The Power of a Good Story

Do you own your school narrative? Are you telling the best story for your institution? These questions might sound strange if you have yet to consider them, but once you participate in the Catapult Marketing and Retention professional development series, questions like these will serve as your launchpad for growth.?

A Good Backstory

We all gravitate toward a good backstory, especially when it involves overcoming some major obstacle to realize new potential. One such story played out on ESPN in 2019 as Joe Burrow captured national attention during the college national championship game. Nearly every announcer told the same backstory on the LSU quarterback—highlighting that Joe Burrow had previously stood on the sidelines for three years of his college football career as the Ohio State University second-string quarterback.?

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Burrow’s talent was evident early in his high school football career.?Many envisioned him as a successful college quarterback once he signed with the Ohio State Buckeyes. However, just before his freshman season began, he was suddenly beaten out of the quarterback position by his red-shirt competitor, Dwayne Haskins. Three years later, Burrow found himself still standing on the sidelines as the second-string quarterback.?

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By 2018, Burrow’s reality was nowhere in line with this earlier vision.?He had two choices in the spring of 2018. Burrow could finish his career at OSU and accept that he was just a second-string quarterback, or he could face the brutal facts of his situation and transfer to a different team where he could become the starter.

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Within a few short months of transferring from Ohio to Louisiana, Burrow gained the recognition he was denied for three years while he remained a second-string quarterback.?In addition, his impact on the LSU team was monumental, as the team won the 2019 national championship game.?The Joe Burrow story is one that we should all take to heart—especially those of us in leadership.?

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By making the difficult choice and stepping out of his current situation, Burrow influenced countless others and created collective efficacy - his role led an entire team to believe that together they were much more than just the sum of their numbers.?This effect transcends football.?It transcends all sports.?It is realized each time genuine collaboration occurs, and professionals elevate each other to a new level of performance.?

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Change Your Narrative

It is easy to forget that untapped potential lies within all of us. It is also easy to overlook the power of our stories when trying to recruit and retain high-quality people for our team. Someone will tell your organization’s story—let it be you.?

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Think of the last time an opportunity was presented to you to do something differently; or the last time you considered a new idea.?You were facing the second-string quarterback dilemma.?By keeping your ideas to yourself, you are accepting a bystander role.?What if you follow the steps of Joe Burrow instead??What if you acknowledge that you have a more significant role and that your contribution is worthy and meaningful??

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Leverage Opportunities

This is your opportunity to have customized solutions to the exact problems you experience. This is your moment to craft your institution’s story.?Catapult provides local solutions to local problems with deep dives into your school culture, vision, and talent pool. Our expert speakers cover all key areas of recruitment and marketing for your CTE program needs in today’s highly competitive job market arena. The diverse talent of all five experts provides your team with the resources to solve your most pressing problems.?

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Our Catapult speaker line-up has five national, leading voices on best practices for student recruitment and marketing strategies. Your team will start with insightful keynote speakers and reflective questioning about how your story is being told. Our expert speakers will work alongside your team as you write the narrative that best showcases why people should want to be a part of your institution. It's time to elevate individuals at your site while showcasing their strengths and talents in your storytelling.?

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