The childhood superpower that could reshape your professional future

Hey friend,

What if I told you that your most valuable professional asset isn't something you need to learn; it's something you've been doing since childhood?

Last weekend, I flew to LA for a Sephora Squad event and I connected with over 60 fellow content creators chosen from more than 15,000 applicants! 🤯 We all came from totally different worlds — doctors, lawyers, engineers, and even journalists like me — each selected not just for our love of beauty but for unique skills that helped us stand out.

During a masterclass, Besidone, Global Innovation Creator Lead at Instagram, highlighted people who excel by leaning into their natural talents. I nearly fell out of my chair when my face appeared on the big screen as her example of someone leveraging storytelling! 😮

When she asked about my greatest strength, I didn't miss a beat: storytelling has always been my foundation. Those 12 years working in the news taught me to find the heart of a story, center the audience, be assertive but warm, and stay authentic.  This skill set has been my secret weapon in connecting with all of you.

Their most memorable campaigns tell stories of perseverance and triumph. It's why we remember "Just Do It" decades later while technical specs fade from memory.

Storytelling has been part of humanity since our ancestors painted tales on cave walls 30,000 years ago. Far from becoming obsolete in our digital age, narrative skills are emerging as the essential capability of the future.

The Science of the Story

Our attraction to stories isn't just cultural; it's hardwired into our brains! 🧠 

Research shows that stories trigger oxytocin (the "trust hormone"), which creates an emotional bond with our audience. This explains why a good story moves people when boring stats rarely do.

Stanford researchers found that we remember information in story form up to 22 times better than isolated facts, while cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner discovered stories are 2,000% more memorable than raw data. Crazy, right?

Why? Because stories light up our whole brain! While data only activates language processing areas, a good narrative engages multiple brain regions, triggering dopamine during emotional moments.

Basically, our brains LOVE a good story. ✨

Crafting Your Story

You might be thinking: "Jeannette, how the heck do I tell a good story?!"

Great storytelling isn't magic — it's a method. Here are the essential elements:

1.  📖A Clear Structure: Every compelling story has a beginning (introduce the challenge), a middle (show the journey), and an end (reveal the resolution).

2. ✍🏾Concrete Details: Specific details create mental images. Instead of "It was difficult," try, "I was at my kitchen table at 2 AM, surrounded by empty coffee cups, wondering if I'd made a terrible mistake."

3. 🗣Emotional Truth: The most powerful stories tap into universal experiences. Rather than "Customer satisfaction improved," say, "Parents told us they no longer felt guilty about limited time with their children—they could now be fully present."

4. 📌A Clear "Why": Great stories are driven by purpose. Instead of "We launched an initiative," say, "We couldn't bear seeing another family struggle with challenges we'd overcome."

5. ✨Authenticity: The most resonant stories come from genuine experience. Share real moments of failure, insight, and breakthrough.

Your Competitive Edge

In a landscape of increasing automation and AI, storytelling remains uniquely human. As skills become commoditized, your ability to craft a narrative separates you from both machines and competitors.

The most successful people I've met aren't just experts; they're storytellers who transform expertise into influence. They understand that brilliant ideas remain trapped without the vehicle of the story to carry them into the world.

Your professional future may depend not on what you know but on how compellingly you can share it. So perhaps the most important question isn't "What's your skill set?" but rather "What's your story?"

Put your storytelling skills to work:

1. Think of a recent work win or challenge

2. Write 3-5 sentences with a beginning (challenge), middle (approach), and end (result)

3. Include one vivid detail that creates a mental image

Share your mini-story! Email to [email protected] with "My Story" in the subject line and your Instagram handle. I'll feature my favorites in my stories!

Let's see your narrative magic in action!

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Until Next Time, 

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