How to create a Story Bank for your personal brand

Are you not telling stories consistantly? Its not because you do not have stories, its because you have not documented your stories and turned them into a story bank. We all have great stories.

The Complete Storytelling System for Coaches & Consultants:

How to Build Your Story Bank and Transform Your Marketing Forever

Why most coaches fail at storytelling (and the proven system that fixes it)

Here's the brutal truth: 97% of coaches and consultants have incredible stories locked inside their heads, but they're sitting on a goldmine they don't know how to mine.

That is why we created the Story Bank with evyAI. A framework that helps you document your stories quickly.

Most coaches are just not telling stories!

They think storytelling means crafting elaborate tales worthy of Hollywood. They believe they need dramatic origin stories or earth-shattering failures to be worth telling. They're wrong on both counts.

The real secret? Your most powerful marketing stories are hiding in your everyday moments, client conversations, and seemingly mundane experiences. You just need the right system to extract them.

People need to relate to you!

Join our community to get access to the framework www.skool.com/evyai

After analyzing thousands of successful coaches and consultants, I've discovered that the ones who build 7-figure practices all share one thing: they have a systematic approach to capturing, cataloging, and deploying their stories.

Today, I'm giving you that exact system.

BTW every photo tells a story.. In this photo I was hanging with my friend Maybell who is a CEO of several companies in Mexico and she went on a networking cruise with me in NYC because I am a member of EANYC. At first she didnt think she was going to make it because she had an EO forum meeting in Baltimore and the boat was leaving from chelsea peirs… but guess what.. SHE FIGURED OUT how to get to the boat on time.. Shows her level of resiliance. She ended up having such a great time and meeting a few YPO members that want to hire her company to do a retreat! It pays off to have grit.. Do you see the way I told a story in a simple way from just a photo!?

The Story Economics: Why Stories Sell When Features Don't

Before we dive into the mechanics, let's establish why stories aren't just "nice to have" content—they're your most powerful business asset.

Stories create trust faster than credentials. When you tell a story about failing and learning, prospects think: "This person gets it. They've been where I am." When you list your MBA and certifications, they think: "This person sounds expensive."

Stories stick when facts don't. Six months after your sales call, prospects won't remember your methodology or your pricing structure. They'll remember the story about how you helped the CEO who was working 80-hour weeks finally get home for dinner with his kids.

People feel less judged when you tell them a story, thats why they stick…

Stories differentiate when everyone else sounds the same. Your competitors can copy your frameworks, undercut your prices, and steal your messaging. They can't steal your stories—because they didn't live them.

AI cannot replace YOUR STORY! That is what people love.

The Story Bank System: Your Content Arsenal

Think of your Story Bank as a CRM for your experiences. Just like you wouldn't run a business without tracking your prospects, you can't build a thought leadership brand without systematically capturing your stories.

Join our community to get access to the framework www.skool.com/evyai

The Story Bank Architecture

Here's the exact format that top coaches use to organize their story assets:

Core Story Categories:

• Origin Stories - How you started, why you do what you do

• Failure Stories - Times you messed up and what you learned

• Turning Point Stories - Moments everything changed

• Client Success Stories - Transformations you've facilitated

• Values Stories - Times you made hard choices based on principles

• Victory Stories - Big wins and breakthrough moments

• Behind-the-Scenes Stories - The real, unfiltered truth

• Insight Stories - Industry observations and pattern recognition

• Growth Stories - Personal evolution beyond business

• Vision Stories - Where you're headed and why it matters

I wanted to learn how to use Make.com to automate AI last year but I had no idea where to start. That is till I joined Skool and got to know Jack Roberts, he built one of the best communities on skool and I learned so much from him. What a great dude, when he came to New York we met up with a bunch of community members and now I am teaching his community how to use LinkedIn to get new clients with evyAI.com think about the power of building real relationships in person. (Did you notice the story? Powerful!)

The Story Bank Template

For each story, capture these elements:

1. Story Handle - A memorable nickname ("The $100K Mistake," "Coffee Shop Breakthrough")

2. Category - Which type of story this is

3. Context - When/where it happened (brief setup)

4. Characters - Who was involved

5. Conflict - The tension, challenge, or problem

6. Climax - The turning point or "aha" moment

7. Resolution - How it ended, what changed

8. Lesson - The takeaway your audience can apply

9. Marketing Angles - Sales, leadership, mindset, etc.

10. Emotional Tone - Funny, vulnerable, inspiring, cautionary

11. Usage Status - Raw, polished, posted, reused

12. Links - Where you've used this story before

Example Story Bank Entry

Handle: The Zoom Call From Hell Category: Failure Story Date: March 2023 Context: Leading a strategy session with a new client Characters: Me + skeptical C-suite team Conflict: Technology failed, presentation crashed, looked unprofessional Climax: CEO said, "Maybe we should reschedule when you're more prepared" Resolution: Pivoted to whiteboard session, delivered breakthrough insight Lesson: Sometimes your worst moment becomes your best opportunity Angles: Resilience, adaptability, client service Tone: Vulnerable + triumphant Status: Used in LinkedIn post, could adapt for speaking

The Story Mining Framework: Your Self-Interview System

Most coaches sit down to create content and their mind goes blank. "I don't have any good stories," they think. Wrong. They have dozens of stories—they just need the right questions to extract them.

BTW you can copy and paste this into AI and tell it to TALK TO YOU and ask you these questions… Its so helpful.

Here's your story mining interview process:

Foundation Questions (Origin & Purpose)

• What inspired you to become a coach/consultant?

• What problem in the world are you obsessed with solving?

• What was your very first client experience like?

• When did you realize you had something valuable to offer?

Struggle & Breakthrough Questions

• What's the hardest challenge you've faced in your business?

• Describe a time you almost quit but didn't

• What mistake taught you the most valuable lesson?

• When did everything click for you?

• What belief did you have to overcome to succeed?

Client & Market Questions

• Tell me about a client transformation you're most proud of

• What's a common misconception in your industry?

• What result have you delivered that surprised even you?

• When has a client taught you something unexpected?

• What pattern do you see that others miss?

Values & Leadership Questions

• When did you make a tough decision that showed your character?

• What do you stand for that your competitors don't?

• Tell me about a time you had to deliver bad news

• When have you chosen principles over profit?

• What boundary do you refuse to cross?

Personal & Relatable Questions

• What personal experience shaped how you work with clients?

• What do you do outside work that influences your coaching?

• What's something funny or awkward that happened recently?

• How has being a parent/spouse/friend changed your business approach?

• What personal struggle made you better at helping others?

Vision & Future Questions

• What impact do you want to make in 10 years?

• What would your clients say about you at your retirement party?

• What does success look like beyond money?

• What change do you want to see in your industry?

• What's your bigger mission?

The 5-M Daily Story Capture Method

The problem with annual story mining sessions is that you forget the details. The best stories come from systematic daily capture. Use this 5-M framework:

Moment - What stood out today?

Mistake - What did I (or someone else) mess up?

Milestone - What did I achieve (big or small)?

Mindset Shift - When did I think differently about something?

Message - What lesson could I share with others?

Spend 5 minutes each evening asking these questions. Capture raw notes in your Story Bank. Over time, you'll build a massive content library.

Story Triggers: Recognizing Content Gold

Not every experience becomes a story, but certain types of moments almost always contain story material:

Emotional Triggers

• Times you felt proud, embarrassed, surprised, or frustrated

• Moments that made you laugh or cry

• Experiences that made you question everything

Learning Triggers

• First times (first client, first speaking gig, first major failure)

• Last times (final corporate job, last time you worked with that type of client)

• Times you were wrong about something important

Relationship Triggers

• Conflicts that led to insights

• Conversations that changed your perspective

• Moments when someone surprised you

Business Triggers

• Unexpected wins or losses

• Times when your standard approach didn't work

• Moments when you had to improvise

The Story-to-Content Multiplication System

Here's where most coaches get stuck: they think one story equals one piece of content. Wrong. One good story can generate 20+ pieces of content when you understand the angles.

The Story Spinning Framework

Take any story and spin it through these lenses:

Business Angles:

• Sales lesson

• Leadership insight

• Marketing principle

• Client service example

• Team management lesson

Personal Development Angles:

• Mindset shift

• Confidence building

• Overcoming fear

• Growth mindset

• Resilience example

Industry Angles:

• Market trend observation

• Industry misconception

• Best practice illustration

• Innovation example

• Thought leadership position

Audience Angles:

• New entrepreneurs

• Seasoned business owners

• Corporate executives

• Small business owners

• Specific industry professionals

Example: One Story, Multiple Angles

Base Story: Missed a major speaking opportunity because I was overprepared and sounded robotic.

Sales Angle: "Why Over-Preparing for Presentations Kills Your Close Rate" Leadership Angle: "The Authenticity Trap: When Perfectionism Undermines Influence" Mindset Angle: "How I Learned to Trust Myself More Than My Scripts" Industry Angle: "Why the Speaking Industry Gets Preparation Backwards" Entrepreneur Angle: "The Perfectionism That Nearly Killed My Speaking Career"

Same story, five different pieces of content, each valuable to different audiences.

The Signature Stories Strategy

While you'll collect hundreds of micro-stories, you need 5-10 signature stories that become your brand anchors. These are the stories you tell again and again because they perfectly encapsulate who you are and what you stand for.

Your Essential 5 Signature Stories

1. Origin Story - Why you do what you do 2. Defining Failure - Your rock bottom and recovery 3. Turning Point - When everything changed 4. Signature Success - Your best client transformation 5. Values Moment - When you chose principles over profit

These five stories should cover:

• Your credibility (you've been there)

• Your relatability (you're human)

• Your capability (you get results)

• Your character (you have values)

• Your vision (you're going somewhere meaningful)

The Story Deployment Strategy

Having great stories isn't enough—you need to know when and how to use them strategically.

Content Calendar Integration

Monday Motivation - Vision or growth stories Wednesday Wisdom - Lesson-heavy failure or insight stories Friday Reflection - Personal or behind-the-scenes stories

Sales Process Integration

Discovery Calls - Use relatable struggle stories to build rapport Proposal Presentations - Lead with client success stories Objection Handling - Share stories of others who had similar concerns Closing - Tell your origin story to reinforce your mission

Speaking & Workshop Integration

Opening - Hook with a relatable personal story Teaching Points - Illustrate each concept with a specific story Closing - End with your vision story and call to action

Advanced Story Techniques

The Nested Story Method

Instead of telling one long story, nest smaller stories within larger frameworks:

"Today I want to talk about resilience. Last month, I had three different conversations that reminded me why this matters..."

Then tell three micro-stories that all support the same point.

The Pattern Story Approach

Collect stories that show the same pattern across different contexts:

"I've noticed something interesting. Whether I'm working with Fortune 500 CEOs or small business owners, they all make the same mistake..."

Then share 2-3 brief examples that prove the pattern.

The Before/During/After Structure

For transformation stories, use this three-act structure:

Before: What was the situation/mindset/struggle? During: What was the process/journey/turning point? After: What changed/was learned/is now possible?

Story Quality Control: What Makes Stories Stick

Not all stories are created equal. Great stories share these characteristics:

Specificity Over Generality

• Bad: "I once had a difficult client"

• Good: "Sarah, the CEO of a 200-person tech company, called me at 11 PM on a Tuesday..."

Vulnerability Over Invincibility

• Bad: "I always knew exactly what to do"

• Good: "I had no idea what I was doing, but I knew I had to try something"

Lessons Over Events

• Bad: Telling what happened without explaining why it matters

• Good: Connecting every story to a principle your audience can apply

Dialogue Over Description

• Bad: "He was upset about the situation"

• Good: "He looked me in the eye and said, 'This isn't what you promised'"

The 30-Day Story Building Challenge

Ready to build your story arsenal? Here's your action plan:

Week 1: Foundation Building

• Set up your Story Bank (Google Sheets, Notion, or your CRM)

• Complete the Story Mining Self-Interview (1 hour session)

• Identify your 5 signature stories

• Write detailed versions of 2 signature stories

Week 2: Daily Capture

• Implement the 5-M daily story capture method

• Add 5 new micro-stories to your bank

• Practice telling one story verbally each day

• Identify 3 different angles for your best story

Week 3: Content Creation

• Turn 3 stories into LinkedIn posts

• Create 1 newsletter using the nested story method

• Record yourself telling your origin story (video)

• Practice weaving stories into sales conversations

Week 4: Optimization

• Track which stories get the best engagement

• Refine your signature stories based on feedback

• Create story-based email sequences

• Plan your next month's content around story themes

Your Story Multiplication Worksheet

For each story in your bank, ask:

1. What's the core lesson? ________________

2. Who needs to hear this? ________________

3. What business problem does this address? ________________

4. How can I make this more specific? ________________

5. What dialogue or details bring this alive? ________________

6. What's the emotional hook? ________________

7. How does this connect to my services? ________________

The ROI of Stories: What to Expect

When you implement this storytelling system consistently, here's what changes:

Immediate (30 days):

• Content creation becomes faster and easier

• Engagement on social posts increases

• Sales conversations feel more natural

• You stop running out of things to talk about

Short-term (90 days):

• Prospects remember you after initial conversations

• Referrals increase as people retell your stories

• Speaking opportunities emerge

• Your personal brand strengthens

Long-term (1 year):

• You become known for specific stories and lessons

• Premium pricing becomes easier to justify

• Media and podcast invitations arrive

• Your influence extends beyond your direct network

Your Next Steps

Storytelling isn't a nice-to-have marketing tactic—it's the foundation of authentic influence. Every coach and consultant who builds a lasting practice does it by helping people see themselves in new stories.

Your stories are already there, waiting to be discovered. You just need the system to find them, organize them, and deploy them strategically.

Start with the Story Mining Self-Interview this week. Spend one hour capturing your foundational stories. Then implement the daily 5-M capture method.

Six months from now, you'll have a story arsenal that makes content creation effortless and client attraction inevitable.

Your stories are your competitive advantage. The only question is: will you invest the time to find them?

The coaches who do will build practices that feel effortless and attract ideal clients magnetically.

The ones who don't will keep struggling to stand out in an increasingly crowded market.

Your choice. Your stories. Your success.

Sign up to evyAI and attend our classes to learn more www.evyai.com