Be like Eminem. Tell your story.

I love stories. No, sorry. It’s Valentine’s Day: I HEART stories.

Someone who is willing to tell their story is someone to whom I feel an almost immediate kinship.?

• Like the developer who works in code all day, but confesses to me he has perfected his grandmother’s sugar cookie recipe.?
• Or the freelance writer who talks about the fear she faces if her big client decides to change course and drop her.?
• Or the Marketing professional who has a side gig hosting a podcast on board games.??

We connect with people, and while we might not always remember their names - we remember their stories.

I might not be the typical Eminem fan - a professional mum of teen boys who lives in the suburbs. But I work out to his music most mornings. I have full respect. Why? The man can tell a story, eloquently, in tempo, in rhyme.He connects with his audience on so many levels. I saw Eight Mile what - 100 years ago? - but I can fully recall the obstacles Marshall Mathers overcame, and his rise to fame as Eminem. His is a solid brand, complete with expletives.

Thanks to the pandemic, we are showing up as we are, without pretense.? When Covid first hit, I put a little gym in my basement. Most mornings, I head down early to lift. Heavy. I get as much as I can off the floor. (for the gym rats: my hip thrust PB is 425 lbs, my deadlift PB is 225 lbs, squats… they’re a work in progress)

I started posting my progress on Instagram to be accountable to myself. I had a small community of friends who would notice if I missed a day. So I stopped missing days… and started gaining a following.?

As I lifted heavy to deal with ‘the heavy,’ I realized there is a whole community of people from all different walks of life with whom I am now connected to. They cheer me on, and I cheer them on. Our stories have a commonality. People I have never met, all over the world, to whom I feel I could easily go for coffee with, and have a great chat.?

Community is built when we show up completely - celebrating our successes, and our struggles.?

This connection can be felt with business too. This is why I feel content marketing, and storytelling in corporate communications can be so powerful. It’s the heart speaking to the heart, and then the mind makes the decision.

We connect with and remember organizations, companies and brands that have interwoven their stories and their identity.?

It could be something simple. Like the woman behind Smart Sweets, who wanted to find a candy that tasted great but wasn’t high in sugar. She couldn’t find it - so she started experimenting, making gummy bears in her kitchen. Bonus points from me that she was a Canadian entrepreneur under 30 when she started her company.

I remember hearing that the family behind the Bonne Maman strawberry jam (which I buy at Costco) hid families of Jews from Nazi soldiers in France during the war. The family remains secretive and hasn’t confirmed the story, but it has built a loyalty around the brand.?

When our personal story intersects with our professional lives, it’s like the stars have aligned.

I have a deep connection to mental health initiatives. A personal connection. When I started at United Way Eastern Ontario, I asked staff and board members to consider their why for the charity. For me, it was the support of a United Way-funded program that helped me through my father’s suicide. I can speak first hand about how donor dollars changed my life, and how United Way helped me in my darkest moments.?

You might not want to share something as intensely personal as this, but your story is everything.?

My unsolicited advice: Don’t ever be afraid to be authentic - it’s what separates you from the crowd. You are uniquely you! We have this magical gift of sharing who we are, what we represent.

I’ve seen so many folks loosening the metaphorical tie on LinkedIn since the pandemic hit, posting about experiences working from home, balancing childcare and zoom calls, marriage/birth/divorce notices (not necessarily from all the same people).

And honestly, it’s made the platform a better place. It’s not just about promotional announcements and job changes, it’s about who we are.

Covid has allowed us to lower the veil, showing up without makeup, and in pajama pants. We are authentically present, complete with tech issues and dirty hair. And man, it’s hard - we all confess. Perfectionism be damned.

Ultimately, it’s our story that connects people and brands. And don’t tell me you don’t have a story. Because we both know that’s not true. You just might be out of practice. It’s okay - it’s a muscle we need to flex often to get more comfortable doing it. Even Eminem practices.?

(Now thinking I need to write a few posts on how to fine tune your story….)

Say after me: I have a story to tell.

Now go share it. And Happy Valentine’s Day.