Hi darling! Welcome to the my journal, my journey about my real life, my heart and my travels photographing beautiful souls! Sit back, have cup of tea and stay for a while and be sure to say hello!
“This was our dad’s dream,” they said.
Was.
He wasn’t there standing behind them. There was no b-roll video of them that week laughing in their kitchen.
As the story unfolded, it was impossible not to feel something. As they opened their hearts filled with love, their pain spilled out across the screen as they shared their story. They loved him greatly and so their grief was it’s equal in intensity.
And as they told the recent story of their father passing away just 3 months earlier, they had to go back a few chapters to describe a father who quit his dream to care for their mother a few years back who had also passed away.
They spoke of a man who served and loved people, especially them. He made a cutting board to help him cook faster after his wife died and he was a single dad with three kids.
It was easy to see his impact and how he lives on in their love.
He got sick from working as a firefighter to clean up 9/11.
He got sick serving.
He got sick loving.
He got sick while giving us all something as a country.
My mind went to honor and gratitude as I processed hearing their story.
The three of them, ages 24, 20, and 15 didn’t have either parent.
No quick calls to dad to come over and fix the disposal. No calls to mom to see if she wants to catch a movie on Friday.
But what they did have was his dream and that’s what they carried to that studio.
When they shared their product with the 5 Sharks, it was no longer just a cutting board with unique features. It was a representation of their hearts, of love, of their dad’s dream and their incredible bond as siblings that they carried into the room.
Everyone was crying by the time they handed out samples of the product. How could you not be moved?
It was as if they said in their story
“This is who we are. This is the grief we have suffered. This is the loss we’ve overcome. This is the dream our dad had. This is the pain we’ve endured. And because of that, here is our triumph. Here is our courage. Here is our parent’s love we carry. And oh, by the way, our dad made a pretty cool cutting board. Want to invest in it?”
Yes. A resounding yes. They got a deal with all 5 Sharks and a promise. All profit the Sharks would make they wanted to donate to other firefighter’s sick from 9/11.
Their story? Powerful. Impactful. The truth.
The truth of what’s they’ve been through made an impact. Imagine a scenario where they walked in, tucked all of their journeys away and simply said “We have a super great cutting board. It’s easy to use, fabulously designed, and make cooking easy. What to buy one?”
No one would have been moved, no one would have been inspired to take action.
It’s their story that made the difference. Their true story included their true triumph, and in it, the inspiration for everyone watching.
Telling your story and living your truth is incredibly powerful for your brand. Your story includes your triumph. Be mindful of it. Honor it in your brand. Choose to show the broken pieces and the restoration. Your story has the ability to do more than sell. It will inspire action because your heart is connected to it. It will move people to make a choice far more than your features.
It’s time you start sharing your story in your brand.
Xoxo
Julie
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