Unlocking the Most Lucrative Skill in the World

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Since the dawn of humanity, the most powerful person in the tribe was not necessarily the biggest, the strongest, the fastest, or even the smartest…

They were the best Storyteller.

The Storyteller’s power derived from their ability to make sense of the universe, to create order from chaos, to communicate information that could save lives, and to inspire the hearts, hands, and minds of the masses in the pursuit of a greater vision.

This is why Steve Jobs said:

But here’s the thing: We are all Storytellers.

See, Story is how we ascribe meaning, purpose, and value to all the things in our lives…

Without those stories:

• your wife is just a stranger
• your childhood home is just a pile of bricks
• your wedding ring is just a hunk of metal

And it’s the same for your business.

Story is the vehicle through which your customers connect with your company.

If you want to explode your business with growth, it starts by learning how to tell your story in a compelling, impactful, and influential way.

Here’s how to tell your Origin Story in 5 steps:

1. Compelling Character

First, we need a character to connect with.

Most people think this means showing how awesome their character is…

It’s James Bond doing parkour through a construction site while in hot pursuit of the bad guy.

Here’s the problem:

You are not James Bond.

Here’s the bigger problem:

Your audience IS NOT James Bond.

We are entertained by James Bond, but we don’t connect with him because none of us really see ourselves in him.

He’s just too badass and flawless… whereas the rest of us are… well… human.

Now here’s the secret to creating a compelling character your audience resonates with:

It’s simple: Despite being in over their head, they Try.

Now, James Bond tries… but he’s never really in over his head, and therefore we don’t root for him.

Here’s an important nuance:

At the start of your story, the Character might be trying, but they are either trying the wrong things or trying towards the wrong goal.

And this is important, because this is probably where your audience currently is in their own life.

They have something big they want for their life, but the discomfort of their present circumstances doesn’t outweigh the potential discomfort of going for their dream…

So we need something dramatic to happen…

Something to kick the character out of the nest and into the big bad, scary world.

Something we call:

2. The Inciting Incident

Most people will just keep doing what they’re doing until something forces them to change.

And that’s because change is hard, scary, and uncertain.

The devil you know is better than the one you don’t, right?

Well, not necessarily… unfortunately, most people will never discover this truth because they will never experience a traumatic moment orchestrated by the gods that thrusts them out from beneath their comfortable rock.

And that’s why they need YOUR story…

Your inciting incident is the lens through which they see their lives and what could be if things had just played out a bit differently… or might yet play-out if they stay the course.

Inciting Incidents manifest in all sorts of ways…

• It could be a loved one falling sick…
• Or a loved one leaving you…
• Or an unexpected medical crisis…

Or just sitting in traffic one day as you realize you’re gonna miss family dinner once again… and in that moment you look up and catch your own stare in the rearview mirror and realize…

“I’ve had enough.”

It is the start of the adventure.

And it is the moment of commitment that can only end in one of two ways: Success or Failure.

Which leads us to the heart of every great story…

3. The Struggle

Nobody cares what you’ve achieved… We care what you’ve overcome.

It’s your climb up the mountain, not you standing at the peak, that gets us emotionally invested in you.

Truth is:

We admire people who struggle righteously towards noble ends.

We look to those people who stand tall in the face of difficulty for inspiration and think…

“If they can do it, then maybe I can too.”

And this is where we return to the idea of TRYING.

Agonist is the root word of Protagonist (hero) and Antagonist (villain).

It means: One that is engaged in a struggle.

The hero’s most important characteristic is that they try and in trying they become an agent of change.

The more your hero struggles, the greater they ultimately become.

But they can’t suffer indefinitely… that just makes for a depressing and masochistic story.

Instead, there has to be a pivotal moment which comes as a result of:

4. The Epiphany

This is the Eureka moment after which everything changes.

You’ve found the secret weapon… You see through the matrix… You finally have the solution.

(in your business, this epiphany is USUALLY your product or service)

The path towards your greatest desire (that thing your character wanted at the beginning of the story) finally reveals itself…

And this leads to the MOST IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR STORY:

5. The Transformation

Without transformation, your story is just a chronology of events.

And nobody’s life has ever been transformed by a chronology of events.

Let’s pause… re-read that above sentence. It’s THAT important.

In that single sentence is the seed of insight to understanding the true power of story:

See, your story of transformation is the vehicle through which your audience experiences their own transformation.

And the beauty is: They get your transformation without the scars.

Huzzah!

They get the return without the investment…

Which is why humans value story so highly.

And THAT is why your story is SO damn important.

Now go tell it…

Until next week…

Stay Hyperfocused, My Friend
AV

P.S. Want FREE coaching time with me? Click here and follow me on Instagram. I go live there once a week to answer any and all your questions.

Dive deeper into telling your story

Here’s the brutal truth:

Learning to tell YOUR story is one of the hardest skills in the world.

It’s ‘cause you’re just so close to the tree, you can’t see the forest.

That’s where an outside perspective comes in handy.

Reply to this email with “STORY” if you want some help.

I’m curious…

What was your Inciting Incident?

Write down the single moment your life changed and put you on the path to becoming the person you are today.

• How did it feel?
• What were the fears that consumed your mind?
• What did others think?
• What did YOU think?

The more vividly you can paint the picture of that single moment, the more likely you are to spark a change in your audience.

Here’s my story for example:

​From $80k in debt to millionaire in 3 years…Here’s What I Did.​

Explore more

Careful the stories you tell yourself… How to play the cards you’re dealt in life​

These are the hardest stories to rewrite… How you are PROGRAMMED to be poor​

This is my favorite storytelling tool… The Story Bible​

5 simple tips to increase your influence… Becoming a More Effective Storyteller​