Every great brand, every lasting legacy, begins with a story.

People who capture attention and keep it are the ones who understand human behavior. They know how to tell stories that feel personal and real. 

We are currently being told that success is all about technology and data. If that were true, everyone would have a best-selling podcast or a viral brand. Technology and data are a gift that can help amplify a voice, but it can’t give it depth.

Everyone wants to turn an audience into a community but very few are able to succeed. 

For over 15 years, I led teams that helped shape what millions of Americans read, watched, wore, and ate. We learned that when you tell the story behind a brand or a product, with honesty and emotion, people listen. 

We shared books in ways that allowed readers to see their own lives reflected in the story. 

We brought destinations to life so vividly that our audience could imagine themselves traveling there.

We shared products with a sense of meaning and relevance that made you want to have the product and support the brand. 

Our goal was to build trust. We genuinely cared about our audience becoming part of our community. We spent years studying what moved people, reading their comments in real time, watching where they leaned in and listening to when they tuned out. 

That’s how we learned that storytelling is the most enduring and effective form of communication in the world. 

Today everyone has access to the same tools that were once only available at the major networks…cameras, microphones, and instant global reach, but very few know how to use them to create authentic influence. 

Despite what you are hearing, it’s not technology or the platform that builds trust. People do. It all comes down to the storyteller. The most effective ones know how to create connections and build trust. They make people feel seen. People will always lean into a story that feels real. 

When I work with leaders and entrepreneurs, we begin there. Before platforms, before strategy, revenue, or content plans…what is the story that defines who they are and what they stand for? Once that story is clear, everything else aligns naturally. 

Technology will keep advancing but I believe that human connection, the desire to belong and feel inspired, will never change. 

That’s why every great brand, every lasting legacy, begins with a story.