This is the Only Story Your Brand Needs to Tell

Hey, hey!

If you’ve ever felt like you were at your lowest, like you hit rock bottom and didn’t know where to go from there, then this email’s for you.

And if not, this email’s still for you.

Why?

Because today we’re going to dive deep into the most impactful story you can share as a brand. Whether it’s a personal brand, clothing brand, SaaS company...

Or simply you as a human being!

Here’s what you’ll learn today:

• The most impactful story you can tell as a brand

• Why it works so well

• How to use it

So get comfy, grab a good ole’ cup of Joe, and let’s dive in.

The Most Impactful Story You Can Tell As a Brand

Look, we all know by now that stories are the thing that make the world go ‘round. They allow us to connect with others, learn new things, share our knowledge…

But here’s the thing, not all stories are created equal.

Sure, telling a story of how you made $10K in a day is cool and all. But is your audience able to connect and relate with it? For most of them, probably not. 

Let me go back to the beginning of this email.

Loss, pain, defeat, rock bottom. Those are all pretty common feelings for us humans to experience.

Unfortunately, they’re just a part of life. Fortunately, they usually make us stronger and we’re able to grow from them.

If you had a friend who hit rock bottom, you would do everything you could to cheer them up and get them back on their feet, right?

Because you care about them. You want to see them win. You’re rooting for them.

Just like David and Goliath. Just like Cinderella at the ball. Just like your favorite sports team coming from behind for an improbable victory.

We can’t help but love an underdog story.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a “rags to riches” in the literal sense or just an improbable story of how someone made it from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs.

Whatever you choose to call it, your improbable, underdog, Cinderella, David vs. Goliath, rags to riches story is the most impactful and important story you can ever tell.

Not just in business, but in life.

And no, you don’t have to go from homeless to dream job in order for people to resonate with it.

Whatever unlikely story you can tell, don’t be afraid to leverage it. Here’s why:

Why It Works So Well

The reality is, we can all relate to the feeling of being stuck in a rut, at a low point in life, or feeling defeated.

It’s just… life.

Think back to your favorite movie or sports game you’ve ever watched. It was probably really exciting, right? Maybe your favorite team was losing and came back. Maybe the main character was trapped and found a way out of it.

Like I said earlier, we just can’t help but root for the underdog.

When their back is against the wall. When it seems like there’s no way out. When it looks like they’ve lost.

And somehow, someway, they find a way back.

It’s exciting and inspiring. We’re able to relate to the way they’re feeling… because we’ve all been in a situation like that. We all know the feeling of being stuck in the lowest of lows.

But guess what? Things always get better. They always work out for you in the end.

So when we hear stories like these, we’re better able to connect with them because we can relate to them. We know what it’s like to be in a similar situation.

We all want to root for the underdog and see the impossible turn into reality.

That’s why it works so well.

So how can you leverage your underdog story in your brand?

How to Use It

Now look, we can’t all relate to that guy making millions of dollars a year or that person who fought for their life and won.

But that’s okay.

We can relate to the struggle they were going through before getting to where they are today.

You might think you don’t have an underdog story. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. We all have an underdog story. It may not be like the ones you see in movies, but it’s there.

So here’s what I want you to do:

Think about and write down your lowest of lows and your highest of highs so far in your life.

It could be anything. You may not think it’s worth sharing, but I promise you it is.

Because remember, we can’t help but root for the underdog. We all know what it’s like to go from periods of low to periods of high.

Have you written it down yet? Okay, perfect.

Next thing is to think about how those hardships led you to where you are today.

Grit, determination, hard-work. There’s a lesson in there somewhere. And one that could inspire others.

Now that you’ve got those all figured out and (hopefully) on paper, the last thing to do is pretty simple…

Tell the story of how you got from Point A to Point B!

Here are a few examples of what that might look like:

• I used to do {that}, now I do {this}. Here’s what changed…

• My life dream is {this}. Here’s how I plan to get there…

• How I took my business from {past} to {present}…

• X lessons I learned from {certain hardship}…

There are endless combinations of what this might look like for you. And it doesn’t have to be the stereotypical rags to riches story, either.

You don’t have to be making millions or living lavishly after previously living on the streets.

All you have to do is tell a transformational story of how you went or plan to go from one place to another.

Your audience will root for you. They’ll connect with you. They’ll relate to you.

And that, my friend, is how you leverage your most impactful story and gain the credibility, trust, and attention you need to start building an audience and growing your brand.

Talk later,

Connor “fan of the underdog” Flynn