Month: March 2024

  • March 17, 2024

    Accidental Coaching on Storytelling

    In last week’s members-only episode of How I Built It, I end up accidentally coaching my guest, Tanya, for 20 minutes on storytelling. It’s a really good conversation about what makes a good story — ?become a member if you want to hear it?.

    One thing I mentioned to her later — when she was trying to figure out her story — was something Trey Parker and Matt Stone (the guys who created South Park) said about storytelling.

    Most people just tell their story as a series of events, almost like a kid telling you about their day. “I needed money, then I started a business and got my first client. Then I got more.”

    There’s no emotional charge in those sentences. Why did you need money? How did you get that first client? Instead, Parker and Stone recommend this:

    ? Don’t connect story beats with “and then” — you’re just listing a series of seemingly unconnected events.

    ? Connect story beats with “but” or “therefore” — now you’re connecting them with purposed.

    Here’s that first story again, with connected story beats: “I knew if I was going to provide for my family, I’d need something more than this dead-end job, therefore I started a business. I was really struggling to find my niche, but someone reached out to me and asked a crystalizing question that made my niche clear — that’s when I got my first client. We had a great relationship, I was really able to deliver for her, and she provided a great testimonial. Therefore, I was able to get more clients in that niche. Now, my business is thriving, and I’ve tripled what I was making at that dead-end job.”

    This also fits perfectly into 3-Act structure:

    1. Setup (I needed to provide for my family)
    2. Confrontation (I was struggling to get clients)
    3. Resolution (I’ve tripled my salary).

    As you creator your content (through writing, podcasting, or even guesting), you should consider the stories you’re telling. How do they connect back to your point, and are you taking the audience on a journey with you?

    That’s how your stories will stick, and people will remember what you had to say.

  • March 15, 2024

    Tools Check-in: What am I using so far in 2024?

    My grandfather came to the United States from Italy in 1949 and worked in New York City for much of his life — primarily in construction.

    Both he and my parents moved out of the city (though I wouldn’t say Upstate), after he retired. But he continued to do home projects as I grew up. My dad would say he could paint an entire room in a 3-piece suit and not get a drop on him.

    For as long as I can remember, he had this big, metal toolbox — you know, one of those big grey ones with the curved top and the center latch. When he passed away, he gave it to me, and I still have and use it to this day.

    In fact, most of the tools in his toolbox, Pop had for decades. When he found something that worked for him, he held on to it, and took care of it. There’s a hammer in there that has to be as old as I am.

    And when you think about it, the hammer is a pretty good analogy for our digital tools. It’s a basic device, but there are countless variations, purpose built for specific tasks. Much like a task manager or notes app, you mostly know what you’re getting — but you may want something a little more specialized for your needs.

    Back in November, I posed a question: When Do You Burn All of Your Processes Down and Start Over?

    I was in the middle of changing several of my tools, both in the name of budget and features set.

    So I thought I’d take this time, towards the end of Q1 2024, to check in and share the tools I’m using.