GET STARTED EXERCISE 1

Tips to help you take people on a journey

Look forward

Create as much excitement about the future as about what’s already happened.

Start with passion

Look back to the moment when you took the leap. Reconnect to what inspired you and what’s been driving you ever since.

Find your hero

You don’t have to take centre stage to create a compelling journey, but you will have to make a choice early on about who or what the hero is.

Big picture

Framing your story in the context of bigger change in the world can help people relate to your mission.

What next?

Imagine your story is a six-part drama.

What is the cliff-hanger moment at the end of episode one?

Think twice before using the following sentences...

More people will find affinity with a passionate story than a business case.

We’re excited by passionate makers, who’ve taken a great leap. If you’re bringing something from abroad, think adventure and challenges rather than a good tourist story.

To build a more original narrative and get people intrigued about what happens next, you may want to think about a different start point than most other brands.

People will only follow your story if they care about you and the journey you are on. You can find your own ways to make people care. But there are also some “founder plots” that always seem to strike a chord:

- We care about the underdogs, who beat the big guys.

- We care about the good guys, doing things simply out of passion.

- We care about irrational people, taking on challenges bigger than themselves.

- We care about misfits and eccentrics, who turn into heroes.

- We care about people doing things together, and how one plus one can become three.