Stories from the Sandbox

The Weekly Newsletter for Solopreneurs Who Get that Knowing How to Tell Great Stories is the Best Marketing Tool EVER.

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August 21, 2023

Hey there, Reader!

Well, summer is heading into its final days and kids of all ages are heading back to school.

I have to say that this is one of my favorite times of the year. It always has been — even when I was a kid. (Yep. I was that kid. The one who couldn't wait to go shopping for school supplies every single year.)

For me, the beginning of a new school year feels like possibility and potential.

I teach at a university and love seeing the new class of first-year students arrive on campus each August. They're so excited — and a bit nervous. For them, the next four years are blank canvasses and they get to paint whatever they want on them.

But this feeling isn't one that should be confined to the beginning of the school year.

Nope.

Instead, as solopreneurs, our goal should be to create content and messaging that spark this same sense of possibility and excitement when we're introducing new products and services to our audience — or reintroducing existing ones.

Creating a compelling narrative around an offering — one that goes beyond simply features and benefits — makes customers feel like the sky's the limit when it comes to what they can achieve or become by using your product or service. (Just be sure your offering is capable of delivering.)

Here's an example of what that might look like for a fictional offering called the Blah-Blah-Blah Life Coaching Program:

What if 2024 is when you finally took that leap into the life you want for yourself?

What if this is the year when you finally transform your dreams into reality?

What if you find the courage, guidance and support needed to make it happen?

What if you have a customized roadmap guiding you to become the person you've always wanted to be?

What if the old fears and doubts simply melted away?

What if you break through self-limiting beliefs and achieve more than you ever imagined possible?

What if nothing could hold you back anymore?

The Blah-Blah-Blah Life Coaching Program was designed specifically to help you achieve what you once thought was unachievable. Your personal coach will help you dig deep, get crystal clear about your true goals, create a customized roadmap that guides you to achieving those goals, and provide accountability and compassion every step of the way.

With the Blah-Blah-Blah Program, you can finally live the life that was meant for you and only you.

No more "what ifs." The journey to what's possible starts here.

Granted — this example really leans in REALLY hard to the cheesiness. But you're smart — so you get the point, right?

Whatever you're offering — whether it's a program, a service, a product, a new idea or anything else, you have to help your audience feel the possibility of transformation. Story makes that happen.

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Your Weekly "Brand Storytelling with AI" Tutorial

Finding the Right Metaphor to Make Complex Ideas Easier to Understand

One of the most powerful tools in storytelling is the use of metaphors. They can help us explain complex ideas in ways that others can understand. But WOW is it hard to do!

In this week's video tutorial, we'll look at how you can use AI to help simplify the process of finding the right metaphor in minutes rather than hours. I use Claude 2 and Jasper AI (affiliate link) for this demo. But the process works pretty much the same way with other AI text generators, including ChatGPT.

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A Storytelling Tip from a Storytelling Pro

How to Apply This to Your Brand Content Creation

"Be original" is advice that can feel overwhelming when it comes to creating content for your business. Try brainstorming ideas that no one else has ever had. (Yep. Have fun with that.)

HOWEVER, by putting your own spin on something, expressing it in your own voice, sharing your own experience — you're creating something original. No one else can do it exactly like you can.

​There's a reason that ideas can't be copyrighted.* The expression of an idea can be, but not the idea itself.

Let's put this in the context of a love song. A GAZILLION (and counting) loved-and-lost songs have been written and performed over the millennia. The idea of heartbreak is one that almost everyone understands (unfortunately).

But, while Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" is about heartbreak, the lyrics and musical composition are all hers. She owns the copyright to them. No one else can use that same expression of heartbreak without Dolly's permission. (Interested in how Whitney Houston was able to cover Dolly's song in The Bodyguard? Check out this great post by the Library of Congress.)

The Takeaway? Make your content original by being you. Put your own spin on it. Use your own voice. Give us your perspective. That's what we're here for.

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Three Things I'm Loving (and Think You Might, Too!

• With so much going on in the world, it's hard to keep up — particularly when it comes to all of the legal issues that are popping up like mushrooms after a soaking rain. To make it easier and MUCH more understandable, check out the weekly#SistersInLaw podcast. Four amazing women, who also happen to be kickass attorneys, cut through the legal garble and actually make it fun to learn about the law.

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• ​The Content Reactor is literally one of the BEST online courses I've taken when it comes to using AI to generate content ideas for business. It was developed by Rob Lennon — who you can follow on X at @thatroblennon. This is an affiliate link.

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• If you enjoy murder mysteries that are less about gore and more about character development and setting, you'll probably enjoy Louise Penny's Chief Inspector Gamache series. It's set in Three Pines, a small village outside of Montreal, and includes a cast of characters who will begin to feel like family. Start with Still Life and read the books in order. So, so good.

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Need Help Finding the Story? Sometimes it seems like that story for your business, your product, your presentation or your idea has entered the Witness Protection Program. You can’t find it anywhere. If that's the case, call The Story Detective! During a 90-minute Zoom session, you and I will look at all of the “evidence” to find the story you’ve been searching for.

Just fill out the Missing Story Report so that we can see if this type of session would be the right fit for you and your biz. ​ FILL OUT THE MISSING STORY REPORT

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Know someone who might enjoy Stories from the Sandbox? Fantastic! Forward this issue of the newsletter to them so they can join our merry band of solopreneur storytellers!

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See you back here in the sandbox next week!

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Want to connect? Great! Let's do it! Here's where you'll find me:

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*Nothing at all in this newsletter should be considered legal advice. It isn't. If you have a question about copyright, trademarks or patents (or any other legal issues), ask your attorney.

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