Sometimes decisions in our lives can be symbolized as the crossing of a river, the difficulty of which varies based on the choices at hand. Decisions can be represented as a calm stream on a sunny day or the impassable rapids of a raging storm. Regardless, to cross the river and arrive at our destination, we must decide to do so.

Decisions are easier when there are guides present; folks who have crossed before and have placed stepping stones down into the river so that you may cross without as much effort. These guides help us make decisions and get us to where we want to go quicker.

The guides, in this case, are known as “brands”. The power of a brand is nigh impossible to gauge in simple numerical representations, but it’s nevertheless an important aspect of a company, or individual, when building trust with a potential client. There’s value in crafting a story around your business, one that can be a crucial hook for potential readers, or, if done poorly, an unintended barrier repelling others away.

This month, I’d like to break down some of the key takeaways from Donald Miller’s book “Building a Storybrand”. Even if you don’t own your own company, I still highly-recommend this book for independent writers trying to establish a clear vision for their work. Separately, here’s a clip from a longer speech given by Simon Sinek on the secret to success.

The Storyletter has been running a series called “To Build”, placing an emphasis on basic tenets surrounding writing online and the creator economy. If you’d like to read the topics we’ve covered, here’s the list so far:

• To Build a Community

• To Build a Habit

• To Build a Substack

• To Build a Podcast

• To Build a Submission

• To Build a Method

• To Build a Contest

• To Build a Website

• To Build a Reason

I’ll be moving the XPress Access posts to the beginning of the month instead of the end. It makes more sense that way in my brain. Thanks for being a free subscriber! If you upgrade to a paid subscription, you’ll be supporting other independent creators in the process. ...