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- The best storytelling framework
Every day, I see the same posts on social media.
Stuff like: "I struggled with self-doubt. Then I found my inner strength. Now I believe in myself. Never give up! ✨"
My brother in Christ, I've gotten more emotional depth from a gas station fortune cookie.
People are out here writing content with all the tension of someone describing their morning poop.
0 personality.
Just motivational diarrhea sprayed across LinkedIn.
And this is the exact reason AI is going to destroy creators like the Terminator.
But thankfully, the upcoming AI apocalypse for creators is avoidable.
If you learn one of the most underrated skills in today’s world:
Storytelling.
Because facts? They only activate 2 parts of your brain.
Stories activate 5.
Stories also triggers oxytocin in the brain (the trust chemical that makes men think strippers are into them).
More trust = More clients and followers.
Now, if you’re like I used to be, you might think you’re a bad storyteller. That you’re just not a gewd riter.
But I can promise you, you have an amazing storyteller in ya…
You just need a structure to follow.
So today, I’d like to share a simple storytelling framework I created after writing 50,000+ posts over 5 years.
I call it the HERO Framework.
And before you think this is another bullshit acronym from some guru who's never actually built anything…
This system took me from working graveyard shifts at Domino's (where I genuinely considered whether insurance fraud was a viable exit strategy) to a 7-figure business.
How To Tell Stories (The Secret Sauce)
H = Hardship
Start your story with a struggle that makes your audience go "oh f*ck, that's me."
Not some unrelatable bullshit story like "I climbed Everest with one leg."
A problem, failure, or struggle your audience can relate to on an emotional level.
Because when they see themselves in your story, the experience the story as you tell it. This hooks them in.
Example:
I struggled to speak up in meetings. My manager asked for input on the new strategy. I had the answer, but I looked down and said nothing.
E = Effort
Next, show what effort you took to overcome your hardship.
Describe the journey you went on and the ups and downs of it.
This moves your story along and makes your audience wonder “what happens next?”
Example:
R = Result
Talk about the result of your effort.
How did your external situation change?
Did you win, or did you fail?
This pays off the story by showing the transformation.
Example:
3 months later, I was presenting to the boss I used to be terrified of. He asked a tough question. I paused, smiled, and answered with confidence.
O = Outlook
Finally, share how your outlook on life changed after your transformation.
This turns your story into a valuable lesson for your audience.
A story that’s entertaining and insightful will separate you from everyone else.
Example:
Now I know that confidence doesn't come before action. It comes after. You don't wait until you're ready. You practice while your hands are still shaking. That's how you transform.
The Missing Ingredient In Most Stories
You want to know the real secret?
The money's not in being relatable.
It's in being uncomfortably relatable. The kind of relatable that makes people think “Damn, I thought I was the only one."
Stop writing stories that sound like you're trying to get approved by your high school guidance counselor.
Add blood.
Add embarrassment.
And most importantly… add the part where you almost gave up and seriously considered whether you should start selling feet pics on OnlyFans.
Just kidding (or am I?)
Much love.
Your Canadian friend,
Dakota “Tell Your Story” Robertson
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