NickVenturella.com 5-15-16

What story are you telling

May 15, 2016

How are you telling the story of

you

these days?

It’s not necessarily something we think about all the time, but storytelling is a powerful tool for getting others to remember things you want them to remember?

They have an arc -- conflict, triumph, growth -- that progresses you from humble beginnings through the highs and lows and hopefully concludes with some resolve or realized betterment.

Why do you think you remember the stories of particular movies you like, or books you’ve read, or even the story about the time your best friend locked his keys and cell phone in his car while it was running?

When I mention stories, like the story of who you are personally and/or professionally I’m talking about conveying that message in a way that helps to make it more memorable and compelling than, “Hi. I’m Nick. I’m a creative guy with multiple creative pursuits. Oh, and I’m a marketer too.â€

This is kind of how I used to brand myself to others...not overly memorable or interesting enough to engage others to want to pay attention to my creative projects.

Just for the sake of example, here is a version of the story I now tell about what I do:

Early on, as a young interdisciplinary visual artist and musician, I learned the fundamentals of marketing as a natural outgrowth of promoting my creations. It turns out, I had an entrepreneurial spirit and a solid grasp of business and marketing concepts that I further developed by promoting more of my art, then others’, and soon I began marketing for companies. Now, I spend my time honing my artistic abilities and incorporating them into helping others with their marketing.

This example is a far better, and more memorable version of my own story than what I was doing before.

This version shows growth. It has a bit of an arc, like all good stories, and it is certainly more engaging and memorable than what I was previously sharing with people.

The point is, when you market yourself, for anything you do or are interested in, be careful about how you share your message. It matters. Well, it matters if you want people to remember you.

Recently, I wrote a blog post that complements this sentiment. You can

.

So, what’s your story?  Feel free to hit reply and let me know.

Have a great week!