The Story Behind the Business and Why Story Became Strategy

Hi and welcome to Stories Build Businesses, the show that proves your story isn't just something to tell, it's a strategy that builds a business that's uncopyable, unforgettable, and unmistakably you. I'm your host Megan Wright, Story-Led Strategy Coach, and today I want to talk about how I got here, why I started a business, and why story sits at the center of everything that I do. I work with so many incredible business owners with lived experience, stories, and past careers that have given a multitude of skills, a unique perspective, and a unique way of working that no one else in their industry has. And they know that they're different, but they're finding it hard to communicate that. And I see this happening all the time. People see what you do, but they don't fully understand it. They don't fully see why you do it that way and why it matters. It's not that you're not good enough, it's not that you're not experienced enough, It's that the thing that explains your difference isn't being used, and that's your story. Not just as something that you share, but as the thing that actually helps people to get you, what you do, and your real point of difference. Like a lot of people who have got depth to their work and different facets to what they do, I had quite a meandering path into business. I'm not somebody who studied business at university. I'm not someone who knew from a young age that this is what I wanted to do. Instead, I wanted to be either an author or a teacher, and so my childhood was spent writing stories and forcing my sister and younger cousins to play schools, where yes, I did make them sit tests, and I did grade them quite harshly, if memory serves. And those two passions really stayed with me, so when it came time to go to university, I did a double honours: English Literature and Education. And then I followed that up with teacher training. And what I noticed when I got into teaching was that stories were always the best way to explain things. Rather than just bombarding people with facts, if you could tell a story, paint a picture, Concepts that felt complicated suddenly became simpler, and it really shaped how I communicate ideas. I often joke now that analogies are part of my love language because I use them so much, and that very much started when I was teaching. But over time, the education system started to feel quite claustrophobic to me, and I realised that in a lot of ways, I cared more about the people than what they were learning. So I ended up moving into the charity sector, first within alternative education and then retraining as a CBT practitioner, because I'd always been fascinated by the human brain, how people learn, how they engage with things, how they make changes. And again, across that time in the charity sector, I kept seeing stories show up in rooms with clients. It was hearing their stories seeing how those experiences had shaped the way that they thought, the way they felt, and the way that they made decisions as they moved through the world. And I saw more and more how crucial those lived experiences are, that they really do give us a unique perspective, and that when you share stories, when they're listened to, validated, and understood, it builds connection. Across over 10 years in the charity sector, I had the opportunity to be involved in so many different areas. Service design, fundraising, marketing campaigns. I wrote articles that reached hundreds of thousands of people. I delivered to multi-billion-pound companies as part of strategic partnerships. I did media interviews with the BBC and Sky. And the common thread across all of that was story. It was how we communicated the value and the impact of the work. It was how we shaped services so they actually met people's needs. It was how we made sure that our messages landed. Ultimately, it made what we were doing make sense. And I think that's the bit that often gets missed, because storytelling isn't just about sharing, it's about helping people understand. So you're probably thinking, well, if I love that work so much, why am I now running a business? And you'd be right to question that, because I did love it. But life threw me a massive curveball, and while I was navigating a really traumatic period, the environment I was in, although I loved the work, became quite toxic. So I did something that, as a risk-averse person, I never thought I would do. I listened to the little voice in my head that had always said, you know, one day, if you want to be as creative as you can be, if you want to challenge yourself in the ways that you know you can, you're probably going to have to work for yourself. I'd ignored that little voice for so many years because the leap into entrepreneurship seemed too big and too scary. But at that point in my life, when I was already navigating so much change and upheaval, it didn't seem as scary to take one more leap. And so I left and I started this business, and it was exhilarating and terrifying overwhelming, but ultimately a complete breath of fresh air. But the one thing I couldn't understand was the way the stories were being approached in the online space. All I saw was them being shared in a performative way, a vulnerable way, a templated way, and they were only ever really being seen as content rather than strategic assets. Not as something that could shape every touchpoint, every piece of communication, your offers, your frameworks. And that didn't sit right with me because I'd seen again and again throughout my career that story is what helps people understand a message well enough that they can make the decision to say yes. So something that I was already really passionate about, I somehow became even more passionate about because I could see the potential in this thing that I loved that other people weren't fully seeing. Which is why I talk so much about what stories can actually do, how they can be used to build your business. Because when you don't use them, you end up trying to explain your business without the very thing that explains it, and that's why it feels so hard. So I'll leave you with this: what is it about the way that you work that people aren't quite seeing yet? And what would it mean to your business if your messaging and your positioning were rooted in your story, and people actually got what you do. If you're listening and thinking, I know there's more to what I do than I'm currently able to put into words, Uncopyable is where we explore the stories, the experiences, and the perspectives that shape how you work and turn them into the messaging and positioning that helps people actually see your difference and understand your value. So that your right-fit clients feel able to make the decision to work with you. Because your story isn't just something you tell, it's a thing that helps people understand why they should choose you. If this episode has resonated, I'd love you to share it with someone who you think would find it helpful. And come and tell me over on Instagram @storiesbuildbusinesses. See you next time, bye!