Why and How Storytelling Increases your Income

Speaker A: Foreign. Welcome to another episode of the Money and Business Hero where we talk about the three pillars of financial success. Money mindset, money management, and money making. My guest today is Natalia Nutting, who is an actress, TV host and teacher who today is training CEOs, business leaders and entrepreneurs in the power of storytelling. And she says that will actually help us make more money. So welcome to the show, Natalia. Great to have you here.

Speaker B: It is a, uh, pleasure to have you. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. Florian is so am I, actually. Yeah.

Speaker A: So tell us a little bit more about yourself and your story, please.

Speaker B: Well, I'm Natalia. I'm known as the storytelling queen because, uh, as someone who's turned hundreds of entrepreneurs who were pushing opportunities away by telling long winded stories in their speeches and turn them into powerful keynote speakers that are paid and are successful personal brands, I know what a well honed story can do to your business. And I'm on a mission to help speakers and entrepreneurs tell better stories so that they can make more impact and more money.

Speaker A: Awesome. That sounds great. Now, um, yeah, my most important question actually is how or why does storytelling help, uh, me make more money? Uh, how does that connection work?

Speaker B: How can. Well, let me first give you an example. One example is my client, Dominique. Um, he came to me almost broke. His business was bankrupt. And as soon as I helped him hone his personal story and he said, natalia, this story has nothing to do with my business. He helps dental business owners have a successful run, uh, a successful business. And he said, my story has nothing to do with my business. My story is about how I overcame cancer. And I said, your story has everything to do with your business because every step that you took to overcome cancer are the exact same principles that you take business owners to overcome all the challenges in order to have a successful business. So he trusted in me as his mentor. We honed his story and he said, okay, I trust Natalia. I'm going to tell this story to this prospect. He told this story and this lady was like, oh my gosh, Dominique, you are the m most expensive business mentors I have ever met. But I just have to work with you because I, uh, align with your values, with what you've been through so much that I, I just can't look for anyone else. And that's how Bang, 20k came right into his bank. And from that day on, which was two years ago, his business had, has exploded. He's making 60k a month, he's a paid keynote speaker, and it was all thanks to the power of storytelling. Why does storytelling help you make more money? Because it helps you connect with people. Of course, people need, um, a logical aspect to make a decision to buy. But the emotional aspect comes first. Can I trust this person? Does this person understand me? We all want to feel seen, heard, understood. And your story is what does that. But not any story. Because I'm going to go in a minute if you want me. Through some mistakes that people make when they tell a story. So a well honed story entrances people so that they are more susceptible to receive a message. That is how storytelling works. But you need to believe in your story, so there's a way of telling it. Because we humans, we have a BS barometer. If someone is lying, if someone is telling BS a story that is not true or is a long winded story, um, we shut down. And so many people refrain from telling stories because they have felt rejected before. When they told a story, people would roll their eyes or people would walk, uh, away because they feel like, what's the point? Why are you telling me this story? Because you were telling it the wrong way and you were not. Tapping into the extraordinary power of storytelling that has been validated for thousands of years. Plato said the storytellers own the world, rule the world. That's the, uh, uh, quote. Storytellers rule the world. And so here is a magnificent opportunity for entrepreneurs to tap into storytelling. Know how to tell short, powerful, succinct stories that have a point, so that you entrance your listener and they want to hear your offer. They want to listen to your message. They want what you have to offer. Whether it is when you're knocking at the door of people, uh, in a networking event, for them to want to know more about you or for them, once you're in the room, for them to want to know, what's your offer? How can I work with you?

Speaker A: I guess that makes sense. If people want to hear more of you, they'll give you more money, right?

Speaker B: Well, that's the, that's the entry point. I think that, well, when it comes to presenting offers, um, I think that sometimes we, um, we ruin many opportunities by being too fast. So you, you need to know when to tell the story.

Speaker A: Okay, well, that gets us already in that second part, right? Why does storytelling, uh, help us make more money? Um, the most most important, once we understood that, the most important question is how right you give us the mistakes. Uh, so let's start with what people do wrong or should not do when they tell it. Let's let's start with that side. Okay.

Speaker B: Well, there's. There's basically three mistakes that we all make when we tell a story. And I include myself, so we have to all be aware of it. Of course, as a master, uh, storyteller, a storytelling coach, when I'm going to tell a specific story for my business, I have it prepared or I told it many times, and I don't make this mistake. But catch yourself if you're making any of these three mistakes. Number one, you go off on a tangent and you give irrelevant information that does not pertain to the point of the story. Mistake number two, you intellectualize parts of the story. You start teaching in the middle of the story without permission of your listener before ending the story. And number three, you give your personal opinion of your story without finishing it. Those three things piss people off. It makes people shut down, and it makes people feel like, okay, what's the point of the story? Why are you telling me this? And they cannot follow you in the narrative because you're telling a narrative, the action that happened in the story. And in between, you're giving personal opinion, you're teaching, you're intellectualizing. But if you're not a masterful storyteller and you don't know how to use the voice and the rhythmicality of the story, it feels for the listener that you're going off on a tangent and they don't know where this is going. And when someone does that to us, it. It just brings in a lot of the, uh, negative energy in our mind, is like, oh, how can I get out of this situation? Your listener feels trapped. So we don't want to do that. We don't want to do that.

Speaker A: First finish the story and then do all the other stuff.

Speaker B: Exactly. Finish the story. Because this is what to do. This is how to do it. Right. What people want to know when they listen to a story is what happened? Where was it? How it ended? When you starting, like, an exciting story, it's like, oh, my gosh, what happened? Oh, tell me more. And what else? Where was that? You want to position yourself in that place. And then, oh, no, no. And then. And then what happened? How it ended. That's what people want to know. You have to see them like little children or remember yourself as a little child. Your dad came or your mom came and said, guess what happened? Oh, tell me what happened. You just want to know what happened in a single event. So how is this landing? Florian?

Speaker A: Yeah, uh, that makes sense. I. I do want to know what happened right that, that's been a good story.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Uh, or good book or whatever you, you read. You want to. Okay, what happened.

Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. And how it ended. What. What's the conclusion?

Speaker A: Yes, exactly. The end. You want to. Actually, you do want to know the end, but you do want to. In especially if I think of good books, you. You wanted to continue. Right. You want to know. Have more happening, but still you want to know the outcome.

Speaker B: Yeah, you want to know the outcome. And that when you have that in mind, it helps you create short stories that land every time.

Speaker A: Mhm.

Speaker B: Because many, uh, many.

Speaker A: Is that all I need? Um, what happened? Where did it happen at the end. Uh, and everybody will be happy.

Speaker B: Well, there's a framework. Of course. That's all you need. Yes. That is what. That is what a scene is. Aristotle stated the components of a scene. We're talking about Aristotle.

Speaker A: Well, if he said it, then, uh,

Speaker B: if he said it. So a scene is something major that happened in a specific time and place. So newbies in storytelling, they think that they need to tell a whole, uh, synopsis of their story. A whole overview.

Speaker A: Half an hour background.

Speaker B: Half an hour background back. Yeah, the background of the story. When I was three and here and there. That's not the power of short storytelling that sells. No, there is a way to tell an overview that is. Oh, okay, fantastic. So you've been through all of that. But the power of storytelling that sells is when you tell a scene, when you take people to a moment in time and space where something major happened. Think about when you're watching a film, what will make the lens of the camera zoom in? You've got a, You've got first the camera taking a wide picture of the space, uh, the, the city, the buildings, and then m. The camera zooms in. That's a scene. Something major is happening there. People look at each other. Someone steals something, and then the robber leaves. That's a scene. And so your story is also a scene. Oh, guess what happened today? I went to the supermarket and when I pulled off my, my, uh, that. My, my money in my pocket, I forgot. I forgot the money and I couldn't pay for it. And the lady that was right in front of me turned around and said, oh, my darling, you forgot your money. What is it that you're taking? I can pay for it. And I'm like, no, no, I, I, uh, It's okay. No, it's. I, I will leave it. I will put it back in. In, in, in. In the. In where it belongs. And, and the lady Says, no, darling, today I'm gonna pay for you Someone paid for me before in the past and she paid for my groceries. And there I came back home so filled with hope for humankind. There are kind people on earth. That's a little story. That's a specific moment in time and place where something major happened. And I tell you, when you're telling a story, you are standing in an empty space. You sometimes don't know where it's going to lead you, but if you remember this framework, you're going to get there to the end. At this moment, when I was telling you this story, it was absolutely spontaneous, Florian. I didn't know what example I was going to give you, but I remember that moment and. And even though English is my second language and I forget words, and so I'm trying to find the words to describe, but there's a rhythmicality. I know where the punchline is in the story, and so that helps me tell a succinct story that has a point.

Speaker A: Even without words.

Speaker B: Even. Even without words, yeah. When you forget your words. Well, I teach many things, uh, because I come drama background. And so I teach my students how to use the body when you forget the words. And I worked with many, uh, people that speak English as a foreign language or second language. And I. I work with many people that were introvert and shy like me. I completely transformed myself through storytelling. So I couldn't speak before. Just so you know, you would talk to me, and I would go red and smile and hide, and that was probably, like, half of my life. And when I wanted to speak, I would just be so loud and awkward. I didn't know how to connect with people. And I thought that whatever I had to say was irrelevant and that I would never make it in this world. Uh, I didn't fit in ordinary society. And the traditional education system made me feel so stupid that I never get it. Actually, there's a story about that. I was 10 years old, and I was sitting on this pale yellow desk in. In the classroom. And the teacher is in front of me, and I'm there next to the wall, and the teacher says, copy everyone. I'm gonna erase the board. And it was a rule, A, um, mathematical rule. And I didn't understand it. So I raised my hand to ask a question, and she. She looks at me, she locks her eyes, and she says, I've already explained this. How come you don't get it?

Speaker A: And very, um, good teaching.

Speaker B: Very good teaching. I put my hand down and I felt. How come I don't get it. I'm so stupid. Why did I ask the question? And then I turn around, the whole classroom is looking at me. And um, I go red, purple. I want the earth to suck me. I feel the most stupid person in the classroom. And that stayed in my mind for decades. You don't get it. And um, at that same moment, there was a fire that came from my core. And I looked at her locked eyes and I said with my mind, words, because I didn't have the guts to speak back then. But I said to her with my eyes, one day I'll show you there's another way to teach. I felt so much fire and strength, I had no idea what that other way to teach was. But 20 years later, I'm sitting again on a pale yellow desk next to a wall in a classroom of 10 year old kids. And the one standing in front of me is not a teacher, it's my student. He was just like me. He was the introvert, the one that didn't get it. The one that was a misfit that couldn't speak. And he's there and the whole classroom is sitting at the edge of the seat, captivated because he's telling a story. And that's when I realized that's the other way to teach. Tell stories. Not only because me as a teacher then I empowered those that didn't have a voice with a voice, but also because now they can captivate any, uh, audience. You know, Florian, the moment I learned to tell short stories, I had people leaning in, asking, tell me more. You know, the confidence that that gives you, you feel what I'm saying is relevant. What people want to listen to me. They don't feel rejected by me asking a question or, or by me interjecting something loud, awkward. No, now I'm saying something that is, that is attractive to people, that people want to hear. That is key for your own self confidence and that is key for captivating people. It is. Storytelling is a powerful, powerful device. But you know how to, you need to know how to tell them, right?

Speaker A: It isn't storytelling. Isn't that how teaching was done before they invented schools?

Speaker B: Oh yes, a hundred percent. A hundred percent. I remember when I was training myself as an actress, this was um, back in Argentina and it was 1998. I was so passionate about it. I was really, really young. I, ah, was 14 years old and I went into the city. I grew up in the countryside and I went to the city. It was the um, south, uh, American International Drama Festival. And we had, uh. We had, uh, performance, uh, performances from all over the world that were giving trainings to actors. And there was this performance troupe from d'. Ivoire. My French is so bad. Costa de Marfil from the Ivory Coast. And. And they performed for us. They performed this play, and there was. There was dramatic performance, there was singing, there was dancing, um, and the whole story had a lesson. And what they said is that this performance troupe had been for decades along the Ivory coast, because that's the way they taught the population about aids, about how to take care of themselves, about medicine, about water. It was storytelling that taught them. They didn't do it in the conventional way as a lesson. Oh, this is the problem. You got to do this. No one would listen. They told it as a story, and then people learned how to take care of themselves through the narrative, through what the characters did in the story. This is the power of storytelling. Because. Because we all love stories, and we love being entertained. That's why we. We go to the movies, and that's, you know, we. We watch films, and we like being entertained. And, um, something happens in your brain that you go into a certain trance, and you start visualizing everything that is painted in the. In the picture. Especially with oral storytelling and not visual storytelling, you start painting your own picture in your brain. And then you start. You start creating the image of the character. And if the story's well told, you start seeing yourself as that character going through circumstances. And then. And then when the character goes through a conflict and then goes through a resolution, you feel like, wow, yes, well, you did it. And so if you. After telling a story, you give a particular teaching point related to what the character went through, then the listener is like, gosh, that makes sense, because that's exactly how the character did it. So when you're listening to this, to the story, you're learning twice, because you learn through the character. You put yourself in the shoes of the character, and you already learned the lesson. So 1. So that when the lesson comes and the teaching point comes, you're like, yep, that makes absolute sense. I believe you. I trust you. Because why would we trust anyone teaching us anything? Remember, school teacher teaches us something. It enters one ear and it leaves the other ear, and we don't get. We don't get it. Like, I didn't get it. I didn't get the point. Because she wasn't telling a story to validate that teaching point. And when we're selling, we're teaching.

Speaker A: True. True. Yeah. And, um, absolutely. I can, uh, Totally relate to that. Before, when you were talking about the scenes, I immediately had a scene in my mind for my story that. Oh my God. I never thought about this scene. I need to create a story out of it.

Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly. So, um, so how to create this scene? There's a framework that I have that is the simplest framework ever. And I want to gift that to your audience. So the framework for a scene and for a story is. Number one. Write it down. Setting. Time and place. Number two. Action. What happened? Number two. More action. What did she say? What did he say? What did you say? Verbatim words. Dialogue. Number three. Interruption. Boom. Something that happened that interrupted this train of action. That's it. Setting. Action. Action. Interruption. That is the ultimate framework of a short story.

Speaker A: And the interruption is then already the. The end. That how it ended? How it that we said we need.

Speaker B: Great question, Florian. Sometimes a powerful story can be just one scene. And sometimes you need two scenes, maximum three scenes. In the story that I told you about myself raising my hand and locking eyes with a teacher, that was one scene that happened in that particular time and space. Time. I'm 10 years old. Okay. Time doesn't need to be 9 o' clock and it's 1980. Whatever. No, time can be age. So that you position. As a, as a listener, you position yourself in a. In a, uh, relevant moment. If, if it is 9, 11, then that date is relevant. Yeah. But if it is an age because you want them to feel, oh, how vulnerable you are as a little child, or you want your audience to feel, um, that they connect with themselves as a child, then you will say the age. Very important. I'm 10 years old, sitting on a fourth grade classroom place. So you will position yourself in your own fourth grade classroom and your brain will be filled with images of when you were a child. How was your classroom? And I mentioned I'm sitting on a pale yellow desk. Or maybe your desk was like. That is. That's very common in many schools. So you're filling your brain with the setting next to the wall. Oh, you, uh, start visualizing that the teacher is in front of me. That's the setting. Next is the action. I raise my hand to ask a question. More action. She looks at me and says, how huh, Come you don't get it? Dialogue. Action. No intellectualization, no explanation. Nothing within what is called the paradigm of thought. And then. Oh, I lower my hand and I look around. Everyone's looking at me. More action. It's within the same scene. And then comes the interruption. I look at her and I say, one day I'll show you there's another way to teach. Boom. That is the interruption. That is one story. And I can end it there because you will start thinking, ah, ah, yes, that's education for you is so bad, we need another way. You see, that's, that's a story. Then I took you into another parallel scene. These are some devices in storytelling. A parallel scene of me 20 years later in the same at the scene. The place where I'm taking you is similar so that I don't distract your imagination and you can go back into this place that you've already, already built in your brain. The wall, the pillow, the pale yellow desk. You visualized already a classroom. Oh, okay. I can take myself visually there. It's easy and the actions are quite similar. But then I'm giving you a twist in the narrative and also I'm taking you through an action. 10 year old kid speaking, the whole classroom captivated. He's telling a story. Boom. Uh, that's the punchline, that's the interruption. Story ended.

Speaker A: Yeah, great, great, great, great. Um, great tips on how to create a story. Thank you. Now I have, I have one more question.

Speaker B: Yes.

Speaker A: You were talking, uh, in the beginning, uh, about your client who created his powerful own story to connect with, uh, possible clients.

Speaker B: Yes.

Speaker A: Do you have any advice on how to create your story, your personal story? O.

Speaker B: Well, what it, what is important to understand when we're looking for, uh, stories to sell is that there's a variety of stories. There's not just one story. There's something called the origin story that comes at the moment when people want to know you more as a character, as a person, in order to connect with you and build that trust. And then there's other stories that have to do with your listeners, with their success. So for me, that's the story of Dominique. When you first started asking me the questions, I didn't tell you my personal story right at the beginning. I told you his story because that is more relevant to you and your audience. So for anyone listening wanting to find the right story to, to convert and to sell, you need to think of where are you at, in what stage of the connection with your audience. You're at, at the beginning when you're warming up with people, people, we all are in the, in the state of what's in it for me? Why is this relevant for me? So you will have to pick a story that has to do with where the client, a client story, uh, a testimonial story or someone that overcame what your listener wants to overcome through the methods that you teach. If you don't have any success stories, you can pick any story in history that portrays that so that people feel, oh, that's what you do. That's what you can do for me in the brain, that's what they're thinking. And then as you start building more rapport, then comes the moment for your own personal story, which I have not told you completely. My own personal story in this podcast, because I've got deeper stories, but they will not be relevant for this moment. I told you one of my origin stories about when I was a child and I couldn't speak. And then I discover, whoa. Storytelling is a powerful way to help people come out of their shells, speak and connect with people because people want to listen. And you feel confident. This is one of my origin stories. I have many other origin stories that I will tell depending on. On the circumstance, depending on my audience. If, if my audience today were women, I would be telling a completely different story that is a more recent one and more relevant to them. But I didn't tell this story because we, we still need to build. We still need to warm up. I'm feeling the interview right now. I'm feeling who Florian is and who the audience is. And, and so there's a, there's, there's a level of comfort that I feel and rapport. But still, I'm cognizant of how Florian is as an interviewer, uh, where he comes from, where he is in the world. And so there's certain boundaries that people put in that part of the world. And, and so you, you need to be cognizant of that. We don't want to break boundaries too quickly because then you will put people off. So, number one, have a couple of stories in your pocket that you feel comfortable telling, so that then when you are in a circumstance that calls for telling a story, you know which one to pick. What I help my clients create is a story bank, and we call it the hero story bank. Like you money and business hero Florian, this is the hero story bank because it tells your. Your hero's journey. Yeah. And the, the power of this, of creating a story bank, is that we categorize them through topics and punchlines and we practice them. We put them in what I call story cards, so that then you have a story bank which is more valuable than your credit cards, and you can pull them out at any moment when you need them at any relevant moment. So those are the Things that I would suggest you doing a story bank.

Speaker A: If somebody would like to, uh, get your help in creating their story bank.

Speaker B: Yes.

Speaker A: Become an amazing storytellers. Where should they go? What should they do?

Speaker B: First thing you should do is go to my website, Natalia nothing dot com. I have everything there that is Natalia ending with a, not E like Natalie, but ending with a nutting N U double T I N g dot com. And second, connect with me on Facebook. That's where I am, um, all the time. Of all the social media platforms, the platform I hang out in is Facebook. Natalia Nutting Storyteller. That's where you'll find me. And if you were listening to Florian's podcast, please shoot me a message, a private message saying, natalia, I heard you on, um, Florian's podcast, and I'm going to send you a gift, which is my storytelling framework.

Speaker A: Awesome. Thank you. We love gifts, don't we?

Speaker B: We love gifts.

Speaker A: I do. Okay, great. Uh, thank you. So, um, about your programs and everything they learn there.

Speaker B: Yes. Um, my signature program is called Captivate.

Speaker A: Sounds good.

Speaker B: Sounds good, right? And I didn't, uh, choose the name. My clients chose it. And my audience, they said, oh, my gosh, you captivate me with these stories. How can I be more captivating? And so that's exactly what you achieve inside Captivate. Captivate is a process where I help you extract your most powerful stories that define you as a person, your values, your lessons, and defines you as a personal brand so that you are forever memorable inside Captivate. With these stories, we craft speeches, your keynote speech, your presentations to sell on a masterclass, on a webinar. Uh, and so these stories are the foundation for you to captivate, and I teach you the principles of how to utilize these stories and to create a speech that is to inspire, a speech that is to teach or a speech that is to sell, depending on where you're going to tell this speech, whether you're telling a TEDX speech that is to inspire and you're not presenting an offer. Yeah, we need to know the differences. That's what I teach you inside Captivate, whether it is a, uh, webinar where you are presenting an offer. So how to tell the right stories when you introduce yourself in the middle of the webinar and as you transition into presenting your offer so that it lands and people want it.

Speaker A: Sounds great. Thank you so much. Now, there's two questions I'm asking all of my guests in the end, and I, um, didn't warn you about them, but you're getting them Anyway, so, number one, Natalia, how important is money for you? Wow.

Speaker B: How important is money for me? With, uh, money, I can, I can help my business grow so that I can help more people have a voice and make more impact with their stories. I can, I can hire people to make my business a machine and, and so that I'm not a prisoner to my business and I can take a step back, relax, have, um, enjoy my hobbies, and be in my zone of genius. With money, I get to help all the charity projects that I'm absolutely involved in to support children, to have a voice through storytelling and to support, um, my nephews, which are my closest children, to have, uh, uh, the most extraordinary education so that they can make an impact in the world. And I can, I can fly around the world to give retreats and, and do the things that I love is money, uh, is, uh, is an incredible tool, an incredible current. So I see money as a currency, as a current that comes and goes. And I love money as a tool. I don't need it. I don't need money. I love it because I can. I can. I get to do all these things.

Speaker A: Great. Beautiful answer. Thank you. And number two, uh, is, what is your best wealth building tip?

Speaker B: Oh, storytelling. Is storytelling. It saved my life. Not only my wealth. Everything started with storytelling. And, uh, here's this. This is another story. When I lost everything four years ago, 2019, I lost everything. All of my life savings, my house, my family. And I had to move country. And I came to England with nothing. Just my computer, my mobile phone, the book of my faith, and two sets of clothes. And I had to land at my brother's sofa. I didn't have a house. And then the pandemic hit. Couldn't work, couldn't do anything. That's when, um, my brother said, why don't you teach storytelling online? And I was so scared because I never taught online. But the first thing I did was to start telling stories. Just stories on Facebook, groups on my Facebook. And people came to me and they asked me, I want to learn from you. Whatever you teach, I want to learn from you. And that's how my business started, through stories. And that's how any business can start, through stories. And so my tip for making wealth is definitely storytelling.

Speaker A: Beautiful. Great. Thank you so much. Thanks for coming, Natalia. It's been very interesting. Uh, is there anything you'd like to add before we close this off for today?

Speaker B: Yeah, just go for it. Uh, even if you feel that your stories suck at the beginning, we're all rubbish at the beginning, but go for it because this is a skill. It takes practice. Practice and repetition. Do it wrong. Get feedback. Tell stories to your kids, your partner. Uh, see when they roll their eyes and they get bored. See when they lean in and take notes of that practice. You got this.

Speaker A: Awesome. Great. Thanks for coming and thank you for listening. See you soon at our next episode. Bye bye.

Speaker B: Bye bye.

Speaker A: Thank you so much for listening to the Money and Business Hero podcast. I hope you enjoyed this episode and you got some value from it. Please take a moment to leave a rating or even better, a review that helps awesome people like you to find the show and me to produce more and even better episodes. And don't forget to subscribe if you want to get regular free tips, tools, techniques on how to build wealth and financial freedom or simply how to improve your financial life in all three pillars of financial success. Join my free Money hero Facebook group facebook.com groups moneyhero find the link in the description or find out more on the website moneyheroacademy.com See you there.

Speaker B: Sam.