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This past month, I coached two people for job interviews.
Different ages, different genders, different points in their careers, but the same goal: they wanted something new.
As we worked together, I found myself repeating the same message: show me more of yourself.
It’s advice I come back to again and again, whether I’m working with a founder, an executive, or a private client.
We all spend so much time trying to sound polished and impressive that we can leave out the best part: ourselves.
This week, I’ll show you a simple formula to shape a story in three scenarios.
Stories Connect Us
Psychologists use the term narrative transportation to describe becoming absorbed in a story.
Simply put, when someone tells us a story we picture it. Our attention, imagination and emotions get involved.
Do you recall one of the job candidates I was training above? When we started working together she gave smart, polished answers. But they were missing her.
Early on, she told me her father was a builder. I told her to share that story when explaining why she wanted to lead a building program.
She got the job and later, the hiring team told her that story was a big reason why.
Have an interview, presentation or important conversation coming up? Let’s get you ready.
This Week’s Tip: How to Craft Your Story
I think stories are better with two things: structure and texture.
Structure helps someone follow the story.
Texture gives them something to picture and remember.
When I coach someone for an interview, I often start with this simple formula for the structure:
Situation → Action → Outcome
Here’s how to apply it in three different conversations.
1. Answering an interview question
Question: Tell me about a problem you solved.
Situation: Our biggest client was about to leave.
Action: I called the client myself and asked what had changed. Once I understood why they intended to leave, I changed our proposal to address their concerns.
Outcome: They stayed with us, and we signed a new contract.
That gives us the story structure. Now add the texture, or details:
“I remember sitting alone in the conference room thinking, ‘We’re about to lose our biggest client after 12 years.’”
Can you see how that one sentence makes the moment feel real to the listener?
You don’t need a long backstory. One specific detail adds texture and can help someone picture the moment.
2. Explaining something complicated
Stories can also help people picture an unfamiliar idea. You don’t always need a personal experience.
Let’s say someone asks:
“What is cloud gaming?”
You could explain:
Situation: Imagine you want to play a video game, but you don’t own a console.
Action: Cloud gaming runs the game on a powerful computer somewhere else and streams it to a device you already have.
Outcome: With the right controller and a good internet connection, you can play games without buying a console.
Familiar comparisons are also great:
“Think of it like Netflix for video games.”
You’ve given the person something they can picture, instead of a definition they have to decode.
3. Telling a personal story
Someone asks me:
“How did you get into your career?”
Situation: I worked in TV news for nearly 20 years and kept noticing how nervous people got when they had to speak on camera.
Action: Before interviews, I started helping the person I was interviewing prepare.
Outcome: I realized I loved teaching people how to communicate, so I built a business around it.
Compare that with this polished answer:
“I have always been passionate about communication. Through my professional experience, I developed expertise in helping others become confident communicators.”
The first answer tells you something about me: I noticed people struggling and wanted to help them feel confident.
When I tell people this personal story, it often leads to follow-up questions about my services, and referrals to someone who could use my help.
This Week’s Funny
Now for your funny:
Blu Dot surpasses 2,000% ROAS with self-serve CTV ads
Home furniture brand Blu Dot blew up on CTV with help from Roku Ads Manager. Here’s how:
After a test campaign reached 211,000 households and achieved 1,010% ROAS, the brand went all in to promote its annual sales event. It removed age and income constraints to expand reach and shifted budget to custom audiences and retargeting, where intent was strongest.
The results speak for themselves. As Blu Dot increased their investment by 10x, ROAS jumped to 2,308% and more page-view conversions surpassed 50,000.
“For CTV campaigns, Roku has been a top performer,” said Claire Folkestad, Paid Media Strategist, Blu Dot. “Comping to our other platforms, we have seen really strong ROAS… and highly efficient CPMs, lower than any other CTV partner we've worked with.”
Using Roku Ads Manager, the campaign moved from a pilot to a permanent performance engine for the brand.