About
About Storytelling for Entrepreneurs and Lyn Graft
Storytelling for Entrepreneurs (S4E) is an online platform for current and future founders, created by Lyn Graft, who has filmed and interviewed more than 1,000 entrepreneurs since 2003. This page explains what S4E does, who it's for, and the experience behind it.
Storytelling is what S4E does, every day. You’ll find founder story case studies, short storytelling videos, the book Start with Story and a free newsletter for founders.
- Entrepreneurs filmed
- 1,000+
- Videos produced
- 1,200+
- Hours in storytelling
- 20,000
- Start with Story published
- 2019
Why founder stories matter
A great story can launch an iconic brand, build a company or change an industry
Many of the best-known founders started their companies with one: Richard Branson of Virgin, Howard Schultz of Starbucks, Blake Mycoskie of TOMS and Sara Blakely of Spanx are only a few.
Stories inspire and persuade, and above all they move people to act. Whether you’re trying to close a deal, raise money, explain your product or get a journalist to write about your company, a story is the one asset every entrepreneur has, whatever your background, budget or experience. You can use it in every industry, in every part of your business and at every stage of your company, even before the company exists.
“Those who tell stories rule the world.” Often attributed to Plato.
Meet the founder
Lyn Graft
Lyn Graft is the founder of Storytelling for Entrepreneurs and the author of Start with Story: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Using Story to Grow Your Business (2019). An entrepreneur and producer, Lyn began capturing and sharing the stories of entrepreneurs in Austin, Texas, in 2003, and has filmed and interviewed more than 1,000 entrepreneurs, including the founders of LinkedIn, Starbucks, Dell and Whole Foods.
Years of filming and interviewing successful founders taught Lyn how they use story, and led to mentoring, coaching and teaching other entrepreneurs. Lyn has spent more than 20,000 hours immersed in the art and science of entrepreneurial storytelling, and runs the production company LG Pictures.
That path led to the book. Lyn started writing Start with Story on February 1, 2013, worked on it every morning for six years, and released it on February 1, 2019. Those years became the foundation of the S4E brand.
Lyn holds a BS in electrical engineering from New Mexico State University and an MBA from The University of Texas at Austin.
Fact sheet
- Organization
- Storytelling for Entrepreneurs (S4E)
- Founder
- Lyn Graft
- Filming entrepreneurs since
- 2003
- Entrepreneurs filmed and interviewed
- 1,000+
- Videos produced
- 1,200+
- Hours immersed in entrepreneurial storytelling
- 20,000
- Book
- Start with Story (published February 1, 2019)
- Education
- BS, Electrical Engineering, New Mexico State University; MBA, The University of Texas at Austin
- Production company
- LG Pictures
Founders Lyn has filmed
The founders behind these brands, on camera
A selection of the companies whose founders Lyn Graft has filmed and interviewed since 2003.
Behind the camera
Twenty years of founder interviews
A few moments from the road. Click any photo to see it full screen.
Who S4E is for
Built for entrepreneurs, whatever you're building
Storytelling for Entrepreneurs was created for first-time founders, future business owners and startup executives who need help with their story. Anyone in business can use what's here, but everything is designed for entrepreneurs: the specific needs, challenges and limited resources you deal with every day.
Pre-launch or year one
You're finding the idea for your story
Start with the videos on creating your story, then read the book for the full method.
Creating your storyPitching and selling
You tell it every week and it isn't landing
The craft posts on attention, the rule of three, visuals and testing fix the most common problems.
Telling your storyHard times
You need to control the narrative
How to turn disadvantage into advantage and change the rules as an underdog founder.
When times are hardDeep dive
Start with Story
The entrepreneur's guide to using story to grow your business, with examples from Starbucks, Dropbox, Spanx and TOMS.
See the bookEvery issue
The newsletter
One founder story, storytelling lessons you can use, a story-science fun fact and a video to watch. Free, on Beehiiv.
SubscribeComing soon
The S4E community
A place for founders to work on their stories together. Subscribe to hear when it opens.
Learn moreFAQ
Questions founders ask
01Who founded Storytelling for Entrepreneurs?
Lyn Graft, an entrepreneur and producer who began capturing entrepreneurs' stories in Austin, Texas, in 2003. Lyn is also the author of Start with Story (2019).
02How many founders has Lyn Graft filmed?
More than 1,000 since 2003, including the founders of LinkedIn, Starbucks, Dell and Whole Foods.
03What is Lyn Graft's background?
Lyn is an entrepreneur and producer, holds a BS in electrical engineering from New Mexico State University and an MBA from The University of Texas at Austin, and runs the production company LG Pictures.
04Is S4E a marketing agency?
No. S4E teaches founders to create and tell their own story, through the book, videos, case studies and the newsletter, rather than doing the work for them the way an agency would.
Ready to start creating your story?
Subscribe to the free newsletter, read the book, or get in touch with Lyn.