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Stop trying to be "creative" (do this instead)
The 4-part framework that finally made storytelling click for me
Stephen Stanberry
January 11th, 2026
Hey friend
Earlier this week, I was on a call with a founder who said something that stopped me in my tracks.
"I don't know what to post about."
And I sat there thinking...
Damn, I've heard this at least 20 times in the past month alone.
These are smart people. Running actual companies. Making real money.
But when it comes to posting online?
Blank.
Complete freeze.
They watch other founders build engaged audiences and wonder where the hell all this content is coming from.
You see:
Here's what I've learned after failing at dropshipping, ecommerce, marketing agencies, and basically everything else before finding my way back to storytelling...
You're not short on stories. You just don't see them yet.
Every conversation you have. Every decision that keeps you up at night. Every time you mess something up and figure it out.
That's all material.
You just need a framework to turn it into something people actually care about.
So that's what this is.
The 4 things that finally made storytelling click for me (after years of doing it the hard way).
1. Figure out why people actually stop scrolling
Nobody remembers your content because of the information.
They remember how it made them feel.
When someone sends a post to a friend saying "you gotta read this"...
They're not talking about bullet points.
They're talking about an emotional reaction.
Every story that lands follows a pattern:
Start with tension – What's the problem or moment that grabbed you?
Show the struggle – Where's the messy middle? The part most people want to skip because it's uncomfortable?
Share what changed – What did you learn that shifted everything?
Don't just inform. Transform.
And here's the thing...
The emotion lives in the struggle. That's the part everyone wants to skip.
But it's the only part that actually matters.
Three ways to practice this until it clicks:
Daily story notes – Keep a running list on your phone. "What tension did I feel today?" Don't polish it. Just capture it.
Reverse engineer what works – Once a week, find content that made you stop. Break down where the hook, struggle, and transformation showed up.
15-minute story sprints – Take one thing from your week. Set a timer. Write it using that pattern.
Do this enough times and you'll start seeing stories everywhere.
(Trust me on this one)
2. Learn which emotions actually move people
Facts tell. Emotion sells.
You can explain something perfectly and still leave people cold.
The stories that spread? They make people feel something.
There are 7 core human emotions: happiness, fear, anger, surprise, sadness, disgust, contempt.
Every viral post triggers at least one of these at a gut level.
Most content stays tactical.
"Here's how to do X."
No emotion. No connection.
You see:
Tactics get clicks. Stories build movements.
Tactics spike fast and fade. Stories compound over time.
Your audience keeps coming back when you make them feel something real.
And believe it or not...
That's the difference between posting for vanity metrics and posting to actually build something.
3. Train yourself to spot stories in your everyday chaos
You're not running out of material.
You're just not paying attention.
That hire who crushed it in their first month? Story.
The decision you made that blew up in your face? Story.
The breakthrough you had at 2am while your three kids were finally asleep? (Yeah, I know that feeling)
Story.
Storytellers don't have more interesting lives.
They just notice more.
As a founder, your job is to spot these moments so you (or your team) can turn them into content.
Ask yourself:
What decision am I wrestling with right now that could help someone else?
What failure haven't I talked about yet?
What small win this week could encourage someone who's struggling?
It's all there.
You just gotta start looking for it.
4. Get your reps in public
The old playbook said: Hide everything until it's perfect.
Polish. Edit. Wait until you've "made it."
That playbook is dead.
(And honestly, it was never that great to begin with lol)
The founders winning now? They're building in public.
They share their vision, their pivots, their failures, their breakthroughs—as they happen.
When you share publicly, three things unlock:
People witness your growth – They see you evolve in real time and root for you.
Accountability increases – It's harder to quit when people are watching.
Opportunities find you – People see where you're headed and want in.
Now here's where I got real with myself...
Map your next public share:
What are you wrestling with right now that others could learn from?
What recent failure are you still avoiding talking about?
What breakthrough did you have this week that someone needs to hear?
The more you share, the louder your signal becomes.
The right people start finding you.
The more you hide, the more you disappear.
It's that simple.
.
.
Either way...
If your stories feel flat, you don't need more creativity.
You need more practice and a system that makes it easier.
Till next time...
Stephen
P.S. The founders you see posting consistently? They're not doing it alone. They have systems.
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