MY 3 STEP FORMULA TO CRAFT YOUR FOUNDER'S STORY: HOW TO USE YOUR STORY TO STAND OUT
“People will remember your stories before they remember your sales pitch.”
— GENNIA HOLDER
Believe it or not, there exists a simple way to truly make a big impact and stand out in your service-based industry. Cutting through the noise, you can call out + attract your ideal people! And you know the best part? You do not need to go the extra mile or spend time adding more work to your already overloaded plate. You have this powerful thing in your back pocket ready to be put into action!
Wondering what that is? It is your incredible FOUNDER’S STORY!!
What does storytelling have to do with your service-based business anyways?
Your story is uniquely yours. I see this a lot with my clients when I am working on branding for interior designers and other creative service professionals. Sometimes the simplest of things despite being so powerful get ignored. Your storytelling is one of them. So whether you are an interior designer, home stager, coach, copywriter, or any other creative entrepreneur - the story of how and why you started your business is always going to be unique. No matter how saturated your industry is, NO ONE has a story the same as yours and that is pure GOLD! It is one of those small but mighty things that will always help you to truly stand out as service provider no matter which platform you choose to share it on or even if you share it in person. Use it to authentically connect with your people attracting them to you. The right people, YOUR people will resonate.
My studio specializes in branding for interior designers and one specific client example jumps at me right now as I am talking about storytelling. While working on the brand strategy for Polay Interiors, I realized how all interior designers flood their websites and social media with beautiful images of their projects (often times these images end up looking very similar). No doubt that visuals play a very important role in attracting people and making an impression, but words and visuals go hand in hand. This realization helped me bring out their unique story in the form of their logo design, brand values, messaging, tone, and voice that people can resonate with beyond the project pictures.
With that said, let me show you how you can craft your founder’s story in 3 easy steps!
STEP 1: THE BEFORE
What was your life like before you started your business?
This is where you share what you were going through as a creative. Maybe you were feeling stuck in your situation or burnt out doing things that you did not love like your corporate 9-5 job. This is the phase of your life where you were doing the doing but knew that something was not right.
STEP 2: THE A-HA!
What was the moment that changed everything?
This is the time when something shifted. Your mindset totally leveled up and you made the big decision to start your entrepreneurial journey! You had a realization of how you could turn your life around beginning with turning around your current situation which was not making you happy.
STEP 3: THE AFTER
What is your life like now as a creative business owner and how has it changed for the better?
Although being an entrepreneur is definitely not easy, it is very fulfilling at the same time to see your dreams coming to life. Everything that once felt wrong, is now magically reversed.
So now simply combine the above 3 steps.
THE BEFORE + THE A-HA! + THE AFTER = YOUR HEART LED FOUNDER’S STORY
CONCLUSION
That’s it! There you have it - your authentic founder’s story that will instantly set you apart from your competition! Don’t hesitate in going a little deep and be a little vulnerable. Your rawness will create the space for an emotional connection to foster between you and your ideal audience. Looking for a real example of how to write your founder’s story? I got you, my friend! Head over to this Instagram post I wrote, sharing my own founder’s story. Hope you find the inspiration from my story to write your own.
Now once you’ve got your founder’s story working to attract your people, how can we make sure that your brand is set up to impress them and allow them to convert into dream clients? I have 4 ways to help you do exactly that :)
Building brands with strategy + love,
Ridha
