You’ve graduated from the basics and have the raw materials to connect with your ideal clients

and readers on an emotional level.

The stories you’ll learn to write in this lesson are ideal for creating interest around your
message, generating social media engagement, and building a community around your brand
— all of which contribute to making your offer the natural, obvious choice.

This is the START storytelling framework. It’s a versatile story structure.

Use it for Carousel, captions, Threads, Reels scripts, newsletters or wherever you want to
position yourself as a trusted voice in your industry while showcasing your values to attract like-
minded people into your community. Let’s get started.

One of the best ways to come up with engaging brand story ideas is to think about how and when
common enemies show up in your own life, and to capture those real-life moments in stories.

It’s the ultimate way to lead by example, which builds trust and admiration.

Look back at your answers from the last exercise.

Pick a problem that gets in the way of an aspirational goal, and think of an example of how this
problem showed up in your life.

Prompts to find a story:

The first time the problem happened.
The hardest moment dealing with this problem.
The most recent time you dealt with this problem.
The first time you did something without the problem after you solved it.

For example:

The first time you had to set boundaries with a client.

The hardest part about changing your relationship with money.
The last time you had to motivate yourself to work out when you didn’t want to.
The first time you spoke on stage without performance anxiety.
Think about the moment in more detail:

What were you doing?

Where were you?
What were you thinking?
Did someone say something to you? What did they say?
How were you feeling? How did that feeling show up in your body? Did
excitement make your heart race? Did fear make you slouch in your chair?
Now that you have an idea in mind, let’s write the story together, right now with this framework.

START Storytelling Framework

Situation Set the context by describing the situation.
:

Obstacle Identify the obstacle, challenge, or conflict.

:

Action Explain the actions taken to overcome the obstacle.

:

Result: Share the results of the actions.

Takeaway Lesson :

Please follow along with me on the worksheet for this lesson.

You’ll also find templates, prompts, and more examples there.

1. Situational Storytelling Hook

The opening line of this storytelling framework puts the reader into the action.

A good situational story hook states the who, what, where, and when of the story.

But a great situational storytelling hook also captures a feeling. No fluffy prose required.

Don’t underestimate the power of a straightforward, relatable opening line to pique interest.

I’ll use the first time I shared a vulnerable story online as the example to follow along with.

I chose this story as an example for a couple of reasons:

Wanting to tell stories online is a goal I have in common with my audience.

It touches on a common or shared enemy: the belief that no one cares about our stories.

It starts like this:

“The first time I shared a vulnerable story online I wasn’t scared because I assumed no one would
read it.”

In this case, one line is enough to:

State the common goal: sharing stories online.

Capture the feeling of the conflict: a belief that our stories don’t qualify as “valuable” content.

Ifthe hook gets to be longer than four or five lines, you’re probably including too much context —
the most common mistake new storytellers make. In short-form storytelling, the reader only
needs to know enough to get them to the next part of the story: The tension, the conflict — which
we spoke about in the last lesson, and you identified your brand in the last exercise.

Most often, people repeat themselves by saying the same thing in a different way to beef up the
context in an effort to show not tell, but there are better ways to be descriptive without adding
bulk.

You can find them on the hook worksheet, but here’s a sniff test for compelling context:

Ifthe story makes sense without a line, you can cut that line for the sake of brevity in short-form
storytelling.

Like this:

“The first time I shared a vulnerable story online I wasn’t scared because I assumed no one would
read it. I didn’t know if what I would say mattered, and I was questioning my ability to say it well.”

Your turn.

Give your open line a try right now before we get to the second step in this storytelling structure.

Remember simplicity wins. And if you get stuck, look at this hook worksheet for inspiration.

2. Tension
Storytelling is transformation. And transformation is motivated by a challenge that creates
tension.

In storytelling, the catalysis of transformation is revealed through the tension of conflict.

Tension is the biggest factor in whether or not people will read until the end and take action.

Clarity is the key to making this happen in real life marketing.

The obstacle needs to be stated plainly.

Let’s continue to build on my vulnerable storytelling example by adding the conflict.

“The first time I shared a vulnerable story online I wasn’t scared because I assumed no one would
read it. It wasn’t educational... It didn’t have “value.” Or so I thought.”

The context in the first line touched on the problem, the reader's fear: no one cares if I tell my
story.

The second line builds on that tension by stating the conflict plainly:

A belief that stories aren’t valuable to the reader because they’re not tips, tricks, or hacks.

Your turn.

Build on your opening line by stating the heart of the obstacle.

3. Action
Action is the choice the character makes before the transformation can happen.

It’swhat happens right before something shifts, whether it’s an external circumstance or a
mindset.

Continuing with the example:

“The first time I shared a vulnerable story online, I wasn’t scared because I assumed no one would
read it. It wasn’t educational... It didn’t have “value.” Or so I thought. I posted about my losing battle
with entrepreneurial burnout, and put my phone down…”

The action doesn’t have to be epic to be life-altering.

It also doesn’t have to result in a “positive” outcome.

Remember Pixar’s first rule: “You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.”

Showing how you learned from a mistake is a great use of storytelling in marketing.

Your turn. What action did the circumstances and conflict prompt? What did you do in response?

4. Result
In the beginning of your story, you opened up a curious loop by getting the reader to ask: “What
happens next?” Now it’s time to answer that question so you don’t leave the reader hanging.

What happened after you took the action?

Continuing with the example:

“The first time I shared a vulnerable story online, I wasn’t scared because I assumed no one would
read it. It wasn’t educational... It didn’t have “value.” Or so I thought. I posted about my losing battle
with entrepreneurial burnout, and put my phone down… Ten minutes later I returned to a flood of
comments and DMs. All of them said a variation of the same thing: “thank you for saying what I'm
feeling.” “I feel you.” “This is me.”

The result is the response to sharing my story. At this point, the transformation should be
evident.

In this example, the transformation is clear:

Feeling like no one cares about my story → Realizing my story has value.

Does the result show a change? If so, you’ve nailed it!

Your turn.

Illustrate the turning point with two to three sentences summarizing the result of the action.

5. Takeaway
While the result is the end of the story, the takeaway is the bigger learning.

The last piece of the story is the one we want people to remember most.

Ask yourself, What should your audience learn from the story?

Here’s how the example looks as a complete story:

“The first time I shared a vulnerable story online, I wasn’t scared because I assumed no one would
read it. It wasn’t educational... It didn’t have “value.” Or so I thought. I posted about my losing battle
with entrepreneurial burnout, and put my phone down… Ten minutes later I returned to a flood of
comments and DMs. All of them said a variation of the same thing: “thank you for saying what I'm
feeling.” “I feel you.” “This is me.” I used to think "valuable" content meant sharing sage wisdom or
actionable tips. But I learned that day that making people feel seen is the best value you can share.
Your story is someone's mirror.”

Adding A CTA (Or Not)

The story is told once you have your START, but you may want to finish the content with a call to
action. What action should readers take after reading your story?

You can pose a question to generate engagement, such as:

“Have you ever ____? Let me know in the comments.”

Or make an ask of the reader such as:

“Ifyou liked this story, you’ll love my newsletter where I explore [your area of expertise and how it

helps].”

It's worth noting that a CTA isn't always needed.

There is a shift toward CTA-less posts, especially on social media. Alex Hormozi recently said:

“CTAs (calls-to-action) in content are not very effective. They kill reach, it feels weird, no one likes it
whatever. People will naturally just naturally take the next step if you just put it in the descriptions or
link-in-bio… you will get traffic to your stuff by just saying this is what I do.”

Next we’ll dive into how to make your offer feel like the natural next step with the non-salesy sales
storytelling framework. See you in the next module.