Let’s face it: facts and figures alone aren’t what make people remember you. A random email full of stats? Forgettable. But an email that opens with “You’re not gonna believe what happened in Costco…”? Now you’ve got our attention. In this episode of The Dream Biz Podcast, I sat down with Hannah Davis of Made With Boldness to talk all about the power of storytelling in marketing—and why it might just be your most underrated superpower.

What Is Storytelling?

Hannah defines storytelling as any moment—big or small—that carries emotion or meaning. That iced coffee you had this morning? That’s a story. A wild moment at Costco? Definitely a story. The key is that stories give your audience something to remember you by.

As business owners, being remembered is everything. If you’re forgettable, you’re not getting the sale. If you’re memorable, you’re top of mind when someone’s ready to hire, buy, or recommend.

Why Stories Work

Think about it: we remember quotes from movies, plot lines from books, and moments in pop culture because they’re wrapped in story. Storytelling gives context and sticks—way more than a bulleted list of benefits ever could.

Hannah shared a hilarious example: while walking through Costco (as a vegan), a beef jerky salesman gave her the hardest pitch. Wrong audience, buddy! But that story turned into a perfect analogy for marketing misalignment—when your message isn’t speaking to the right people, it doesn’t land.

And that’s exactly how you should think about using stories in your own content: as relatable, memorable, and aligned bridges to your message.

How to Find the Right Stories for Your Audience

Let’s say you’re not a mom, but you keep telling “mom life” stories in your content. If your audience isn’t moms, those stories probably won’t connect. On the flip side, if your audience is moms? Lean in!

Your stories should meet your people where they are. Hannah encourages you to:

• Stay personal, but always circle back to them
• Keep it short (avoid the “wallet full of kid photos” syndrome)
• Tell stories that either relate to your audience or reflect them

And if you’re not sure which stories are resonating? Ask your business bestie or coach. Sometimes the most powerful stories are the ones we overlook—like your burnout, or the fact that you started your business during COVID (hello, relatable).

What If You Don’t Have a “Good” Story?

Here’s the thing: everything is a story. Don’t know how to start your email? That’s a story. Ran out of time and sent something anyway? That’s a story. Did absolutely nothing today but scroll TikTok? Guess what—that’s a story too. You don’t need wild plot twists. You just need real moments with meaning.

The Storytelling Framework (That You Can Actually Use)

If you’re feeling stuck on how to structure your storytelling, try this simple formula:

🧩 Story – Share a moment from your life, your business, or pop culture.
🔁 Segue – Tie that story into the topic you want to teach or promote.
📣 Call to Action – Tell your audience what to do next (click, reply, buy, etc).

This works in email newsletters, Instagram captions, podcast episodes—everywhere. Use subheadings and bold text to make longer stories skimmable, and don’t forget the power of a great PS to tie it all together.

Tools, Tips, and Behind-the-Scenes

Here’s how Hannah puts it into practice:

• She doesn’t track stories—she just pulls from everyday moments and pop culture
• She uses analogies to tie stories to her content (hello, Disney references!)
• She writes her weekly newsletter in about 20 minutes by starting with a story or a blog she wants to promote
• If she needs help making a connection, she’ll use ChatGPT to brainstorm analogies (but not to write the story—because that’s your human magic)

If you want to keep track of stories, try a story bank in Notion, your notes app, or a Google Doc. But don’t let the lack of one stop you. The more you practice, the easier it gets.

You Can’t Outsource You

In a world where AI can write a decent blog post, your humanness is your secret weapon. You can’t fake lived experience. You can’t outsource your quirks, your burnout story, or your love of iced coffee. And as Hannah so perfectly put it:

“You’re more likely to hire someone who feels like a friend and an expert—not just an expert who happens to exist.”

So share the story. Be relatable. Experiment. Practice. Your people will remember you for it.

Want More From Hannah?

Check out Made With Boldness or follow her on Instagram at @madewithboldness. And if you’re ready to start practicing your storytelling in your weekly emails, start small. Start now.

Your next story might just be the one that makes you unforgettable.

Want help with your messaging? Let’s work on it together in The Dream Biz Lab!