It started with a simple message in a WhatsApp group.
"What do you think of my new website?" RJ asked, dropping the link into the entrepreneurs' networking chat he'd joined a few weeks earlier.
As I scrolled through his site, something caught my attention. The visual branding was strong—professional, polished, distinctive. But beneath that glossy surface, something crucial was missing. The story. The connection. The "why" that would make someone not just consider his product but feel compelled to buy it.
I hesitated before typing my response. Passionate about helping quality businesses use storytelling and years of supporting local businesses refining their sales and marketing strategies, I'd seen this pattern countless times: companies showcasing features and specifications while completely missing the emotional connection that drives purchasing decisions. Should I speak up or scroll past?
I decided to reach out privately.
"Your Brand Looks Great, But Your Message Isn't Connecting"
"Your brand visually looks very strong," I wrote, "but there's a lot on the website that doesn't really make sense from a storytelling perspective."
This wasn't just professional observation—it was personal conviction. After witnessing how the right brand narrative could transform marketing campaigns, I had promised myself I would never return to simply listing product features. Stories build trust quickly. They create authentic connections. They reveal how to sell without being salesy and how to write compelling marketing content that resonates.
RJ was intrigued enough to suggest a call. Some days later, we connected. I explained my approach to improving business messaging through storytelling strategies, including a workshop I had recently launched for entrepreneurs looking to elevate their brand communication and discover how to make their business stand out.
The Successful Business Owner Who Needed to Attract the Right Customers
RJ wasn't struggling—far from it. Six years into his business journey, he'd built something objectively successful. Revenue was good. Customers were satisfied. From the outside, everything looked fine.
But inside, RJ felt the gnawing sensation familiar to many entrepreneurs: the knowledge that he was capable of so much more with the right strategy and marketing guidance.
"I've been learning from people like Alex Hormozi and Steven Bartlett," he told me. "I know I could be doing something bigger here with the right B2B content strategy."
What struck me most wasn't RJ's desire for more profit—it was his reason behind it. He spoke passionately about supporting men's health and well-being, potentially starting a charity or building communities. He understood that by scaling his business systematically, he could create the time and financial freedom to make a meaningful impact on causes he cared deeply about.
But he couldn't do it alone. He needed expert local business marketing help and a team that could elevate and accelerate his business growth. Without that support, he risked staying exactly where he was—comfortable, but far from his potential.
Flipping the Narrative: Learning How to Build Trust with Customers Through Story
We agreed to meet for a workshop to dive deeper into his brand and website. But more importantly, to unearth what had already made his product successful and how we could amplify that to reach new heights through strategic content creation for small businesses.
When the day arrived, I started by asking RJ what he truly desired from his brand development and business growth. Then I shifted the conversation to his customers—specifically, the ones who loved his product enough to come back repeatedly.
"Tell me about the people who've given you positive feedback," I asked. "Why do they buy for the first time and why do they reorder?"
This simple question revealed something RJ had always known but never fully integrated into his marketing strategy. As I shared examples and explained what a brand narrative really is and why it matters, I could see the shift happening in real-time. The lightbulb moment.
His marketing wasn't about his product. It was about his customers—their desires, their struggles, and how his product could transform their lives. This realization is at the heart of how to attract the right customers who truly value what you offer.
The Moment When Brand Development Takes a New Direction
"This is a lot of work," RJ said after several hours of unpacking his brand story and developing a more effective content marketing approach.
I braced myself for hesitation or pushback. Instead, I saw something unexpected: excitement. Energy. A new clarity about what he needed to do to take his business closer to its full potential.
Far from being overwhelmed by the road ahead, RJ was energized by it. The workshop that
was meant to be a one-time consultation turned into something more. By the end of our session, he asked me to come on board as a consultant to help see this transformation through.
"With my product, and this clarity on strategy; I feel like I've won the lottery!"
"My days of being an owner-manager who has to do everything, are coming to an end," he told me with newfound determination. "But the growth of my business and the opportunities for my audience and communities are only just beginning."
From Dream to Reality: The Business Growth That Followed
Today, we're building the foundations that will elevate RJ's business from dream to reality. What was once a quarter-million-pound business now has strategies and forecasts to exceed £1 million in the next twelve months through targeted marketing strategy implementation.
But the numbers, impressive as they may be, aren't what drives either of us. It's knowing that this growth means RJ can finally begin building those communities he's passionate about. It means his product can reach more people who need it. And it means his story—authentic, compelling, and human—can inspire others to pursue their own vision with renewed purpose.
All because of a WhatsApp message that could have easily been ignored, and a conversation that dared to look beyond features and specifications to the heart of what makes any business truly successful: the story it tells and the lives it changes.
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Are you telling the right story with your business? Sometimes the most powerful shift isn't in your product, but in how to improve your business messaging to communicate its impact on your customers' lives.
If this resonates with you, I'd love to explore how my business storytelling services and business growth expertise might transform your brand too.
Local businesses looking for strategy, sales and/or marketing help can discover how strategic storytelling builds customer trust and accelerates growth.
What RJ Post workshop reaction here
Whatsapp or email Bevan directly to set up a call to see how Storytelling strategies could take your business into a brand new chapter!
07862 734 766
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