Episode 30: What stories to share when your business is growing

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. Sarah Blakely was getting ready for a party and she wanted a smooth look under her white trousers – she didn't want the lines of her underwear showing through! So she put on some control top tights and cut the feet off She knew she wouldn't be the only woman with the same problem, so she decided to see if she could come up with a better solution. And her business Spanx was born! But as with any business it wasn't an easy ride – she had no industry experience, no design background, no connections and only $5k in savings but that didn't stop her

01:48 She drove round with samples in the boot of her car and pitched manufacturer after manufacturer until she finally got a yes. She learned how to write a patent, and handled everything from inventory to shipping from her apartment in Atlanta Her breakthrough came when she managed to secure a spot on QVC and persisted until she got her products into high-end retailers, often by personally selling them in store herself. In those early days her story was about persistence and belief backing herself when no one else did but gradually something shifted

02:32 Spanx started to grow. The product was working, people were buying it, Oprah featured it and Sarah realised she didn't just have a product anymore – she had a company! And as Spanx grew her stories expanded She no longer just talked about tights – she talked about creating a team and culture About what it takes to build something meaningful About how women often underestimate themselves. The importance of resilience and normalising failure She often shared the story of her dad asking her at the dinner table, what did you fail at this week? Her story became bigger than shapewear – it became about empowerment! She moved from scrappy founder to leader…and a very successful one at that

03:26 Sarah Blakely was named the youngest self-made female billionaire by Forbes in 2012 and included in the Times 100 list in the same year. And as she evolved, and her business evolved so did her stories! Here's the thing with your stories… they evolve with you – they don't stand still – they change as you and your business changes As you get more confident, more visible and builds more authority your stories will expand deepen take on new layers and reflect your growth. In episode 28 I talked about the stories to share when your business is new or you've pivoted or changed your niche or your idol client or your offer and you feel like you're starting again

04:23 And even if your business isn't new, I recommend listening to that one because I talk about the foundational stories that sit at the heart of what your business is about. Why you started it? Why it matters and who its for? But in this episode, I want to talk to you about the stories to share as your business grows and there'll be lots of overlaps, of course with the stories I suggested sharing in Episode 28 Because the stories you share at the start don't become irrelevant, you can still tell them. But when your business is new the energy is this what I'm building and this why it's important to me whereas once you're more established and growing your business, the energy becomes more about building momentum and experience and leadership

05:17 So, let's look at the stories you can share. When your business is up and running... You're working with clients Maybe you've created some courses and programs? You're building an email list And a following! You are getting momentum…and you are getting known The best place to start is from a place of reflection about all that What has that journey of growth looked like for you I don't know your unique story, but I know that it won't have been easy or straightforward or without its challenges along the way. So you'll have tons of stories about the milestones lessons and insights along the way What things did you try as you tested the market? Got real-time feedback about your offers? Worked on your messaging? Was there a moment when you thought this is working this is making a difference

06:12 What can you share about getting your first client or selling your first course? How did that feel and as you leaned into what was working, what have you learned about launching or building a waiting list or making offers and what did you learn from the stuff that didn't work. How has the way you work with clients or the process you take people through evolved and what if anything would you do differently? What advice would you share with someone else growing a business I did a whole episode recently on how my business has grown over the last few years, from working with clients one-to-one to creating a process to writing a book to launching my first program to having the business i have today. Documenting that journey can help people see what that's looked like for others – the decisions they had to make and steps they had to take

07:07 Those stories of the milestones along the way can build authority and belief that you have something that works, that you're putting the work into building something of value. And that you're invested – you are learning and developing every step of the way because this is important to you! You don't just want to turn up one day and announce your growth…you wanna share all the stories of growth along the way What changed? What did you do differently as you and your business evolved? Beliefs shifted. What did you do more of, what did you stop doing? Whenever I share stories about my business journey, I always get feedback from people about how helpful they found it – how it helped them feel more confident about the path they're following and that growth takes time! I've also had people come work with me because I've shared those stories

08:05 Those stories show people that I get it. That I'm in it, walking the walk and sharing my learnings as I go. That I understand where they're at and how they are feeling. The more I share the more people feel connected to me And the more they see that I can help them get to where THEY want to go So share it all. The growing pains, the moments of clarity…the starts and stops...the pivots, the shifts, the progress….and what its really like to grow a business like yours! And then as your business grows and you're working with more clients, you'll start to gather stories about what you help your clients do – before & after stories

08:53 The turning points and breakthroughs. The stories of transformation. The client wins! I'm sure as you're working with clients, you'll be getting testimonials from them – and they are great to share, but sharing the stories of what that journey looked like for your clients can be really powerful When I talked about the stories to share when your business is new, I talked about sharing stories from the climb rather than the summit. As they are the stories people really relate and connect with. Now as your business grows you can share stories from your client's climb – The challenge they were facing What was holding them back? What had they faced and confronted and overcome Where were they at emotionally

09:43 What the resistance was that came up for them. What steps they had to take to move past the obstacle and closer to the outcome they wanted. How they had to do differently, what mindset shifts they had to make and what changed? How their story evolved as they worked with you? What differences they started to notice? What became possible? What were they able to do that couldn't before? And how did it make them feel? Some of you will have clients that are more than happy for you to share their story with others. But, of course some of you will have clients that don't want you to share anything confidential or that might identify them and of course you need to be really sensitive and respectful of that but there's a balance to be found between respecting client confidentiality and sharing the impact of your work

10:38 A client story doesn't have to include specifics. It can still be powerful when you pan out and share the bird's eye view rather than the details You can have simple references to the struggle, feelings, turning point, shift or belief change, new possibility or win You might talk about how a client came to you feeling completely stuck and questioning whether they could trust their own decisions anymore. No details, but enough about the challenge for others to relate to it! You can also put stories together to talk about patterns that come up a lot – themes that you see, questions you get asked all the time… The same obstacles that come up time and again... Emotions that always surface

11:31 What you see needs to happen before a breakthrough. What you've noticed happens when people face the thing they've been avoiding Those kind of insights help others feel less alone and see what you could help them do without giving any sensitive information away You don't have to share the whole story, you might just share a moment from their story The moment when a client said I've never said that out loud before Or when someone realised they hadn't failed, they were just exhausted from doing something that wasn't working. When a client made the decision to stop apologising. When something shifted for someone and they saw the work they were here to do Those moments are universal and can feel so relatable to the right people Also you can share those stories from your perspective what you've learned from working with people at that stage

12:32 What you've come to understand about that struggle. What it's like guiding someone through those kinds of shifts? What change YOU get to see happen, first-hand? Those are the stories that will really help position you as the guide in your customer story – the person who is learning and leading and lighting the path! As your business grows sharing client stories isn't just about proof anymore It's about demonstrating depth and understanding and wisdom. It is about moving from, I've helped someone to, I deeply understand this because that level of understanding only comes with growth

13:21 You could also share the stories of building your team. As you grow, you might take on a VA or a community manager or graphic designer or tech support or someone to help with operations – or a coach! Each one of those hires is a story that you could be sharing about why you decided to get help what scared you about taking on new team members what changed when you did Those stories show you're growing as a person, as a business and as a storyteller. And of course you can share their stories! Who are the people who help you serve your clients? Show up consistently and build something meaningful. Businesses are made up of humans – and humans have stories. Another thing that happens as you grow is that you start saying no

14:18 You have to start focusing on the things that are important and that will help you grow the business you want. Maybe, you've stopped working with clients one-to-one or decided that's all you want to offer? Maybe, you've changed your availability and put tighter boundaries in place? Maybe, you've simplified your offers or your business or increased your prices These are the stories that build authority because they show you're no longer just taking whatever comes, but shaping your business growth intentionally. Or maybe you're pivoting not necessarily to something brand new but what you see is working or what is needed

15:03 When I realised that the thing I could help people with, the thing that business owners really needed help with was how to share stories that would connect and bring them more of their dream clients. I transitioned from The Business of Mums to The Business of Stories and shared that story lots! I let everyone know what I was doing – why? I talked about why it was so important, what I could see was needed and why I was the perfect person to support people with this. Changing your focus doesn't mean you're distracted or lacking direction or not committed – it means that you are learning as you go, seeing what is needed, following your instincts rather than continuing to do the same thing just because its what you've done before

15:52 Your story might be about what you thought you were building versus what you realised you were building. Or, what working with clients made you realise? What feedback from clients helped you see? Why have you changed your messaging or why have you narrowed your niche – or why have you repositioned your offer? These stories show maturity and evolution. They show that you're growing not just as a business but also as a leader When you think about the leaders you follow, the people who share thought leadership content about what they see happening in the industry right now or what mistakes and misconceptions they're seeing. Or what they believe the future looks like? They're sharing content that positions them as experienced, knowledgeable, reflective, insightful builds trust and loyal followers I also love stories that humanise growth

16:56 If you've followed me for a while, you'll know that these are the stories I share A LOT. The messy launch that sent me into therapy… The investment that felt terrifying but paid off... The things that didn't go to plan… The times when there was no plan but somehow it worked…. The lessons that felt good and the lessons that were hard.... The times I fell out of my depth or exhausted or overwhelmed The challenges I overcame. What I had to let go of, what I had to change, who I had to become… Those stories show people that no matter where you are on your journey growth brings new challenges! The learning never stops – you never have it all figured out but you find your way through You learn from doing and trying You step up when you need to You get more comfortable with feeling uncomfortable And you shine your light as you go

17:53 Share the journey of growth, personal and professional so that others can see what's possible for them. Believe that they can do it too and feel more connected to you! So as always before I go let me give you a quick action step that you can go away and do here is your action step for today share a What-I've-Learned Along The Way story What I know now that i didn't know when I started Or what belief has shifted. Or what you've leaned into or stopped doing, or what your clients have taught you? It doesn't matter how long you've been in business – y'all have learnt loads already! So pick one of those and share the story behind it to show that you're not just busy but growing in every way. That's your action step for today… Share a What I've Learned Along The Way Story

18:53 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 The