StoryEQ™

Founder

flynnkristina media, inc.

with over 17 years of building story-driven brands and communities for exceptional individuals—from NBA All-Stars to venture capitalists and renowned artists—my approach combines traditional storytelling with the latest in tech and AI. giving you a transformative perspective and uncovering new dimensions in your personal and professional journey.

how can you work with me?

• 1:1 guided personal story discovery 
• story articulation, content strategy and market positioning
• personal story playbooks, knowledge bases, and custom GPTs

accomplishments:

- transformative brand and operational advancements to over 20 award-winning artists, Ivy League PhDs, industry-leading CEOs, Gates Scholar recipients, and multi-million dollar bootstrapped startup Founders.

- built my personal brand to 20,000 followers + subscribers across platforms and a “Top Personal Branding Voice” recognition by LinkedIn in 2 years.

- created "StoryEngine", an AI-powered platform enhancing personal branding and professional growth among influential women and non-binary leaders; 90% approval rating from all BETA participants.

- led the development of a sold-out, first-of-its-kind, 1,000-piece generative art collection on the Ethereum blockchain that generated over $250,000 for award-winning musician, Ed Balloon, in 72 hours.

- engineered Kyle Lowry's pioneering Genesis NFT Collection, marking a significant intersection of technology and sports on blockchain technology.

- enhanced operational efficiencies and cross-functional team communication by over 25% in less than a year and advised and acted as a thought partnership to the CEO for the #1 training program for underrepresented tech founders in the US, Founder Gym.

Personal Brand + Story Strategist

Rug Radio

content focused on all things web3 (culture, community, creators, tech et. al.). platform and format agnostic.

host of weekly podcast, Web3 Queeroes.

Freelance Content Creator

elected, founding, member leading the establishment of the governance framework of pioneering decentralized autonomous organization in the media sector, underpinned by 1000 ETH ($5 million) and a community of over 1,000 co-owners.

Council + Founding Member

Marigold Capital

advisor to one of North America's first and top impact investment funds.

Advisor

jiiWA

- escalated and bootstrapped the startup to over $500,000 in revenue in less than 3 years through strategic development and oversight of all core business units.

- led JIIWA to successful B Corp Certification, acknowledging stakeholder governance policies and company procedures that embody the values of community investment and sustainable business practices.

- facilitated close to 3 years of industry research and customer discovery, collecting over 800,000 data points from over 10,000 end users across multi-year, enterprise clients in North America.

Co-Founder & CEO

GuardLab

- orchestrated the development of operational systems and digital platforms, including a DTC Website, Shopify backend, iOS and Android apps, leading to significantly enhancing efficiency and team and stakeholder engagement.

- established pivotal partnerships with Fortune 500 companies and major sports franchises across the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, UFC, and NCAA.

- acted as a strategic advisor and thought partner to the CEO and Board of Directors on industry trends and consumer behaviours that informed critical business decisions.

Vice President, Operations

The 519

- spearheaded the execution of a groundbreaking $100 million capital project of the world’s first inclusive sport and recreation facility, led by one of Canada’s wealthiest families. 

- acted as the primary liaison and strategic council between a major philanthropic donor and critical project stakeholders, including Federal, Provincial, and Municipal elected officials.

- directed the development, presentation, and administration of the project’s annual $1.5 million budget.

- facilitated a comprehensive community engagement process for over 2,500 residents of Moss Park, leading both the planning and execution phases.

Senior Project Consultant, The Moss Park Project

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment

- promoted 3 times in under 6 years beginning as Intern, and ending as Manager, Community and Player Engagement.

- led a team of 4 in the strategy and execution of all business and personal initiatives and charitable investments for 90+ professional athletes, coaches and executives annually. 

- generated $1.7M through event management, sales and operations for major MLSE Foundation events through innovative sponsorship and donor engagement strategies. 

- launched MLSE’s educational platform, coordinating cross-functional teams to create a comprehensive resource for community health and wellness that served over 100,000 teachers across Canadian school boards.

- spearheaded MLSE’s first-ever Pride Night and Pride March.

Manager, Community & Player Engagement (Toronto Raptors | Toronto FC | MLSE Foundation)

Coordinator, Community and Player Programming (Toronto Raptors)

Coordinator, NBA Programming (NBA 3on3)

Community/Basketball Development Intern

Fasken Martineau DuMoulin

- Acted as liaison between Toronto and Ottawa legal offices in the acquisition of Johnson and Buchan LLP. Included software and systems training of 15 Ottawa personnel. 

- Created and maintained corporate manual on department policies, procedures and guidelines.
	
- Delivered training seminars to legal secretariat assistant groups and conducted departmental orientations for new legal professionals.

- Assisted with special projects by researching new resources and testing new products and software.

- Provided support to the Records Management team as required.

Analyst/Coordinator, Records Management

make your personal story a profitable brand | i help high-potential women understand & share their stories to effortlessly sell themselves & their work | +15 years building brands for NBA All-Stars, founders, VCs | ADHD

aren’t you sick of playing small?

maybe you’re:

• feeling overlooked while you watch others rise
• unsure how to own your story & show up confidently
• ready to finally get paid for what makes you unique

🟦 short 🟦

for 18 years, i built personal brands for NBA All-Stars, Olympians, and VCs. now, i help mid-to-late career founders + pros use StoryEQ™—my AI-driven, neuroscience-backed approach—to discover, articulate, and own their story so they can GET PAID for their expertise.

tired of staying safe? go to my “featured” section to book a discovery call.

🟦 long 🟦

if you’re here, you’re feeling it. the frustration of not fully knowing (or owning) who you are or how to communicate what makes you valuable.

you’re wondering:

• how do i explain what i do in a way that feels like me?
• how am i different and why should people care?
• who the f*ck am i to call myself an expert?

you’ve tried to "figure it out"… journaling, courses, reading. but it never feels complete.

but you’re still stuck:

• holding back
• doubting your worth
• feeling invisible in rooms you belong

the reality is you don’t feel like you because you haven’t fully discovered who you are.

but, here’s what i know from 18 years with top talent:

• you’re not alone in feeling this way
• it can 100% be fixed (in way less time than you think)

if you want to show up with confidence, get paid for your unique expertise, and build a personal brand that "feels like you" AND deeply connects with your audience, it starts with two things:

1) getting clear on your personal story and why it matters
2) learning to share it authentically—in a way that connects with any audience

that’s what i help you do with StoryEQ™. 

this AI + EQ framework makes self-reflection accessible, storytelling strategic (without the trauma-spilling), and your personal brand your greatest professional asset.

ready to enter your no f*cks era? book a discovery call in my FEATURED section.

---

real results from leaders who’ve used StoryEQ™ to step into their No F*cks Era™:

🔸 “i built a multi million dollar company in 18 months, and if i'd had StoryEQ™ early on, my team and i could’ve done it in 9. it is so impactful that we now send all of our consulting clients through the process with Kristina.” — Amanda Northcutt (Founder and CEO @ Level Up Creators)

🔸 “kristina is kindness and warmth personified. she creates a safe space to dig into the nitty-gritty parts of your life and analyze them in a way that gives them deep meaning.” — Erica Schneider (Founder + Creator @ Cut The Fluff + Full Stack Solo)

kristina flynn

walking into a room of 100 accomplished women is my nightmare. last week i not only walked in - i got on stage…


the first thing i asked?


"how many of you looked around today and thought… i must be in the wrong room?"


90% raised their hands.

90% of the top creators. journalists. executives. entrepreneurs. from Spotify, CNN, Forbes, Vanity Fair, iHeartRadio…

90% felt like imposters who got "lucky."


we'd all been telling ourselves the same lie.

that everyone else belonged.
that we were the only ones who didn’t. 

it was wild. 

and a perfect intro to my talk, The Science of Trust in the Creator Economy. 

because the best news is that we can rewire this sh*t. we can engineer self-trust. 

by understanding when we're performing instead of being ourselves.
by proving to ourselves - one terrifying moment at a time - that we can handle it.

micro moments. big shifts. 


standing on that stage, my body screamed RUN. 

(a yell that started over 72 hours earlier)

turns out, I didn't need to be fearless.
those women didn't need me to be fearless. 

they needed me to be real. 

to be terrified and do it anyway. 

because self-trust doesn't come from never feeling fear.

it comes from feeling like you’re gonna puke and still taking the mic. 
feeling like you don't belong and still sharing your story.


rooms of all women have rarely felt safe to me. 

as a mom who didn't birth my kids, i'm often seen more like a "Dad" — never quite fitting the mold.

but by refusing to “perform professionalism” last week at Amy Sterner Nelson’s The Gathering in DC 

I gave others in the room permission to do the same. 

and from the moment i walked off stage, I felt supported, welcomed, seen. 

turns out the wrong room was exactly where we ALL needed to be.

90% of us, learning we weren't alone in feeling alone.


real talk 💬 does walking into a room of all women feel safe to you?


—

hey hey, i'm kristina with a 'k' and i help overthinking high-achievers turn their personal stories into personal brands (that feel like them and make shittons of money).

• follow me here: kristina flynn  
• subscribe to my newsletter (relaunching soon!)

you don’t know why you’re valuable. I fix that | 18 yrs w/ NBA All-Stars, Olympians + VCs | founder, StoryEQ™ — helping overthinking high-achievers see, own, and get paid for what makes you unique | ADHD

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42 years old. moving back in with my parents. and finally okay with it.


labour day weekend. kids are set to go back to school. 

text from our landlords: 
"are you around to chat?"

f*ck.

wifey and i have been renting for over a decade. 
we knew what that meant.

no worries though. they were just listing the house, that didn't mean it would actually sell.

fast forward 2.5 months and we move out Saturday.

5 days on market. 
sold over ask. 
60 days to get out.

(still don't get how a single dude is given the same amount of notice when evicted as a family of four. wild.)

out of over 15 places we went to see, 
2 were in our price range.

both applications were rejected.

my parents offered their place.
"just a few months while you figure it out."

the voice in my head (whom i call Regina George) got real loud:

• they're offering out of obligation.
• your wife doesn't want to live with in-laws.
• you're 42. how are you moving back home?
• what if the kids break shit? what if the dog pisses somewhere?

so we kept searching.
kept applying.
kept getting rejected.

then i looked at wifey:

"i know this sounds silly but it feels like the universe is telling us to go be with my parents."

"i feel the same," she said.

when we stopped resisting, things got way less stressful:

• the kids get more time w/ nana + poppa
• we get rare time as adults w/ my aging parents
• the financial breathing room to find the RIGHT place
• my parents get to be needed (they f*cking love that)

when i read (heard) this line in The Surrender Experiment last week, i felt a crazy energy run throughout my entire body: 

"challenging situations create the force needed for change. the problem is - we (often) use that energy to resist change."

the Author, Michael Singer learned: 

"if i could handle the winds of the current storm, it would end up blowing in some great gift."

overthinking high-achievers: we're so busy performing "having it together" that sometimes we miss the gifts wrapped in the storm.

that thing stealing your sleep?
that "failure" you're hiding?

what if it's not happening TO you?
what if it's happening FOR you?

you'll never know unless you take a moment to stop, assess the chaos, and listen long enough for what the universe is trying to show you. 

this is the reframe i'm bringing with me as we pack up the truck this weekend. 

surrendering to reality
instead of resisting b/c of preference. 


real talk 💬 is resistance a new topic for you (it is for me)?

—

hey hey, i'm kristina with a 'k' and i help overthinking high-achievers like you turn your personal stories and wild careers into personal brands (that feel like you and make sh*ttons of money).

if you liked this (and don't hate Queer people)

follow me here: kristina flynn

my therapist says i need "consistency." so here's 12,000 thoughts from this morning.



(welcome to #overthinkinginpublic — my brain dump series happening every Wednesday)


the avg person has 4000 thoughts/day. 

overthinkers like me? we're *at least* triple that. 


here are some of mine:
(that literally no one asked for)


• whoever said Allan Keys are the best invention has never actually used a f*cking Allan Key

• we have tech that lets rockets take off, come back and land…Apple, can you really not build an AirPod case that stays closed when it drops???

• i don't care how much of a Millennial it makes me. i'm not booking no flight on a f*cking phone. 

• 🎵"i'm just a teenage dirtbag, baby"🎵 

• are we "officially old" when a car peels around the corner and we respond with "well, that was unnecessary."

• as a kid i collected keychains. now i collect domains. welcome to the family, performingprofessionalism(.)com

• i resent Gen Z bringing back the tramp stamp. how are people supposed to know my age now? 

• were "The Jones'" a marketing campaign just like "Betty Crocker"?

• are we the last generation to say things like "2 shakes of a lamb's tail"? (yes i actually say this)

• what asshole decided that women needed to shave their entire bodies to be desirable?



real talk 💬 how many thoughts do you think you have daily?



—

hey hey, i'm kristina with a 'k' and i help overthinking high-achievers like you turn your personal stories and wild careers into personal brands (that feel like you and make sh*ttons of money).

if you liked this (and don't hate Queer people):

follow me here: kristina flynn

i crushed the talk. but felt nothing. like watching someone else’s success through a window. 



last week i shared that 90% of women in a room of 100 raised their hands when i asked who felt like they didn’t belong.

today i'm still thinking about why.


"imposter syndrome" doesn't capture it. 
at least not for me.

i don't feel like an imposter. 
i know logically i'm “good at what i do”.

for me, it feels more like disconnect.

my brain can list the facts:

• brought value
• crushed the talk
• people connected
• asks to work together

but my body? feels nothing.


and if 90% of the women in that room of 'heavy hitters' (barf) raised their hands? 

this isn’t just a “me” problem of knowing my achievements but being unable to feel them.


so, here's what i'm #overthinkinginpublic today (maybe you can help me figure this out):


what if the way we're taught to “succeed” actually breaks our ability to experience it when we do?

think about it.

• every time we push through exhaustion for a deadline
• every time we smile in meetings when we want to scream
• every time we ignore our gut to be "professional"

we’re doing what i call “performing professionalism” 


teaching our nervous system its signals don't matter.

teaching ourselves that success means overriding what we feel.

that to “win” we need to disconnect from ourselves.



so when we "make it" - we literally can't feel it. because we've trained ourselves out of it.


i don’t have any answers yet 
but naming it feels like the first step

and i can’t ignore the pattern.


if 90% of a room of ridiculously accomplished women feel like they don’t belong… 

that's not individual failure.
that's something bigger.

and if we wanna fix it… we’re gonna have to admit it’s a big f*cking problem in the first place. 


real talk 💬 have you ever experienced this?


—

hey hey, i'm kristina with a 'k' and i help overthinking high-achievers turn their personal stories and wild careers into personal brands (that feel like them and make sh*ttons of money).

if you liked this (and don’t hate Queer people):

follow me here: kristina flynn

my therapist says i need "consistency." so here's 12,000 thoughts from this morning (pt.2)


(welcome to #overthinkinginpublic — my brain dump series happening every Wednesday)

the avg person has 4000 thoughts/day.
overthinkers like me? gotta be at least triple that.

here are some of mine:
(that literally no one asked for)

• do 2 narcissists ever end up together?
• are crawfish actually just baby lobsters?
• do Blue Jays know that they're the Brad Pitt of birds?
• Pamela Anderson might be the best comeback story since the QR code
• “this is our daughter, Dottie, and this is our other daughter…Dottie’s sister”
• why are ears and noses the only things on our bodies that continue to grow as we age?
• if an item you washed is damp but you really want to wear it, do you put it on anyways? (i 100% do)
• i’m still working on a definition of peri-menopause but so far I’ve got: 3 days of existential crises monthly
• is my house actually a disaster or is it just a disaster compared to the house i grew up in (where you only played in your room and basement)?
• 🎵doooooo yooouurrr ears hang low. do they wobble to and frow. can you tie them in a knot. can you tie them in a bow. 🎵


real talk 💬 are you an overthinker?

—

hey hey, i'm kristina with a 'k' and i help overthinking high-achievers like you turn your personal stories and wild careers into personal brands (that feel like you and make sh*ttons of money).

if you liked this (and don't hate Queer people)

follow me here: kristina flynn

my 6 y/o discovered the $6.2 million banana. what i realized next won't leave my brain.

she doesn't overthink.


my daughter is an Artist. 
she started claiming that label at 3. 
 
wifey and i encourage it. 

i'm an Artist, 
but couldn't claim it until my late 30s. 

last week she burst through the door after school:
"Mommy, this guy's art was taping a banana to a wall!"

i said, "wild right, it's called 'Comedian.'"

her eyes went huge. "you KNOW that story?!"

and we were off. 
(i'd bet my right arm she has my brain)

30 minutes deep diving into Maurizio Cattelan. 
the concept. the sales. the controversy.

about 15 mins in, she grabbed my sharpie.

didn't ask permission.
didn't worry about getting it wrong.
didn't wonder if she was artistic enough.

just...started drawing.

couple minutes later (with some spelling help from me) her interpretation was done. 

it was like i got to watch myself create before the world got to me.

before i worried "what will they think?"
before i wondered "am i qualified?"
before i felt wrong claiming Artist. 

she wanted to make something. so she did.

no overthinking to the point of paralysis.
no overriding voice in her head.
no second guessing.

just: idea → action.

this is what we lose, isn't it?

not our creativity.
not our ability.
not our ideas.

we lose the permission to just do.

overthinking high-achievers get this. 

1000s of ideas sitting in your notes app.
frameworks dying in your Notion instance.
stories you're "perfecting" instead of posting.

maybe it's time to pick up the sharpie again.

stop asking if you're ready.
stop waiting for permission.
stop overthinking it without action.

your 6-year-old self would've just done it by now.


real talk 💬 what did you want to be when you grew up?


—

hey hey, i'm kristina with a 'k' and i help overthinking high-achievers turn their personal stories and wild careers into profitable personal brands (that actually feel like them).

if you dig this (and aren't afraid of Queer people):

• follow me here: kristina flynn

A Good Reputation

People come to me when they want a brand, messaging, and content marketing strategy that connects with customers and decision-makers on a deeper level. Through storytelling-led marketing principles, I help you nail your positioning, get clear and confident in your messaging, and create a compelling brand narrative that informs all of your content. 

The result is a brand that resonates, messaging that attracts inbound opportunities, and a sustainable content engine that leads to a shorter sales cycle with a warm and aligned audience.

Brand Storyteller & Content Strategist

New Narratives Club

Every year, I get a handful of intentional business owners together in person in a magical location to workshop our businesses, create meaningful connections, and build stuff worth building.

Wanna join? Next one is May 13-16 in Mexico City.

Co-Founder & Host

Ridwell

Created storytelling-led content on Ridwell’s various social media channels that doubled engagement, grew accounts by 300-1,000 new followers a month, drove signups and grew the brand’s presence across markets.

Social Media Marketing Manager

Off the Grid

Ran the marketing department of an innovative and established event startup with a storytelling-led content approach. Biggest wins included: 
 
• Growing newsletter subscriber base by 10K and open rates to 36% from 6% in under 6 months.
• Leading editorial strategy and execution for weekly B2C & B2B blogs that increased clickthrough, engagement & leads by 25% in under 6 months. 
• Growing social media following on IG, FB & TikTok by over 10K in under 6 months and average engagement by 35% year over year.
• Recruiting and managing a team of talented content creation contractors. 
• Leading influencer marketing campaigns that drew over 1M impressions. 
• Launching PR, Partnership, Advertising & Social Media campaigns that doubled company’s revenue year-over-year for community markets and drew an estimated 10,000 people the grand reopening of Off the Grid’s marquee weekly Friday night destination market at Fort Mason Center in 2022.

Head of Marketing & Editorial Content

Taavi

Founded a content startup for mothers that got acquired as the marketing arm of a tech-enabled platform connecting new mothers with community and professional support. In a nutshell:

TAAVI (Takes a Village) is a micro-community platform that connects expectant and new parents in small, intimate chat groups based on lifestyle and location. TAAVI helps families find meaningful friendships, build supportive communities, and get instant access to critical services.

Co-Founder, Head of Marketing & Content

Renee Lynn Frojo

After having a baby, I knew it was time to build my own freelance business. Here's what I did for a handful of amazing companies over the course of four years:

• Researched, wrote and edited strategic SEO-rich content for startups looking to grow brand awareness and engage with new audiences. Clients included Amy's Organic, Bi-Rite Market, Tonal, Ziraffe Store, and Kettle & Fire. 
• Managed a team of freelance and contract writers on behalf of clients. Heavily edited some pretty bad content. 
• Researched and reported stories on a variety of topics within the hospitality, retail and nonprofit industries. Stories appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Business Times, Marin Magazine, SF Weekly, Zagat and the SF Bay Guardian.
• Founded a successful a food blog—www.laurelstreetkitchen.com—and gained a 10K following on IG, which quickly became tiring and lame.

Freelance Content Strategist & Creator

Sun Basket

As a founding team member, I helped build Sunbasket’s website, brand and editorial content. Responsibilities included:

• Building and leading our editorial content strategy across channels. 
• Developing, researching and writing storytelling and  SEO-rich content. 
• Creating and maintaining company’s editorial calendar.
• Managing a team of in-house and remote writers.

Head of Content & Media Relations

San Francisco Business Times

My beats: Restaurants, retail, hospitality, philanthropy and startups. As one does in a newspaper job, I developed original story ideas, wrote breaking news and shot accompanying photographs for daily articles. 
Biggest accomplishment: I helped grow the paper's audience and credibility in the restaurant and hospitality space. I also helped them figure out the social media marketing thing.

Startup & Small Business Reporter

Freelance

I took a gap year to travel the world and did some reporting while I was at it! Published articles on travel and culture in Bay Nature Magazine, BBC Wildlife Magazine, Christian Science Monitor, Global Post, San Francisco Business Times and SF Bay Guardian.

Freelance Writer, Editor & Photographer

Atlantic Information Services

Reported on regulatory, business and legal issues concerning the healthcare industry. Got plenty of insight into the disfunction on Capitol Hill.

Editor

The curious content marketer who cares ✨ Partnering with purpose-led small businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs to connect through storytelling and collaboration.

My ability to spot a good story is what landed me my first job in journalism. But it was my decade of profiling startups, small businesses, nonprofits and some of San Francisco’s most influential people that taught me how to tell one. 

A move into marketing and another decade dabbling in the creator economy—first with a food blog, then a motherhood magazine—taught me how to use those stories to build communities through content and collaborations.  

Now, my mission is to help purpose-driven people and brands build loyal audiences who don't just want what you offer, but love what you stand for.  

Founders and business owners come to me when they need a strategic storyteller and networked creator. 

The results?

1. A clear brand narrative.
2. A simple, sustainable plan and process for consistently sharing that narrative through content across all channels. 
3. A bank of differentiated ideas pulled from stories and experiences to use everywhere. 
4. A shorter sales cycle. 
5. A community of collaborators.
6. An overall less time-consuming (and more enjoyable) way to do content marketing. 

In short: I help you figure out what you need to say and where you need to say it to develop your brand, find a community of collaborators, and connect with the right people.

Because with so much noise and competition, we all need a reason to care—we need to feel a connection. 

If you can do that, not only will you stand out, you will find exactly where you fit in. 

Ready to get started?

Renee Lynn Frojo ✨

My seven-year-old learned two opposing views of Thanksgiving at school yesterday, and it gives me hope for the future.

Some people, she told me, view Thanksgiving as an opportunity to practice gratitude and celebrate togetherness.

Other people observe it as a day of mourning for the land that was stolen. They see it as a necessary day to protest ongoing oppression. 

I told her that when I was in second grade, I was cutting out paper turkeys on construction paper. 

Then I asked her how she sees Thanksgiving. 

“I guess both can be right,” she said. “It’s just good to understand all perspectives.”

Why can’t adults be this civilized?

They tell you to tell your story. I show you how. 🧡 Brand storytelling & content strategy for creators, founders, solos & startup teams. Ask about my Short-Form Storytelling Workshop for your community or organization.

One idea that’s changed my life is the belief that everything that happens—including the hardships and tragedies—does not just “happen for a reason.” 

Stuff happens. Then, you can choose to give it a reason. 

You can make meaning out of the mess. You can understand how the things that happened have shaped you or your environment, for better or for worse.

Through this lens, everything that happens to you in life is either a good lesson or a good story. (And the best ones are usually both.)

While it's not always easy to make meaning when you're working your way through the mess, looking for the lesson or the story can give you:

- A greater sense of agency, 
- A deeper understanding of other people, and
- Control over the narrative the world has of you and you have of yourself.

We’ll never be able to control what happens to us, and sometimes it's just random and unfortunate. But we can always choose how the story gets told.

If you hate social media and see it as a necessary evil to getting visibility for your business or big idea, maybe you should stop focusing so much on doing what works and putting yourself out there in a way that works for you.

What kind of content do you like to engage with and create, even if it doesn’t “perform.” What would you want to read or see that doesn’t exist? Do that.

We've got to be the change we want to see, right?

They tell you to tell your story. I show you how. 🧡 Brand storytelling & content strategy for creatives, solopreneurs & startup teams. Ask me about my Short-Form Storytelling Workshop for your community or organization.

My kid with a bad cold, miserable and sobbing because she can't sleep: "Can you give me anything to make it better?"

Me: "Unfortunately, there is no cure for the common cold."

Her: "So they're making robots to replace us, but they haven't invented anything that could solve my actual problems?"

Me: "Sam Altman works in mysterious ways."

Most of us don’t quit because the work is hard. We quit because the work feels empty.

When I left journalism to start my first online content business, I figured the best way to make it sustainable was to build it around something I loved.

So, I started a food blog to marry my passion for storytelling with my passion for cooking.

It took off faster than I expected. Within a few months, I built a large online following, was closing brand deals, and fielding plenty of freelance opportunities to keep me very busy. 

Not only was the work steady, but the hours were flexible and the food was great (if I do say so myself). 

On paper, it looked like every solo entrepreneur’s dream.

But before I even hit year two, I started to feel worn out.

It wasn’t that the hours were long. (The most I put in was 30 a week.) Or that I didn’t enjoy it. (I was getting paid to make food and take pretty pictures of it.)

It was that I didn’t care enough about why I was doing it or why any of it mattered to keep me motivated.

I felt like I wasn’t solving any real problems in the world or making an impact on anyone’s life. It felt kind of…empty.

By building something around my passion, instead of a deep sense of purpose, the work got harder and the hours felt longer.

Now, three years into my fourth go at building a sustainable business, I finally understand that the meaning you give your work plays an oversized role in determining its difficulty. 

And the more you care about the problem you’re solving—and believe in the impact of your solution—the more clarity, creative fuel, and resilience you have to keep going when things get hard.

It’s why a 12-hour day working toward something that deeply matters will energize you, but a 2-hour task on something that feels meaningless will drain you.

For me, that meaning is anchored in helping people connect with themselves so that their ideal audience can connect with their work.

It’s why I built  New Narratives Club as a space to step back from your daily routine, reflect on what truly matters, and get clear on the next chapter you want to write—both personally and professionally. 

(Because, as hard as we try, we can’t untangle the two.)

And speaking this stuff out loud with a group of people who get it helps you see what you’re missing. 

So if you’re feeling drained, stuck, or uninspired by your work, ask yourself: Do I actually believe in what I’m building? 

If not, the problem might not be the work. It might be the meaning you’ve attached to it. 

And my purpose is to help you find it.

I guess it can take a lifetime to stop being afraid of being seen. 

My newsletter got a ton of reponses yesterday (for which I’m so grateful), but none could top this one from my mom.

Each of us is on our own journey, but it sure helps to have a loving parent in your corner.

Creating content for social media means experiencing every possible emotion about the same post.

Writing it: Genius.
Posting it: Meh.
5 minutes later: Why did I do this?
First comment: Oh thank god.
Analytics: What even is engagement?
24 hours later: We go again.

And now, the moment my 14K followers have all been waiting for....

Applications for the New Narratives 2026 Retreat for entrepreneurs building intentional businesses are officially open!

If you’re in the very special 1% of this 14K who actually gets to see this today, then it must be a sign that you need to come this year.

Get the details over at New Narratives Club, and check the comments for proof from past attendees that this event is both good for your soul and your business.

I bet you don't know what the actual definition of trust is. And until recently, I didn't either.

Apparently, there are more definitions and research papers on trust than on any other sociological topic—even more than love. But ultimately, they all boil down to this:

Trust is the willingness to be vulnerable and open to risk because you’re confident in another person or organization’s integrity, reliability, and ability.

Rachel Botsman, who wrote the most recent book on the topic, defines it even more simply as, “a confident relationship with the unknown.”

Think about that for a second.

Trusting someone or something (say, a service provider or government) means opening yourself up to the possibility of being let down. It's almost more about belief and hope than it is about proof.

No wonder trust is so hard to give and get. It exposes us. 

And depending on how many times we’ve been burned in our lives, each of us has varying degrees of this confidence in other people or things.

But I think the thing we miss (or at least, I've missed) about trust is that the risk goes both ways. If trust is a confident relationship with the unknown, then vulnerability is the equal exchange that keeps trust balanced.

In theory, that means that when you show us the messy middle—the uncertainty, the learning, the human side of you behind the polished thing—we feel safer trusting you because you’ve done the risky thing first. 

Am I making any sense? Doesn't that seem like the most important thing we can do to earn trust when it feels like we can trust nothing?

One of my storytelling cohort students had her best-performing post ever last week, and guess what? She completely panicked.

The post did exactly what it was intended to do. It got hundreds of thoughtful comments and several DMs—including a couple from prospective clients.

Score, I thought. Proof that the stuff I teach actually works.

I was thrilled for her. And I expected her to be thrilled, too. But when I asked her how she felt about her successful first attempt at public personal storytelling, thrilled wasn’t it.

The feeling, she said, was "deeply uncomfortable."

Wait a minute.

Isn’t this exactly what we all say we want? To be seen and recognized? To have our words and ideas land somewhere and spark a conversation that leads to tangible business outcomes?

And then I remembered that it’s not that simple.

I also get all tangled up in conflicting emotions when I get noticed by a large group of people.

Imposter syndrome creeps in, and I start spiraling with the same nagging fears that I hear many of my students speak out loud about being misunderstood or boring or unoriginal.

We say we fear obscurity, but the truth is that visibility is even scarier because standing out means standing wide open. 

And that tension we feel comes from the collision of two deeply human needs:

1. To be seen, and
2. To feel safe.

So what do most of us do?

We stick to “what works.” We echo what’s already been said (and liked and reposted).

And then we wonder why everything—from brands, to architecture, art, and people—feels like it came out of the same agency, firm, AI tool, or Justin Welsh coaching program.

Over the past five weeks in my storytelling cohort, I’ve watched a brave group of entrepreneurs navigate this tension.

Week after week, they've shown up with stories that left them feeling exposed. Stories that made their voice shake when they read them aloud.

And week after week, they kept finding that the more they opened up, the deeper the connection with themselves and with each other.

Hearts were opened, tears were shed, and work collaborations were made.

While letting yourself be seen might always feel a little (or deeply) uncomfortable, the more you do it, the more you realize that vulnerability isn’t a liability as much as it’s a magnet.

If it feels hard, then congrats! You’re doing it right.

Unless you’ve already cracked the code with tons of engagement and a waitlist full of dream clients, I guarantee you’re either too expert or too elite.

And until you figure out your primary archetype and make some adjustments to position yourself somewhere in the middle, no amount of storytelling will get you both the reach and resonance you might be after.

According to Rob Henderson (who first introduced me to this framework), experts are people who know things, like specialists, beat reporters, or engineers. It's anyone whose credibility comes from technical competence.

Experts tend to be detail-oriented and cautious, and focused more on what’s right than on who’s listening.

Their biggest problem is that they lack reach.

Their work is only as influential as the number of people who understand it, and they tend to talk within their field instead of to the public.

Elites, on the other hand, are people “who move things,” and their mission is to influence people to act.

These are your politicians, executives, media personalities, and influencers. They’re the big-picture thinkers and persuasive communicators who can rally people around a shared goal and tend to shape culture.

But because they depend on status and consensus without any poof to back up their ideas, their problem is that we don’t trust them to deliver.

Here’s why it matters: The people we tend to trust, follow, and hire are often performing both roles at once.

And while it’s a spectrum, most of us tend to lean toward one archetype or the other.

I work with lots of experts who are credible and experienced but virtually invisible. People respect them, but their ideal clients don’t know they exist because their reach is usually limited to other experts.

On the other end, I have plenty of peers who are elites. They're popular and get tons of engagement, but have no real influence that leads to meaningful business outcomes. Without proof that what they’re selling works, we don’t trust them enough to take action.

The bottom line is that to build a brand online (or anywhere), you need to be both right and resonant.

You need to tell stories that inspire and demonstrate your expertise.

You need to build a body of work that not only proves you know something worth hearing, but also communicates it in a way worth spreading.

When I first started building my brand online, I went all in on expertise and managed to capture the attention of peers who respected me, but weren’t buying what I was selling.

Then I swung in the opposite direction (my true nature) with big ideas that got tons of reach, but failed to show the concrete steps or tactical application to help my ideal client understand my process or see proof that it worked.

When I finally understood my primary archetype and shifted to land somewhere in the middle, both my content and my inbound took off.

That's where I am now. My content generates lots of likes and brings in plenty of business.

Where are you?

In case you need to hear it today: You can build a fully inbound business without relying on social media. 

I have. And it’s what saves me from feeling like I’m at the mercy of every algorithm change or posting when I’d rather be offline doing the deeper work or engaging with humans in the real world.

While it's true that showing up on social keeps you visible and helps you stay connected with your online community, I've found that investing my time in other activities pays off even more for getting better quality inbound leads. 

They include:
-Podcast appearances where I can just be myself
-Newsletters where I can speak directly to an audience that takes immediate action
-Blogs and other discovery platforms where I repurpose my work
-Guest teaching in communities that house my ideal audience
-Speaking at local live events to build authority
-In-person networking that creates immediate trust
-Referral partners who cross-promote
-Keeping up with past clients who already know, like, and trust me

Some of these bring leads in a day, while some take seasons. But all of them compound.

Social media can be a great discovery platform, but it’s just one place to tell your story. And it's not worth spending all your time here.

So if you need permission to post a couple of times per week while you focus on other high-impact marketing things, here you go. Permission granted. 

Where else can you tell your story that I missed?

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