I have a hot take about dating

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So friend!

I have a hot take about dating: if they can’t tell a good story, the relationship won’t last.

Think about it.
If someone hides their past on a date, you leave the table feeling like you don’t know them.
No story = no trust.
No trust = no relationship.

Business is the same.

When I got fired, I stayed quiet for months.
I thought it would make me look weak.
I wanted to present the polished, “safe” version of myself.

But here’s the problem.
It was like being on a date and dodging every personal question.
Safe, yes.
But shallow.

And shallow doesn’t build connection.

The first time I shared that firing story, everything shifted.
People leaned in.
Replies came back.
One even turned into a client.

That’s when I realized the truth:

Founders avoid the stories that matter most because they’re too close to them.
But those are the exact stories that create trust.

The story you’re avoiding is probably the story your audience needs most.

So here’s a question for you:
What’s a moment you’ve never written about—but still think about often?

Because in dating, and in business, hiding your real story keeps people at arm’s length.
But sharing it? That’s how trust begins.

Talk soon,
Stephen

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