Blog Post

 The Solopreneur Life | Passive Income | Home Business

5 Pixar Storytelling Secrets That Will Help You Tell the Story of Your Business

  • By Larry Keltto
  • 07 Mar, 2014

What’s the story of your business? As solopreneurs, it’s difficult to step back and tell our stories because we’re so close to the everyday workings of our enterprises.

So I’m enlisting the help of Emma Coats, a story artist at Pixar who has written a list of 20 story basics — guidelines you can use to create great stories.

From her list, I picked five that can be adapted to help tell the story of your business.

1. Tell Your Creation Story. This is playful and fun and gets you to begin thinking like a storyteller: Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___.

2. Tell the Story of Your Customers. What’s most interesting to you, the business owner, isn’t always what’s most interesting to the people in your market. Place yourself in the shoes of your prospective clients. What are their stories, and how do you help them?

3. Tell the Untold Story. Discount the first thing that comes to mind about your business. And the second, third, fourth, fifth. Get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself.

4. Tell the Suspense Story. What are the stakes? Give customers a reason to root for your business. What happens if it doesn’t succeed? Stack the odds against you to heighten the drama.

5. Tell the Ending. Proclaim to the world what your business will become and what it will do!

You now have five story elements to play with. String the elements together for the long version of your business. Pick out two elements and combine them. Choose one element that best tells the short story.

Have fun with that, and let me know how it works for you.

new_icons

Free Newsletter 
"Get the Latest Solopreneur Tips and Advice"


Sign Up Now!

By Gregory Rouse 04 Apr, 2019
Learning how to create passive income with no money is not easy... It's taken me years and a lot of trial and error to figure it out. But first, I should probably define passive income...
By Gregory Rouse 03 Apr, 2019
10 super successful niche marketing examples that you can model after.
By Gregory Rouse 02 Apr, 2019
Learn all about niche marketing along with taking a look at different niche marketing examples...
By Gregory Rouse 01 Apr, 2019
This is The Solopreneur Life’s “Featured Solopreneur,” the purpose of which is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Rob Place. If you would like to be the “Featured Solopreneur,” please send me an e-mail. Name of solopreneur: Rob Place Name of […]
By Gregory Rouse 01 Apr, 2019
This is The Solopreneur Life’s “Featured Soloist,” the purpose of which is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. Today we meet Monique Y. Wells. If you would like to be the “Featured Soloist,” please send me an e-mail. Name of solopreneur: Monique Y. Wells Name […]
By Gregory Rouse 01 Apr, 2019
This is The Solopreneur Life’s “Featured Solopreneur,” the purpose of which is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Burton Kelso. If you would like to be the “Featured Solopreneur,” please send me an e-mail. Name of solopreneur: Burton Kelso Name of […]
By Gregory Rouse 01 Apr, 2019
This is The Solopreneur Life’s “Featured Solopreneur,” the purpose of which is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. Today we meet Nea Joy Justice. If you would like to be the “Featured Solopreneur,” please send me an e-mail. Name of solopreneur: Nea Joy Justice Name […]
By Gregory Rouse 01 Apr, 2019
This is The Solopreneur Life’s “Featured Solopreneur,” the purpose of which is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. This week we meet Shauna Washington. If you would like to be the “Featured Solopreneur,” please send me an e-mail. Name of solopreneur: Shauna Washington – The […]
By Gregory Rouse 01 Apr, 2019
This is The Solopreneur Life’s “Featured Solopreneur,” the purpose of which is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. Today we meet Derek Peterson. If you would like to be the “Featured Solopreneur,” please send me an e-mail. Name of solopreneur: Derek Peterson, International Child/Youth Advocate […]
By Gregory Rouse 01 Apr, 2019
This is The Solopreneur Life’s “Featured Solopreneur,” the purpose of which is to give all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. Today we meet Kent J. McDonald. If you would like to be the “Featured Solopreneur,” please send me an e-mail. Name of solopreneur: Kent J. McDonald Name […]
More Posts
Share by: