Something has shifted.
Everywhere I turn, someone is asking the same thing. Last week, a scale-up raising $20M USD came to me after getting investor feedback that was painfully simple: “The story is missing.”
The week before, a corporate team: “Can you help us tell our story in a captivating way?”
And in my inbox right now - requests from people who want to get on stage.
They have the expertise. They have the ambition. They have the message. But something is not landing.
The story is missing.
And I do not think that is a coincidence.
We’re Drowning in Perfect - and Starving for Real
AI has made everything sound polished. Decks are cleaner. Descriptions are crisper. Messaging is technically flawless.
And yet - something is missing.
When everything sounds the same, when every pitch has been optimised, when every word has been processed through a model trained to be perfect... we stop feeling anything.
We are overwhelmed with information. We are starving for connection.
The irony? The one thing AI cannot replicate is you.
Your experience.
Your specific, messy, human story.
That is exactly what investors, customers, and audiences are now desperately searching for.
Because they want to feel something.
They want to trust what they hear.
They want something that sounds human.
That is why storytelling matters more than ever. Not because you need to become theatrical. But because stories help people care. They create clarity. They create connection. And they make your message easier to remember.
The Real Power of Story in Business
Most people lead with numbers. And they wonder why it doesn’t land.
The answer is simple: you skipped the human part.
Personal stories carry a weight that data never will. They give your audience something to hold onto — a face, a moment, a feeling. Once they feel it, the numbers confirm what they already believe.
There are three ways storytelling does this especially well.
1. Story Builds Credibility
A lot of people establish credibility by listing their title, background, or experience. And yes, sometimes that helps. But often it feels distant. Formal. Forgettable.
A short, relevant story can do much more. Instead of only saying:
“23% of employees report they are working in silos.”
You could say:
“I was speaking to a team recently about how they felt after a reorganisation. There was a long pause. Then one person finally said, ‘Honestly, I feel quite isolated.’ And that is exactly what our internal data later confirmed - 23% of employees felt the same way.”
Now the point becomes real. You are not just delivering information. You are showing your connection to it. That creates trust.
2. Story Creates Proof
Data matters. Facts matter. Evidence matters. But numbers on their own do not always create belief.
Stories help people see what the numbers actually mean. They turn abstract information into something tangible.
If you are introducing a product, a process, a solution, or a new direction - do not only show the chart.
Show what it looked like in real life.
Tell me about one customer. One founder. One moment.
Make it concrete first.
Then zoom out and connect it to the bigger pattern.
A story can be proof of the problem.
A story can be proof of the solution.
A story can be proof that the change you are talking about actually matters.
3. Story Creates Emotional Connection
This is the part many people avoid because they think emotion makes things less professional.
I think the opposite is true.
If nobody feels anything, very little sticks. Consider this:
A Head of Safety at a large European organisation couldn’t get factory workers to consistently wear their protective goggles. Every campaign. Every stat. Still not full uptake.
At their annual conference, he told the story of Oliver - a colleague and old friend, blinded by a chemical reaction because he wasn’t wearing his goggles. He ended by saying the most painful part was knowing Oliver would never see his daughter grow up.
Uptake changed. Not because of a new policy. Because people finally felt why it mattered.
You don't need to be dramatic.
You don't need to overshare.
You need to show that this matters.
Too many presentations are technically correct and emotionally flat. They explain everything. And move no one.
People do not remember the most polished message.
They remember the one that made them see something. Or feel something. Or finally understand something.
So What Makes a Story Captivating?
Not length. Not drama. Not fancy language.
What makes a story captivating is that it feels real. It is specific. It is relevant. And it supports the bigger point you are trying to make.
If you want to tell better stories, start here:
• Make it personal. Use a real situation, observation, or conversation people can relate to.
• Make it relevant. Do not tell a story just to tell a story. Make sure it strengthens the point.
• Make it specific. Specific details make a story believable. General language makes it blur.
• Connect it to the bigger picture. A good story is a bridge to a larger insight.
• Let people feel that you care. You do not need to perform emotion. But people need to feel the message means something to you.
Final Thought
Right now, more people than ever are asking: what’s the story?
In a time when so much communication is becoming smoother, faster, and more polished - story is what brings back trust. It brings back humanity. It brings back connection.
The story only you can tell is the one they’ll remember long after they’ve forgotten your slides.
P.S. If you’re raising, preparing for a keynote, or working on a pitch that needs a story spine - this is exactly what I help build. A story that is unmistakably yours, that makes your audience feel before they understand. Reply to this email and let’s talk.
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Whenever you're ready - here is how I can help you.
1. Deep-dive Digital Courses - Self-paced courses teaching you the essential tools and skills you need to create and deliver a fantastic pitch so you can go from “I do not know what to say” to “when can I pitch next?
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