I screwed up (and it taught me something)

Woke up thinking it was Thursday. Opened my laptop to write. Then I saw the date...

Author

Stephen Stanberry
December 27th, 2025

In partnership with

Hey friend!

I swore yesterday was Thursday.

Woke up around 9 AM, made my cup of tea, sat down at my laptop...

Ready to write my Friday email.

That's when I glanced at the date in the corner of my screen.

Friday, December 27th.

My stomach dropped.

"Oh sh!t."

Because my emails go out between 6-7 AM every morning.

Which means the email I scheduled last night?

Already sent. Hours ago.

And every Friday for the past 6 months, I send visual storytelling content.

A breakdown. An example. Something visual that teaches.

People expect it. Some even plan their Friday mornings around it.

But this morning?

I sent a regular email about contradictory storytelling advice.

No visual. No breakdown. Just... a rant.

My first thought?

"I need to send an apology email right now."

"People are going to think I forgot about them."

"I broke my streak."

But then I stopped myself.

Because here's what hit me:

I was about to apologize for sending something USEFUL...

Just because it wasn't the expected FORMAT.

And that's the exact trap I see everyone falling into with their content.

We get so locked into schedules and formats...

That we forget to ask:

"Is this actually the most valuable thing I could share right now?"

Some of my Friday visual posts get great engagement.

But if I'm being honest?

I force them sometimes just to maintain the schedule.

"It's Friday. Better create something visual."

Even when I don't have anything particularly valuable to teach with it that week.

So instead of scrambling to send a makeup visual post today...

I'm going to share something I've been sitting on for months.

A storytelling framework that does what most advice doesn't:

It positions you as someone with standards.

Someone who isn't desperate.

Someone who has a line they won't cross.

I call it the Integrity Story Framework.

Here's how it works:

#1. SHOCK OPENER – Start with a decision that defies expectation

Template: "I turned down [$ amount / opportunity]. Not because I couldn't use it — but because of what it cost."

This breaks the pattern. Most people lead with wins. You're leading with what you DIDN'T do.

#2. THE TEMPTATION – Share the surface appeal

Template: "They offered me [insert offer]. All I had to do was [insert ask]. It looked like an easy win."

Critical step. If you skip this, people think the decision was easy. Show them it WASN'T.

#3. THE REALIZATION – Reveal what didn't sit right

Template: "But when I looked closer... I saw what it really meant: [insert conflict]. The kind of thing that chips away at [insert value]."

This is where you show your thinking. Not judgment. Just clarity about what mattered more.

#4. THE IDENTITY CLAIM – Reconnect with purpose

Template: "I don't [what others expected]. I [what you stand for]. Because this isn't just [task] — it's [meaning]."

This positions you. Tells people what you're about without being preachy.

#5. THE WHY – Anchor in values, not pride

Template: "So yeah, I walked away. Not because I'm above it — but because I'm rooted in something deeper."

This keeps you human. You're not bragging. Just being honest about what guides you.

This framework works because it shows people WHO you are under pressure.

Not when things are easy.

But when you have to choose between convenience and conviction.

And ironically?

That makes people want to work with you MORE.

Because if you're willing to walk away from money for your principles...

They know you'll protect their interests too.

So here's my challenge:

Think of one time you said NO to something that looked good on paper...

But didn't align with who you are or what you stand for.

Reply and tell me the story.

Just the basics. I'll show you how to structure it with this framework.

Deal?

Talk soon,

Stephen

P.S. - Funny how missing my "Friday format" ended up teaching something more valuable than the format itself. Maybe that's the real lesson here.

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