Tell Stories Only You Can Tell #substack #shorts

9 May 2026 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

1:27

In this YouTube short, the speaker urges creators to focus on sharing stories that only they can tell, rather than recycling generic, AI‑generated inspirational content. They cite a Substack Notes piece that features a unique interview with a coffee‑shop owner in Mexico City as an example of a story that can’t be duplicated. The speaker then illustrates the power of personal signals by recounting a 5th‑grade memory of a classmate, Johnny Rydell, whose Bon Jovi shirt and mullet made a lasting impression; years later they formed a band together, showing how authentic signals attract like‑minded creative collaborators. The overall message is that authenticity and personal specificity draw the right audience and foster a creative orbit.

Chapters

Tell stories that only you can tell, which is such a huge thing. This one was on Substack Notes. It's about a person that interviewed a coffee shop owner in Mexico City, like, in front of this place, and the story about this, that— like, that's a story that only they can tell, you know? And there's so many tales that we see on social media, inspirational this, that, the other, which can be a dime a dozen, which can be like you could just ask an AI thing, hey, give me 10 inspirational quotes for me to schedule on social media this week. Meh. Like, but what's the thing that only you can say? What's the thing that only you can tell? Because chances are, like, I love telling the story of— I'm always talking about like the signals that you send to kind of attract who you want to interact with and kind of who you want in your creative orbit.. And for me in 5th grade, it was this kid Johnny Rydell that wore a black jean jacket and a Bon Jovi shirt, and he had a mullet. And I was like, that, that's my dude. And sure enough, a couple years later we were in a band together. Like, like sending that signal. And like, I only get to tell that story. Johnny Rydell, Bon Jovi, we played in a band together. That's— that doesn't resonate with everybody. Scott Perry gets it though, like