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We all know we should tell better stories, but what does that actually mean? And how do you do it when you're creating business content, not writing a novel? In this episode, I break down how story structure, character and conflict can elevate your content. No matter what platform you're on, whether you're writing a post, giving a talk, or making a sales video, the same principles apply if you want to become a more compelling communicator. This one's for you. I think I first heard this idea from story coach Erica Meads, and he talks about this and he says, story is the operating system of the human mind. This is how we've learned how to do things, what to be scared of, where we find water or food sources. And it's all done through story. Story is the most natural way for us to communicate ideas and values and to entertain people. And somewhere along the way, we've lost ability to tell stories. And so I'm going to share a couple of tips with you that might help you do this. And the reason why you want to do this is because if you're in the building, your thought leadership space, I don't know who's not really. And you want to develop your personal brand to become someone that people seek so that you, you don't chase opportunities, opportunities chase you. And what you need to do is. There's a very simple thing that I came up with recently, okay, it's the easiest thing in the world. Also the hardest thing, easiest thing to understand, but the hardest thing to do. In order for you to develop your personal brand, you need to find you. Okay, this is really important, especially in the information age that we live in, where information is so abundant and relatively cheap. You can literally type something into your browser and a number of AI engines and Google or search engines will deliver you vast amount of answers. So the problem is this. I think I know lots of things, but do I know things that someone else who's at a similar level to me wouldn't be able to say too? And the answer is probably not. I don't know that many unique, new, profound things that someone else couldn't already talk about. So the only thing I can present to them is my take on it, my perspective. So I'm going to share this idea with you right now. What is it that you know a lot about that you can speak at a conference without preparation, without notes, okay? And so that's the thing that you're going to build your foundation of your stories and your brand around. Now here's the Tricky part. What are you going to be able to say that's going to be different than the 99% of the other people who are saying it? This is very, very important. So this is your pov. This is really important. Okay? So I say things similar to what other people say from an information point of view, but how I say it wrapped around my story and my POV changes your perception. And there's a couple of different things that we do to change people's perception. Let me lay them out for you. Number one, it's the simplest thing, is the instrument in which I deliver this information. So ideas translate into words that come out through my vocal cords that sound a certain way. And my tone of voice could be like fingernails on a wall. For some of you, I guess you wouldn't be here. And for some of you, it's exciting or it's soothing or it's meditative. Because of the tone of voice that I have and the style of delivery. Let me quickly contrast that with a different style, and you'll see how hard it might be for you to listen. What if I came to you like this and I told you, like, the most important thing is your POV and your story, and this is what you need to do. So stop doing what you're doing. Okay? Now, for some people, that's like music to their ears. And for some of the introverted people, that's just like, yo, you're frying. You're frying my circuits, bro. Stop doing that. And so this is a misalignment of communication, style and tone and vibe with the audience. So you're going to attract the kinds of people that are similar to you. It's like your vibe, as they say, attracts your tribe. I know, a little corny, right? But it's true. So this is your instrument, and these are the notes that we're playing. And depending on how you're born and how you have groomed and harnessed this tool that you have, this instrument, it will depend on who you can reach now within that. Okay? So there's the you, the Y, O, U that you need to tell in your story. And so now we have to figure out, like, well, who am I? What makes me me? This is really difficult, right? Because I can say you need to be more you in your videos, because the more you, you are, the more you are. How do we find this, though? So what we do is we go back into the past. We find the different stories, the moments in our lives that are the things that define and shape who we are, the way I see it, is broken into three categories. Number one, it's your backstory, your origin story. Where were you born? Who were your parents? What did they do? What was their birth order? What's your birth order? And if I tell you I'm a first generation immigrant from Vietnam that moved to California in 1975, and both my parents worked in Silicon Valley, and I'm a middle child, you already have figured out lots of things about me. This is also referenced as cultural currency. So if you're an immigrant, if you're Asian American, if you grew up with Asian parents, or you grew up in California, or if you're a refugee leaving a Southeast Asian country, all of a sudden you're like, hey, I know this guy. I know somebody like this guy. Or my best friend in school was like this person, or my enemy was. Either one is fine. That's cultural currency, and it's shorthand for your story. So what you want to do is write in your notebook, and this is the easiest part. Where was I born? Who are my parents? What did they do? What is my birth order? Where do we live? And all of a sudden, that tells a lot about who you are. The next story that you want to develop is referred to as the inciting incident. The moment that your life changes, that you leave the ordinary world and you enter the new world. It's not exactly who you're going to become, but it's a moment in which nothing is the same again. It could be the moment you realize you could be an artist, or the moment that you realize being part of, like the government or the military wasn't for you. The moment that one of your parents died or something like that. It could be a positive moment, it could be a negative moment. It doesn't matter. But it changes your worldview. It's a paradigm shift and you're going in a whole different direction. So retrace your steps. Find out that moment where maybe it's like a rite of passage where one point you are a child and the next point you're entering into adulthood. There's a clue. If you look carefully, you'll find that moment. Find that story and tell that story. The last one is what I would refer to as the defining moment, the moment you actually become the person you were supposed to be. This is different than inciting incident. The inciting incident is a clue, it's a worldbreaker. And then you ultimately become this person. So let me put this into reference to a couple things of pop culture. So you can understand. And the great storytellers know how to do this because they figured out these formulas that have worked for hundreds or maybe even thousands of years. All right, let's take, for example, oh, I don't know, Star wars, one of the biggest IPs on the planet. Okay, you don't have to know anything about Star wars to know a couple of things. Who is Luke Skywalker? The protagonist of A New Hope, Episode four. Okay. He is an. Is he. He's an orphan raised by his uncle and aunt on Tatooine, I believe. Right. We later on learn that his real parent is Darth Vader, who's his father. And so he's searching for something, and he gazes at the star. He always feels like he doesn't belong. And then he meets somebody, meets two people. He meets a droid, and there's a projection of someone saying, you know, obi Wan, you're the only one. You know, you're my only hope. Right? And so then he meets Obi Wan, and then he's going to leave, quite literally his ordinary world and go into the stars. So we know his origin story is an orphan raised by his uncle and aunt, quote, unquote, and is living on a desert planet and dreams of the stars. And when he leaves that, that's his exciting incident. He knows there's something there, like he wants to be part of the Rebel alliance. And he. He's dabbling in the Force, right? It's not until towards the end of the movie where he accepts the teachings of his slain Jedi master, Obi Wan, that he actually trusts the Force in the way that Obi Wan had been trying to teach him. He couldn't do that when he was alive. But that final scene, when he's going into to the Death Star on the final attack run, his last shot at this, he can hear the voice of Obi Wan saying, luke, use the Force. And your eyes deceive you. And he does that. So that's his defining moment. Now he's becoming a Jedi Knight. Let me make a simpler one for you, okay? And this one I'd love to tell, because I'm a comic book dork. Let's just put that out there. Or maybe I'm a geek. I'm not a dork. I'm a Geek is the classic story of Spider man, the biggest IP for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, okay? Peter Parker's an orphan. His parents died in a plane crash. He's raised by his Uncle Ben and Aunt May. That's his ordinary life. So he has all the trappings of not feeling like he belongs to. And he is a pencil neck geek. Super smart, but is not good with anything. He's bullied and taken advantage of. He then gets bit by the radioactive spider, which is this inciting incident. His world literally changes because he gains the proportionate strength and agility of a spider. And now he's no longer the guy that you can push around. He's quick, he's super strong. And now what does he do? He uses his newfound powers to kind of level the playing field, to even the score. So he goes into wrestling matches and wins. Right? Here's the problem. People think when he was bitten by Radio Alka Spider, that's the moment he became Spider Man. That's not the moment at all. So if you're a true Spider man fan, you know what happens next. He was supposed to stop a criminal. He's being interviewed on a TV set and the security says, stop that person. They committed a crime. And so a person runs out and Peter could have just tripped him. He could have grabbed him with all his power, but he does nothing. The reason why he says, it's not my job, not my responsibility. Now fate would have it that the person he let go winds up killing his Uncle Ben, the person he loved more than anybody else in the whole world. So he comes home to kind of cross the police line and see that his uncle is killed. Now he's full of hate and anger. So he goes out as Spider man to look for the criminal and he finds him in an alleyway. He catches him into his horror, realizes it's the same person he could have stopped and he cries. He knows it's his fault, that he could have done the right thing, but he chose not to. And so those words from Uncle Ben start to resonate throughout time. With great power comes great responsibility. And from this point forward, Peter Parker becomes the cursed character that he is. He's a tragic character because he holds the needs of others and the responsibility he was given higher than his own need to be happy, to do well in school, or to maintain a relationship. So he does this at great cost, which makes him such a lovable and honorable character. So in the cinematic universe, we see this because he's doing everything he can to save people, to do the right thing for no money. He does this altruistically, but he's vilified by the Daily Bugle and called the menace, the vigilante Spider Man. People don't even love him, but he still will do the right thing. So there's this beautiful scene. I can't remember what Spider man this is, but there's a beautiful scene where he's beaten up and the people of New York City literally lift him up like a slain character. And it's kind of almost like a resurrection moment. And it's beautiful. And then he realizes there are some people who care. Some people will protect him. And it's a beautiful moment. So when you're looking at your stories and who you are, think about those three things. What is your origin or your backstory? What is your inciting incident? The clue that the world has changed? You will never see it the same way. And what is your defining moment? The moment you really become who you're supposed to be in this life? Those are the three stories that you can tell. Now, that's the U part. So I want you to visualize this. If you're just listening to this Y O, U on capital letters that's horizontally set vertically, think of these three letters, pov. So Y, O, U, pov. It makes a perfect cross, right? It's a visual here. POV means what is your lens into the world? How are you looking at the world that's 99% different than everyone else? Or put it differently, how do you see the world that's contrarian to what everyone else believes? And you have a very specific lens into world, I think, and you tell me in the comments, if I'm. I'm. I'm delusional in this part, is that I believe that one of the reasons why people listen to me is not just my tone of voice, my story, but it's my specific point of view. I say things not to be controversial, not to polarize people, but I just happen to believe in things that are contrary to what most people believe. So they're buying into the philosophy of Dough, if you will. The things I have to say and share in the way that I say it. I hope this episode was helpful for you, Sam.