{"id":18007,"date":"2020-01-17T09:32:02","date_gmt":"2020-01-17T17:32:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foundersnetwork.com\/?p=18007"},"modified":"2020-01-17T17:53:00","modified_gmt":"2020-01-18T01:53:00","slug":"storytelling-to-success-by-author-master-storyteller-jarie-bolander","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foundersnetwork.com\/storytelling-to-success-by-author-master-storyteller-jarie-bolander\/","title":{"rendered":"Storytelling to Success by Author & Master Storyteller, Jarie Bolander"},"content":{"rendered":"

How can storytelling lead you to success as a founder? There\u2019s no better person to ask than Jarie Bolander, who has published six books and believes firmly in the power of storytelling. His latest book, <\/span>The Entrepreneur Ethos<\/span><\/i><\/a>, details how to build a more ethical, inclusive and resilient entrepreneur community.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Get Your Message Out Into the World<\/span><\/h3>\n

Every entrepreneur has a goal of getting their message out into the world and above the din of noise. As humans, we\u2019ve told stories since the dawn of time. Stories have taught us, warned us, supported us and propelled us farther. These days, it\u2019s not about who has the best product or service — it\u2019s about who has the best <\/span>story.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Stories Have Structure<\/span><\/h3>\n

You may not realize it, but every story has structure. Whatever you\u2019re selling, it\u2019s important to realize that you\u2019re not actually selling the thing, but rather the story behind it. As entrepreneurs, all too often we fall into the trap of focusing on the technology<\/strong>, \u201cthis cloud-based SaaS that\u2019s powered by X, Y and Z\u201d is utterly meaningless because every product presented this way sounds exactly the same. It\u2019s boring.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The whole point of storytelling is to tell your story to someone, and get that person to tell that story to someone else. It has to have structure and simplicity. <\/blockquote><\/span><\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t just something that was pulled out of thin air — it actually has a basis.\u00a0<\/span>Joseph Campbell\u2019s book <\/span>The Hero with a Thousand Faces<\/span><\/i><\/a>, published in 1949, looked at mythology in order to formulate the monomyth or the Hero\u2019s Journey story structure. Mythology has been how we passed down stories for centuries. Old wives tales, superstitions and the like might have had a grain of truth to them at one time, but most of the time, they\u2019re embellished precisely so that we\u2019ll remember them. And this is where the Hero\u2019s Journey comes into play.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Hero\u2019s Journey<\/span><\/h3>\n

The hero\u2019s journey starts off on a quest or call to adventure – to bring something: an elixir, knowledge or what have you, to his tribe or his kingdom. From an entrepreneurial level, you can look at this as if you are bringing people along with you on this journey. There\u2019s a difference though, and that it is that most people believe that <\/span>they<\/span><\/i> are the hero of the story.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re trying to get customers or investors, you want them<\/em> to be the focus of this tale. They have to be able to picture themselves as an integral part of your story. <\/blockquote><\/span><\/p>\n

The Virgin\u2019s Promise<\/span><\/h3>\n

Another common story doesn\u2019t even involve leaving your tribe or kingdom to go on a quest. It can happen right in your own little ecosystem. This involves making a difference in the world right where you are by developing your gifts and then revealing them to the world where occasionally you are the hero of the story. The boxing movie Rocky<\/em> is a great example of this.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Six Types of Story<\/span><\/h3>\n

You can break each story down into six distinctive types:<\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Rags to riches (someone rises from nothing to become something)<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Riches to rags (someone has everything and then loses it all)<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Man in a hole (someone falls and then rises to triumph)<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Icarus (someone rises and then falls)<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Cinderella (they rise, then fall, then rise again<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Oedipus (they fall, then rise, then fall again)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    As you analyze stories and movies, you\u2019ll see this play out time and time again.

    Stories are hard-wired into our DNA as humans. We love stories, because they force us to break out of the status quo and challenge ourselves to do and become something different. <\/blockquote><\/span><\/p>\n

    The Three Parts of a Story<\/span><\/h3>\n

    In addition to the different types of stories, there are also three different parts of a story:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. The beginning hook<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. The middle build<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. The ending payoff\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      There can be stories where there are lots of rises and falls, but from a business perspective, you want there to be lots of twists and turns, like a roller coaster, to keep people engaged and involved.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Most importantly, you want them to be on your team.

      You want them to help you win, and to see themselves as heroes in your story. The way to do that is to be sure that your story meshes with the rest of the world. Here’s how…<\/blockquote>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Understand the Trends<\/span><\/h3>\n

      Have a finger on the pulse of trends and what\u2019s happening in the world around you. That means subscribing to trusted sources, like Founder\u2019s Network<\/a>, The Hustle<\/a>, CBInsights<\/a>, HARO<\/a>, and The Knowledge Project<\/a>. With telling stories, pitching and marketing – timing is everything. News cycles are less than a day now which means that it might seem like no one is hearing your story.<\/span><\/p>\n

      It can also mean that you have to tell it and refine it. Just like telling a story around a campfire, you might start out with a few listeners, but gradually, you will pique the interest of those around you. So how can you make sure that your pitch is heard? Let\u2019s imagine that you want to pitch a reporter and tell your story so that they, in turn, will tell others. What do you do?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      How to Pitch a Reporter<\/span><\/h3>\n

      Reporters, just like anyone else, are inundated with stories. You might be surprised to learn that reporters love talking to company founders. <\/span>
      \n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n