Did you know that a centerpiece of my “self-knowledge meets self-expression” teachings is 1:1 storytelling work? Don’t call it personal branding: we breathe transformative, leadership-driven narratives to life to support the service-minded work you love. Learn more about Story Shine here.
Chip Rogers was a former CEO of a 2-time Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper based in Massachusetts when he became a Story Shine client. After nearly a decade of partial retirement, Chip was itching to get back into business and to honor his deep passion and vocation for supporting family businesses as institutions of local communities.
When I met Chip, he wasn’t so much interested in founding another family business as he was eager to bring his wealth of experience, business acumen and four-generations’ worth of family business history to consult and coach other family business owners.
But without specific experience as a coach, where could Chip begin to land his first clients?
His story, of course.
With a desired emphasis on helping business owners deal with the complexities of family relationships within a family business, Chip required a story that shared his expertise while creating a bond of trust with prospective clients.
Over just a few weeks, Chip and I engaged in a series of one-on-one interviews to create a rich story inventory of past experience, curating everything from newspaper article write-ups to personal journal entries to tap the depths of his voice, desires and personal goals for his future clients.
Within a month, we had harnessed the whole of Chip’s vast experience as a former head of a major and respected business, and turned his insights and opinions into a sharp narrative for his new website. Then, we carried on to write a series of highly valuable thought-leadership essays that he could begin to share on LinkedIn, his new website, and directly with potential clients.
“My initial reaction to the finished product was, ‘He knocked it out of the park.’ As soon as I started reading the drafts of the bio, I knew that Dave had found my voice.”
By focusing on impactful, even semi-controversial topics related to family business owners, in the months since our work together Chip’s potential clients have been reaching out to him for his professional support.
Wouldn’t you love to say the same?
Become one of my cherished Story Shine clients today.
Maybe you’ve been let down before by hiring a way-too-affordable copywriter who said all the right things, but couldn’t deliver on the actual story you required.
Maybe you’ve been excited to work with someone in the past, who then copy-pasted an initial intake questionnaire into a standard formulaic template — and you thought, “Wait, what did I pay for? Didn’t I just do all the work, anyway?”
Your experience as a Story Shine client couldn’t be more different.
Coupling smart, impactful interviewing sessions with a deeply empathetic approach (and a ton of client experience), you’ll feel entirely seen and supported from the start — and completely honored throughout the Story Shine process.
“Dave has been able to get in my head,” Chip says. “He is a pleasure to work with: kind, patient, and passionate about his craft. The end product of our work was not only a reflection of his talent as a writer, but also his ability to connect with people. The magic of the outcome of Story Shine is the relationship he is willing (and wholeheartedly able) to build with you.”
Are you ready to share more of your whole self in your work in the world?
Click here to take a look at my Written Story Services are right for you. Limited client spaces are available now.
P.S. — Curious to see another Story Shine client profile? Check out how this 20-something post-grad turned her native language into a new career path within weeks of becoming a Story Shine client.