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Your story is important and allows you to connect with others, but how are you storytelling in your business? Storytelling strategist, Akua Konadu, joins me in sharing her own journey to storytelling and how sharing her story has given her a platform and the space to impact others.
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Akua Konadu is a Storytelling Strategist and Social Media Educator, and Podcast host who empowers and equips entrepreneurs with personalized storytelling strategies that seamlessly integrate with their brand and elevate the message they are always meant to share.
Sharing Your Story
Akua entered the world of pageantry in 2015, competing for Miss Minnesota USA. During her time in the pageant world, Akua learned about the importance of storytelling and branding yourself. She also gained a skillset in making an impact in a short period of time.
Through that experience, she was able to share her own story personal story on domestic violence, which empowered her to impact others that she never imagined impacting. Her story allowed her to connect with and cross paths with people that she probably never would have spoken to, in all walks of life.
That perspective gave her the realization of what impact we can make if we all just shared our stories and listened to others.
Sharing Your Story in Your Business
As a business owner, it can be easy to hide behind your brand and disassociate from it, but you have to remember that people buy from people. You are the face behind your brand, so showing up and connecting is important.
Keep in mind though, that you get to decide how open and vulnerable you want to be with your audience. For years, I stayed silent about parts of me that I was nervous to share, but earlier this year, I decided that it was important for me to be open about who I am in a way that was authentic to my audience.
Boundaries Around Your Story
The process to defining what parts of your story and yourself you want to share can be emotional, yet this process can help craft exactly what you should be sharing in your marketing. In defining these pillars of your story that you plan to share, you will be able to connect with your audience and show them how your journey uniquely equips you to help them.
You can instill boundaries around what you want parts of your story you to share in your business with your audience. You don’t have to be an open book, in fact, it’s probably harmful to your mental health to let everyone into every aspect of your life. There will be parts of your life that not everyone deserves to know and you get to set those limitations.
Storytelling in Your Marketing
If you’ve felt overwhelmed with the changes happening online with marketing platforms and feel like throwing in the towel, there is some good news for you! The one thing in marketing that has always stayed the same is storytelling. Your story will help tell your story, sell your offers, and connect with your audience.
The way you show up online and tell your story in your marketing allows people to connect with you. It also removes the weight of selling, which so many of us hate to do.
Maya Angelo once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” That is the epitome of storytelling and why it’s so important. You can be in tune with the emotions your clients experience due to the problems they face and you solve, and in knowing this, you can connect with them in a way that relieves that emotion.
Catch the Show Notes
Get to Know Akua (3:08)
Storytelling in Marketing (9:32)
CONNECT WITH AKUA
IG: @akuakonadu_
Quiz: What Kind of Storytelling Are You Quiz!
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Review the Transcript:
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
Hi, friend, and welcome to the Brand Strategy Podcast, a show created to equip you with the inspiration, encouragement, and clarity you need to build the brand of your dreams. I’m your host, Bonnie Bakhtiari, brand designer, strategist, and founder of the Illume Retreat. From Sustainable Strategy to Partel Encouragement. Each episode is designed to equip you with the tools you need to chase after your dreams because you deserve a brand that empowers you to do what you love, connects with your dream clients, and offers a deep sense of fulfillment along the way. So grab a cup of coffee and join me on this journey, won’t you
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
Friends, Welcome back to the Brand Strategy podcast, where today we are talking about the power of storytelling in your marketing with the absolutely amazing , Akua Konadu. And I’m really excited to get to have this conversation with her because I have known Akua for a few years now. We actually connected at the Imperfect Boss Camp in, I think it was 2019. Mm-hmm. . And that was such an incredible experience and a really fantastic opportunity for us to, um, really just have our paths crossed. But it’s been really cool for me ever since then, just seeing how her business has grown and how her expertise in the online business community has continued to evolve. And so her area where she focuses on storytelling strategy, that is just pure fire in my opinion, because, uh, you and I understand that as online business owners, the way that we show up, the way that we move through the online space, the way that we show up on social media and how we’re carrying in our stories and how we’re communicating with our audiences, that makes all the difference and there’s so much potential there.
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
So Akua is a storytelling strategist, and she’s also a social media educator and a podcast host. So definitely go check out her podcast, which I’ll link to in the show notes. But she really specializes on empowering and equipping entrepreneurs with personalized storytelling strategies that seamlessly integrate with their brand and help them elevate the message they were always meant to share. So today’s conversation, I’m excited to be able to, to share it with y’all. So with that being said, oh cool, well, welcome to the Brand strategy podcast. I’m so grateful to chat with you today. Oh
Akua Konadu:
My gosh, thank you so much for having me. And that intro was fired
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
. Well, honestly, like when we’re talking about such an incredible topic like this, and when I get to chat with you, who like you are just such an expert in this area, I already know it’s going to be great because well, I mean, it’s you come on. .
Akua Konadu:
Thanks for gassing me up, girl.
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
Yes, any day, . Well, I already have had the pleasure of getting to know you a little bit, but I wanna invite those who are tuning in today to get to know you a little bit more. So if you’re up for it, would you be comfortable sharing a little bit more about who you are and this business that you’ve
Akua Konadu:
Built? Yeah, for sure. No, so as Bonnie stated, I’m a coa. Um, and I kind of fell into marketing and storytelling strategy through pageantry. So, uh, a few years ago, back in like 2015, I was in college. I was trying to figure out what to do with my life with this degree that I knew I was not gonna utilize. But I, in the midst of all that, I actually decided to start competing in pageants just through a letter that I had gotten in the mail to compete in Miss Minnesota usa. And I was like, All right, I’m just gonna give it a shot here and let’s see how that goes. And so when I competed for that, I had the most fun, did not win or anything like that, but I had such a great time and learned so much about branding yourself, storytelling, you know, cuz just with pageantry you have, there’s so much you have to prepare for, like how to speak well again, how to share your story in a really short amount of time, how to make an impact in a short amount of time, um, and having that stage presence.
Akua Konadu:
So it was through that. And then I competed through another pageant system, and then I was crowned Miss Minnesota International 2015. So it was throughout that year again where I just completely was able to really hone in on branding, storytelling, marketing, because you’re really selling yourself. And it was through that whole process of me sharing my own personal story story in my platform, which is domestic violence, which aims to end, uh, domestic violence and sexual assault against women and children. And so it was through me sharing my own personal story through that is that how quickly I had realized just how impactful storytelling was, people from all walks of life would be coming up to me, It didn’t matter, race, ethnicity, age, you know, gender. They would say that they were able to relate to my story in some capacity. Like honestly, like people, I would probably, if I saw walking down the street, I would never talk to, you know, just people that you just naturally wouldn’t think that you would cross paths with.
Akua Konadu:
I was crossing paths with people. And so it just really gave me that, uh, perspective of just like, wow, like how impactful in life changing things can be if we all just really sit down and just share, share like pieces of who we are. And so that’s kind of what has really helped me build my business now. And so I first started out as Instagram strategy, Instagram strategist, and I liked it, but I got burned out with it very quick. Like I just did not like doing like Instagram audits and all of those things because what I, I had started to notice was is that yeah, people understood the strategy, but if you don’t have the communication aspect, if you’re not sure how to really talk about who you are and what you sell and what it is that you do, all of that work goes out the window, right?
Akua Konadu:
Like when you are trying to build out the strategy. So, and also too, like I said, I kind of found myself, um, kind of doing what everybody else was doing in regards to, you know, there’s so many marketing experts out there and you get caught up in that comparison trap. You get caught up of like, am I good enough? Can I do this? And so I kind of just like took a break and uh, was like, this is is not what I wanna do and I need to really do something that of course is going to be very impactful, but is also aligned with me. Like, is this something that I’m going to enjoy doing? And so I was just like, I don’t know why I just don’t lean more into the storytelling piece. Like I was already doing storytelling it with Instagram strategy, but it wasn’t like my whole business. And so I decided it was like in 2020 and I just launched my new brand earlier this year. But yeah, last year in 2021, I decided to just rebrand into a storytelling strategist. I have made a new service that I absolutely love, and it’s actually seeing results in impacting people in such a positive way. And it, and I love it. I now like truly, truly love what I do. Um, so that’s a little bit about me with that whole long tangent there, but that’s, that’s kind of where I’m at today,
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
. Mm. I love that though. And like we met when you were in your Instagram strategy days. Yeah. And that was, that was like your focus and that’s where you were taking your business. And like, what I’ve really thought was just so incredible about that is how you looked at what you were already doing and you like honed in on this very specific aspect of it that captured your passion, that utilized all of this experience that you’ve gleaned from just the years of not only going through like kind of the pageant circuit, but also just your own personal experience of sharing who you are and, you know, creating kind of that personal brand for yourself. And I think that that’s a really like fascinating and kind of like powerful thought to kind of hold, is that when you’re feeling the calling to do something different, you don’t necessarily have to like, burn everything that you’ve built to the ground. It might just be as simple as like looking at what you already do and asking yourself like, Hey, what, what about this actually excites me? Or what about this actually that I’m already doing? You know, like captures my passion and makes me feel like alive when I’m doing it. And it sounds like that’s really what you did.
Akua Konadu:
Oh yeah. 110%. And I think it just reminds us as business owners that like our journey again, is just not linear. I think our, like we change, like we as people, we change, we evolve. We’re not the same person that we were a year ago, two years ago. Even the same person that we were yesterday we’re not the same. And so, you know, you have to be okay with that. And then, and if things change and you wanna go a different route, that’s more than okay. I think sometimes we forget that as, as people in general. But you know, that’s a whole different conversation.
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
. No, but I’m here for it because honestly, like earlier this year I decided to like publicly come out as not only having a chronic illness, but also being a person. And yes, that’s something that, and you know, like looking at my marriage and looking at the fact that I’m married to a heterosexual cisgender man, it looks like I am this heterosexual woman and I’m actually not. I’m bisexual. And so, like, what’s been really cool about that, what’s been really empowering for me, me is like owning that part of like, yeah, like I can, you know, sit here and encourage people, like, hey, you know, give yourself the space to grow. Give yourself the space to step into all of who you are in your business. But like as we, as we live our lives and we learn more about who we are and we learn more about how we wanna show up and what parts of ourselves we want to share with the world, I think that that’s just like the most exciting and invigorating kind of thought for me is like we get to then reflect that in the work that we do or the brands that we’re building or the stories that we’re sharing through our messaging.
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
So all that to say I can just like 100% relate to, to, you know, what, what you’re sharing there. Oh
Akua Konadu:
Yeah, for sure. Like 1000% to everything that you just said. Because I think we are, as human beings, we’re multifaceted. And I think sometimes even with storytelling, people are just like, well, and of course like if it’s something that is so personal to you, you don’t share it, right? Like, not everybody needs to hear all the aspects of your business, like of your personal life, right? It’s whatever you’re comfortable with. However, but like, people buy from people. Like people really wanna be able to know and see like the person behind the brand and get to and like, does this person align, align with my values? Um, how does this person show up? Like, is this person gonna be a safe space for me to be able to help me solve my problem? Like, all those things do matter, and you have to show who you are in order to be to do that, right? And so, um, yes to everything that you just said,
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
Right? Right. And I think like you make a good point there is there’s, right, like I know at least for my journey, there’s that level of comfort of like, what am I comfortable? What do I feel safe sharing with the world? Because you know, I’m taking, I’m taking who I am and I’m putting it out there on the internet and I’m not gonna be for everybody. Like, not everybody’s going to like me or even appreciate or respect me. And so knowing that, like it’s important to decide what your personal level of comfort looks like, and I’m kind of getting a little bit ahead of myself here, but with this concept of storytelling mm-hmm. , you know, we think that in our messaging as business owners, there’s that personal component. Like we decide, okay, I have a story to tell. How do I wanna weave that into my marketing? But at first, do we need to figure out like what parts of our story we should share or we want to share? Like as a strategist in this niche, have you seen kind of a way that you help your clients figure out like what aspects of their story they should share or they might want to share or would be applicable to their mission?
Akua Konadu:
Oh yeah. 110%. You know, I think, um, within my storytelling intensive, for example, like I just did an intensive earlier this week, and you know, what we do is like we have a storytelling library. And so you are literally putting together these stories that I ask you to put together and we go back and reflect on it. And not only are we pulling out content ideas, but you start to really kind of see like what, when you’re going back and hearing your story as we’re reflecting on it together, what emotions is that bringing up in you? Is it something that like you feel comfortable about, you feel good about? Or if it’s something that like, if it’s feels negative, let’s lean into that and if we can talk about it, and then if it comes to the space where like, ah, I don’t see any value in sharing this, then we don’t share it.
Akua Konadu:
You know, I think with storytelling you are in control. And I think just with our old messaging and marketing, like you are in control. And that’s what I love about storytelling is that you are free to be who you are to do whatever you want to do whatever is best for you, and still be able to connect with your audience. You don’t have to choose either or. And so a lot of the times too, like we really discuss what those boundaries are for you, of what you wanna highlight. Like some people don’t wanna talk about their spouse, but they wanna talk about their family unit as a whole. We can absolutely do that. You know what I mean? Somebody wants to talk about motherhood, but they wanna obviously protect the privacy of their child. Totally can do that too. Like it’s whatever it is that works best for you because no matter what your voice is needed in the world.
Akua Konadu:
So we’re gonna sit there and go through your stories as you put them together and let’s really work through that and sift through that. And then once we have like, right, these are the boundaries that we’re gonna respect, now let’s really take what we have now and really craft it into an impactful message as you’re creating your social media content. Um, not even just social media, like if it’s email marketing, definitely don’t do website like copywriting’s a whole different beast, but . But if it’s like email marketing or like social media content for like communication channels, you know what I mean? Like, then we can really start honing in on the type of content that we wanna share, if that makes Yeah. If that makes sense.
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
Oh yeah, that makes total sense. And I, I love that you’re like, you are focusing on giving people the freedom to share and to share what they wanna share, but also to create those boundaries that help them maintain privacy when they want to or be more vulnerable and be more open when that serves them. And I just, I really love that that is, uh, kind of a framework that you focus on sharing with people. Because where I see some people getting stuck, especially people who are maybe more private by nature or they’re introverted, is like, we hear this concept of storytelling as a marketing concept and we think that we need to like air all our dirty laundry on the internet, or we need to be like, like so vulnerable that we get like those vulnerability hangovers the next day. But like, that’s not what this is, right? This is like, this is defining pillars of your story that you are sharing to connect with your audience and show them how your, your journey uniquely equips you to help them, right?
Akua Konadu:
Yes. 110%. And I think this is something I definitely wanna talk about too within the creative industry, cuz you know, you have some big heavy hitters. You know, they have built their business on being like an open book, which there is nothing wrong with that. Okay. . So kudos to them. That’s fine. And there are people who haven’t, like there’s no wrong way to do this. Again, you just have to really like see what your, your limits are and what your parameters are. Because we also still too like want to be healthy for your mental health and this and that cuz there’s just certain parts of your story that not everybody deserves to hear. You know what I mean? Mm-hmm. , and that’s up to you. Like, or if you do feel like, I wanna share all of this, I’m gonna share all of this again. So like there’s, I think everybody can find that balance, that balance is very, very possible for everybody.
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
Mm, absolutely. And, um, you know, just to kind of like put it and, and share it in, in a a real life example, with my own experience, I chose to come out earlier this year because I kind of had reached this point where I was feeling like limited by the brand persona that I’d created up until that point. Like I was feeling like I wasn’t able to show up in the online space as all of who I was because I was like keeping some really important information private. And that’s unique to me. You know, I think that for me that was like a really powerful, almost like indicator that this doesn’t feel aligned for me anymore. And so my brand needs to evolve to reflect my growth. But like that was something that for, for years I kept that information private because it was, it was something that I wasn’t comfortable sharing.
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
And so I think it’s important to just remember that like as humans, we are constantly growing and what you might choose to keep private and kind of, it’s a precious thing that you’re keeping closer to your chest in this season. That’s okay. And that’s absolutely your prerogative. You may get to a 0.1 day where you want to share it with people, you can see how it might help people or paint this picture a possibility for others, or it honestly might always be something that you just keep as a private thing. And I think that what I wanna really share there is that there’s no right or wrong way to do it, which Akua, that’s exactly what you’ve been saying. It’s just a matter of figuring out and really looking and and identifying what works for you.
Akua Konadu:
Yes, exactly. Which I feel like that’s how we should be doing business and marketing, you know what I mean? So many aspects of like, we see like what other people are doing. They’re like, Okay, do these things X, y, z, which is great. There’s nothing wrong with that. But however, it’s like no business is one size fits all. And same thing with storytelling, you know, So you have to really figure out what works best for you.
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
So like what is it about storytelling that you have seen with your own business or with your client’s businesses? Like what, what is it about using storytelling in your marketing that is so impactful and that is really worth pursuing?
Akua Konadu:
Yeah, I think one thing I will say, like everybody is pressed this year with Instagram. I mean, you know, people are over it people are, people are very frustrated right now with a lot of, uh, social media channels. And I think, um, for me, I’m never sweating it because to be honest, you know, social media’s always going to evolve and, but the only thing that has consistently stayed the same throughout all of these changes is storytelling. Like, that piece is always stayed consistent of like, what’s gonna help you stand out? What’s gonna help you make original content? What’s gonna make, uh, be able to help you sell your offers? Like storytelling. I mean, and I’m just saying that is a small piece of marketing as a whole, but it is a powerful piece if you can do it and do it well. Um, to what, to where, like there are times, like I literally have had people who have reached out to me who are like, I wanna work with you just by going back and reading some of my Instagram posts.
Akua Konadu:
And I, and like, I still shared value of course, but a lot of it was because like the stories that I had shared and my values, and they were like, the way that you show up, the way that you view marketing and all of those things like that aligns with me. So I wanna work with you. Um, and again, it just, it just makes it a lot easier. So even with my intensive as we are creating these content ideas, we were already able to highlight, I was like, this is gonna be a selling post that you’re making just based on the story here that you’re sharing, right? Like, it’s just, it just, like I said, you just, you feel freer, you feel like this feels good to me to show up this way. And then of course we still are keeping your target audience at center, but it really, it just makes it a lot easier.
Akua Konadu:
I think that’s just like the main, the biggest piece because a lot of us don’t like to sell, I don’t like to just come out full blown and sell mm-hmm. . Yeah. You know, a lot of us are still afraid of that and I am one of them, right? Like, but it storytelling has really kind of taken that weight off for me a little bit where I’m able to just kind of just shared the story of, of how impactful my services are and the value that it really provides. And people are more receptive to that, I would say.
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
Well, yeah. And I can completely understand why they would be, because when I think about some of the, the big investments that I’ve made in, in my business, or even just like in my personal life, I think that the, the investments that have been the easiest for me to make, the ones where I have been like, Here is my credit card, just, just take my money kind of thing. Mm-hmm. have been with, with brands, with people where I felt connected to their story and I could look at what they did and I could see how, you know, let’s say it’s like a coach that I hired, um, last year actually, she, her storytelling looked like telling about how she, you know, like went from broke to building a seven figure business using this, this signature framework that she created. And knowing how she went from, you know, like being a person who struggled with having like poor credit to now being this incredibly independently wealthy woman who is paving the way for other women in, in the business space.
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
I just, I was like, yes. Like I absolutely want to learn from you because I see you out there like you’re teaching other people based on what you’ve done for yourself and you’re not shy about that. You’re, you’re, you’re proud of what transformation you’ve created for yourself. But I wouldn’t know that transformation if she didn’t share that story. Like if she, you know, just like showed up on Instagram and, you know, was just talking about how like, yeah, she’s built this seven figure business and it’s been great. Well, yeah, that’s good for you. Like I’m, I’m happy for you. But there’s not that emotional piece of knowing how she went from kind of this struggle to this growth and now this like incredible place and her life and her business. And so yeah. Storytelling, like, it’s, it’s kind of magnetic in that
Akua Konadu:
Way. It really is. And I love how you just pointed out the emotional piece because there’s this quote from Maya Angelo, and I am gonna butcher it because I don’t remember exactly it word for word. But, um, you know how like you always, like, you’ll never remember the words that somebody says, but she’ll always remember how they made you feel. That is heavily storytelling, right? Mm-hmm. like it is the emotional piece. Like I have heard so many stories and I’m like, I can’t remember exactly what they said fully. You know, I’m telling the story in my own words, but I can for sure tell you how, like they made me feel what emotions that brought up in me at the time, like what I was experiencing. And so that is a huge, huge piece of storytelling is that you really have to be in tune with the emotions that you want people to experience when they hear your story.
Akua Konadu:
But not only that, you also have to be in tune with the emotions that they are experiencing currently from their problem not being solved. And a lot of my clients get so flipp and annoyed with me because I even get annoyed with myself, but a lot of times in my intensive, we do a whole target audience analysis. I do not care how long you have been in business. Like it could be 10 years or three years or a year, whatever. But a lot of people are always like, Yeah, of course I know who my target audience is and that is great, but with storytelling, you need to really intimately know them. Like I’m always like, we’re going deeper, we’re going deeper, we are going deeper. And it’s still, no matter like how seasoned you are in business, people have still been able to go back and look through that target and audience analysis and be able to learn something new about their persona, like that person that they wanna speak to, and even shift of how they wanna communicate with them to that. Because you really need to be able to be down to the language that they’re using and using that in your story to be able to, to connect with them and, and really pull out those emotions that you’re wanting them to be experienced. And the only that you can also do that is being aware of what they’re experiencing, like what emotions they’re experiencing from their problems not being solved. So emotions are a huge, a huge piece at peace. And really tapping into like empathy, which is so important for storytelling.
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
Ooh, I love how you just labeled that as empathy mm-hmm. . Because I think that where we’ve seen it done poorly in the online business space and where I know a lot of folks have been burned is when we see people use that emotional component in a manipulative way. Yes. Where brands use that to kind of prey on people and you know, where, where they’re currently struggling in order to basically kind of coerce them to spending their hard earned dollars mm-hmm. on the solution that may or may not be useful. So I think that approaching it, if, if those who are tuning in today can, like, maybe you’ve had an experience like that, or you can think of a brand that has marketed like that, it’s not a good feeling. And so thinking about it, instead of in your own business, you’re using this to be empathetic and to help your ideal client feel seen and heard and valued. Yeah. You’re not doing this to like twist somebody’s arm into hiring you, right?
Akua Konadu:
Yes, exactly. And people need to be able to see themselves in your story. They need to be able to be like experiencing things like you even mentioned about the coach that you worked with of like building that business, like, you know, building this, this large scale business. You saw yourself in that you saw yourself as somebody, as she was, like, as somebody who’s just starting out in their business, on their journey or wherever your business journey is. You definitely saw like the matchup there and her, and you saw yourself in her own story. That’s what attracted you to even want to know more about her and then eventually invest. And so again, it’s really tapping into that empathy piece. Like you’re putting yourself in somebody else’s shoes. So when you are crafting your own story, you people need to be able to see themselves in it. So how are you going to be able to like, put them in your shoes and walk alongside them to kind of guide them to where it is that they need to go to be able to get that transformation that they’re looking for.
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
Hmm. That makes sense. Yeah. So when people are thinking about approaching storytelling for their own marketing and they’re thinking about how to employ that empathetic piece, they’re thinking about who their ideal clients are, their ideal audience is, so they can really serve them well. Are there any other like additional kind of steps or maybe things to be aware of that can help people who are getting started with that storytelling journey?
Akua Konadu:
Oh yeah. 110%. There are like three questions that I always like to ask myself because like within my intensive piece, right? I have three core stories that business owners should be sharing on a regular basis. So there’s, those are their stories, but then also too, with like every day, everyday life, right? In our, in our own business journey, like where we’re currently at, what we’re doing, you, I always ask myself these questions of why do I wanna share this story, right? Like, if you’re wanting to share it for, you know, your own selfish reason, probably not the best story to share, right? Really pay attention to your emotions of what you’re experiencing. So why do you wanna share this story, right? Think about that. Um, also ask yourself, what value is this gonna provide my audience? So think about again, why do you wanna share it?
Akua Konadu:
Like what’s the purpose of this story? What value is that going to provide your audience? And then also ask yourself what is it that you want them to do after they’ve heard your story? So really just think of those three things and that will really start to help you hone in on, right, Because we all have so many stories, there’s stories around us, and it can really make us feel overwhelmed. But just asking yourself those three daily questions as you’re really trying to think like, Ooh, is this a story? Really sit there and ask yourself those questions to really work through, to be like, Okay, is this a valuable story for me to share? Is this gonna be impactful? And then also to obviously just making note of what emotions do I want them to experience and how do I want them to feel after their problem has been solved?
Akua Konadu:
Um, because people will, you, you capture people’s attention from their external being, uh, problems being solved, but it’s the internal problems that make people buy. So external problems are, like for example, you know, like your car broke down or whatever. That’s an external issue, right? Like you’re act, that’s a tangible barrier that’s preventing you from getting to point A to point B. Mm-hmm. . So due to the fact that your car is broken down, this external problem internally, how is that making you feel? Well, maybe it feels like you’re not good enough because somebody was relying on you for something, for an errand today that you now can’t get done. Um, you know, maybe you feel just now overwhelmed because again, your to-do list is piling up and now you can’t drive. Like really think about how this is affecting their life as a whole when you’re really thinking about the problems that you’re trying to solve, and then start weaving that into the story.
Akua Konadu:
Um, so those are some, some simple steps that I would really suggest with people of like being able to, to figure out how to figure out what stories to share. But not only that though, even when just write just also too, I love to write, I love to journal and I totally understand that that’s not for everybody, but sometimes I just write my story. I literally just sit down and write about what is happening around me, how I’m feeling about things. And that just starts to highlight content ideas for me. Um, even sometimes when I’m not in the mood, I’m like, I will just write something really quick and I’ll, like, I can table it for later and I end up coming back to it and I’m like, All right, I, I wanna talk about this more. So let’s talk about it. Cuz it really, and I, that’s what I love about storytelling too, because it really helps you become a lot better in thought leadership content, which I think we need more of that in the creative industry. More thought leadership, like going against the grain, not the typical things that we usually see, because again, it helps you stand out and be more original to where you can really share your true thoughts on things that maybe that I think can really spark some really good conversation.
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
Mm, absolutely. And I, I love that like what you’re doing essentially is you’re, as you journal, as you write down those thoughts, you’re kind of creating this like bank of ideas to revisit Yes. In, in future seasons. And I think that’s, that’s so wise because like, I don’t know if you’re anything like me, like I always saw myself like, Oh yeah, I’ll remember that thought for later, but if I don’t like put it down somewhere, if I don’t like type it out or write it down Yeah. It’s actually not gonna be something I can recall. And so like creating these opportunities for yourself to, to treat this as what it is, this is this piece of your messaging that’s a, a, a piece of your bigger overall marketing strategy that is evolving. And you know, I think Akua, you actually said this earlier, like it’s, it’s something where it’s, we’re all, we’re all kind of normalizing and we’re all kind of experiencing this constant evolution and this constant growth. So our stories would be, would be no different.
Akua Konadu:
Oh yeah. 110%. And I think too, even as like, and I like to call them storytelling library. So like you just make your library like just journal of like, what’s happening around you, What are you seeing, what are you experiencing? And if, if it’s starting to pull something emotional in you where you’re like, Okay, I think we need to talk about this. Like, I really wanna be able to get people’s perspective and us have this conversation, or I really wanna be able to make an impact with this. Or even if it’s something too that you’re having a hard time to be like, okay, this is a hard time. Um, maybe I’m not ready to share this right now, but maybe later on I’ll be in a good better place to share this so that it hopefully helps somebody else. Like Right. There’s so many different reasons as to why we share, share our stories, and, and so just wanna encourage people with that.
Akua Konadu:
Like, again, there’s no wrong way to do it. I think starting is better than not starting, right? Like, just try it out. Because the thing is, a lot of people say, Well, I’m not a natural storyteller, neither am I, I had to learn, I literally had to learn through pageantry and now I can just, I do it when it, like, I just say what I say, what feels good, right? . And so, um, but it all, but I’m still crafting and still changing and still evolving even too with storytelling in my, and I’m still trying to find more ways to, uh, to more find more innovative ways to share our story. Because again, like everything’s constantly evolving. And so, but the core foundation of it though, always stays sustained because we, like I said, our brains can recall something up to 22 times more when it’s weaved into a story. So if you have a product or service, and like I said, we’re all in like really saturated markets, people are gonna be able to remember you more and what you do, because the fact that you weaved it into a story more than just, like, if you just were like, Okay, well here’s this product and it does X, y, Z. Okay, but why does it do that? What problem is it solving? Like, you know what I mean? Really think deeply about those things.
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
Mm. Yeah, absolutely. And you know, I’ll say I’ve been, I’ve had this business for 10, it’ll be 11 years in, in January, and my storytelling skills are still improving. They’re still growing. Like this is something that, it’s just kind of this like, as long as you choose to be in this game, this is something that you’re gonna keep working at. And that’s okay. Like, it’s not, it’s not something that you ever want to become complacent with where it gets stagnant or it’s just more and more of the same for you. And then you get bored sharing it with people. Like it’s, it’s really, you know, kind of dynamic to be able to say, like, I’m, I’m choosing to continue to refine my skills as a storyteller and I’m choosing to continue to refine the story that I’m sharing as I have more information, more lessons, more value to share with people as my business grows and as I grow. And I just personally love that opportunity.
Akua Konadu:
Exactly. Like 110%. So I definitely wanna like call people up to the stage if you’re like, All right, I don’t know how to get started. I just wanna encourage you, like I said, just, just start writing and doesn’t have write like even, or if you’re not a writer, like record, like just record your voice of what you’re ha what’s happening around you right now in like your business journey or like your family or, you know, we all have stories, we all have experiences that we’re walking through, and that is truly what changes things is when other people are able to hear it. That’s how you change perspectives. That’s how you change people’s lives. And you have to really view it as like, your business is changing a life. It really is. And so, you know, don’t be afraid to share what you’re going that messy middle.
Akua Konadu:
I think, you know, I think that’s a lot of people are afraid to share the messy middle, which I have learned have really given me like the biggest impact ever. Like anytime I share, like what’s really happening right now, um, and even when I’m honest about like, hey, I don’t have it all figured out even as a business owner, but this is what I’m going through. It just sparks conversation with everybody and everybody’s talking and it’s, and then people are re-sharing the content and this and that, right? Like, it just, it’s so powerful. And just start writing, start really asking yourself why do you wanna share this story? What values is providing? What emotions do you want people to experience, and what do you want them to do afterward? I think that’s the most also really, really like important piece, what you want them to do afterward. Um, and whether that’s, you know, head to your website or sign up for a webinar or whatever that is. But yeah, once you have them in such an emotional place, I feel like that sounds awful, saying that this way, but they’re more inclined to hit by. So, um, yeah, ,
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
Yeah, it’s like, it’s, it’s like that, that validation piece where it’s like when they are having an emotional response and not, and again, not manipulating, just like inspiring that, that response of feeling of seeing your story, you know, shared back to you or hearing your struggles validated or, you know, feeling your, your own like unique perspective, being respected or understood in, in a new way or maybe for the first time. Like, that’s really powerful. And when we do that, like when we share how our work can help validate people, can help show them what’s possible, can help like, you know, kind of create this, this opportunity for them, that’s where, yes, we’re selling our services or we’re pointing them towards our products, but we’re doing it from this place of service because we’re confident that we know what we know, what we do, what we offer is going to help get them from maybe that, you know, that like struggle point that we were talking about to where they’re wanting to go, where that’s, that’s in the past. Like, you know, that that example that you shared a coa, like the car broke down the car is, you know, the car is out of the shop, it’s running perfectly. Like we’ve got reliable transportation again and life is great because that’s not a stress on the to-do list anymore. Like, you know, that’s, that’s kind of what we’re wanting to do through our services with people. And I don’t say anything wrong with that.
Akua Konadu:
Yep, exactly. 110%. And that’s just what makes storytelling like so beautiful and why I love it so much. ,
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
. Well, I can tell like, just your, your ideas, your insight, you’re just like absolute, like fire strategy is just like flowing through the conversation today, and I honestly could keep chatting with you like all day about this, but I always like to kinda wrap up conversations with one final question. And I would love to know, like, as kind of a final piece of advice or encouragement for those who are tuning in today, what would you like them to remember about owning their story within their marketing?
Akua Konadu:
Yeah, I think, I think I said it earlier, but I just wanna say it again, is that your voice is needed in this world. And I think, um, we sometimes forget that because we are afraid, We are afraid of being judged. We are afraid that people are not going, we’re afraid for people to see us fully for who we are. And it is a risk, but is also one of the most beautiful and powerful empowering things. The fact that I get to have a business where I can be myself and I don’t have to hide who I am, and I get to help people do that too. And then they also, uh, you know, get to grow their business, so in a way that feels so good to them and as they’re also making change in their own business. Like, it’s just, it’s truly amazing.
Akua Konadu:
And so if you feel like you don’t have a short story to share, or like your story is too much, or if you feel like, well, I haven’t had all of these crazy things happen to me, so I don’t have a story, you know, your voice is needed no matter what, no matter where your journey is. And so I wanna encourage you to just take the first step and really highlight and reflect on your own journey, your business journey, your personal journey as to how far you have come. Because there’s a reason why you are the way that you are. There’s a reason why you have the business that you have. There’s a reason why you view the world the way that you do. And it is because the experiences that you walk through, and there’s somebody else who needs to hear that. There’s somebody else who is maybe struggling to get up out of bed.
Akua Konadu:
There is somebody else who is crying and is upset and frustrated because they don’t know how to solve, you know, their, their, they’re not making money in their business. There is somebody out there as a mom or a family member who is struggling to support, um, the people close to them in their lives. There’s always somebody out there who is struggling and you can help somebody with that. And I think when you view it that way, you’re just like, kind of like, holy. Like there’s somebody out there that I can help and there’s somebody out there who needs me and I’m gonna do my best to show up and, and, and serve. So that’s what I have to say.
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
Mm-hmm. , that’s so powerful and I appreciate you sharing that so much. I think that that is such a game changing reminder to keep at top of mind. And I, I am really grateful that folks are getting to, to absorb that and to hopefully if that resonates, to take that in today. Yes. But as we are wrapping up our conversation today, I know that people are going to want to connect with you online and learn more about your work, about maybe working with you through one of your intensives, or at least just following you along wherever you are so they can connect with you in that way. So where can people go to find you? Oh
Akua Konadu:
Yeah, for sure. So I’m on Instagram at akua kana underscore, and then I also, and if you wanna learn more about the atten intensive, definitely don’t be afraid to send me an email, but I do have a form that I have people fill out because I wanna make sure that you’re in a specific space. Um, because again, it’s a place where we get vulnerable, we get real, but also to, we help you grow, um, as a person. But not only that, but also a business owner as we’re helping you create that content of how you wanna show up. So if you’re interested in learning about the intensive, don’t be afraid to head to my website, www.coacan.com and fill out the intensive sheet. Or if you have additional questions, don’t be afraid to shoot me an email and also to check out my podcast. Here’s the Tea with Akua. It is a storytelling podcast where you are hearing the stories of everyday people like you and me, where we are talking about all types of different, um, topics from race, relationships, just how we truly navigate this world, which that has become a passion project of mine. And so, um, which has been so life giving and so much fun. So definitely wanna encourage you to check that out and, and, um, yeah, just come hang out with me on Instagram. So yeah,
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
I love it. And of course, we’re gonna have all of those links at, um, brand strategy podcast.com. If you click over on the latest episode link and head on over to today’s episode, then you’re gonna see not only like a recap of our biggest talking points and a transcript of the conversation, but also those social and website links where you can connect with the coa. And there’s also this really cool free resource that she’s sharing with us. It’s this like fun quiz that she’s created to help you figure out what kind of storytelling approach resonates with who you are. Right?
Akua Konadu:
Yes. Oh my God, I forgot about my quiz. Thanks girl. ,
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
I got you.
Akua Konadu:
. Yes, y’all, I have my storytelling quiz, which is so fun. I love it because people have dmd me just so excited about what their personality is, which then I’m like, when if I know that I’m like, Oh, I could totally see that. Which yeah, you get to learn your per storytelling personality, and then I send you tips based on your personality and how to better share your story and, and exercises that you can do. So definitely check it out, please.
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
Absolutely. That sounds so cool. I appreciate you sharing that with us. And of course, that link is gonna be over in today’s show notes, so for sure. Yeah, go over there, check it out, and learn off about what your storytelling personality is. Yeah. Because I think that is just like, Yeah, that’s so cool. . Um, Akua, thank you so much for coming on the show today. This has been such a great conversation. I know, know that, you know, kind of the concept of storytelling, it can feel, well, it is vulnerable, so it can feel heavy, it can feel intimidating, it can feel a little uncomfortable if you’re not quite used to putting yourself out there in that way. And you, it just, your approach makes it seem so more accessible, so much more joyful, so much more packed with possibility. And so I’m just really grateful that we got to have this conversation today.
Akua Konadu:
Yeah. Thank you so much for having me. I enjoyed this, and I hope if you’re listening that this changes your view on storytelling, because I love what you just said, Bonnie. Like it is accessible and it can be a joyful process. So yes, I, I love that. So thank you for having me.
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
Absolutely. Anytime for those who’ve been tuning in today, thanks for being a part of this community. Thanks for listening. I hope that you’re walking away with some thoughts, some ideas, some action steps that are gonna serve you well as you focus on implementing the power of storytelling into your own marketing approach. Uh, as always, I am grateful that we get to share these kinds of stories and these kinds of experiences and this kind of knowledge in this way. So if you know, if someone else, like maybe you’re biz bestie or, uh, an industry friend who could benefit from this episode, please feel free to share the link with them. And until next time, I’m gonna be cheering y’all on from Waco.
Bonnie Bakhtiari:
Thank you so much for joining me today. Friends, before you go, I would be so grateful to receive your feedback on the Brand Strategy podcast. If you enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general has helped you grow your brand, I’d really appreciate it if you left us a review in iTunes. Your positive reviews enable the brand strategy podcast to continue to grow and reach like-minded creatives just like you. Thank you for all your support and encouragement as together we pursue building brands with purpose and intention. Until next time, I’m cheer you on from Waco.
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