Start With the Story: A Simple Way to Create Content That Actually Connects

If you’ve ever stared at your laptop trying to force out a post that just doesn’t feel like you… this one’s for you.

Recently, I took a much-needed two-week break away from client sessions, social media, and the constant noise of business. As a manifesting generator (and a lifelong overachiever), I tend to take on a million things at once. But this break? It gave me space to breathe, reset, and reconnect with my creative voice again.

And since I’ve been back, the same question keeps coming up in conversations with clients:
“How do I create content that feels real, instead of forced?”

The answer?
Start with the story. Always.

Let me walk you through a practice I did with my membership clients that helped them stop overthinking and start creating from a more honest, heart-centered place.

Why Strategy-First Content Doesn’t Always Work for Heart-Centered Coaches

I know, I know. Strategy matters. I teach systems and structure all the time.
But when it comes to visibility and content for coaches, healers, and soul-led humans?
Strategy can’t be the starting point.

So many of my clients come to me saying things like:
“I’m planning content, but it doesn’t feel like me.”
“I know my pillars, but nothing I write feels aligned.”
“It sounds polished… but flat.”

That’s because we’re trying to sound professional or impressive before we even know what we truly want to say.

And let’s be honest—people can feel that disconnection. Even if they can’t name it, they sense when something’s missing.

The Voice Memo Storytelling Practice We Did Inside the Membership

This exercise came from one of our monthly Visibility & Content Planning sessions. These are sacred little spaces where my clients (from all programs) come together to drop in, connect, and create from a place that feels deeply personal.

Here’s what we did:

Step 1: Write Down 3–4 Topics You Could Talk About Forever

Think:

• Your favorite hobby (for me, it’s reading fantasy fiction)
• A challenge you’ve overcome
• What it’s like balancing motherhood and business
• Something you’re deeply passionate about (even if it’s not part of your coaching niche)
  
  

These aren’t “content topics.” They’re you topics. Things that light you up and reflect the multi-faceted human behind the brand.

Step 2: Set a 5-Minute Timer for Each Topic

No editing. No overthinking. Just five minutes of space for your truth to come through.

Step 3: Record a Voice Memo Telling a Story About That Topic

You don’t need to make a point.
You don’t need to sound eloquent or persuasive.
You’re not writing a caption or planning a sales funnel.

You’re just telling the story.

Tell it like you would to your best friend in the car. Or to a kind stranger at the grocery store. Or to your sister while folding laundry.

That’s it.

What Happened When We Did This

The first round? Messy. Awkward. Everyone judged themselves a little.

People said things like:
“I froze.”
“I kept stumbling.”
“I started thinking about how this would fit into my marketing.”

But then… something shifted.

The second round felt easier. They started dropping into the emotion instead of trying to find the right words. They stopped trying to sound like a brand and just sounded like themselves. And honestly? That’s where the gold is.

Why This Works: People Don’t Remember What You Say—They Remember How You Make Them Feel

Let me remind you of something Maya Angelou said (because I quote this all the time):

“People will forget what you said.
People will forget what you did.
But people will never forget how you made them feel.”

So if your content isn’t evoking feeling—you’re missing the point. Your story doesn’t need to be strategic or tidy or even relevant to your program (yet). It just needs to be real.

When you share something that brings you back to a moment in time—when you can recall how it felt in your body—your audience will feel that too. Even if they’ve never been in your exact situation.

That’s how you build trust. That’s how you become memorable. That’s how you magnetize.

Story First, Strategy Second: How to Build From What You Captured

Once the story is out? Then you get to play with strategy.

You can take that voice memo and:

• Turn it into a reel with captions over your voice
• Pull a quote and expand it into a teaching post
• Use it as the foundation for an email to your list
• Shape it into the opening for a workshop or live training

But it all starts with the heart.

This is something I say to all of my clients, and I’ll say it again here:

👉🏽 Heart first. Hook second.

Yes, we can talk about hooks and headlines and call-to-actions. But if the story doesn’t have soul, none of that matters. People feel the difference.

Try It With Me: Your Voice Memo Challenge

Here’s your invitation:

1. Write down 3 topics you could talk about for hours.
2. Choose one.
3. Set a timer for 5 minutes.
4. Record a voice memo—raw, real, and unfiltered.
5. Don’t judge it. Don’t try to make it perfect. Just tell the story.

And then? Listen back. Not to critique, but to study yourself. Notice when you’re being real. Notice when you slip into performance mode. And keep practicing.

What Makes This So Powerful

For heart-centered entrepreneurs, this kind of storytelling is your zone of genius. You’re not just here to teach. You’re here to connect.

Specificity creates universality. Your story about canceling clients when you went into labor early might not relate to everyone’s situation. But the emotions—grief, pressure, letting go—are what land. And those are what make you unforgettable.

Tools to Help You Go Deeper

If you want more support creating content from this place of depth and honesty, I’ve got two resources for you:

🔗 Download the Free Visibility Roadmap
A simple Google Doc that walks you through how to ground yourself, connect to your energy, and plan content that feels aligned. Think of it as your pre-visibility ritual.

🔗 Join the CEO Systems Membership
We do monthly visibility sessions like the one I described above, plus private workshops and systems support so you can grow sustainably.
✨ Right now, it’s only $11 for your first month (April 14–18)!

I’ll Leave You With This…

You don’t need to be polished. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be real. This is the year of the personal brand—and your voice, your story, your heart are what make people want to work with you.

So tell the story. Find the message later. Let your people feel you first.

XO,
Shawne