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The cringe of data-driven story

The cringe of data-driven story

I turned boring @$$ data into attention-grabbing stories

Stephen Stanberry
November 17th, 2025

In partnership with

Hey friend!

Since Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica, I’ve been using a lot of data-driven stories in my content on LinkedIn and Threads.

And I’ve got to be honest… I was surprised by the results.

Data, when told right, doesn’t kill emotion.
It amplifies it.

But only if you know how to use it.

See, most people treat data like decoration.
A chart here.
A percentage there.
Then they wonder why their post feels like a spreadsheet with captions.

So today I want to show you how to turn boring data into stories that actually grab attention.

I call it The 3 Levels of Data-Driven Storytelling.

Let’s break it down.

Level 1 – The Stat Dropper

This is where most people start.

They throw stats at the screen like confetti and hope something sticks.

“Engagement dropped 37% last quarter.”

Cool.
But… now what?

The problem here is context.
Numbers alone don’t create connection.

If you’re at this level, your goal is simple:
Stop reporting. Start relating.

Ask: What does this number say about people, behavior, or change?

When I posted, “$7 billion in hurricane losses equals 30% of Jamaica’s GDP,”
people didn’t care because of the number.
They cared because I compared it to the U.S. losing $8 trillion overnight.

Context builds emotion.

Level 2 – The Meaning Maker

At this stage, you’re starting to connect the dots.

You’re not just sharing numbers; you’re interpreting them.

You use data to tell a story about impact.

Example:
“When tourism corridors shut down for 72 hours, 12,000 hotel workers lost pay. That’s not a number it’s dinner tables without food.”

See the shift?
You’re showing what the data feels like.

To move from Level 2 to Level 3, ask yourself:
How does this data reveal something about human nature?

Level 3 – The Insight Architect

This is where storytelling mastery lives.

You don’t use data to inform.
You use data to transform.

Every stat becomes proof of a deeper pattern.

Example:
“When crisis hits, small business owners reopen faster than corporations. Not because they have more resources—but because survival makes them creative.”

Now you’re not quoting numbers.
You’re uncovering truths.

You’ve turned raw data into a message people remember.

So if you’ve been avoiding analytics because they “feel dry,”
you’re missing a powerful storytelling edge.

The goal isn’t to sound smarter.
It’s to make people feel something true.

That’s what data-driven storytelling really is
logic wrapped in humanity.

Try it this week:
Find one stat in your niche and ask, “What does this say about people?”

Then write that story.

Reply and share it with me
I’ll highlight the best ones next week.

Stephen “Turning Numbers into Narratives” Stanberry

PS: I’ve created a community THE YELLOW LAB where I’ll share prompts and challenges. It’s free to join.

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