Storytelling is vital to representing your ‘brand’

Ihave received a lot of “Dear Sam’ questions lately from readers who want to differentiate their brands but don’t understand how to tell their own stories.

Whenever clients tell me they feel they’re “differentiated” based on their education, previous and current employers or professional colleagues, or credentials, I like to share the story of Steven, one of my most memorable clients, and how I helped him use storytelling to differentiate his brand.

When Steven first contacted me, he felt that his differentiating factor was his undergraduate degree. As you read his story, however, you will come to see that what he thought was his primary differential factor was actually not at the center of the story that needed to be told.

MEET STEVEN

Steven attended an event at which I spoke, hoping to learn how to craft an effective resume. After listening to my presentation and reflecting on how to best present his experience on paper, he decided to contact me directly for help.

Steven had a varied background, with most of his roles in the fitness industry. He had served as the program coordinator with a local branch of the YMCA in addition to running his own gym and personal-training business.

Steven had recently returned to school to complete an undergraduate degree. He had begun work on the degree as a young man, but his life had taken an unplanned turn. As an 18-year-old freshman college football player Steven was living his dream when, in a split second, his life changed forever.

When Steven, a fitness enthusiast even then, experienced heart-pounding pain during a practice session, he knew something was terribly wrong. Two days later (and 15 pounds lighter), Steven was diagnosed with kidney disease.

Steven returned to his hometown, underwent treatment and received a kidney transplant, with his sister as the donor. Four years later, Steven’s body rejected the kidney.

For six years, Steven performed selfadministered peritoneal dialysis five times a day, while working at his gym. Steven began each day at 4 a.m. and spent 12 hours at the gym, returning home every three hours to perform the dialysis he needed to survive.

While living with his “glass half full,” as Steven phrased it, he was approached by a good friend who wanted to donate her kidney for a second transplant. After discovering that she was not a match, Steven’s friend researched and discovered a groundbreaking paired-donation program at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

After undergoing a successful second kidney transplant in 2007, Steven emerged stronger than ever. He had returned to school and completed his undergraduate degree when we met.

STEVEN’S GOAL

Steven wanted to share his story with others, hoping to serve as an inspiration for people navigating life-changing medical diagnoses. He hoped to possibly even represent some of the medical companies that helped keep him alive. His resume needed to reflect this message while conveying his experience, education, involvement, presentations and publications.

STEVEN’S BRAND

To help Steven accomplish his goal, I created a unique brand centered on the theme of “One.”

I used this theme to convey that it only takes ONE moment, ONE journey and ONE life to make a difference and, in essence, to tell Steven’s story.

This provided Steven with the framework he needed to share his message. For his resume, I created something akin to a piece of marketing collateral, paying attention to both content and design. While Steven had limited experience in his desired field, he had a very special story to share, as well as an expertise level reinforced by his related involvement, presentations he had facilitated and publications in which he had been featured.

To give the resume a polished “brochure” look, I also included the logos of some of the places where Steven had delivered speeches or had been published, providing a thirdparty validation “edge” over his competitors. When coupled with the professional bio I wrote, Steven now had a tool to sell himself as a viable candidate for product representation, public speaking and patient-advocacy roles, helping him share his moment, his journey and his life with diverse audiences.

View Steven’s storytelling resume at www.nolanbranding.com/blog.

— Samantha Nolan is an advanced personal-branding strategist and career expert, and is the founder and CEO of Nolan Branding. Do you have a resume, career or jobsearch question for Dear Sam? Reach Samantha at dearsam@nolanbranding.com. For more information about Nolan Branding’s services, visit www.nolanbranding.com, or call 888-9-MY-BRAND or 614-570-3442.