How To Use Storytelling To Boost Your Business

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Back, back from Ital.

You guys, I am now made of pasta and wine. It was one of the greatest trips, and not only because we were in Italy, but definitely because of the company that we were in. I mean, we're talking four hour dinners and then conversations to follow for another three hours at night. It's really crazy because one thing about Europe that Europe has really taught me is to get outside side of your routine and how incredibly important that is. The first time we traveled over there, I was like, I was so bent out of shape. I was like, I need to go to bed early. I need to get my workouts in. Where the heck can I get a fricking salad? Like, I can't drink this much. And truly, we were there for 30 days. The first time we went to Europe, this was In I think it was 2018, 2017 or 2018. And it was the first time that I got thrown so far outside of my routine for 30 days that it's exactly what I needed in order. Order to fully surrender and know that routines can often become a prison. And if you don't know how to go outside of your routine and be able to stay within some sort of place where you're not going absolutely ham and going crazy and binging and all of those things and just feeling like you're out of control, then that was a huge sign for me that I need to figure it out. And that's precisely what those 30 days made me do. It's like I had to just go with the flow. Because dinners over there, you guys, if you don't know, they don't even start until 9pm and for me that was like, are you kidding me? What do I even do? So I had to surrender. And you do fall into a rhythm. And that's what I've learned, is that in life, no matter what sort of change comes to just surrender to the flow. And that is the way that you're going to be able to fall into another routine.

Well, yeah. Otherwise you miss so much experience. Right. You go over there and you expect to have your normal American day while you're purposely removing yourself from your normal American day to go over and experience a different way of being. And when you say it out loud, it sounds asinine, but sometimes that's what people do. They go over there and they expect to have their normal experience. And that's not the purpose of going over to another country.

So this actually has to do with what we're talking about today to you guys. We are talking about the power of story. And that if you can learn how to tell stories and teach with stories, then you not only are gonna be one of the most interesting people who's going to get re inv. Back to dinners and invited up on stages and it's gonna make everything easier. Podcasting, writing, books, all of the things. And we wanna talk about how you can do that.

Yeah. And really the bridge here, when she says, you know, this is kind of what we wanna talk about is she mentioned those four or five hour dinners and then after dinner we'd go have a drink and be up till 2, 3 in the morning talking with our friends, just sitting in a lobby or sitting in a restaurant till 2 or 3 in the morning talking. And it's because they're such good storytellers that you don't wanna peel yourself off that se they keep you captivated with being a good storyteller. And not just our friends are good storytellers, but the waiters there were good storytellers. And the gelato shop owner was a good storyteller. And the clothing shop person, they were a great storyteller. Everybody that you come across, they're telling you a great story. They've mastered the art of story over there and that's what keeps you so captivated. And I feel like if people could bring that skill set back to their normal routines and lives and businesses in the US they would have such a superpower, such a distinct advantage in trying to sell whatever product they're trying to sell and change whatever lives they're trying to change.

Yeah, Italy is always such a good reminder to me, not only because of the stories that we were telling, but because of the fact that anything that you buy, any restaurant that you go to, any shop that you go into, they're going to greet you with a story. If you pick up an item, they're going to tell you where it's from and why and what its history is. And every time they're going to say, this is the most important, I'll tell you. Whenever they come to the table, it starts with the bread and the olive oil. And they say, this olive oil is the most important olive oil.

They really do.

They really, really actually say.

And then they give you a reason.

Why this is the most important olive oil. And it's from the northern region of Sicily. This is how it's made. X, Y and Z. And then they do this again with the wine and then the fish and then whatever the hell else you have ordered. And you're literally eating out of their hand because you're so captivated by the fact that you're about to get to indulge in the most important food item that they've ever served. And this is the power of story. It's. Are we actually, are we teaching at someone or are we sharing a story to invite them in, to pull them in, to get them into that experience. And that's exactly what they're doing. So every bite of that frickin olive oil, I was like, this is the most important olive oil from this region. I wonder who made this. And my gosh, it's so cool to think about the person who made this and where it's from and what it's gone through to get to this table. And that really is what connects you to the thing. So if you want to Be connected, or if you want people to be connected to you, to whatever you're sharing, to whatever it is that you are marketing and selling story is going to be the only way that that is going to happen. And I want to tell you, Chris and I, sometimes I'll pick different books that we listen to on our walk, and he' pick a different book that we listen to on our walk. And recently I had chosen this book that I was like, this is. It's the last book that I ever need to buy. I'm manifesting, like, I'm so excited. Like, that tagline was amazing for me. And we started listening to it, and we were like, you know, I just feel like he's, like, just telling me what to do. And it was like chapter after chapter over, like, telling me what to do and telling us how we should do it, but never giving stories about how this has worked in his life or someone else's life. So we felt so disconnected to this book that we tried. We tried to listen to it. So halfway through, we were like, I just. I've hung on as long as I can. I cannot listen to this anymore because I feel so disconnected from this author and literature. So it was a reminder of, man, if you're not telling stories about your stuff or in your book or on stage or whatever that is, like, people are gonna feel like you're just kind of shaking your finger at them, telling them what to.

It makes sense. If you guys are wondering why story is so important in your business, in your life, in your relationships, think about this. Why do people binge watch Netflix series? Because they're so attracted to the story, they can't wait for the next episode to start. Right. Story's captivating. Why do people love movies so much? Because of the story. It captivates you. It's what makes you sit in one place for two and a half hours staring at a TV screen. Well, the same thing that applies to you. When you're talking about your business or your service or when you're trying to make friends. Friends or when you're trying to develop relationships, you're going to be more captivating, and people are going to want to get lost in what you have to say. I mean, people really do want to be entertained. People really do want an escape. People really do want to get lost. And so there's two ways that you can market your product or your service. There's two ways that you can develop relationships and make friends. You can just list the facts. And unfortunately, that doesn't Captivate anyone. And so they're going to ignore you in that situation. Go look to be captivated elsewhere. Or you can become a great storyteller. The way that you tell stories of things that happen to you, the way you tell the story of your product or service being created, the way that you tell stories about, I don't know how you met your significant other, there's the boring way to tell it. Or you can add detail. Laurie, you got really good at adding detail when you had the writing coach, when you wrote your book, right? They taught you to add in. How did things smell? How did things look? How did things sound?

So when I first started writing, I had hired a writing coach for my first book and I would write a chapter. We'd kind of discuss what I was going to write about and the story around it. So I would start writing the story, and once I was completed with the chapter, I would send it to her and she would give feedback on that chapter. So all of the feedback in the beginning, you guys was like, okay, I know that you're telling me this, but if I'm in the room with you, I have no idea what the room looks like, what it smells like, what was around you was this day or night, who was around you, what was the conversation, and how were you feeling in that moment? Because if I, as the reader, cannot paint a vivid picture and be able to put myself in the room feeling the feelings that you felt, then I'm not going to enjoy the story. And so that is what I think about every single time I write. How much detail can I give the person in order for them to literally be transported from physically into this imaginary world that they could go and they have a picture in their head? And if you think about all of the great books that you've read, if you think about a lot of different fiction and nonfiction and just these great stories, you can probably place yourself in the room. You already have a picture of the character and what they look like in your mind, even though you've never seen them, that you're so attached to, because you've created the way the character looks based off of what that author has said. And that's really what you want to create whenever you're telling a story. Obviously there's a different difference between really long winded stories and learning how to tell a precise story with details. With the holidays and the new year coming, you probably are looking around your house thinking that you would love to upgrade and freshen up your environment and there is no easier way to do that than with your window treatments. Nobody covers windows better than blinds.com blinds.com brings your space to life in your way. They have free design help. Other retailers may claim to have experts, but blinds.com has spent nearly 30 years building an award winning team of over 100 design consultants that are ready to help you create your dream space. Always convenient, always tailored to you. Three ways to shop 1. Perfect fit Whether you want to DIY have it all done for you or you're somewhere in between, choose what works for you and rest easy knowing the fit is guaranteed. So the holidays come fast, you guys, and you can freshen up your window treatments fast as well. And unlike some competitors, the price you see is the price you pay. No hidden fees and there's zero pressure. From blackout in motorized options to classic shutters, blinds.com has window treatments for every room, style and budget, even shades for your outdoor space. The Black Friday deals@blinds.com are going strong all month long, so don't miss your chance to save big. And as always, our listeners still get $50 off when you spend $500 or more. Just use code earn at checkout limited time offer rules and restrictions apply. See blinds.com for details. 2026 is the year that you launch your business. It's the year that you've become the boss. You become the leader. That idea that you have that has been eating at you forever that just will not leave you alone is going to come to life. Maybe it's something that someone tells you you should always sell or a store you've already designed in your head. And with Shopify, 2026 is when you finally make it happen. Shopify gives you everything you need to sell online and in person. So millions of entrepreneurs have already made this leap from household name to first time business owners. Just getting started you guys. I use Shopify for glossy and I remember when they sent me my little shopping bag celebrating my 10,000 sales and I literally cried because I was so scared to take the leap. And I'm so glad that I did and that I use Shopify. It gives you all the tools to easily build your dream store. You can choose from hundreds of beautiful templates that you can customize to match your brand. Set up as fast with Shopify built in AI tools that write product descriptions and headlines and help you edit photos. So marketing is built in too. You can create email and social campaigns that reach customers wherever they scroll. So as you grow, Shopify grows with you. You can handle more orders, expand to new markets and do it all from the Same dashboard in 2026. Stop waiting and start selling with Shopify. Sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling selling today at shopify.com happy go to shopify.com happy that shopify.com happy hear your first cha ching this new year with Shopify by your side.

It's funny. I watched you become a better storyteller in all facets of life after you wrote your book and kind of had that education. I became a good storyteller because I would go to dinner with, you know, several guys or several couples, and there's always one person, right, that everyone would leave saying, oh, he or she is the funniest. Oh, he or she is the most interesting. Oh, he or she was just captivated the night, right? And I wanted to be that person. So I literally, I would watch. How do people get the attention? How do they tell their stories? How do they keep you, like, leaned in? How do you get people to physically lean into them while you're the one talking to six, eight, ten people at the dinner table? And I watched, it was everything from hand gestures and mannerisms to being very descriptive. When you're telling the story of how things looked, how things smelled, they would take you back as if they're transporting you into a movie. And that's why when people get up and leave a dinner at the end of the night, or leave a meeting or leave any kind of networking, that's why certain people stand out, is because they transported the rest of the people and made them feel a certain way, as if they were a part, a character in their life. And it becomes a superpower when it comes to networking and making people want to work with you.

So how do you become a great storyteller? Essentially everything that we just told you about is starting to pay attention to how people tell stories. And why do you love a story? Why are you totally eating out of someone's hand? Like, really dissect how they're telling the story? What are they doing? Are they using different hand gestures? There's some low hanging fruit that you can do to also tell better stories. The first thing that you can do is start listening to podcasts and reading books and literally telling the stories that really hit you within those. I've been to so many dinners where I've just really given people the Cliff notes of a great book that I just read and they love that. Or the cliff notes of a great conversation on a podcast that blew my mind. And then there's also the things that are gonna be accumulated and formed over years that are gonna really deepen why you're interesting and why people are interested in you. And those are things like, you know, Chris and I, for four years, we did ballroom dancing, and those are stories that we could only learn how and be able to tell. After four years of ballroom dancing, we were totally immersed into a world that's fairly unique to a lot of people. Not a lot of people have been in that world. So that always makes us share really interesting stories when we're at dinners. And it also has enriched our lives by the learnings of ballroom dancing. And then there's also traveling. Traveling always makes you more interesting, especially if you do it in a way that you're trying to actually fit in with the local culture. That's really going to make you feel interesting and make you more interesting throughout different conversations. Like, if you even think about this podcast right now, we've probably told about five or six different stories relating to the topic that we're trying to share.

Yeah. Just remember who, what, when, where, and why. Right. So who was there when you're telling your story and what was going on? What were the surroundings like and when was it? Like, paint a picture of, you know, the year and what else was going on? Who, what, when, where, why? Like, where was it? It's all you got to do is follow that type of a template. Make sure that.

How are you feeling? Yep.

Yep. Or you can take a shortcut and hire a story coach. When you worked with your editor for your book, how about you become a better storyteller? We've been to different events. Way back when, when we were starting, like, network marketing and stuff that taught us how to be better storytellers. Someone who used to go through our masterminds, Elk street, great guy. He teaches you how to tell a better story. Reach out to Alex Street. There's so many different shortcuts you can take to brush up on the skill, but you must develop this skill if you're going to thrive, if you're going to stand out.

It's like the hero's journey. If you've never looked that up or read the book, you can pretty much look that up, what it's about. Get the cliff notes, and it tells you what throughout history has always been the storyline and how to tell it. So go check that out as well. You guys were so grateful for you.

And this is one of the things that we work on, by the way, in our elite mastermind. And that's for anyone with a business that's going to earn more than $500,000 coming up in 2020 23. Now, everybody in there except for like one person, I think there are over seven figures, multiple eight figure participants in there. But all you have to do is be over a half a million dollars in earnings in 2023 coming up in order to apply. And we teach you the art of storytelling, we teach you marketing, we teach you all of these hacks because you're inside the circle of trust. You are in there where we're exchanging ideas on how we and all the other successful entrepreneurs have actually gotten where they have gotten. And I'm telling you, the acceleration that happens when you're inside the circle of trust and sharing the hacks, the ones that don't necessarily make it outside the group, that's when your business explodes. So if you want to apply for it, it's first come, first serve. In terms of how your application gets in line, I jump on zoom with you. I do a full interview. We decide if it's a good fit for you or not. All you have to do is go check it out and apply at chrisharter Me Mastermind. Again, go to chrisharder Me Mastermind. Check it out, hit apply. That's how you get in line to get interviewed, to get in the room. Also, you can always hit me up on Instagram if you just want to talk back and forth about it. Chris W. Harder, send me a DM and we'll chat. Spots are going really quickly because every year more than half the room renews and we already have a handful of people that are committed to next year. So handful of spots left, not many. I would love to see if you are a good fit for the room.

We'll see you next time.

Thanks, guys.