Selling With Stories with Lisa Bloom

In This Episode

• [02:53] – Lisa Bloom talks about her journey of over 15 years in the storytelling business and the initial skepticism she faced.
• [04:58] – Lisa explains the significance of consistency in storytelling for business growth.
• [10:37] – Lisa discusses the effectiveness of different mediums for storytelling, such as videos for launches and written pieces for engagement.
• [17:25] – Lisa discusses the potential of AI in merging ideas and creating language for workshops and projects.
• [21:43] – Lisa highlights the importance of integrating inner stories with outward narratives to build authenticity.
• [41:04] – Lisa introduces her “Selling Through Story” program, designed to help entrepreneurs sell naturally and joyfully.
• [41:21] – Lisa shares her experience of using storytelling to sell products and services naturally and joyfully.
• [45:19] – Lisa Bloom discusses the importance of community and group interaction in storytelling.

Jump to Links and Resources

Lisa, it’s so great to have you on the show.

Thank you, it’s great to be here.

Yeah, so we’re both located in Israel. We know each other through a mastermind, Dov Gordon‘s mastermind. He was a guest on the show in the past. His program is called JVMM, which is awesome. I’ve been in since, I don’t know, 2018, 2017, something like that. And yeah, I’ve met wonderful people, including yourself, through that program. How long have you been in it?

Yeah, same. Think even longer. I’ve met some amazing people through this group; I’m very happy to be part of it.

Yeah, awesome. And you’ve been doing the Story Coach business for how long?

You know, I have to think back. It’s been more than a decade. It’s probably about 15 years since I started Story Coach. And it’s definitely kind of morphed over time. But essentially, when I started out, and I talked about storytelling in business, people kind of looked at me strangely. I said, “I was a storyteller,” and they would say, “You work with children.” And I’m like, “No, no, no, definitely not.” 

And, of course, over the last decade, story and storytelling have become a well-known commodity in business. I think people still struggle to do it well.

I recall that early on in the SEO world; I found it very strange that, say, in the early 2000s or mid-2000s, there were storytelling workshops or general sessions at conferences like Search Engine Strategies. I thought,  “This is so weird.”  I had that same idea that you were alluding to that people think it’s about writing stories for kids or telling stories that are just for entertainment and not for business, not for marketing. I was scratching my head, thinking, “Why are these workshops and things showing up at these SEO conferences?” But yeah, years into it totally makes sense.

I learned a lot about storytelling by reading the book “Building a StoryBrand” and other books on improving storytelling to drive better sales and move people through the buyer’s journey more effectively. It’s been really helpful to my business, to the folks I coach, and to those I consult with.

So, yeah, it’s a very valuable part of marketing. Kudos to you for having a business that’s been around for 15 years. I think the statistic is that 95 or 97 percent of all businesses will have gone out of business within 10 years. So you really lasted.

Yeah. Well, thank you for that. You know, I think the bottom line is that when you compare telling a story to passing out any type of information, information is important. And oftentimes, it’s persuasive, but nothing like the power of a story. Because when we tell stories, we get emotionally invested, and we feel something. That feeling, no matter how data-driven your offer or business is.

Information matters and can be persuasive, but it’s no match for the power of a story.

People still make decisions based on how they feel. And so when you can help people feel something, which story is so good at, then they do make decisions. And I think in terms of the longevity of the business, I think it’s really just about being consistent and continuing to do the things that you have to do and riding the ups and downs. And there’ve been lots of ups and lots of downs.

But things like this, I recall from way back. One of my first business coaches said to me, ‘If your business is storytelling, you need to tell stories consistently like you need to tell a story every week and send it out to your audience.’ Had a very small audience at the time. And my first reaction to that was, “Look, my life isn’t that interesting. Where am I going to find a story every week?” Because I share very kind personal stories about my business and life. And she said, “I trust you. It’ll be fine.”

And then I did it. I did it for 10 years, religiously; every Tuesday, a story would come out. I took a break for a few years while I focused on other things, and now I’m back, putting out stories every single week. It’s amazing. It’s not that my life got any more interesting. It was just that I began to understand how the opportunity to tell a story is always around us because we’re living, breathing beings, and stories happen all the time. So that’s one of the things I love about it. It’s very accessible.

But it’s also just that taking that consistent action is what makes all the difference in terms of growing the business.

How many newsletters have you written over the course of time?

I actually don’t know. I’d have to do the math. You know, it’s more or less 15, 17 years once a week, I guess. So whatever that works out to be. 

People still make decisions based on how they feel, and a story is powerful in helping them evoke emotions.

Wow. Many, many, many hundreds.

It’s many hundreds of stories. And then also just when you can, you know, again, commit to doing something. I had a podcast. We’re just winding it down right now, but I think we’ve got 108 episodes. And again, just being able to show up again and again, like you do and bring the work forward. That’s what makes the difference.

So what’s your decision-making process around sun setting a program, a podcast, or a newsletter? Why wind something down that you’ve invested all this time and energy into, and you’ve built a following under?

So, with the podcast, it was a very specific idea. The podcast is titled “Once Upon a Business.” And the idea is I find a story, a folktale or a fairy tale, and I tell the story. And then I interpret it for business. And after doing this with 105 or 108 times, I kind of felt like it’s done. I just had this feeling. It just landed one day. I wasn’t looking to think about it. I also have other ideas for a different podcast that I’m developing and testing.

But the idea of taking a story and interpreting it for business, when you’ve done it 108 times, you kind of get the idea. So, I just felt like it was a natural time to finish it.And I also think that sometimes you have a body of work; adding more to it doesn’t necessarily make it any better. It just makes it more. And so I think the essence of that piece of work was completed at that time.

Additionally, I would send out a story every week via the newsletter. I took a break for a few years because I was busy with other things, not because I thought, “Okay, okay, I’m purposely letting this go.”

Sometimes you have a body of work; adding more doesn’t necessarily make it better, it just makes it bigger.

It was just that, at the time, I took a break, and then I actually realized that people really missed it. And I would get emails from people saying, “I know you’re doing a lot of interesting things, and there’s a lot of promotions, but I’d love to; I miss those stories.” So, I went back to doing that again. 

Yeah, are you doing it currently?

Yeah. I am, yeah, every week I send out a story.

I think part of it is just to be listening to your audience and to get a sense of what’s working in the same way that probably about 10 years ago at the time when everybody was saying, you should only be using video and video logs rather than blogs and the whole thing. And so I thought, “Okay, I’ll try it.” So, I went into a local studio and produced about 10 episodes of my newsletter through video.

And I noticed that the open rates dropped and the readership was dropping. And I realized at that time, “Oh, okay, my list actually likes to read.” There are people who are interested in storytelling and business. They want to read. They’re not that interested in videos. So, I went back to writing again. So it was interesting. I think you have to try things, get feedback, and understand what people want. And then, you can decide whether you’re ready to let go of a project or not.

People tend to get more immersed in your world if they are reading a story rather than just watching it. I know, for example, a number of books that I’ve read after watching the movie, and I’m like, “Wow, I wish I would have read the book first” but I’m just grateful that I even read the book or listened to the audiobook because it was so much more engaging and exciting and fun and just took me on quite a wild ride. 

For example, Ready Player One, it’s a good movie. Steven Spielberg is an incredible director. And the book, which I listened to in the audiobook, was incredible. It was so much better. And yeah, I just think that it’s really something special to read a story rather than just watch it.

Yeah, I mean, that’s the kind of the age-old argument of what’s better, the book or the film. Some people prefer movies, while others prefer books. And I’m like you; I would rather read a book first before seeing the movie because then it’s your mind that gets to imagine the characters, their appearance, and how they interact.

And that’s a beautiful thing to have that journey where your mind is just creating all these characters. I think there’s a time and place for everything. When you’re launching or engaging people, social media videos are often more effective. 

And again, it always depends on your audience. So, I often have people ask, “What stories do I need to produce for TikTok?” And then I’m like, “Well, who’s your audience?” And they’re not a TikTok audience at all. So it’s like, “Why are you even bothering with TikTok?” So, I think it’s really important to differentiate who the audience is and then determine which medium will work.

Storytelling works in all mediums, whether it’s these tiny seeds of story that you pull out into short-form social media posts or whether it’s the long drawn-out video and or written piece that will really pull people in. 

However, I recall that in the early days, when I would review the statistics from my website, people would often say, “Oh, the average time people stay on a page is 20 to 30 seconds.” And I would have people staying on my website for three to four minutes. I knew it was because they were engrossed in the story and didn’t want to leave it. We weren’t going to stop. You know, they weren’t going to flick to another page because they wanted to see what was in the story. So, it definitely keeps people engaged longer.

Yeah. One thing I do on this podcast is that, with every episode, we turn the transcript into a long-form blog post that’s much more readable and engaging. It features stock photos with captions underneath each one, so they don’t appear to have been gratuitously placed. There are pull quotes, click-to-tweets, and videos embedded from YouTube when relevant, making it a much more engaging episode page than just the typical show notes, which include a summary, the guest’s bio, and all their social links. It’s much more of a story.

Sure.

I’m curious about your thoughts on Substack, as it seems to have really taken off in recent years as a platform for people who are skilled at storytelling and creating newsletters. It seems to be that it has some secret sauce to it that typical email marketing platforms don’t have. I’m curious what your take is on.

Yes, I actually opened a Substack a few weeks ago, and I’m planning my strategy for approaching it and what to do with it. So, I don’t know it as a user; I only know it as a reader and a consumer of Substack, and I love it. I love being able to follow the people who interest me and see how they present themselves. 

It kind of reminds me of the power of the podcast because when you’re listening to a podcast, oftentimes when I listen to podcasts, it’s usually when I’m out walking my dog or when I’m doing things that I can listen to something, if I’m cleaning my house or if I’m washing dishes or if I’m doing things that I want to keep my mind engaged, then I’ll listen to a podcast. And what happens is there’s this beautiful intimacy, I think, that’s created when you’re in somebody’s ear.

While they’re doing other things, especially when they’re doing things physically, because I know that as a performing storyteller, part of the way I learn would be to learn a story or practice a story, I do it in action. So I’ll go for a walk, and I’ll walk out my story so that I can embody it because that’s a really big part of performance.

Stories aren’t about interesting people telling fabulous tales. They’re about what the listener sees in themselves; that’s where the magic happens. Share on X

And so I think when you’re listening to a podcast while you’re walking or swimming or doing housework or whatever it might be, you’re actually embodying, it’s going into your body. So you’re having this whole-body experience of the person whose voice is in your ear, which is incredibly powerful.

And Substack reminds me a little bit of that because of the intimacy. It feels much more intimate than other forms of kind of writing. And it feels like this person has just opened up the back door to their life or their business or their work, and their kind of they’re more informal, and they’re thinking, and they’re playing, and they’re bringing all kinds of stuff to it. So I think that’s exciting and interesting, and it feels much more intimate, which is a good thing right now where people are just struggling to find intimacy and connection.

What was it that led you to open your Substack? What was the lynchpin or the deciding factor?

There’s no shortage of material. I write stories easily because stories are happening all the time.

I don’t think there was one specific thing. I think it was just a mixture of that, and I had a conversation with a colleague who was also talking about starting a Substack. And I just thought, “You know what? I should do this. I definitely should do this.”  so, I mean, I haven’t even posted anything yet. I’ve literally signed up, that’s it. But before I do, I want to take some time to think about how I’m going to do it and not do it haphazardly. 

So I’ve got some time off at the end of next week. I’m going on a retreat, and I know I’m going to have some time to think and plan and strategize. So I think that’s where I’m going to be coming up with the ideas. So, hopefully, by the end of the month, I’ll begin to get moving on it.

Do you recycle any of your past stories? You’ve been writing this newsletter for over 15 years, and I’m curious if you’re planning on recycling some of that content for your Substack.

I don’t, I haven’t, and I, I don’t know. I mean, that’s maybe some way of looking at it. I kind of feel like stories are happening all the time. There’s no shortage of material. So, it’s not like I would have to work hard to find material, and I write stories easily. Some topics recur repeatedly. And because I have a fairly regular life, where we happen to form habits and do things like those, those are the things that come up in my stories again and again. 

I recall the first time I wrote about swimming, as it’s my chosen form of exercise, and I swim almost every day. And I just love it. I love the feeling. So oftentimes, when I’m swimming, I’m in the pool and ideas for stories come up, but sometimes, I also realize what I want to write about the experience of swimming.

So that comes up again and again because it’s something I do almost every day. And then the time when my kids were small, and you learn so much from young children, that would come up a bit, too. However, it’s always about ensuring that you’re addressing what the audience needs or wants and incorporating the personal side to make it more relatable and recognizable.

That’s the thing, too, that sets us apart from AIs: our stories are hopefully at least authentic, and we have the experience, whereas the AI is just stringing words together and making it seem authentic, but it’s not an experience that the AI has ever had.

And with that, I think AI is an incredible tool to merge ideas and to take the material you’ve already created and then pull out from it things that you might need. So, for example, you’ve put together a project at the moment with somebody else, and we’ve both done similar workshops, and we’re looking for ways to do it together. 

So, we’re getting AI to merge the ideas and come up with some language around it. Now, it’s not going to change the delivery of these workshops; it’s not. AI didn’t come up with the idea to do this or how we’re going to work together because we’re two human beings who want to work together, either live in person or online. But to be able to pull out language that usefully articulates how we’re going to work together is super helpful.

So I’m enjoying digging into AI, but I could easily go to AI and say, “Okay, look at all my blogs for the last 10 years and come up with a story that’s just like what I write.” And it probably could come up with something, but I suspect that the time it would take me to read through it, change it, and make it more personal and real is about as much time as it would take me to write the thing myself. 

And so when it comes to the really creative stuff, I do that myself always, 100%. I recently got an email from one of my readers who said, “I’m happy to see a typo. It means you actually wrote this and not AI.” And I said, “Oh my goodness, it’s a typo. I didn’t realize.” And he was laughing. 

What’s the story that really sticks out for you that you wrote and just feels like one of your kind of cornerstone pieces of content?

Oh my goodness, that’s a really hard question because I write so many stories. So, the one-way story I remember was when my second son was about nine years old, and he couldn’t ride a bicycle. Now, I grew up in Ireland. I was riding my bike by the time I was about four, and we used to have a park behind the house. I would always be there with my friends on bikes. I had this idea that my sons should ride bicycles and learn from a young age. 

Sometimes, things happen exactly when they need to. I need to let go, stop trying to control everything, and simply allow things to unfold in their own time.

And this kid, he never had good balance, and he was just not kind of inclined. And I would take him outside. I remember I’d take him outside, and we’d get on the bike, and I’d pull up my sleeves, and I’d kind of get him ready, and I’d hold the back, and I’d hold the front, and he’d take off, and he’d fall over, and he’d start crying, and I don’t want to do this.

And this went on for weeks where every day or every other day, I’d say, “Come on, we’re going to ride the bike.” And I was trying to teach him to ride a bike. And eventually, he said, “Mom, I don’t want to do this.” So I said, “Okay, fine, let’s just leave it.” And I just dropped the whole thing. And maybe three or four weeks later, he came home from school, and he said to me,” Mom, I want to ride the bike today.” So I said, “Great, fantastic.” so I took him out into, you know, we have a little path in the garden, and I said, “Okay, let’s do it.” And he said, “No, no, no, I don’t want to do it here. I want to do it on the road.”

We had lived in a very quiet neighborhood, so it was okay to go out on the road. So I was like, “okay.” And so we got on, I said, “Okay, I’m going to hold the back,” and he’s like, “No, no, you don’t need to hold anything.” And he got on the bike, and he just took off. And as he took off to the end of the road, he was very wobbly, but he did it, and he didn’t want me at all involved. I suddenly had this realization, “Wow, sometimes I do this. I get really clear on an idea, and I want to push for it, and I’ll roll up my sleeves, and I’ll push and push and push and push.” 

And the lesson I got in that moment was sometimes things happen just at the time they need to happen. And I need to let go, like stop trying to control it and just allow things to happen when they need to happen.  Not just with my kid learning a bicycle, obviously, but in my whole life and my business.

So I wrote about that, and that’s a story I always remember because it’s the most mundane thing. And yet, for me, it’s like when you turn the mundane into this magical story, suddenly it becomes really accessible. So that’s one example.

Yeah. That’s a great example. And it’s really relevant to, I think, everyone and to all aspects of life, that allowing instead of trying to push so hard. And I’m a go-getter. I really enjoy rolling up my sleeves and getting things done. But I also recognize that I need to allow myself to be carried down the river rather than always trying to swim against it, even upstream.

Yeah, absolutely. And then, I wanted to share another thing: I did a project years ago where I had an idea to help people tell the story they never really dared to tell. And I called it the Dare to Tell Story Project, and I invited people to call me and share their stories. And was before, it was a long time ago,  way, way back, maybe 12, 13 years ago. And I said, “You call me and tell your story, and I’m going to ask you some questions, and then I’ll write it. I’ll write a blog, and with your permission, we’ll blog the story.” And it was just this huge experiment.

I was going to do a hundred stories in a hundred days. And after about 30 days, I had to slow down because the stories were just so huge. The stories people don’t dare to tell are big stories. However, what I noticed, and this was particularly interesting, was that people would call with a story.

And I would ask them lots of questions. And as I asked these questions, the story would shift somewhat from the way they were thinking about it. And then, when I wrote the story, it would shift again because it was the story I had heard, not necessarily the one they told. I realized this was kind of the essence of the inner story and how we, you know, story coaching for the inner story because we have these stories we tell that sometimes don’t serve us terribly well, but when you tell them out, and we do some work on them, they can sometimes shift.

So that was incredible learning. In the end, I probably, I think I did about 80-something stories, and just an incredible experience in the evolution of this work for me was really understanding the power of our inner story and how important it is to integrate that with the stories we tell others and the stories we tell in our business. Because if they’re not integrated, then we sound insincere and inauthentic. However, if we can integrate our inner and outer stories, then they become much more authentic and powerful, and trust is built much more easily.

Yeah. This reminds me of the stories we dare not tell or often choose not to because they don’t serve our own interests. I’ve found that if I go first, then the people I’m talking to are much more willing to share theirs in turn. A great example that comes to mind is when I attended the Genius Network‘s annual event. I’ve been a part of the Genius Network for seven years. And this older gentleman I sat next to at breakfast, I’m very excited about spiritual topics, as you know. 

You don’t need a dramatic life to tell stories. You need presence. If you’re a living, breathing human being, you’re surrounded by stories. Share on X

So I was telling him some wild and crazy example of something that the chances of which are probably close to zero happening unless it’s totally orchestrated from above. And he, in turn, shared his story, one of his stories that he never shares. Because I’m not going to share his name or anything, I’m sure this is okay. And it’s a pretty short story. It’s just simply this. 

He was in a grocery store. There was somebody in line ahead of him at the register. He was waiting for this guy to finish. And the guy turns to the guy that I was sitting next to. He says to him, “Your mom wishes you a happy birthday, and she loves you.” And, of course, it was this guy’s birthday. And, of course, his mom had passed, and yeah, that just gave him so much comfort and happiness. I mean, there’s no way this guy could have known that it was this guy’s birthday. It’s really cool. 

And it’s not something that he would outwardly share. Most people, when they share this sort of stuff, like, “Oh I, once I saw my body,  I felt like I was hovering above my body, and I could see my hands on my steering wheel, and then I was back in my body” like I have a family member who told me that. She didn’t even tell her sister about her whole life, and so there’s stuff that you just know if you go first. People will dare to tell their stories, too, and I think that’s a beautiful thing.

Yeah, I agree. And even, you know, generally speaking, when you’re using stories in business, people often say, “I don’t have any stories.” But the minute you tell them something, then they find something. Whenever I’m conducting workshops with people, I’ll say, “I’d like you all to share a story about X, whatever.” And there’ll always be some people who look a little bit thoughtful, or they’re like, “I don’t know, I don’t have any stories.” But I say to them, look, just trust you’re in a group; somebody will have a story. And once one person starts, then everybody else will join in. 

And that’s the essence of how we converse. When we’re at the dinner table, one person starts saying something, and then everybody joins in. That’s just the way it works. So it’s the same with the stories. But I think you’re right. The deeper you’re willing to go and the more open you’re willing to be, the more those kinds of stories come back.

And I think you’re absolutely right. The stories about unusual experiences like you’re describing, most people have had them, and out of context, it’s hard to share that. However, in the context of actually sharing this experience, people suddenly find them. So yeah.

The deeper you’re willing to go and the more open you’re willing to be, the more those kinds of stories come back.

People want to fit in. They don’t want to be ostracized. They don’t want to be looked at as kind of a freak or loony. So, yeah, that keeps us pretty constrained in societally approved boxes.

For sure.

So you shared an example, thank you, of your son learning how to ride his bike. I’m curious if there’s a particular example from somebody that you look up to or think highly of in the storytelling world or in the marketing or business world, and what his or her story really pops into mind.

I can actually tell you the opposite, unfortunately, which is that I think there are a lot of people, even those who are very successful in the marketing world, who tend to tell the same story again and again. It may be a powerful story to hear once. Still, when it becomes the only story they ever tell, I find it’s a lot less powerful because I really believe that our lives, our work, our brilliance, and our expertise are so much more than one story can ever articulate. 

And so, for me, what I’m always teaching people and talking to them about is learning how to tell stories. This allows you to bring stories from your more recent experiences and from experiences all over, which will help connect you with people and also bring more of yourself into the space. There’s a storyteller who I see as a mentor. She’s a brilliant, brilliant storyteller. Her name is Laura Simms. She’s based in New York. One of the first times I met her in person, she had one of these salons in New York where people come together in somebody’s home. 

And it was such a typical New York experience. It was so much fun. But she told an amazing story about how, as a young woman, she had been working with children in a children’s theatre, and she had stood at the Hans Christian Andersen statue in Central Park, which is a beautiful statue. 

Our lives, work, brilliance, and expertise are far greater than any single story can fully express.

She had been working with these children who were performing, and they did a great job. Still, while they were waiting to do it again for the performance, somebody said to her, “Laura, tell a story.” So she stood up in front of the group of kids and adults and whoever else was gathering in the park and told an old Russian folk tale. It may have been a folk tale that Hans Christian Andersen had adapted, or I’m not sure, but it was just a folk tale that she told.

And in the middle of the photo, she noticed that there was a woman just walking along, and she was holding a bunch of flowers. And as she walked by, she was a very kind and interesting-looking woman, with her hair up in a bun, holding these flowers. And as she walked by, she kind of slowed down, and she started listening, and she stood and listened to the story. 

And at the end of it, she went up to Laura and said to her, ‘My name is Baroness Von whatever.’ And she said, “And I sat at the feet of Hans Christian Andersen when I was a child, as he told stories. And in fact, I donated the statue to the park.” And she said to her, “And you, my dear, are a storyteller.” And so Laura was; she told the story about her kind of initiation into understanding that she was a storyteller. And later that day, Laura and I went for coffee.

The first time I met her, I was a little bit in awe of her because I’d read her books, and I really admired her as a storyteller. We were having coffee, and I was telling her about the Dare to Tell Story project. And I told her one of the stories from the project, about a really strange story of a woman who wrote to me. She said, “I don’t know if I have a story, but I have to tell you, my son is engaged to be married, and the woman he’s engaged to be married is so ugly, I just don’t know what to do.” And this was the start of the story. 

So I told Laura the story, and it’s a very interesting and unusual one. And at the end of the story, she looked at me, and she went, “You, my dear, are a storyteller,” Laura said to me. And then, last,  complete the entire circle. Last summer, I was in New York, and Laura ran the storytelling at the Hans Christian Andersen Storytelling Organization in Central Park. I went to visit her at one of the performances, and she invited me up to tell a story at the statue. And so I felt like the entire circle of the last 15 years had come together. So there are so many connections in this discovery of who you are, right? And this identity, how she discovered herself as a storyteller and how I discovered myself as a storyteller. 

And I think part of understanding your story is understanding who you are and your professional and personal identity. So that’s part of why it’s so important in business as well. So that as you tell your stories, you realize I’m really good at this thing that I’m offering others. And I want to identify in that way. And I want to connect with people.

Yeah, wow. Correct me if I’m wrong here, but I think that these are divine setups here. So for Laura, what happened with that lady who just happened to be walking past at that moment, who happened to be the one who donated the money for that statue, to go up and tell Laura the message, you, my dear, are a storyteller.

That was divinely orchestrated. I remember interviewing Garrain Jones on my self-development podcast. He was a fascinating entrepreneur, really successful, but he wasn’t always successful. At one point, he was living in his car, homeless, parked in a gas station. 

A homeless man wanting money knocked on his window one night, and Garrain rolled down the window and said, “What do you want?” It’s like, “money, of course.” It’s like, “What are you talking about? I’m homeless, too. Are you out of your mind?” And the guy yells at Garrain and then walks away. He yells, “Change your mindset, change your life.” And I believe that was an angel. That was absolutely divinely orchestrated. That actually was a turning point in this guy’s life. 

He turned his whole life around. He actually wrote a book titled “Change Your Mindset, Change Your Life.” He became a multi-millionaire, and he tells an incredible story about a homeless man. And when I told him, I felt like he was an angel. He’s like, 100%.

And so maybe for you, Laura was one of your angels, you know, to tell you that message that she had heard, that you, my dear, are a storyteller.

Well, I think it’s interesting that before we pressed play on this podcast and met up, you said, “So, what miracles have happened to you recently?” That’s how we started this conversation today. And I said to you, my answer was, “You know, I haven’t really been paying attention to the miracles.” And I think that’s such an important thing because if I look back at it there are so many moments in my professional life that were.

A great story is not an interesting person telling a fabulous story about themselves. A great story touches something in the listener.

Yeah, I mean, it was touched by something. It was definitely a miracle; whether you call it that or not, whether you call these people angels or whatever, I would agree that things happen. But I think for me, I would like to be able to create, and I think this is the magic of stories. A great story is not an interesting person telling a fabulous story about themselves. That’s not what a great story is. 

A great story is a story that the listener hears, and it touches something in them that moves them in a way that they’re not expecting, or it offers them a possibility they’ve never really considered, or it helps them recognize something in themselves that they’ve either forgotten or that they never knew. And that, to me, is that touching, that moment. I don’t claim that to be my power because I think it happens through me. It doesn’t happen to me, right? But that moment where I’ll tell a story and you see somebody, their eyes just light up, and they just open up, and it’s not about me. It’s not even about the story; it’s about what they see in themselves. And that’s the magic. I think that’s a really magical moment.

Yeah, that is magic and a story like that. Sometimes, you read a story, or you come across a story that you think, “Wow, this will change so-and-so’s life.” There is someone in your life whom you want to read or hear this story. And one example of that, do you know Laura Belgray? 

Yeah,

So, Talking Shrimp. She’s a great storyteller and copywriter. One of her newsletters just happened to catch my eye; I don’t read a lot of newsletters because my assistant manages my inbox for me and files all the stuff before I even get a chance to see it because I’d be sucked into a vortex spending way too much time in my email otherwise. 

Stories may seem simple, but they’re complex; they carry layers of meaning.

But this one caught my eye before it was filed. And it was the Wu-adjacent manifesto. She wrote about how she’s not woo-woo. But she thinks of herself more as woo adjacent. Like, “Okay, I can kind of see how things can be, you know, orchestrated or the unseen world or whatever.” However she worded it, I just thought this is so poignant, powerful, and compelling. I got to share it with somebody who was essentially my chief of staff at the time. And she was not interested in the woo-woo stuff, and of course I was. So she was working for someone who was way too woo-woo for her comfort. And she felt this sigh of relief, this sense of I found my tribe, I found my voice, I found my manifesto by reading that little newsletter from Laura that week. So yeah.

So I’m curious: what is your position on fables and parables, like manifestos? Like how do you use them in a business context, for example, a fable or a parable?

I must say, I’m not a big fan. Not because I don’t enjoy stories, but because, obviously, I’m a storyteller, and I love stories. Still, I find that many business fables don’t hold the integrity of the story well enough. The worst thing about not telling stories at all is telling stories badly.  And I think sometimes, and not universally, but sometimes people tell a story to give a message, and it starts to feel contrived. And then you lose the essence of the story, and it feels a little bit manipulative.

And so I’m not a huge fan of creating these business fables or using that necessarily in a book or in a manifesto. I do think that you can tell stories that are like to me; the essence of powerful storytelling is making the story authentic. It doesn’t mean it has to be real. It can still be imaginative, but it must maintain a consistent world within the story. And it has to be, as I say, it has to have the integrity of the story.

I led a conference as part of a project I worked on. I was the facilitator of a three-day conference. I wanted to facilitate a story. I worked with a master storyteller to ensure that the story I created, which I was going to tell over those three days, had full integrity as a narrative, even though it conveyed messages relevant to the conference theme, the conference hosts, and so on. So that integrity piece is very, very important. 

Of course, I love fairy tales and folktales and all kinds of fables that come from tradition, from society, because I think they’re very powerful and their messages may have been written at the turn of the century, and yet the messaging is as relevant, if not more relevant now than it ever was. However, you must stay within the story world. I know many people love fables and write them. I’m not a huge fan unless I find a really well-written one, which is rare.

Yeah. One that pops to mind, I don’t know if it qualifies exactly as a fable, but Who Moved My Cheese? I think that’s a really powerful book – a small book that helps people become more willing to embrace change. Are you familiar with that book?

I must admit, I’m not a huge fan. I know it took over the world, and people love it. I don’t know. I found it a little too simplistic. 

Contrived?

Yeah, a little too contrived. Yeah, it wasn’t really my favorite one. Stories are complex; even though they’re simple, they have layers. And that’s what I love about them.

I have a Story Coach certification, or I used to have one. And in any of my stories, even in my Selling Through Story program, I have story time, and I bring forth stories. And when I ask people,” What did you think of the story?” The same story I could have asked 100 times to 100 different groups: what did you think of the story? And people will bring different interpretations and different ideas. And I’m always astounded. I can know a story inside out. I’ve been telling it for 20 years.

We need to truly respect the depth of these incredible stories that have existed since the beginning of time.

And yet somebody will say, “Well, this is how I read it. And this is what I understood from it.” And to me, that layered sense, that complexity, is what’s so brilliant about the story and what’s so useful about the story. So I think we have to really respect the depth of these incredible stories that exist and have existed since the beginning of time and bring them forward as an offering to help people see things differently rather than contrive a story that’s going to give you one singular meaning.

It’s kind of a similar message to what you were saying earlier about somebody having a signature story that they keep reusing over and over again, and it just feels a little old after a while.

Yeah, I mean, if you think about the experience of reading a book or going to a movie where you don’t know what’s necessarily going to happen and your mind is busy, you’re trying to figure out what’s next and who’s going to do what and is this person, can I trust him and can I believe him? And that involvement in the story is what makes it so fascinating. And so I think we have to create that when we’re telling stories in businesses, create that little bit of, let the listener.

Let the reader do some work to figure out who they are in the story. Stories are there to provide meaning, but we need to be involved in that process of meaning-making as listeners and as readers.

Yeah. One of my favorite movies, I had no idea how the story was going to unfold and really even make sense of the whole worldview of everything, was The Truman Show. Thankfully, I didn’t read a little blurb about it or watch the trailer before I went to see it. I saw it in the theater, and I was just full immersion in that story, and I was as clueless as Truman was through the whole thing. It was awesome.

Yeah, I like that movie as well.

So tell us a bit about the Selling Through Story program that you’re launching now and maybe a few lessons or strategies that you have utilized in your launch to help make that more of a successful program.

Sure, sure. So, I’ve been an advocate of telling stories for business for years, but what I’ve seen again and again is that the selling piece is the most challenging for people. They don’t want to appear to be too salesy. They don’t feel comfortable selling. They feel like they have to take on a lot in those areas, as many people are offering various techniques and tactics on how to sell well. And then, when new or even experienced entrepreneurs try to adopt these tactics, they feel insincere, and it feels wrong; it doesn’t feel comfortable. 

So, I developed the program Selling Through Story because I find that when you tell certain specific stories in your business, the selling happens the way. When you start sharing your experience, people will say things like, “Wow, that’s so interesting. Can I work with you?”

Which is, you know, that’s where you want to be in the sales process. You want to be in a process where you haven’t even offered the thing you’re offering when people want to ask, “Okay, so how do I work with you?” And I’ve seen that happen through stories where,  instead of having to twist yourself into not trying to figure out what I have to say in order for this person to want to do the work with me, they’re actually super engaged.

As part of the launch, we’re sharing a resource called “Seven Stories That Sell” because there are specific stories that you need to have in your back pocket to sell easily and joyfully. I believe that when you sell well and easily, it becomes a joyful experience. It becomes fun. I never used to think of myself as somebody who was any good at sales. And yet, over the years, I’ve actually started to really enjoy it. I’m happy to sell now because it’s just a lot of fun. And it’s just a sharing of my experience and the experiences of people who’ve been through this program. 

I’ve had many hundreds of people run through the Selling Through Story program. And they love it, and they’ve enjoyed it. And so, when I talk about the woman who joined the program and started using stories on Facebook, she also began using them in networking meetings. In one networking meeting alone, she shared her story about who she is and what she does. And she told it in a way that was really the way she had learned in the program. She not only had many people come up to her afterward and want to talk to her, but she also made two sales that covered the entire cost of the program.

So it was such a thrill for her to come back in the middle of the program and say, “Oh my goodness, that thing you told us to do, it worked. And this is what has happened.” So it’s easy for me to share those stories because they’re true and because they’re fun, and it’s just part of what happens. Essentially, the program helps you learn how to craft and share your stories for your business. 

So specifically in speaking, in writing, and in various ways of marketing, whether it’s on your website or through social media and so on, and very, very interactive. So, every week, there are assignments, and if you do the assignments, then you see the results very, very quickly. So that’s kind of the essence of the program. Aside from the resources we provide at the beginning, I’m also conducting a three-hour workshop called the Story Selling Workshop, where I share some of the main tactics and techniques for using stories in sales, which is pretty fun.

If your inner story and outer story aren’t aligned, people can feel it. But when they are, your message becomes magnetic. Share on X

Story Selling Workshop. I like it. It reminds me of the old adage that facts tell, but stories sell.

Absolutely.

Yeah, yeah. I know we’re running short on time, so I want to ensure that if our listeners are interested in your program selling through a story, they can sign up. And so we have a link here. It is an affiliate link, so I appreciate that. So, marketingspeak.com/storycoach will redirect you to your program. And this isn’t an evergreen launch or program. This is something that requires you to sign up for, and you’re part of a cohort; if you miss the deadline, you’ll have to wait months until the next one opens up.  So, why is that important, rather than just having an evergreen program that many people espouse as being akin to the new marketing?

Well, I really love the idea of working in a cohort because I think, particularly with storytelling, that a sense of community and a sense of group is really important. Additionally, I enjoy teaching live. Although parts of the curriculum are taught through modules with videos, we also have weekly live sessions where we can interact with each other. I personally work with each individual, meaning that in a group session, we address their questions and stories, providing a Q&A opportunity.

I think that adds a ton of value to the program, and it’s just as important as the modules they complete and can work on at their own pace in the self-paced learning activity.

Yes, I know that for me personally, the way I work is that if it’s a pre-recorded program, it’s very hard for me to get motivated and find the time to do it. Whereas if it’s a live class or webinar, if I’m interested in it, I’ll show up; I’ll figure out a way to clear my schedule to be there for it, and then I’ll actually do the thing. I watch it, integrate it, and apply it in my business life.

Yeah, definitely.

Yeah. Awesome. Well, thank you so much, Lisa. If our listeners or viewers have already missed the program, they can still get on your list and receive your awesome newsletter, along with all those great stories, and perhaps learn from you. Where should we send them to enter your funnel?

Yeah, definitely. Story-coach.com is the website where you can download and access the audio of my book, The Story Advantage, as well as other resources. So that’s probably the best way to go. And, of course, social media is Story Coach everywhere you’ll find me. So, thank you so much for having me. It’s been great.

Yeah, yeah, it has been. Thank you so much, and thank you, listener. Thank you for being open to being a storyteller and not just a marketer. We’ll catch you in the next episode. Have a fantastic week. I’m your host, Stephan Spencer, signing off.

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Your Checklist of Actions to Take

Start a weekly story newsletter and commit to it for at least one year. Choose a specific day and write one personal or business story every week.

Audit my audience before selecting storytelling platforms. Before creating content for any social media platform, write down exactly who my ideal clients are and where they spend their time online. Don’t waste effort on platforms where my audience doesn’t exist.

Create a system for collecting story ideas from my daily experiences. Keep a notes app or journal where I capture interesting moments, conversations, or insights from routine activities, such as exercise, commuting, or client meetings.

Implement the “strategic pause” when I’m forcing business outcomes. When I catch myself pushing too hard on a project or goal, I step back for 2-3 weeks and let the situation develop naturally. Often, solutions emerge when I stop trying to control the process.

Write down my internal beliefs about my business, then compare them to my marketing messages. Check if the stories I tell myself about my capabilities match what I’m telling potential clients – misalignment creates inauthentic messaging that customers can sense.

Practice vulnerability-first networking by sharing meaningful personal experiences. At business events, lead conversations with genuine stories about challenges or unusual experiences I’ve had – this encourages others to open up and creates deeper connections.

Develop a rotation of 5-7 different business stories instead of using one signature story. Write stories that showcase different aspects of my expertise, personality, and client results, allowing me to adapt to various audiences and avoid repetition.

Use AI to merge and refine existing content, not create original stories. Input my previous blog posts or newsletters into AI tools to help organize themes or improve language, but write all creative storytelling content myself to maintain authenticity.

Schedule weekly “story mining” sessions during routine activities. During regular activities like exercise or household tasks, deliberately think about recent experiences and ask “What did I learn?” or “How could this apply to my business?”

Visit story-coach.com to download Lisa’s free audio book, The Story Advantage, and explore her Selling Through Story program.

About Lisa Bloom

Lisa Bloom, founder of Story Coach, works with entrepreneurs and business owners to help them attract ideal clients and find their success stories. She is a professional Storyteller, accredited Coach, Mentor, and Leadership expert; the author of The Story Advantage and Seven Stories That Sell; and the creator of Selling Through Story and other Programs.