The single mistake that's quietly killing your sales funnel (and how to fix it)

My car smelled like French fries - again.

I’d been daydreaming when the GPS chimed, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Another doorstep. Another delivery.

I sat there for a moment, gripping the steering wheel tightly as tears threatened to stream down my cheeks, creeping up out of nowhere.

It wasn’t the long hours. I’d gotten used to the 12-hour shifts, driving back and forth across town. It even had the added benefit of allowing me to learn the ‘new’ Atlanta quickly as hell.

It wasn’t even the unpredictable days - where one shift would take 6 hours to hit my goal, and the next would drag into 13.

It was the quiet, gnawing fear that none of it mattered. That I was spinning my wheels, stuck in place, wasting time I couldn’t get back.

The money wasn’t bad - great, even, on the good days. But I felt trapped. Stuck in a loop where every day looked the same, and every night ended with me asking the same question:

What am I doing with my life?

And yet, every shift, I turned on an audiobook, a podcast, or a course. For hours, I listened as I drove.

Over those years, I worked through more than 300 audiobooks.

I didn’t see it then, but those long drives were doing more than putting money in my pocket. They were planting seeds for a future I couldn’t even imagine yet.

I thought I wasn’t making any progress because I kept measuring it the wrong way. I’d look at my earnings, my hours, my schedule, and it all screamed stagnation.

But beneath the surface, I was growing in ways that couldn’t be tracked on a spreadsheet.

When I finally stepped away from that life and into my current one, the realization randomly hit me when I built, launched and sold an offer using the strategies I learned during that time. Those books, podcasts, and courses had built a foundation for the person I was becoming, even when I didn’t know it.

I wasn’t stuck - I was growing.

Quietly. Steadily.

In ways I couldn’t see at the time.

Those years gave me more than just money. They gave me the tools and strategies to move forward.

I just had to look beyond the surface to see it.

Did you know that 70% of storytelling content’s value lies in its long-term effects, but businesses often overlook these, focusing instead on short-term metrics like views, likes, and followers?

I get it. We all want tangible results we can easily measure. But storytelling doesn’t always work on a timeline you can track immediately. Its real power lies in what happens over time.

Stories build trust, shift perspectives, and deepen connections in ways that aren’t always visible right away. It’s the email from a customer months later saying, “Your story stuck with me,” or the moment someone decides to take action after quietly following your content for a year.

If you only measure what you can see right now, you’ll miss the magic happening beneath the surface.

Stories are like seeds - they need time to grow. The key to tracking storytelling ROI isn’t about chasing every metric. It’s about focusing on the ones that truly matter.

To truly measure the impact of your stories, focus on four key elements of my R.E.A.L. Approach to Storytelling ROI

• Resonance
  Does your story connect on a human level? Look for qualitative feedback -emails, comments, or even casual mentions that show your audience felt seen or inspired.

• Engagement
  Go beyond surface metrics like likes. Track meaningful actions, like shares, replies, or time spent engaging with your content.

• Actionable Outcomes
  Tie specific stories to clear results. Did a post drive newsletter sign-ups? Did a story prompt someone to book a call? Focus on the actions that move the needle.

• Long-Term Impact
  Look for patterns over time. Are customers referencing your story weeks or months later? Did it help establish a reputation that led to bigger opportunities?

Why This Works

Stories operate on two levels: what you see immediately and what grows over time.

The immediate impact is easy to measure - likes, clicks, views. But the long-term impact is where trust and conversions are built. People don’t just buy because of one story; they buy because of the connection they’ve felt over months or years of hearing your voice.

By focusing on deeper engagement and tracking patterns, you stop chasing vanity metrics and start seeing how your stories build something lasting.

Simplifying what you track doesn’t just make your process clearer - it builds confidence, both for you and your audience. When your efforts are consistent and intentional, you’re not just another voice - you’re a trusted guide worth following - wherever you may lead.

Here’s What You’ll Get Out of It

• Clarity That Drives Confidence
  You’ll stop chasing surface-level metrics and zero in on the outcomes that truly matter. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by data, you’ll have a clear focus on the actions and results that reflect meaningful progress.

• Trust That Deepens Connections
  By prioritizing resonance and long-term impact, you’ll create a stronger bond with your audience. They’ll see you as more than a voice in their feed - they’ll see you as someone who understands them, someone they trust to show up consistently with value.

• Momentum That Builds Over Time
  Every story you tell becomes part of a larger narrative, each piece adding to the strength and purpose of your brand. With each iteration, you’ll create a snowball effect of trust, engagement, and loyalty that naturally drives conversions and growth.

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“The best stories grow trust long before they grow sales.”

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Your Turn

Take ten minutes to go beyond surface reflection and refine your storytelling strategy:

1. Revisit Your Most Resonant Story
   Think about a story you’ve shared that sparked a meaningful reaction—comments, emails, or even quiet nods from your audience. Why did it land? Write down the emotions it evoked and the specific feedback you received.

2. Trace the Ripples
   Look beyond the initial response. Did that story lead to repeat engagement, new opportunities, or someone referencing it months later? Map out the less visible ways it may have deepened trust or inspired action.

3. Align Metrics to Meaningful Outcomes
   Pick a single metric that reflects the deeper impact of your storytelling. This could be retention rates, customer lifetime value, or qualitative feedback like testimonials. Decide how you’ll track this for your next story.

4. Set a Repetition Strategy
   Take that resonant story and think about where it could be adapted or expanded. Could it become a blog post, a podcast segment, or a video? Map out at least three ways to retell or repurpose it while keeping its core message intact.

Stories don’t just connect in the moment - they echo. By leaning into this ripple effect, you’ll transform your storytelling into a steady, reliable force that builds trust, loyalty, and results that go far beyond the first impression.

Prefer listening to reading sometimes? Want an extra layer?

Press play for the ‘Narrated Insights’:

Today’s Mega-Prompt: “Storytelling ROI Analysis”

Paid members get to use today’s mega-prompt to refine their storytelling strategies with a professional-level analysis of Resonance, Engagement, Actionable Outcomes, and Long-Term Impact. This prompt helps pinpoint areas to maximize storytelling effectiveness, ensuring your content drives measurable results while building stronger connections with your audience.

Here’s a sneak peek:
"Adopt the role of a visionary digital strategist renowned for pioneering innovative storytelling techniques and optimizing content to achieve unparalleled results… your goal is to design a transformative and highly customized strategy that elevates a brand’s storytelling effectiveness to new heights, meticulously tailored to align with the unique vision and objectives of the user's brand or business."