Written by: Shantel Perschon, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Time for a riddle: What free asset do you already have that no other business can replicate? It’s a riddle worth solving.
Because, free? Yes, please!
And not replicable? Talk about the ultimate edge in business. So, the answer?
Your story. You and your story hold all the power to your success. Your story holds your solution. All the juicy juice from the last decade or two of your life provides a timeline of failures, successes, resilience, values, unique problem-solving techniques, and, ultimately, solutions that you can bring to the market in a remarkably fresh way. So, okay, you’re like, I’ve heard this before. And maybe you think my story’s boring. Or maybe my story is too much. Or maybe it feels weird to share my story. Or how I share my story in a way that makes sense in my industry. Here’s the thing. You don’t have to share the ugly in your story. Or the boring. The goal is to pull your values, unique problem-solving skills, and history of overcoming obstacles from your story and incorporate them into your everyday content. Because these things are really appealing to potential clients(no matter your industry), they feel real and relatable. You can build an empire around solid values and good solutions that are mentally and physically accessible to people. So, without further ado, here are five steps to discover and amplify an undeniable business asset – your story:
1. Write your story. For real, get a notebook or open a Google doc and write out a paragraph or two on the ten most meaningful milestones or pivot points in your life. It’s not going to get published or anything, so just DUMP.
Examples: Body image issues as a teenager, death of a loved one, marriage, first job, moving to a new place, renovating a house, babies, failed businesses, etc. (good or bad)
2. Look for patterns. What do you repeatedly value in the good times and the bad times? What did you gain even through hard circumstances?
Examples: Resilience, humor, relationships, being different, challenging the status quo.
3. Uncover how you solve problems. Ask yourself how YOU tackled problems differently than anyone else you’ve ever met.
Examples: You can sell well. You can rally people in hard times. You can learn anything from watching. You can write about the way you overcame something.
4. Incorporate pieces of your story. Decide what values and unique problem-solving techniques you want to incorporate into your content and marketing regularly.
Examples: Using humor to handle the crappy times. Be very generous with your knowledge and teaching because that is a strength.
5. Go for it! Be willing to open up more in your content, think outside the box, and be creative with your story and how it’s given you your unique perspective to offer solutions in a saturated marketplace.
Other people are offering the same solution as you. Other people have more time in the industry.
Other people have more money to spend. Other people have different resources than you.
But, you have a unique path that has led you to be able to offer THIS solution. And that path is DIFFERENT than anyone else’s.
So, of course, deliver your solution. Be excellent at delivering that solution.
But when you’re wondering how to stand out from the masses, remember the solution can be replicated. YOU and YOUR story cannot be replicated use that to your advantage.
You can find me and my outlaw approach to entrepreneurship, content, copywriting, and business on Instagram.
Shantel Perschon, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Shantel Perschon is a copywriter and story strategist for solopreneurs. She believes good business solutions start with personal breakthrough. Shantel is brilliant at finding the story in every business and finding the solution in every story. She can flawlessly connect a story and solution to an audience of potential clients. She uses honesty, unconventional thinking, and personal flair to write content that demands the hottest commodity of all: attention. At the end of the day, her goal is to create a mesmerized reader ready to buy.
