Why stories sell what stats can’t

How to make numbers feel something

Author

Stephen Stanberry
October 22nd, 2025

In partnership with

friend!

A few years back, this founder pitched his shiny new app.

He came in strong.

Charts. Projections. Market analysis.

The whole shebang.

Everyone nodded along politely.
But you could tell… nobody cared.

Then something shifted.

He stopped mid-sentence.
Took a breath.
And said

“I built this because my brother missed his son’s graduation while waiting on a client’s call.”

Silence.

Every investor leaned forward.
You could feel the room change.

Same data.
Different entry point.
A human one.

Now, here’s the thing:

The brain treats data like noise...
until emotion gives it context.

Stories stick because they connect logic to feeling.

And that’s what so many business owners miss.

Data informs.
But emotion?
Emotion decides.

When you write… lead with the moment.

Don’t hide behind charts, percentages, or bullet points.
Anchor it to something human
time lost, trust broken, a small win that mattered.

That’s what people remember.

Here are three prompts you can swipe right now:

  • “I learned this the hard way when ____.”

  • “The number looked great, but I felt ____.”

  • “What the data didn’t show was ____.”

Pick one.
Write a short post today.
Then watch what happens when people feel instead of analyze.

Till tomorrow,

From my hot corner of Jamaica,
Stephen

P.S. You’ll start hearing me mention something new soon, The Yellow Lab.
It’s where I’ll help a small group of writers and founders turn their stories into daily practice.
Think of it as the storytelling gym that runs beside this newsletter.
More on that Friday.

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