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Therapy Session or Business Strategy? (Spoiler: There's a Difference)

Therapy Session or Business Strategy? (Spoiler: There's a Difference)

Most people think a great story will sell itself.

Stephen Stanberry
August 11th, 2025

In partnership with

Hey friend,

So apparently I've been running a free counseling service on LinkedIn. Who knew?

Quick Reality Check Last year I posted about getting fired from a job I loved. The whole messy truth, getting the news over Google Meet, the 10-minute conversation that ended my career, not even getting to say goodbye to my remote team I'd led for 2+ years.

The therapy session results were... impressive:

Everyone calling me "brave" and "inspirational"
Comments pouring in with similar horror stories
DMs from people sharing their own firing trauma
Discovery calls booked: Zero (damn)

Here’s the the uncomfortable truth, great stories don't automatically create great business. Plot twist: vulnerability without strategy is just expensive group therapy.

I was giving people connection without direction. They felt for me, but had zero clue how I could help them solve their actual problems.

So I cracked the code on what separates viral content from valuable content. Three questions that changed everything:

Question 1: Does this solve a problem they're losing sleep over right now? Not just "omg so relatable" but "holy shit, I need this solution."

Question 2: Does it change how they see their situation? Stop sharing pain. Start reframing their perspective toward your solution.

Question 3: What can they do in the next 5 minutes? Something specific and actionable, not "reach out if this resonates."

The magic formula: Relevance → Shift → Next Step

When I rewrote that firing disaster using this framework? Same vulnerability, strategic direction. Result: qualified discovery calls in 48 hours instead of therapy sessions.

Here’s my Challenge for you: Grab your most-liked "therapy session" post. Run it through these three questions. I guarantee you'll find the missing piece that's been costing you clients.

The difference between LinkedIn therapists and profitable storytellers? Strategy, my friend.

Catch you on the flip side,

Stephen

P.S. Want the complete framework for turning your mess into money? My Live Learn Love Storytelling Guide shows you exactly how to craft narratives that convert without being gross about it → [Click here to tell better stories]