"But Why?"

My momma tells me that as a child, my favorite question to any new instruction, introduction, or observation was, "Why?" (Some parents refer to this as being an "Askhole". I'm thankful momma never did.)

My sons clearly inherited this gene and, "But Why?" was a question I've answered countless times over the last twenty+ years as they've grown into intentional servant leaders in their own rights.

In my professional career, I've labeled myself "The Curious Pronoun" and a "Perpetually curious brand and product storyteller." My need to understand the why led me on a non-linear path to a marketing and conversion storytelling career now entering its third decade.

I've chased and spoken the WHY from behind a microphone and in front of cameras in my early days as a broadcast media host and journalist. I became an award-winning storyseller and consultant through understanding other people's WHY and connecting it for their brands and customers. WHY is what led me during my time with digital agency, and it's been a hill I've defended in the WHAT-driven global IT product and services space for some time now.

As intimate as I am with WHY (and confident as I may be in answering it for employers and clients), I wrestle with severe imposter syndrome when I think about sharing my original insights on a stage the size of LinkedIn ...as if I belong in a tent at this business "music" festival ...given the immense talent in my genre already playing on the main stage.

"It's already been said better."

"No one cares what you have to say."

"Tell them something they don't know ...oh wait, they know more than you."

So I ask myself, "But Why?" ...WHY do you want to share what you've learned? What do you hope to accomplish?

"For the love of Simon Sinek, what is the WHY, Jason?!!"

I live for the payoff of leading a story end-to-end, delivering it, and then observing when people have the emotional response that I was aiming for. I am a 90% intrinsically motivated person ...It's not the rewards or accolades I'm after. It's telling a great story that inspires, delights, motivates, affirms, or challenges my audience. It's the human, emotional connection. It's the dream of spending all of my working time in a storytelling process. Dream it. Create it. Deliver it. Rinse & repeat.

The idealist in me begs to say, "I want my stories to make the world around me a better place." (which I do) ...but if I'm being honest, it's more that I'm addicted to getting lost in my story creation, the adrenaline rush I get from hoping people will like it, and then the dopamine rush I get when they do.

It's why I wanted to be a writer and screenwriter (and still am). It's why leading product and content marketing stuck when other professional storytelling tracks didn't.

My WHY is to live each day as my authentic self, with more joy, and an increased sense that my time here on earth has and does matter.

That may read like a mid-life crisis, but really, it's my mid-life motivation for taking the first step in "giving" consistently here on LinkedIn. I love my life. I love my family and friends. I love the company and culture I am privileged to work with every day. What comes after taking this step is not up to me.

If you're still reading, I appreciate you. I normally wouldn't write such an introspective on a space like this for fear of coming off as self indulgent - but WHY I'm about to start posting original thought leadership regularly is the first step to me taking the first step. (And maybe you can relate to some of my self-observed hangups and insecurities.)

"BUT WHY" will be my overarching theme as I share my brand, product, and service marketing battle scars, as well as the lessons I've learned. Good, bad, and ugly.

We'll explore the WHY of key conversion storytelling concepts for as long as marketing-audience misalignment exists, and there are more But Whys to explore. This may be a relatively short trip, or it may run awhile. Either way, this train is finally leaving the station.

You are now witness to both my hesitations and commitment.

I'd love for you to follow along.