5 storytelling ideas from Jamaica

Jamaica keeps teaching me about storytelling, resilience, and finding truth in the middle of chaos.

Author

Stephen Stanberry
November 9th, 2025

In partnership with

Hey friend!

I’ve been thinking a lot about storytelling this week.

Not the fancy kind that wins awards.
The kind that makes people stop scrolling and feel something.

So I asked myself:
“What lessons about storytelling has Jamaica taught me?”

I sat with that for a while.
And after the last few weeks here the storm, the rebuilding, the quiet after, I came up with five.

If you’re building a brand, a business, or an audience that trusts you, these will help you tell stories that stick.

1. Storytelling is rhythm.
In Jamaica, rhythm runs through everything — speech, work, even rest.
Good storytelling is the same.
It breathes. It moves. It keeps people listening.

2. Storytelling is resilience.
After the hurricane, people were cleaning before the rain stopped.
They didn’t wait for motivation.
They moved.
That’s how you build connection online, you keep showing up.

3. Storytelling is language.
Jamaicans can make two words say ten things.
That’s not writing skill, that’s honesty.
Say less. Mean more.

4. Storytelling is community.
When everything falls apart, people share what little they have.
Your content should do that too, give value before asking for attention.

5. Storytelling is faith.
Every island story ends with, “We’ll rise again.”
That’s the heartbeat of every great brand, belief bigger than the product.

If you take one thing from this email, let it be this:
Stories don’t sell because they’re clever.
They sell because they’re true.

So here’s your challenge this week:
Write about the last time you felt invisible.

You don’t need to post it.
You just need to name it.

Till tomorrow,
Stephen

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