ShareBrandStories

Part of the YourBrand Network from Nextstepnext

Every brand has a story. Here's how to tell yours.

Storytellers helping storytellers.

You don't need to be a writer. You need one real moment and about ten minutes. I'll walk you through the same four beats I use every week in Nextstep Notes, and you'll leave with a story you can use anywhere.

Build your story See the four beats
1. AnchorA real moment
2. WallWhat was in the way
3. Snap"Then I realized..."
4. NextstepOne small action
Why stories

People forget tips. They remember moments.

Every email, caption and post you write is a chance to tell a story. Most of us skip it and go straight to the lesson. That's where the connection gets lost.

A story starts in a real place, names the thing that got in the way, and lands on the moment it clicked. Then it hands the reader one small thing to do. That's the Nextstep Method: Anchor, Wall, Snap, Nextstep.

I'm not here to sell you a system. I'm here because I've seen what happens when someone tells their story for the first time. It helps them, and it helps the next person who reads it. That's what storytellers helping storytellers means to me.

See it work

Same idea, told two ways

Here's a flat paragraph, then the same message told as a story with the four beats labeled.

Before

The lesson

Consistent email marketing is important for small businesses. A lot of people struggle to email their list regularly. You should try to send something at least once a week so you stay top of mind.

True, and easy to forget. There's nothing to picture and nobody to root for.

After

The story

AnchorI was sitting in the motorhome with my laptop open and a blank email in front of me. The cursor just blinked.
WallI told myself nobody wanted another email from me, so I didn't send one for three weeks.
SnapThen I realized the people on my list asked to hear from me. Silence wasn't polite. It was just quiet.
NextstepYour nextstep: open a blank email today and write three sentences to one person who signed up. Send it.
The Nextstep Method Worksheet Version 1.0

Four questions, in your own words

Answer the four questions below. Messy is fine. It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to make sense.

  1. 1

    Anchor: the real moment

    Where were you, and what did you see?

    Pick one moment, not a whole season of life. A kitchen table. A parking lot. A phone call. Start right there. Give us one detail you still remember: a sound, a smell, what someone said.

    Tip: if you can picture it, your reader can too.

  2. 2

    Wall: what was in the way

    What stopped you, or what did you believe that kept you stuck?

    Name the problem or the belief. "I'm not a tech person." "Nobody wants to hear from me." Be honest about what it cost you: time, money, confidence, sleep.

    Tip: the Wall is where your reader says "that's me."

  3. 3

    Snap: then I realized...

    What clicked?

    Finish this sentence: "Then I realized..." It can be small. Most snaps are. A new way of seeing the same thing.

    Tip: one sentence is plenty. If it takes a paragraph, you're explaining, not realizing.

  4. 4

    Nextstep: one small action

    What's one concrete, positive thing your reader can do next?

    Make it small enough to do today. Not "change your life." More like "send one email" or "write one sentence."

    Tip: if it starts with a verb, you're on track.

Quick check before you share

  • Does it start in a real moment, not a lesson?
  • Can someone see themselves in the Wall?
  • Is the Snap one clear sentence?
  • Is the Nextstep small enough to do today?
  • Does it sound like you talking to a friend?
Story builder

Let's build your story. Four questions, about ten minutes.

Your story stays on your device. We only see it if you choose to share it. It saves as you type, so a refresh won't wipe your work.

A few words you'd use to find this story again.
Where were you, and what did you see? Like: I was sitting in the motorhome with my laptop open and a blank email in front of me.
What stopped you, or what did you believe that kept you stuck? Like: I told myself nobody wanted another email from me.
What clicked? One sentence is plenty. Like: Then I realized the people on my list asked to hear from me.
What's one concrete, positive thing your reader can do today? Like: Open a blank email and write three sentences to one person who signed up.

Your story

Start typing on the left and your story shows up here, one beat at a time.

What's the nextstep? Next.

Use it on a spoke: EmailYourBrand for a short email, InstaYourBrand for a caption, or LinkedYourBrand for a post.

Share your story (coming soon)

Your story could be someone's next step

Soon you'll be able to share your story here so it helps the next person. It's completely optional. Your story is yours, and building it here never shares it.

  • Sharing is opt-in. Nothing is shared unless you choose to share it.
  • Every story gets a real read before anything is published.
  • You can ask to have your story taken down anytime.

When it opens, you'll choose how your name shows:

  • Full nameRuss Johns
  • First name onlyRuss
  • AnonymousA Nextstep storyteller

Want to hear when sharing opens?

Get Nextstep Notes on Thursdays. I'll let you know there first, along with a new story prompt every month.

Form not showing? Sign up for Nextstep Notes here.

What's next

All optional. Take what helps.

NextstepnextWhere the Nextstep Method lives. Start here. Nextstep NotesOne story and one nextstep, every Thursday. Book a callIf you want help shaping yours.

What's the nextstep? Next.

Kindness is cool, smiles are free.
Russ

Part of the YourBrand Network from Nextstepnext