How to Tell the Story That Changes Everything
There is something magical about the moment someone realises their story has power. Not the big dramatic story. Not the one about the award or the business win. I mean the real story. The inconvenient story. The embarrassing story. The I-probably-should-not-tell-anyone-this story.
That is always the one that changes people.
Most professionals think storytelling is a performance.
A trick.
A marketing tactic.
A tool you dust off when you have a conference coming up and need a “relatable moment.”
But real storytelling is something else entirely.
It is not about being clever.
It is about being human.
Let me tell you something you already know.
Facts do not move people.
They inform them.
Sometimes they impress them.
But they do not move them.
Stories move people because stories bypass the logic gate and go straight to the emotional centre.
A good story says:
Here is what I saw.
Here is what I felt.
Here is what I learned.
And here is why it matters.
A great story says all of that without trying too hard.
Most people choose the wrong moment to tell a story.
They start with a message.
They try to reverse engineer authenticity.
It never works.
Start with a moment.
A single moment that reveals something true.
The morning you froze in front of a room.
The time you forgot your own job title at a networking event.
The night you ate an entire block of chocolate instead of preparing that presentation.
These are the moments that show you are real.
These are the moments people lean into.
Because they recognise themselves.
Real leaders do not use stories to make themselves look impressive.
They use stories to make it safe for others to be honest.
One of the biggest mistakes I see is people delivering stories that contradict the subtext.
They say they are confident while their voice shakes.
They say they value connection while reading their notes word for word.
They say they want authenticity but refuse to show a single crack.
The story is the text.
You are the subtext.
What you believe, what you fear, what you carry.
People read both.
Always.
To tell a powerful story, choose the moment that mattered to you.
Not the most dramatic moment. The real moment.
Ask: what shifted in me?
Then share that shift.
That is the story.
Stories are not decorations.
They are maps.
They show people how you got from where you were to where you are.
And they give others permission to start walking too.
The truth is simple.
Your story is a bridge.
Tell it well, and someone finds their way across.
In your corner,
Monique
