Episode 17: How to turn your message into a movement

00:54 You're listening to The Business of Stories with Susan Paton, showing you how to share stories that do the selling in your business so you don't have too. Before I dive into today's story at the start of this episode, I want to let you know that it does include a brief reference to suicidal thoughts If that feels difficult for you to hear right now, please feel free to skip ahead five minutes to the end of that story. In 2003 after years of feeling lost and unfulfilled James Boardman joined the Royal Marines and found something he'd been looking for all his life a purpose that excited him A place where he belonged! A challenge that helped him discover his true potential

01:48 He became a Royal Marine Commando, a physical training instructor and then a corporal. But he had a wife and baby daughter at home and having to say goodbye to them every time he went away not knowing if he'd ever see them again was one of the hardest things he'd ever done! He even wrote letters to them And when he and his wife had their second daughter, he hated that he was missing so much of both his girls growing up. The long absences took their toll

02:41 And years of missed school performances and sports days were creating a massive hole that even the dream job in the military couldn't fill. So when an opportunity came up to teach outdoor education at a local authority establishment, he took it and said goodbye to an eight-year military career It wasn't an easy decision But it was one that was about to have a huge impact on his life. Within weeks he realised he hated life as a civilian, really hated it! He had no idea who he was outside of the Royal Marines and he quickly spiralled into a mess. He was anxious aggressive and started drinking

03:34 Because he felt helpless and ashamed that he wasn't being the father or husband, he'd left the military to be. By the end of 2012, he was divorced an empty shell and too embarrassed to ask for help leaving the Marines had broken him in a way he never expected He was broke alone trapped in a life he hated and ready to give up One night he sat on the edge of his bed wanting it all to be over. He considered taking his life, but instead in that moment he made another life-changing decision. He put on his trainers and went for a run even though it was the middle of the night! He ran and ran for three and a half hours... And by the time he got back home he'd made another decision To become the man his children needed

04:37 Not the man he had been, not the man he'd lost but the man who knew he was inside. Those decisions that night saved his life in so many ways! He started to rebuild... ...He stopped drinking... ...He stopped beating himself up... ...He got help and slowly he got his life back together and started showing up the way he wanted to Today, he has two best-selling books – a podcast and a successful business that has helped hundreds of men to show up the way they want to in their business and at home. James' story is so powerful! It's his why… it's his driver… it's his mission... And I feel emotional every time he talks about it because this isn't just about selling a program or coaching

05:37 It's about showing men that building a successful business does not have to mean sacrificing home life or personal relationships. In fact, James believes that you can only be truly successful if you are showing up for yourself and your family first! He is changing the narrative around hustle and burnout and toxic masculinity and the high-performance at any cost culture and showing men how to lead themselves so they can be the father, husband son partner co-worker colleague boss or entrepreneur they want to be. He shows men how to be successful in every aspect of their lives James isn't just running a business he's building a movement If your business was a movement what would that movement be?

06:38 That question is in my book and I love asking it because it always gets people thinking about what they do, in a new and different way. Your movement is not your offer It's not your services It's not the work you do It's much bigger than all of those things! It's bigger than YOU! It's bigger than your business! It's a rally cry It's about the impact you want to make, the difference you want to see in the world. It is a vision for what should exist and when shared in the right way it's a story people will want to be part of If people connect with movement they are connecting with purpose or cause behind it They're connecting with values and beliefs behind it They're connecting with emotion and energy behind it

07:34 And they'll want to be a part of it because it's something bigger than they could ever achieve on their own. Think about some of the movements in history... Animal rights, women's rights, free love Black Lives Matter Anti-bullying Body positivity None of those started with a business plan They started with a belief and they spread through stories None of them are about selling things. They're about believing something deeply and inspiring others to believe it too, and they all generated an energy that picked up momentum and inspired people to create the world they want to see So what if you're building more than a business? What if without even realizing it You're actually building a movement Something bigger than a program or offer or brand

08:32 Something people feel compelled to join because it aligns with the world they want to live in. Vicky Pratley was a practicing solicitor who burnt out! She set up a boutique employment law firm within a top 20 accountancy practice, but the long hours and mental strain took their toll. She loved her work but the environment, culture and expectations made it hard for her to keep healthy boundaries and over time she became ill. She described it as a thousand cuts, a combination of years of stress that affected her sleep, her cognitive ability and her mental health. Vicky took three months off but when she came back to work she realised she could have more of a positive impact in the profession she loved by creating a well-being program for law firms

09:33 So they can protect their people and performance in a way that is healthy and sustainable. Vicky knows that exhausted lawyers don't bring their best selves to work, so she's creating a movement to help bring about the change she wants to see. Every business has the seeds of a movement – and those seeds are in your stories! Think about the steps of my framework I shared in episode 2 Your personal stories. Your beliefs, your truth, your convictions... Your business stories! Your purpose, your values, your mission, your why? Your customer stories – what they want to see The change you're helping create for them Somewhere in there is the movement you're quietly creating Even if you've never named it

10:33 So here's a few prompts to get you thinking about your business as a movement. Movements often start from a place of friction, something you want to change, something you're rebelling against, something you can no longer ignore. For me it's bro marketing – marketing that feels manipulative That pushy, high-pressure style of selling. Playing on people's fears and making them feel not enough so they buy. I've always hated it – it never sat right with me and didn't want anything to do with it so looked for another way. Something that felt good and aligned

11:18 And when I realised that I could get all the clients I wanted and build the business I dreamed of using storytelling, which is the opposite of bro marketing right? Because it's not about being pushy at all. It's about having people come to you saying, I really want to work with you! That's how I wanted to build my business one story at a time and that's what i wanted to help other people do Use storytelling to create real, genuine meaningful human-to-human connection so that clients who are a really good fit show up already sold. So my movement is all about creating a world of human first storytellers where business is done by people who feel connected to each other

12:14 Maybe your movement is about wanting to help other people avoid what you went through. That's very much what James' is about! He doesn't want to see other men suffer the way he did, to the point where their marriage ends or their kids don't want to see them So it's all about helping men before they get to that point Help them prioritize what matters Help them build success from home first Help them be the man they know they can be Because he knows only too well what it feels like to lose yourself and what it takes to rebuild yourself again. Same with Vicky, she doesn't want to see the industry she once was excited to be a part of fall apart because legal professionals are burnt out and running on empty that doesn't serve anyone so she works with law firms to help them put things in place So that doesn't have to happen to anyone else

13:18 Another way to identify your movement is to look at the conflict in your own story. What shouldn't have happened? What shouldn't have had to be that way? Maybe you struggled for years to make a living because you're creative and you bought into the narrative that it's hard for creatives to make money But you believe creatives shouldn't have to choose between their artistry and passion, and financial security. And your movement is all about empowering creatives to thrive financially! Here's a simple way to see if your movement is about an injustice or conflict Does it fit into this sentence? It's wrong that... So I'm here too

14:13 For instance, it's wrong that people are pushed to fit themselves into business models that don't fit them. So I'm here to help them create a business aligned with who they truly are! Or maybe your movement is about what you want to see more of in the world? Movements can be fuelled by desire not just frustration Maybe you want to see more women using their voice confidently Sarah Page works with women executives in the music industry and believes they shouldn't have to shrink themselves to succeed. Her movement is all about helping women take up space, own their voice back themselves and lead powerfully A movement starts with a belief that things can be different And a willingness to lead people towards that new possibility

15:13 Your movement could be about the future you're helping people step into. A future with more confidence, more clarity, more ease... a future where people trust themselves again after years of doubting and overthinking or a future where success doesn't cost your well-being! A future where leaders lead with empathy not ego. A future when nobody feels ashamed of their past A future where success looks like freedom, not exhaustion. A future where introverts thrive without having to pretend to be extroverts. A future where experts stop undercharging and start owning their brilliance. A future where being human beats being polished! Or maybe your movement is about something you see happening in your industry that you want to help people navigate?

16:18 Lynne Hilton helps singers become singing teachers and build a business that supports them, and helps them to stay in an industry they love. She saw that talented experienced artists were leaving the industry once their performing career was over because they didn't believe there was place for them in it anymore so she created BASST Lin is helping singers belong, give back and create their next chapter.

17:12 She's changing the narrative in her industry, one singer at a time. Your movement might be your why – the thing you care about so deeply that it shapes the way you show up and it always comes from your story It might be there in the thing you struggled with The thing that made you feel uncomfortable, frustrated, stuck or out of alignment The thing you eventually said no to Movements are always rooted in emotion. They make people feel something. Movements are about energy, they have a ripple effect that reaches way beyond you or your business. Movements are about change – changing how we show up, lead and live And here's what happens when you start thinking about your business as a movement You feel energised and anchored by your purpose

18:18 Your content becomes richer. Your stories become more meaningful, your message goes deeper the right people see you You attract clients who want to be a part of that movement and you become known for more than just what you do...you become known for what you stand for! So here's some questions to help you think about what you stand for and what your movement might be When you think about your own journey What did you need most that you didn't have? Or what do you know now, that you wish you'd known then. What frustrates or breaks your heart? What fires you up? What change do YOU want to see? And if 10 000 people gathered to follow YOUR message... ...what would they be chanting? Movements start with one voice brave enough to speak One person willing to do the work To change the narrative

19:30 And talking of changing the narrative, here's a great question from Caroline. Hi Susan my name is Caroline Tiritt and my question is how can you use story to change a bigger cultural narrative? My business is The Mindset Diet and it's about changing our relationship with food and dieting But, I'm fighting the might of the weight loss industry Big Pharma and the food manufacturing industry and all their stories. How do I use story to shift the narrative from dieting to wellbeing? Thank you Caroline! That's such a good question And goes right to the core of what we've been talking about in this episode Because your not just helping clients lose weight or change their eating habits

20:21 You're helping them change their story about food, about their body. About what healthy even means and when you change people's stories you start shifting a cultural narrative but I can understand your frustration when you're up against an industry full of noise and shame and quick fixes and billion-dollar marketing machines So let's break down the steps you can take to show people there is another way. The first step is always telling your own story, honestly and openly which I'm sure you do! In the message you sent me, you talked about your story of being a yo-yo dieter who was able to stop dieting when you accidentally discovered an alternative way of thinking and escaped that endless go on a diet failure loop

21:20 That is a story that can start to disrupt the old narrative. It's saying what you've been told isn't the whole truth, there is another way! There is a better way... That is how shifts happen and movements begin The next step is talking about the old narrative and letting people see the cracks. The story we've been told is, you need more willpower, you're not trying hard enough, comfort eating is a weakness your body is the enemy People know that kind of narrative is hurting them they feel the shame they feel the exhaustion They feel the obsession with starting again on Monday

22:20 But when you tell stories that start to show the cracks in that old narrative and speak from your lived experience, people start thinking... That's it! That is how I feel. That is what's wrong. She gets me. And when people recognise themselves in your story and see whats possible for them… The ol' narrative starts to lose a tiny bit of its power The next step is to offer a new narrative, a new possibility. And the best way to do that is to share your client's stories. Share how they stopped dieting and started trusting themselves How they didn't have to restrict what they ate when they could easily make better choices? How they're not controlled by scales anymore or how they finally have a joyful healthy relationship with food

23:18 Every time you share those stories, you're painting a picture of a different future. A future where wellbeing matters more than willpower Where food feels normal again Where weight loss doesn't cost emotional health That future... that feeling is the movement And that's what will make people feel something different. Real shift happens when people start to feel differently, when they start to feel relief, hope calm courage possibility and that is why storytelling is your most powerful tool Your story is a living case study for the new narrative you're creating and people trust things they can see

24:11 So whatever the change is you want to see, whatever the story is you want to change. Become the storyteller of a new one! Live it! Share it! Help other people see themselves in it That's how movements happen One Story at A Time So as always before I go let me give you a quick action step that you can go away and do Here's your action step for today Write I believe at the top of a piece of paper. And then just start writing whatever comes to mind What do you believe as it relates to what you do and what you help your clients do? Just let your thoughts flow, see what comes up What are the beliefs that underpin everything you do? I often ask clients that but they've rarely thought about it before

25:16 But your beliefs sit at the heart of why your business exists. Tom's Shoes believe they can improve people's lives through business Lego believes creative play builds better futures for children Nike believes anyone can be an athlete although they obviously haven't seen me run I worked with an estate agent a couple years ago and did this exercise with him And he took what he came up with and created a short video that really set him apart from other estate agents. In it, he talked about how he believes a home is more than just a location layout or price but it's a place for creating special moments and lifelong memories and how he believes your home should enhance everyone's emotional spiritual and physical well-being

26:16 You don't hear many estate agents talking about that. So, that's your action step for today! Do the I Believe exercise and then share it. Share what the beliefs are that sit at the heart of what you do Let people know what you stand for Show people why you do what you do Because then people will feel it And if it resonates they'll follow it Once people start following it It becomes a movement And I'll see you next time for more stories that do the selling for you, so you don't have to. Thank you so much for being here! I love that we get to do this together Would you do me a huge favour and please rate review and follow this podcast in Apple Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts? And i'll see you next time For more honest conversations meaningful connections and of course stories

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