Own Your Story: How the Stories We Tell Shape the Businesses We Build

Your story is already worth telling.

Every January, the internet hums with goal-setting and resolution talk. New year, new you! In fact, in last month's blog the amazing Melina Cordero suggested we ditch the goals all together. Before you rush to rewrite your business plan or overhaul your marketing strategy, I want to suggest something a little different.

Start with your story.

Because the most powerful growth often comes not from doing more, but from understanding who you already are and owning the story that got you here.

Your Lived & Learned Experience Is Your Brand Advantage

The best brands, especially independent ones, are built on lived experience. The mistakes, pivots, hard-won lessons, and unexpected turns are what make your business distinct.

Too often, we edit our stories for public consumption. We smooth the rough edges, skip the in-between years, and polish up the version we think people want to hear.

But connection doesn’t come from perfection. It comes from honesty. From saying, “Here’s what I tried. Here’s what worked. Here’s what didn’t.”

Your lived and learned experiences aren’t something to hide. They’re your proof of resilience, creativity, and insight.

The Power of Owning Your Story

When you tell your story with intention, you give your audience more than information. You give them meaning.

• Storytelling builds trust. Customers can tell when you’re being real. Sharing the “why” behind your work makes people root for you. Especially in this age of AI generated content.

  
  

• Storytelling builds clarity. Recounting your journey helps you see the common thread. What drives you, what you stand for, and what you’re ready to leave behind.

  
  

• Storytelling builds connection. Your story becomes the bridge between your experience and your audience’s needs.

  
  

When you own your story, you stop chasing trends and start leading with truth.

A Storytelling Prompt for the New Year

Instead of writing a list of resolutions this month, try this exercise:

1. Write down three defining moments from your business journey. The ones that changed your perspective, tested your limits, or clarified your direction.

2. For each, ask yourself:

   • What did I learn?

   • How has this shaped how I serve my customers today?

3. Look for the thread that connects them. That’s the story your brand should tell this year.

   
   

This isn’t about reliving the past; it’s about reclaiming it. Every challenge and triumph becomes part of your foundation for growth.

Closing: The Story Ahead

As you step into 2026, resist the pressure to reinvent everything. Instead, start by remembering.

Your lived and learned experiences are what make your business credible, relatable, and strong. Your story is already worth telling. You just have to own it.

So before you set your next big goal, ask yourself:  What story do I want my business to tell this year? And if this truly inspired you, send me a note. I’d love to host you on my livestream series “On the Front Burner.” A great place to tell your story!