unconventional—perfectly on brand for Mooncat.)
Mooncat doesn’t necessarily use this language in their Instagram, or even in their newsletter or elsewhere on their website. But when you look at their more public-facing marketing, that ethos is everywhere.
That’s because a manifesto will infuse itself in everything else you do, even if you don’t explicitly use it in your top-of-funnel marketing.
Think of it like this. If someone has worked their way through your funnel far enough to check out your about page and find your manifesto, when they read it they should think, “Ah. Everything makes sense now. That’s why I love this brand so much.”
💫Take Action💫
Set a timer for 30 minutes and write a rough draft of your manifesto. Don’t think about it too hard—and don’t worry about spelling and grammar. Just get everything you can on the page right now; you can polish later.
And when you’re ready to take your writing to the next level, reach out and let’s chat.