Why stories? Why now?
I've been asking that question for a long time. Here's where I've landed.
Stories aren't decoration
They are the fundamental way we communicate. Imagine a prehistoric man explaining the danger of cave bears and the absence of Cousin Danny (probably wasn’t his real name). “Danny threw a spear,” he said, “that enraged the bear, who ended Danny." Stories tell of images and actions that are instantly relatable and memorable to the listeners.
Every story has the same skeleton
Somebody wants something. Something gets in the way. They either get it or they don't — and either way, they're changed. That's it. Thousands of years of storytelling, and that's the whole structure. What changes is everything else: the characters, the stakes, the world, the voice. But the skeleton stays the same. Once you see it, you can't unsee it.
The best stories are honest
Not necessarily true — fiction can be deeply honest. But honest in the sense that they don't flinch. They don't skip the uncomfortable part or wrap everything up too neatly. The stories that stay with people are the ones that say something real, even when real is messy. Especially when it's messy.
Business stories are just stories
People act like business storytelling is a different animal — more polished, more strategic, more careful. And sure, context matters. But the fundamentals are identical. Someone had a problem. A person or a group of people tried to solve it. People made something happen. If your company story doesn't have those elements, it's not a story. It's a press release.
You already know how to do this
Every person alive tells stories every day. You tell them to your friends, your family, your coworkers. You know instinctively when a story is working and when it isn't. The craft of storytelling isn't about learning something foreign — it's about paying attention to what you already do, and doing it more deliberately.
Want to see these ideas in action?
Read my stories →