New Year's Day Q&A (the question nobody asks)

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Hey friend!,

Happy New Year!!!!!

Hope you're not too hungover.

I woke up this morning to a question in my inbox from one of you.

And honestly? It's the question EVERYONE should be asking but almost nobody does.

So I figured I'd kick off 2026 by answering it.

Here it is:

Question: "I've been using the frameworks you shared this week. My stories are way more specific now. I'm reliving them instead of reporting them. But here's my problem: people read them, engage with them, and then... nothing. No replies. No action. What am I missing?"

Great question.

And I'm willing to bet half of you reading this are dealing with the exact same issue.

Here's the answer:

You're telling great stories. But you're forgetting to tell people WHY they should care.

Let me explain.

Most people think a good story stands on its own.

It doesn't.

A story without meaning is just entertainment.

And entertainment doesn't drive action.

Here's what I mean:

Let's say I tell you this story:

"This morning, I woke up thinking it was still 2025. Checked my phone. Saw the date: January 1, 2026. Realized I forgot to schedule my New Year's email. Panic mode activated."

Okay, cool story.

Relatable, maybe.

But so what?

Why should you care that I forgot to schedule an email?

You shouldn't.

Unless I connect it to something that matters to YOU.

Watch what happens when I add the meaning:

"This morning, I woke up thinking it was still 2025. Checked my phone. Saw the date: January 1, 2026. Realized I forgot to schedule my New Year's email. Panic mode activated.

And here's why I'm telling you this:

Because I spent all of 2025 preaching about systems and consistency... and still managed to screw up on Day 1 of the new year.

Which is a reminder that perfection isn't the goal. Progress is.

You're going to miss days. You're going to forget things. You're going to mess up.

That doesn't make you a failure. It makes you human.

So if you're sitting there on January 1st beating yourself up for not having it all figured out yet... stop. I don’t!!!

You don't need to be perfect. You just need to keep going."

See the difference?

The story is the doorway.

The meaning is what you lead people into once they walk through that door.

Without the meaning, people read your story and think: "Nice. Anyway..."

With the meaning, they read it and think: "Oh shit. That's me."

And THAT'S when they act.

So here's the framework:

Every story you tell needs to answer one question:

"So what does this mean for ME?"

Not "what happened to you."

But "what does YOUR story mean for MY life."

This is why the best storytellers don't stop after the punchline.

They deliver:

1. The punchline (what happened)

2. The point (what it taught you)

3. The relevance (why it matters to them)

4. The lesson (what they should do about it)

Most people stop at step 1.

Maybe step 2 if they're feeling generous.

But steps 3 and 4? That's where the magic happens.

That's where stories turn into sales.

Because people don't buy your experiences.

They buy what your experiences can do for THEM.

Here's what I want you to do in 2026:

Stop ending your stories at the story.

Start asking yourself: "What's the bridge?"

What connects YOUR moment to THEIR reality?

What makes this story relevant to their business, their life, their decisions?

Then say it out loud:

"The reason I'm telling you this is because..."

Those 8 words are magic.

They turn entertainment into transformation.

They turn engagement into action.

They turn stories into sales.

So here's your challenge for Day 1 of 2026:

Reply to this email and tell me:

What's one story you told in 2025 that got great engagement... but no action?

Just give me the headline. The gist.

And I'll show you what bridge you were missing.

Let's make 2026 the year your stories actually move people.

Sound good?

Till tomorrow...

From beautiful Jamaica,

Stephen

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