“Great brands are the ones that tell the best stories.” -Jason Fried
One of my absolute favorite things to do is listen to stories. I’d love to sit down with you, have a drink, and listen to the experiences that caused you to become the person you are today. What you begin to see – when you really start to listen – is that everything rises from the ashes of something else. The present truly is shaped by a past.
Those life stories are the same ones that create a brand. The childhood dream, the loss of a friend, an unexpected pregnancy, the lay-off from a job, the nagging vision of something you can’t quite articulate.
Great brands are built on stories of triumph.
We can get caught up in finding the “right” shade of blue for a logo or the “perfect” call-to-action on a website, but at the end of the day, gaining loyalty, winning clients, selling products, and inspiring employees is all about being able to tell a good story.
Of course, it’s hugely important to be able to deliver: A story can become a way to put children to sleep if it doesn’t come alive. But when you’re sitting across the table from someone, the most compelling way to inspire action is to bring the other person into something larger than themselves.
So – what’s your story?