Your story starts here.
Storytelling for Entrepreneurs helps founders create, tell and share the story behind their business. Pick where to start.
One founder story, storytelling lessons you can use and a video to watch, every issue. Free, on Beehiiv.
Start with Story is Lyn Graft’s guide for first-time entrepreneurs, with a framework built on more than 1,000 founder interviews.
Short lessons from Lyn on getting attention, the rule of three, credibility and testing your story with real audiences.
- Filming founders since
- 2003
- Founders filmed and interviewed
- 1,000+
- Videos produced
- 1,200+
- Hours spent on founder stories
- 20,000
Why S4E exists
Learn to create and tell your founder story
Every founder has a story. Most don’t know how to find it, shape it or tell it the same way twice. S4E exists to fix that. It was founded by Lyn Graft, an entrepreneur and producer who has been capturing the stories of entrepreneurs since 2003, beginning in Austin, Texas.
S4E is built for first-time founders, future business owners and startup executives. If you’re preparing a pitch, launching a product, writing your About page or trying to explain what makes your company different, you’re in the right place.
Start here
Four ways to start creating your story today
Everything on this site is free to read and watch. The newsletter is where Lyn shares new lessons first; the book is the full method.
Newsletter
One founder story in your inbox
Practical storytelling notes from Lyn Graft: a founder story, lessons you can use and a video to watch. Free, on Beehiiv.
The book
Start with Story
Lyn Graft's guide for first-time entrepreneurs, with lessons from Starbucks, Dropbox, Spanx and TOMS. Published 2019.
See the book
Videos
Short storytelling lessons
Getting attention, the rule of three, visuals and props, your "why", and testing your story with real audiences.
Watch the videosBlog
Founder story examples
In-depth case studies of Dropbox, Life is Good, The Knot and charity: water, plus craft posts on telling your story.
The S4E approach
Attention, connection, reaction
Every lesson on this site is built around three outcomes a founder story has to produce. Lyn distilled them from more than 1,000 interviews with the people who built companies like LinkedIn, Starbucks, Dell and Whole Foods.
01
Attention
Earn it in the first seconds. The ask (funding, a sale, coverage) stays out of the story; the story's goal is to make people want to hear more.
02
Connection
Make the listener see themselves in the story. Keep it simple, make it relevant to the person in front of you, and let credibility do the convincing.
03
Reaction
Give people a reason to act, remember and repeat it. Use the rule of three, a visual or a prop, and test the story with real audiences.
Featured video
The Rule of 3 in Business Storytelling
Three reasons the rule of three works for founders creating and telling their origin story.
Founder story examples
Learn from founders who built their companies with a story
Founder story examples
Simplicity: Drew Houston and the Founding of Dropbox
How Drew Houston used the story of forgetting his thumb drive on a 4-hour bus ride as a catalyst for creating Dropbox, a cloud-based storage solution now used by 400M people
Founder story examples
The Story of Life is Good, and Why Entrepreneurs Need a Story
How Bert and John Jacobs found the three words that changed their business, and why every entrepreneur needs a story.
Founder story examples
Carley Roney and The Knot: Turning Disaster Into a Story
How Carley Roney turned her disastrous wedding experience into a narrative that became the foundation for a $130M global brand
Founder story examples
Scott Harrison and charity: water: Authentic Storytelling
How Scott Harrison went from nightclub promoter to founder of charity: water, and why authenticity has to run through your whole story.
Founder story examples
Jen Groover and The ‘Aha Moment’ That Led to the Butler Bag
The 'aha moment' behind the Butler Bag, and how Jen Groover found her story by sharing it.
Founders filmed
Lyn has filmed the founders behind these brands
A selection of the companies whose founders Lyn Graft has filmed and interviewed since 2003.
What founders say
Authentic and empowering
Two words to describe Lyn and Storytelling for Entrepreneurs: Authentic and Empowering. His teachings helped me find my authentic story, and gave me the tools to start building and sharing it.
Robin Emmerich
Founder, Beauty in the Mess
I have known and worked with Lyn and Storytelling for Entrepreneurs for a long time and have observed his skills as a storytelling master. I've seen him coach people through telling their stories as well as pull compelling stories out of the most successful entrepreneurs filmed. The guy knows his stuff.
Jared Tennant
Drone videographer, photographer and founder
I learned that there are millions of products out there so chances are at least one other person is selling what you have to offer. Lyn Graft taught me the importance of developing and telling my story in order to differentiate and grow my business.
Erin Roy
Founder, The Harvest Trail Journey
Free newsletter
Get one founder story in your inbox
Lyn Graft’s newsletter for founders: one founder story, storytelling lessons you can use, a fun fact from story science and a video to watch.
Free. Hosted on Beehiiv; you can unsubscribe at any time.
FAQ
Questions founders ask
01What is Storytelling for Entrepreneurs?
Storytelling for Entrepreneurs (S4E) is an online platform that helps current and future founders create, tell and share the story behind their business. It was founded by entrepreneur and producer Lyn Graft.
02Who is S4E for?
S4E is built for first-time founders, future business owners and startup executives who need help with their story. Anyone in business can use it, but everything is designed around the needs and limited resources of entrepreneurs.
03What can I get for free?
You can read founder story case studies on the blog, watch short storytelling videos and subscribe to the free Storytelling for Entrepreneurs newsletter on Beehiiv.
04What does a founder story help with?
A good founder story helps with sales, funding, press, partnerships, recruiting, attracting advisors and word-of-mouth marketing.
05Is there a book?
Yes. Start with Story: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Using Story to Grow Your Business, by Lyn Graft, was published on February 1, 2019 and is available on Amazon.