He Writes, He Connects, He Impacts.

I sat down and was more than ready to learn how to pick up chicks from Vinh Giang.

Literally. Baby chickens.

But instead of that, I ended up learning a lesson about the importance of why we need to act on things we always wanted to do before we ever feel ready to do so.

In his own words;  

This is true because being "not ready" is often just the fear of feeling not good enough. It is questioning our own capabilities and feeling the anxiety of, "What if I can’t handle it? What will people think?"

But without day one, there is no day one hundred.

This email hit my inbox almost a year ago, but the story stuck with me. Vinh is one of the few people whose newsletters I always look forward to reading because they are excellent learning materials for my own newsletter journey.

Anyhow, after this read, I ended up buying the book he casually mentioned there that he was reading called The Courage to Be Disliked.

I didn't act on the book because he told me to read it; he didn't. I acted because I trusted him, and that trust was built by a story about chickens, not a book pitch.

That thing that just happened to me, getting a lecture on courage through a story about chicks, has a name in psychology. It's called narrative transportation.

The basic idea is simple: when you're really into a story, focused, feeling something, and picturing it in your head, you kind of forget you're reading. You're "in" it.

When that happens:

This feeling of being "transported" comes from caring about the characters and imagining the plot.

How familiar you are with the person telling the story changes how strong this effect is on you.

Once you are absorbed into a story, you are far more open to whatever lesson follows.

So why am I telling you this?

If you can tell stories that help your readers get absorbed in your work, you will hold your audience's attention. That gives you the opportunity to impact people while growing your business.

You do not need to be a born master at storytelling to do this. You can practice it.

For your next newsletter, or post, try to let your readers feel something first before you try to teach them a lesson.

Step 1: Start with the story (withhold context): A client conversation, a mistake, or a funny mishap. Hold the context back a beat. Let the reader wonder before you tell them why it matters yet.

Step 2: Paint a clear picture (use vivid imagery): Use specific, physical details. Pair it with an image that actually matches the moment. Clear pictures make the reader build the scene in their own mind. This traps their attention.

Step 3: Find your shift line: Everything before it is story. Everything after is the lesson. Show an imperfection, a mistake, or a real fear (inject empathy). They feel empathy. This connection lowers their guard and makes them trust you.

Step 4: Bridge to the lesson: Now that the reader is emotionally invested, introduce your business or life lesson. Connect the truth of the story to the truth of your message.

The Genuine Rule: Always lead with the story before the pitch, connection before conversion, and feeling before teaching.

If you found this useful, share this with a friend who might need it.

Until next time,
With love❤️ ,

Thusharika

If you found this useful, pass The Genuine Rule to a friend who is still guessing.

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