What's your story?
That question is intimidating, right? Especially when you are meeting someone for the first time and want to make a good impression. How does one even go about telling "their story"? Where do you start? Is it when you were a toddler first discovering yourself? Do you go into all the heartbreak and obstacles you’ve faced through life to get where you are today? If you’re like me, these questions arise when someone approaches you and says, “So tell me about yourself. What's your story?”
Not only is this question intimidating in a personal setting, but it goes hand in hand with businesses, especially businesses that are just starting out. It was not until I became a Brand Manager at 5+8 that I realized the importance and power of branding. A business is vague without a brand and hollow without a story. In reality, a person is vague without a brand. I know what you're thinking, that’s absurd! How can someone have a brand; a brand is a concept that shapes a person's perspective, not something that defines a human being. However, a brand is a story behind the purpose of something or in this case, someone.
When we sign new clients, there is never a time that we aren’t trying to get to know the PERSON behind the company. To understand the company's purpose, you must get to know the person who brought it together. What was their reasoning behind starting their own business, what does this business mean to them? There are so many questions to be answered to tell the perfect story for the audience that you are trying to reach. Fortunately, business owners have agencies like 5+8, who bring their story to life to connect with their audience in a way they never would have done on their own. Sort of, like how 5+8 has done with me…even though I’m not a business.
If you had asked me a year ago what my story was, I would have been blindsided and lost in answering that question. I had no idea what my story was. The only thing I knew was that I was a single mom stuck in a career I didn’t enjoy. With no other purpose other than to go through life with the cards I had been dealt. I needed change. I just didn’t know where to start or how to find out what my true story was, until I found 5+8! I know, I know, this all sounds corny, but it’s true. The people at 5+8 helped me rediscover myself; they challenged me and saw things that I didn’t see in myself. They’ve shown me what it was like to be a part of a team that appreciates you, which made me appreciate myself. They made me believe in myself again and helped write a new narrative to my story.
When someone asks me today what "my story" is today, I tell them something like, “well I'm deeply passionate about what I do in all aspects of life, and I aspire to be the best version of myself every day. I do my best to bring value to those around me, whether it be people I know or strangers. I’m the friend you want by your side, as I will always be sure to make you laugh or push my good music taste on you. I’m the colleague you need, as I will support and help you in times of need. I’m the person who doesn’t let the overwhelming challenges of life warp me into someone I don’t want to be. Simply put, I’m Rhiannon and yes, I was named after the Fleetwood Mac song!”
If you’re struggling to find what "your story" is; as a person or a business owner starting out. I hope you find your 5+8 that will help change the narrative of your story and really bring out the pieces of you or your business that shine.
