#5 The Art of Showing Your Story (So People Feel It and Remember It)
The stories you tell can set you apart — but only if people feel them. In this episode of Uncover Your Story, I share a personal story and break it down step by step to show how you can move from telling to showing. You’ll learn how to use structure, detail, and emotion to create stories that connect, stick, and inspire action. Plus, I guide you through a simple journaling exercise to help you uncover and shape your own story.
Journaling prompts from this episode:
What do I want my audience to think after hearing my story?
How do I want them to feel?
What do I want them to do?
What moments from my life (or my clients’ lives) bring that message to life?
What sensory details and emotions can I add to bring the story alive?
Where is the emotional heart of the story?
Ready to uncover and polish your own brand stories? This is exactly the kind of work I support clients with. Let’s create a library of soulful stories that connect and inspire — reach out if you’d like to explore working together.
Read the episode transcript
Hi, and welcome to Uncover Your Story, the podcast for our creatives, change makers and big-hearted rebels who believe in the power of stories to inspire, connect, and make a difference. I'm your host, Sarah Oughton, brand photographer, storyteller, and content creator. Whether you have a personal brand or you work for a nonprofit focused on bringing positive impact to people's lives, the stories you tell can make all the difference.
My mission is to empower you to share your story with conviction and joy and increase your impact in the world. So join me and my guests weekly to build your communications toolkit with actionable tips, strategies, and insights to uncover your full storytelling potential. Let's go.
Practical tips and insights
Today, we’re going to get stuck into some of the nuts and bolts of how stories can transform the way you connect with your audience and bring your purpose to life.
As you know, I believe storytelling is one of the most powerful tools you have at your fingertips when it comes to distinguishing your business from others. And one of the things that makes it such a powerful tool, when done well, is the way you can show people your message rather than tell them. Because when you show people, you have the opportunity to let them feel it. And when they feel it, they remember it.
So in this episode I’m going to share a personal story and then break it down for you, to show you the techniques for how to share a story that resonates, connects and matters. And if you want to grab a pen and notebook, then at the end of the episode I’m going to give you some journaling prompts for developing your own story.
This approach to showing not telling through story can be applied whether you are sharing your own story, or perhaps a testimonial story from one of your clients. And remember once you’ve written your story you can use it in multiple ways: you could break in down into small bite size quotes to go on an Instagram carousel, or add it over some broll for a reel and stories. I tend to talk more about Instagram as that’s my main platform, but of course you can adapt it for whichever social platforms you use. Then of course it could be great material for a blog post, your newsletter, and even for podcasts – whether you have your own or you guest on other people’s. Don’t be afraid to repurpose your stories, I’ve already used this one in my newsletter and blog post for example – when you spend time crafting a story, you want to make sure you’re squeezing all the juice out of it and using it as content across as many platforms as you can. We all have different learning styles and ways of absorbing information, so if you are for example someone who needs to see things written down, then you can always head over to my blog post after listening to this – I’ll leave the link in the show notes.
Okay – so the title for my story is:
I broke my addiction to chocolate — and rewrote my story
And one quick aside before I dive into it – it’s so important to make sure you take time to think about your title and ensure it is as good as you can make it to draw people in. Without a strong title people may just scroll on by and all the work you put into crafting a beautiful, engaging narrative well be wasted. I’ll be doing a separate episode on this at some point, but just bear that in mind for now. Okay, here we go.
Since my twenties, I’ve always longed for a flatter tummy. I wasn’t overweight, and it’s never consumed me. But it’s just been that low-level hum in the background — the kind most women live with, thanks to the culture we’re steeped in – especially for those of us coming of age in the 90s with the so-called heroin chic look which was plastered all over magazines and billboards.
So yes, I would’ve liked to lose a little weight. But not enough to give up my beloved after-dinner chocolate. Those small squares of sweet, creamy deliciousness were a daily ritual I couldn’t live without — especially after a hard day. Chocolate was my comfort. My reward.
In recent years with the boom of the nutrition and wellness industry, I’d had a growing sense that – regardless of my weight – I was probably eating too much sugar than was good for me – but again, it was just background hum.
Then everything shifted. A routine blood test revealed I was pre-diabetic.
This flawed me. Apart from struggling with menopause issues, I was generally healthy and although my body mass index (BMI) indicated that now, hitting 50 and having born two children, I was slightly overweight – I kind of didn’t believe it. But the pre-diabetic status sent me into a bit of a tailspin. As an older mum (yes, technically classed as geriatric — I mean, WTF is that bit of medical jargon about?!), anyway my mind raced forward and suddenly my brain went full Netflix binge on worst-case scenarios I hadn’t even subscribed to.
Would I be there to see my children grow up? Would I even get the chance to meet future grandchildren?
The thoughts that followed were pretty dark.
And that was the moment something shifted — not just in my body, but in my mindset. My motivation.
I began working with a nutritionist and lifestyle coach. And for the first time, it stopped being about weight. It started being about life.
I hadn’t thought my lifestyle was that bad. But slowly, gently, I began to see the small changes I could make — changes that would nourish me, not deprive me.
It wasn’t easy. That’s not the point.
The point is: I made a commitment to myself — and I stuck to it.
I also realised just how hooked I’d been on milk chocolate. I’d tried to give it up so many times before. It never lasted. But this time was different. This time, I had a reason big enough to stick.
Within three months, I’d reversed my pre-diabetic status.
And that’s the power of finding your ‘why’.
Break it down
So that was my story, which if I was a nutritionist would work well as my main personal brand story, but equally – it could be tweaked to work really well for the nutritionist that I actually worked with as a testimonial story. And if you’ve listened to episode 2 already, you’ll know that I worked with nutritionist, wellness and lifestyle coach Esther Amira Opie – who by the way, I obviously highly recommend if you’re in the market for such a coach.
Anyway, getting back to the point, whether you're telling your own story, sharing a client story or crafting brand storytelling for others, how you tell it matters just as much as what you say.
Let’s break down two of the components that make this story resonate — and how you can apply the same techniques in your own storytelling.
Number one: the story follows a classic structure which takes the audience on a journey and provides meaning.
So, every memorable story follows a shape — a movement from one emotional state to another.
And here’s how this one maps out:
First is the setup which includes desire + a flaw:
“Since my twenties, I’ve always had a quiet wish for a flatter tummy... But not enough to give up my beloved after-dinner chocolate.”
We meet the protagonist (me) with a relatable yearning — one that’s shaped by culture, not obsession. There’s also a hint of resistance: I want change, but not badly enough to take real action.
Then there’s the turning point which is also known as the inciting event:
“A routine blood test revealed I was pre-diabetic.”
This is the moment everything changes. There’s a sense of emotional weight and rising stakes. The light “background hum” becomes an urgent wake-up call.
We then see the deepening conflict with its emotional impact:
“Would I be there to see my children grow up? Would I ever meet my future grandchildren?”
I’m no longer seeking motivation from physical appearance — it’s now become about connection, legacy, presence, love.
And finally we have the transformation and a sense of resolution:
“This time, I had a reason big enough to stick... I reversed my pre-diabetic status.”
The external change in my health is matched by an internal shift with a sense of greater self-love and deeper purpose.
So when writing your own story, follow this arc by thinking about:
· What did you want?
· What stood in your way?
· How did you overcome?
· What was the transformation?
Don’t worry know need to pause here, that’s not the journaling exercise, we will be revisiting prompts at the end.
Okay, so number two is: Show, don’t tell and get specific to engage people’s emotions.
So it’s pretty easy to write something along the lines of:
“I used to eat too much sugar and I couldn’t stop and I couldn’t lose weight. But then I got pre-diabetes and this really motivated me to work with a nutritionist, make the commitment and get healthy so I can stay alive to see my grandkids.”
But it’s pretty vague, generic and a bit forgettable.
To really land a story you need to show not tell. And you do this through using vivid details and describing emotions. Obviously when writing your own stories you have open access to these details. But with clients, especially those who you know have a powerful story, rather than just asking them to write you a testimonial, it is worth asking them if they wouldn’t mind giving you 10-15 minutes of their time, so that you can have a Zoom call and prepare a list of questions and gentle prompts so you can get more details. Then write up the story and share it with them, for their input and sign off. Again, I can do a separate episode on this if that’s of interest do let me know in the comments or over on Instagram.
Okay, so back to breaking down the elements where I used the technique of showing rather than telling. And really it comes down to getting specific and descriptive.
So instead of: “I used to eat too much sugar and I couldn’t stop and I couldn’t lose weight.”
You get: “Those small squares of sweet, creamy deliciousness were a daily ritual I couldn’t live without — especially after a hard day. Chocolate was my comfort. My reward.”
With these specifics it becomes much easier for your audience to see and smell the chocolate. And to feel the comfort this ritual gave me.
Then you get: “my mind raced forward and suddenly my brain went full Netflix binge on worst-case scenarios I hadn’t even subscribed to.”
As an audience this gets your imagination going to, you can feel the protagonists panic far more than from the line:
“But then I got pre-diabetes and this really motivated me to work with a nutritionist.”
Another thing to think about when you’re getting specific with your narrative is how to capitalize on humour – which always goes down well with an audience. I have to say this is really not my forte – but if it’s yours make sure you lean into it. Anyway, you can see my attempt to connect with my audience with a bit of tongue in cheek outrage in the line:
As an older mum (yes, technically classed as geriatric — I mean, WTF is that bit of medical jargon about?!)
Then moving on in the story you can see how I open up and show vulnerability through sharing my fears about seeing my children grow up. This is a specific, relatable fear which is likely to resonate with my target audience. And it demonstrates how the stakes for me are very high. This is so important within a story structure to keep the audience invested in the protagonists journey.
A good way of thinking about it is the metaphor of painting a picture.
If I say: “this really motivated me to work with a nutritionist, make the commitment and get healthy so I can stay alive to see my grandkids.”
How does it compare to:
“Would I be there to see my children grow up? Would I even get the chance to meet future grandchildren?
The thoughts that followed were pretty dark.
And that was the moment something shifted — not just in my body, but in my mindset. My motivation.”
You can see through those two examples, that it’s essentially saying the same thing. But by thinking about how we frame and compose the story, by making little tweaks and adding detail we can create much more connection, empathy and impact.
Then again at the end of the story we can see how I’ve thought carefully about how to frame the information I’m sharing, by using details that will give emotional resonance.
“I began working with a nutritionist and lifestyle coach. And for the first time, it stopped being about weight. It started being about life.
I’d tried to give it up so many times before. It never lasted. But this time was different. This time, I had a reason big enough to stick.
Within three months, I’d reversed my pre-diabetic status.”
Okay, to sum up that second point about how to use details to show not tell, ground your story in:
Small details that invite the senses
Thoughts and emotions that bring people inside the moment
Specific stakes that reveal what truly matters
I hope this analysis has helped you understand more clearly why storytelling is such an important tool for brands.
Whether you're a wellness coach, a creative founder, inclusion crusader or some other big-hearted rebel – as someone trying to connect more deeply with your audience, storytelling should be your go-to tool for marketing with meaning.
Because when you:
Use storytelling structure to show transformation
Let the emotional truth take the lead, and
Show people what it felt like to be in your shoes
Then you give your audience something far more powerful than advice or information.
You give them a reason to trust you.
To remember you.
And to act.
Because when people can relate to the way you make the feel, they feel seen. And they start to believe they can change too.
CALL TO ACTION – GUIDED JOURNALING FLOW
Right, now it’s time to develop one of your stories. Take a moment to grab your journal or open a notes app — whatever feels easiest. This will take about 15-20 minutes, and I’ll guide you through it. I’ll also put the prompts in the show notes, so you can just listen through first and then refer to the notes to complete your journaling if you prefer.
First off, you want to get clear on your intention.
Ask yourself: What do I want my audience to think after hearing my story?
For example, what is a magnetic message you can give that will build your audience’s desire to work with you? Be specific about what you want them to think on hearing your message.
Now ask: How do I want them to feel?
Do you want them to feel hopeful, inspired, calm, energised? Write down a word or two that captures that feeling.
And finally: What do I want them to do?
Maybe it’s as simple as signing up to your email list, booking a discovery call, or joining their first yoga class with you. Write that down too.
So using that example of a yoga teacher, you might want your audience to think: I can make time for myself.
You might want them to feel: calm and hopeful about their wellbeing.
And what you might want them to do is: book their first class with you.
Okay, next we’re going to brainstorm your stories.
Ask yourself: What moments from my own life bring that message to life?
Maybe it’s the story of a turning point, a challenge you overcame, or a client transformation that made you smile.
Don’t censor yourself — just jot down anything that comes to mind.
Now choose one of those story ideas and write it out in full.
Pick the one that stands out most, and bring it to life with as much sensory detail as you can.
Ask yourself: What did it look, sound, and feel like in that moment?
What emotions were present — for you, or for your client?
Spend ten minutes really exploring that scene.
Finally… edit and refine.
Read it back and ask: What’s the most interesting way I can tell this story?
Where’s the emotional heart of it?
Don’t worry about perfect — just trust your instinct and get it down. We’ll go into how to refine and shape stories more deeply in a future episode, but for now, simply capture what’s true for you.
Outro
Okay, I hope that was useful – I’m super curious about how you found it, so please do leave me a comment here or over on Instagram.
And remember to check out my blog post if you’d like to see the story I shared today written down, the link is in the show notes. If you do, you might notice how I tweaked the story slightly for the podcast – it’s something else to think about whenever you adapt stories into different pieces of content.
Finally, if you want help uncovering and polishing your stories, this is exactly the kind of work I support clients with — working together we can create you a library of soulful stories that connect and inspire. If you’d like to explore how to bring more emotion and impact into your brand storytelling, I would so love to hear from you.
Up next, I’m joined by Kate Stirling, the brilliant founder of Club Thrive. Kate’s energy is electric, and the story behind her brand is just as inspiring. Come listen in!
Until next time: Uncover your story. Own it. Share it. And shine!