The book
Start with Story (2019) is Lyn Graft's guide for first-time entrepreneurs who want to create the best story for their business, using Lyn's storytelling framework and lessons from Starbucks, Dropbox, Spanx and TOMS. Available on Amazon.
By Lyn Graft. Published February 1, 2019.
Why it matters
Your founder story is one of your most valuable business assets. It helps you raise capital, drive sales, secure press and attract talent. Plenty of entrepreneurs have built successful companies on a great story, and you can too.
Start with Story is written for first-time entrepreneurs who want to create the story behind their business. Lyn Graft looks at how companies such as Starbucks, Dropbox, Spanx and TOMS built their brands from nothing, then uses that experience to walk you through a storytelling framework built for founders.
You already have the asset that sets your business apart. This book shows you how to turn it into a story.
What you’ll learn
The book starts with the true power of story and the science behind it. It then defines story specifically for entrepreneurs and introduces the story types successful founders use most. From there, it gives you a practical framework and a set of steps to prepare, collect and organize everything you need to build your story, and it finishes with what to do once your story is ready.
At the core of Start with Story is a simple, easy-to-use framework that Lyn built to help first-time entrepreneurs create their story. Along the way, Lyn shares methods for making your story stand out, making it memorable, and getting past the “so what” factor you’ll meet throughout your career as a founder.
What a story really is, and why it's so powerful
How to make your business stand out
How to make your story memorable and shareable
How to overcome the "so what" factor, so people care about what you offer
The most common types of stories founders use
How to research, prepare and organize your story
The most important thing to remember once you're ready to share your story with the world
The story behind the book
Lyn started writing Start with Story on February 1, 2013, and worked on it every morning for six years. It was released on February 1, 2019. On launch day, Lyn stood on Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas, holding a poster-size copy of the book cover up to drivers on their way to work.
A year later, Lyn recorded a short video on what the book had changed, personally and professionally.
What readers say
“I manage and run three different businesses, each with its own compelling reason for being. But distilling their purpose into a powerful and concise message was and still is a challenge. Lyn’s book is helping me reframe our purpose and story across all three brands to make us more relevant and meaningful, having our customers reengage and come back. Thank you Lyn!”
Dario Antonioni
Founder, Orange 22 Labs
FAQ
Start with Story shows first-time entrepreneurs how to create the best story for their business, using Lyn Graft's storytelling framework and examples from companies such as Starbucks, Dropbox, Spanx and TOMS.
Lyn Graft, founder of Storytelling for Entrepreneurs (S4E).
February 1, 2019. Lyn Graft wrote it every morning for six years, starting on February 1, 2013.
First-time entrepreneurs who want to create the story behind their business.
On Amazon, at https://geni.us/StartWithStory.
Start with Story: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Using Story to Grow Your Business, by Lyn Graft, is available on Amazon.
