Episode 27: Where does storytelling, connection and authenticity fit in an AI-powered world?

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 to. I saw a post a few weeks ago and i've been thinking about it ever since It was from someone who said they'd booked a call with a coach they were thinking about working with because of the coach's content She said their content really spoke to her It was feisty and talked about empowering women to speak up and show up fully as their badass selves, and that their language really resonated with her. And she was excited about having someone like that in her corner! So she booked a call with the coach to find out more about working with her but seconds into the call... She realised that the woman she was talking to had not written that content

01:55 So she asked her if she'd used AI and the coach said that she had. The problem was, the content she was putting out was not a true reflection of who she was – it wasn't even the language that she naturally used so there was a massive disconnect… And of course it felt inauthentic! The sad thing is, she might be a brilliant coach But when the person who booked a call with her saw straight away that she wasn't the person she'd got excited about working with, there was immediate friction. No one wins in that situation! No one gets to feel good. You want people showing up because they feel drawn to you – they feel like they know you, they feel excited to work with you

02:51 And that you're the same person whether they're reading your content online, watching a video you've recorded, listening to your podcast, chatting to you on a call or working with you. I'm not here to bash or demonise AI – or judge people who use it! But I do want to talk about where storytelling, connection and authenticity fit in a noisy, AI-powered world I've had lots of questions about AI, so I thought it was about time I did an episode on it. And here's one of the questions I got...

03:32 Hi, my name is Susan Beasley and my question is Is story well in particular on social media more important than ever in the crazy world of AI where a chat with your bot sidekick can say pretty much anything you ask of it? Or is it real life true story as we know it dead Thank you for the question, Susan. I have lots of thoughts on this so i'll try to keep it succinct but in a word no! Real life storytelling is not dead and never will be and in fact is more important than ever Stories are one of the most powerful things that connect us as humans always have been and always will be

04:21 Nothing can make us feel deeply connected to someone we've never even spoken to like a well-told story can. Stories take us on an emotional rollercoaster, they help us reflect and make sense of our own experiences. They can make us feel seen and understood – less alone – and create bonds and trust that stays with us long after the story ends And we can't leave something so important, so primal, so powerful to a bot that has never lived. Never experienced any of those things Has no emotions and most importantly of all is not you Especially now that people are feeling more and more disconnected

05:17 When people are craving real, authentic genuine meaningful connections not AI powered ones. And I don't care how many people tell you they can show you how to make your AI tool of choice sound like you it can never be you! It can never feel what you felt it can't stand in your shoes it can't reflect on what you experienced what you learned how you grew Only you can do that. Also, lots of people who follow you and read your stuff Do so because they want to hear your thoughts They value YOUR perspective They like getting to know YOU And as soon as your language starts to change... ...and the unmistakable rhythm and patterns of AI start to penetrate your content They'll feel disappointed Abandoned

06:18 That relationship that you might have spent years building can be broken in seconds and the connection is gone. It happened to me, there was someone whose posts I always read because of her storytelling it was so good and then i read one post that i just knew had been written by AI and i've not read another one of her posts since! The thing is i'm not here to judge people who are using it...i'm really not And I totally get how deflating it can be to take ages creating content that disappears into the ether quicker than you can say algorithm, and that business is hard and exhausting an overwhelming. So the appeal of AI tools that do a lot of the hard stuff for us is huge!

07:08 And I'm all for using AI in lots of different ways to make me and my business more efficient and organized so that i can spend more time supporting my clients, doing the work I love. And that makes a difference! I want you to know that the more you use it, the more likely you will lose your voice. Your voice is unique It's something I help clients find, because once they find it and truly understand it they never struggle to write real authentic stories and content again. In fact, I often get people saying, I can't stop writing now! I've got so much stuff to share…I had no idea I had so much to say

07:55 Your unique voice is made up of your life, your experiences, your emotions, your influences. Your personality, your quirks, your tone... It's everything inside you and it's as totally and utterly unique as a fingerprint! And if you don't believe me, just think about your favourite author. As you read their books, you get to know their voice, their style, their language and way of expressing themselves – even if you don't realise it! You become very familiar with THEIR style of writing and would know if someone else wrote one for them. But its not just about whether other people will know that it's AI or not…

08:41 I've had people tell me that they used AI for a while to write their stuff and even they started to feel disconnected from their own voice. They started to lose sight of what they wanted to say and what they stand for, and they started to miss the thinking and reflecting that they did when they were writing content that they wanted to reach and land with their idle clients And here's the bit i really want to talk about If you use AI to do your storytelling for you, you'll miss the magic that happens when you go through the process of doing it yourself. So many clients say to me that going through the process of exploring their stories and finding meaning and connections within them was incredibly enlightening and empowering – they saw things they'd never seen before!

09:40 They had aha moments and felt more connected to their own journey, their why, their story. Some people get emotional as well as a new level of clarity and understanding I've had clients completely change who their ideal client is because of something that came out of their story. I've had clients change their niche. I've had clients change their offers Because going through your stories is a journey of discovery, of finding your sweet spot and your people and your value. And your golden thread! And your joy! It's so much more than just writing content – it's about tuning in to your own beliefs and values and motivations and drivers and what's important to you… …and it's what will give your stories depth

10:36 And I honestly think if you asked any of my clients who've gone through my storytelling process and seen the change, the mindset shifts and how their clarity and confidence has grown. How they've showed up differently and watched their business grow or pivot and got their first client or doubled their business If you ask them if they'd have preferred to skip that whole experience and just ask AI to write some stories for them, I don't think a single one of them would say yes. I think they would all say that the process they went through was powerful and impactful... ...and that they're better at what they do and more connected to what they do because of it!

11:23 In the same way that a musician writes songs because it's their way of expressing themselves and sharing their stories that they hope will connect and resonate with people. If you asked a songwriter if they wanted to just press a button, and have AI spit out a song for them? They'd say no right?! Or an author who loves writing crime thrillers... They're not going to want to go chatty BT and say write me a book! Because it's the journey of exploring their ideas and bringing them to life, and learning more about them as a writer or musician as they go. And that sense of achievement and connection to the thing that they birthed and put out into the world. You might not be a songwriter or author – or even like writing very much!

12:14 But please don't miss out on that opportunity to find the magic that sits at the heart of your stories and your customer stories, and creates real genuine human connection. So while AI is amazing at a lot of things and is only going to get better I don't want to live in a world where it's bots reading other bot content And bots commenting on other bots posts Bots on bots The whole point of sharing stories is to connect human-to-human, to connect with someone because they feel a good fit. To have clients wanting to work with you because you've been showing them who you are and they like you! They trust you. They buy into you. And that's why I love this way of doing business – this way of marketing – because it's so real and human. It's 100% about connecting & bonding

13:15 So, I'm not anti-AI. At all! It can help you get unstuck when you're staring at a blank page. It can help you brainstorm ideas when your brain feels fried. It can help you organize or summarize your thoughts. It's great for outlining ideas, helping you do research, handling the admin and the jobs that you don't need to do personally – and I am exploring ways to use it inside my program But never to do the foundational work and thinking, and exploring, and reflecting, and understanding who you are what your truly about. And what your here to do! There's something deeply grounding and affirming about getting in touch with where you've been how you've navigated your life

14:06 How you've evolved and grown, what you've learned, what you've experienced to become who you are today. That is not something to leave to AI. AI can support you but please don't let it replace you and your voice because if you leave the job of connecting with other humans to AI You're missing out And you'll struggle To stand out 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 Share a behind-the-scenes story It could be a post about what you're working on today or a screenshot of something you're creating Or a photo of your workspace or a selfie of you recording a video Or a story about how you're paying your daughter to do dinner so you can go live in your group

15:06 Anything that gives people a little glimpse into the real you, behind the scenes doing what you do. So that's your action step for today! Share a behind-the-scenes story 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