071 Building A Community By Telling Stories With Alex Hillman of Indy Hall
Release Date: 08/08/2022
Strategic Storytelling
There’s something appealing about telling stories. We all want to talk about what happened to us..especially the bad parts. But when you're writing for business, it's important to tell your story only when you have a purpose for that particular story. Too many people write stories for validation. They say, "My cat died. Here's how I feel." Or they say the business hit a wall. Here's what happened" There's a place to write about your business. Psychologists talk about it all the time. It's as effective (at least for some) as a therapy session. That's not what I'm...
info_outline 136 The Celebrity Archetype: Are you a fan?Strategic Storytelling
Of the five archetypes I've identified, the Celebrity holds greatest awe and power. ***If you're new to my community, you can download a free report featuring the five archtypes Think of Taylor Swift and think of those folks in People magazine. We don't want to BE a Celebrity, but we can learn from Celebrities. It's no accident that real celebrities tend to be spokespeople for all kinds of brands. So now let's look at business. Chances are you'll meet a celebrity somewhere along your business journey. You'll be tempted to use them as examples along the way. But the truth is,...
info_outline 135 Why you can be passionate in what you do...but you're not a passionate advocateStrategic Storytelling
As you know, I've got five story archetypes for basic branding for small, service-based businesses. You can learn more about them I talk a lot about the most common archetypes - the Role Model and Educator, and sometimes the Innovator. But I rarely talk about Celebrities or Passionate Advocates...with good reason. You feel, "I'm already passionate about my work!" But that doesn't mean you're a true Passionate Advocate. Advocates set limits on what they do. They have to be hard-nosed about it or they'll run out of time. Worse, their clients expect perfection, which they can never deliver....
info_outline 134 Pull-the-plug stories: What happens if you quit?Strategic Storytelling
We have lots of stories of celebration, where people talk about their wins. What we need are more stories of pulling the plug. For example, in this episode I talk about someone who decided not to get a drivers license. In a typical story, she'd try and try to pass the test. She'd spend hours studying. But in this story the woman decides she won't bother. She'll move to a city where she can take a car or just ride public transit or even walk. A variation of this story is a "you can go home again" story. You can quit and then go back. The original idea for this story comes from...
info_outline 133 Use storytelling to build a client-attracting About Page: 3 TipsStrategic Storytelling
If you’re a service based solopreneur, entrepreneur or independent professional, your brand is YOU. Your About Page will be critical to your online success. And yet, if you’re like most business owners, you’ll tell me the About Page is the most difficult page to write for your website. That’s because most people hate to talk about themselves. And business owners are people! It’s easy to feel like you’re boasting. It’s common to wonder, “Will I come across as an obnoxious jerk?” The truth is, your About Page isn’t about you. Your About Page answers the client’s...
info_outline 132 Business Storytelling: 3 Business Stories You Don't Share With Your ClientsStrategic Storytelling
When we think of business storytelling, most business owners think of stories as a way to relate to clients - and certainly I encourage that direction. You can use stories to engage clients, explain a complex offer, communicate your value, and much, much more. In this episode, we’re going to talk about another way to use storytelling. We look at 3 ways to use stories to help plan your next steps and develop your strategy. These stories help grow your business, but you rarely share them with your clients. RESOURCES: Enter the conversation in your clients'...
info_outline 131 Numbers Make Stories Come Alive (Or Raise Questions About the Storyteller)Strategic Storytelling
Numbers make stories more vivid. When we say, "Apartment 101," you may get a picture in your mind of the door with the number. But there's a downside. When you use numbers to suggest how you value something, your audience will be judging you. They assign their ow values to every story. In this episode you will learn... ...how the vividness of numbers makes your story more clear (and how that can be a downside) ...how casual references to certain details will send a message to your audience (and it may not be the message you want them to hear) ...how context will be important to your audience's...
info_outline 042 ENCORE: How Storytelling Makes Your Small Business Marketing More Productive in 3 WaysStrategic Storytelling
Content creation is the biggest challenge of online marketing. Storytelling helps you create more effective marketing content more quickly.
info_outline 130 From “Ordinary” To “Valuable Treasure” With A Simple StoryStrategic Storytelling
Many service-based entrepreneurs tell me, “My services seem so ordinary! I want to create a sense of excitement among potential clients.” It’s how lots of small business owners (including me) begin looking at their websites and sales letters. That doesn’t mean inventing wild stories or digging into your distant past for inspiration. Any story comes with hidden pitfalls and many people resist getting started. We can learn from a unique, creative experiment co-created by an anthropologist and a writer. They transformed ordinary thrift store purchases (none more than...
info_outline 129 How your intuition can guide you to tell the best story for your businessStrategic Storytelling
“Should I tell this story? I don’t feel comfortable sharing.” Or “I *really* feel I should tell this story, even if it makes me uncomfortable." If you’re like many of my clients, these questions arise when you’re wondering about sharing a story, especially a personal story. You feel deeply about the topic but you wonder if it’s a good idea to put it out there for all the world to see. You have doubts: What if the story backfires and makes you look like an idiot? What if the story turns away potential clients who feel that’s TMI? Maybe there’s a...
info_outlineMany organizations are still struggling to rebuild community after the pandemic forced everyone apart.
Alex Hillman is the founder of Indy Hall, one of the first coworking spaces in Philadelphia. He had to answer the question, "How do you keep a space-based community together when the space goes away?"
In this episode, Alex shares stories that show why Indy Hall coworking is far more than a piece of real estate. He shows how the community helps members find their way, grow and change.
Around 28:40, he shares some advice on choosing the best stories to tell - not necessarily stories of your most impressive success.
Alex is an entertaining and sought-after speaker. Enjoy your time with this episode! Reach Alex at indyhall.org or his email, [email protected] and share what resonated with you.