The missing 20 percent is costing you the whole story.

Fill the gap and suddenly everything clicks.

Author

Stephen Stanberry
November 28th, 2025

In partnership with

Happy Friday, friend! Cheers to the weekend

If you’re anything like me, you’ve filmed a video, watched it back, and thought,
“Okay…but why doesn’t this hit the way it should?”

And this has been the biggest pattern I’m noticing lately:
People share plenty of information,
but skip the information gap that makes someone lean closer to the screen.

Viewers stay hooked on answers they almost know.
Your job is to show them what’s missing… then reveal it.

And, no… you DON’T need:
perfect lighting
a flawless script
a curated on-camera persona
or that “I have my whole life together” glow
(I don’t have these either perfection is not the assignment)

What you do need is a moment where you highlight the gap your viewer can feel but can’t describe.
That tiny “Hold on… what?” spark.
That’s what keeps someone watching until the end.

Here’s how it looks in visual storytelling:

Camera Example:
“Everyone knows this camera shoots crisp photos…
but nobody talks about the one hidden setting that changes your videos instantly.”

Money / Wealth Coach Example:
“Most people think budgeting is about cutting expenses…
but almost no one knows the habit that actually increases their monthly cash flow.”

or

“Everyone knows they should ‘save more’…
but the part nobody explains is why saving feels impossible until you fix one tiny money pattern.”

See the pattern?
Give them 80 percent, then reveal the missing 20 percent.
That’s the emotional click.
That’s the retention.
That’s the connection.

So before you film your next short video, ask:
“What do they think they know… and what’s the piece they’re overlooking?”

Because the moment you reveal that missing piece, you stop sounding like everyone else.
You become the one who helps things finally make sense.

🎥 VISUAL PROMPTS

Option 1: Overlay Reels Prompt (answer in the caption)

Record 5–7 seconds of something simple: adjusting your mic, opening a notebook, setting down your coffee.
Overlay the line:
“Everyone tells you X… but here’s the part nobody talks about.”
Then use the caption to reveal the missing piece.

Option 2: Talking-Head Prompt (answer spoken on camera)

Start your video with:
“Everyone thinks X is the whole story… but they’re missing the ONE thing that makes it work.”
Pause.
Then explain the missing detail directly to camera.

See you next week
Stephen

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