How I got to know a stranger very quickly…

He seemed pretty cool. Young, hip, athletic-looking dude…probably in his 30’s. His golf swing looked ok, not great, but nevertheless, he was put into our group of 3 to make the complete foursome. This means that he came to the golf course alone…on a Thursday afternoon. Instead of getting prepared for the best round of my life and figuring out my game strategy to destroy my friends on a bet of $1 per hole, I was somewhat curious about our new fourth person. Let’s call him Nick…because, that was his name. After a quick introduction and a handshake, we were off to the first tee.

After struggling through a couple of holes, we had plenty of opportunities to chat. If you play golf, you know there is a lot of downtime for conversation. So, besides the standard surface level talk (weather, current events, blood type), I went straight for the kill. “So Nick, what’s your story?”  Warning: this is not always the best conversation starter. You’ll need some warm-up time and gauge the level of openness for deeper conversation. And honestly, he was ready, and I was genuinely interested.

Well, you guessed it, he shared about his work, his marriage, and his kid, and how he loves being a dad and how he’s teaching his 4-year-old how to play golf. He talked about the college he went to and the engineering degree he received, his current job and he told funny stories about the industry he’s in and all the inside jokes about it. We became buds.

Why do I need to change my traditional “about me” page on my website?

Because you are not telling a story.  You list accomplishments and the history of where you have been, what you have done and who you have worked with. Sometimes, you list your hobbies…something like “I enjoy playing music on my ukulele on weekends and I love to read romance novels”…boooooring.

Why tell a story?

Thanks for asking. Humans love stories. We emotionally connect, we easily remember and we pay attention to stories. We are just built that way. Don’t take my word for it, there is actually scientific research done on this that shows the importance of not just having an “about me” page with a story but creating an entire brand on storytelling. Check it out here to see some awesome examples.

So, how do I write an engaging story about me?

Story writing is an art. There are many different forms and strategies in writing but the structure is very similar. It goes something like this:

• There’s a conflict or a situation (The Setup)

• There’s a confrontation (The New Situation)

• There’s a journey (The Progress)

• There’s a resolution (The Showdown)

• There’s a transformation (The Change)

Example of a typical, non-story and boring “About Me” page.

Cookie Monster
CEO of Cookie Crumb Inc.

Cookie Monster spent the last 52 years in television starting from general foods commercial and eventually landing a role in Sesame Street where he served as a passionate, cookie eating monster. As a CEO of Cookie Crumb Inc., manufacturing the most “nutritious” yet “delicious” cookies in the world, he is committed to utilizing only the most advanced techniques which ensure personalized care and flavors for every cookie eating client that wants to stay healthy and eat cookies. His devotion to every detail has resulted in thousands of pounds lost all over the world.

Education:  None whatsoever
Hobbies: You guessed it, eating cookies

Example of a story-style “About Me” page.

Cookie Monster
CEO of Cookie Crumb Inc.

I had no idea that my love and passion for cookies would eventually lead to a disturbance in the American culture for my contribution to a childhood obesity epidemic. After realizing my negative influence and impact, I knew I had to make a change. This deep revelation lead me to my new found purpose in making a difference in the world through healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle.

After years of research and exploration with the determination to discover the solution, I’ve founded the Cookie Crumb Inc.  Cookie Crumb Inc. only offers cookies that are “nutritious” yet “delicious” by using the most advanced techniques in manufacturing and natural ingredients that will help you lose the pounds you need.

This new product has been transforming lives all around the globe resulting in thousands of pounds lost.

Education:  None whatsoever
Hobbies: You guessed it, eating cookies

Breaking it down:

Do you agree that second “About Me” is easier to follow, easier to remember, more engaging and says more about the Cookie Monster’s character? What does all that equal? Trust. Trust is the main factor on why a customer will choose a service or a product.

Following the simple story structure above, I rewrote the Cookie Monster’s bio.

• The conflict or a situation (The Setup): I had no idea that my love and passion for cookies would eventually lead to a disturbance in the American culture for my contribution to a childhood obesity epidemic.

• The confrontation (The New Situation): After realizing my negative influence and impact, I knew I had to make a change. This deep revelation lead me to my new found purpose in making a difference in the world through healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle.

• The journey (The Progress): After years of research and exploration with the determination to discover the solution, I’ve founded the Cookie Crumb Inc.  

• The resolution (The Showdown): Cookie Crumb Inc. only offers cookies that are “nutritious” yet “delicious” by using the most advanced techniques in manufacturing and natural ingredients that will help you lose the pounds you need.

• The transformation (The Change): This new product has been transforming lives all around the globe resulting in thousands of pounds lost all over the world.

Again, there are many strategies and structures in writing a story, but I truly believe if you rewrite yours to reflect your own story and genuinely share what you do and why you do it, you’ll be surprised by the impact that will make in your company and brand.

So, what’s your story?