Being an entrepreneur can be scary, even if you have the common traits of many successful entrepreneurs. The internet is filled with heroic stories of how this person or that company broke records, disrupted industries, and made millions. What’s often harder to find are the stories of the struggles, the hardships, and the adversities that a majority — if not all — entrepreneurs face.
Josh Fechter, co-founder of BAMF Media, recently sat down with Ease’s co-founder and CEO Nathan Harris to talk about the power of sharing the other side of the story. “I just wanted to be heard,” Fechter shared, in talking about why he started writing about his own entrepreneurial experiences online. The virality of his content surprised him, until he realized that there is significant power to being vulnerable and willing to share your own, unique story.
Own your story
It can feel uncomfortable to be vulnerable about what’s happening in your business — whether it’s about you, your team, investors, hardships, or successes. People are afraid to talk about what’s happening in their lives, especially if it seems rather inconsequential compared to all of the other stories out there.
But what’s happening behind the scenes, Fechter explained, is fascinating and unique. No two startups are built the same, and giving others a peek into the inner workings of a new company can illuminate aspects about your work that you didn’t even know were unique or interesting.
The hero’s journey doesn’t necessarily start off as a riveting, happy tale. Own your story — own your business’ story — and find comfort in that this story is nothing but your own.
Share your story
Once you’ve captured your story, define it. Refine it. Simplify it. Your story becomes a branding mechanism for yourself and your business. Write about it, and share other related stories about your business, your employees, your co-founders, and your supporters.
But don’t limit your content to only stories. Use your new audience as an opportunity to showcase your business expertise. Fechter used his stories to draw in an audience, while also writing and sharing his technical expertise on the same site. This way, he was able to build integrity with his audience.
Once you have a solid foundation of written content, Fechter recommends to move into other mediums, such as videos. Always make sure, however, that this other content leads back to the posts, since they are the main ingredient to the recipe.
Hear more about Fechter’s experiences and storytelling tactics on Ease’s YouTube channel.
