Best Storytelling Frameworks for Professionals

Are you struggling to tell stories that actually grab your audience’s attention? If you want your story to land—really land—start in the middle. In long-form improv, we don’t open with, “Hi, I’m your sister and we’re at a coffee shop.” We start mid-action: “I can’t believe you told Mom about the tattoo.” Boom. Stakes, tension, curiosity. The audience is in. Storytelling works the same way. Here’s a simple framework I use often with clients to make sure their stories connect, not just inform: 𝟭. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻. Drop us into the scene where something is already happening. Instead of: “I had just started a new job and was trying to prove myself...” Try: “My boss stood over my desk and said, ‘If this happens again, we’re going to have a serious problem.’” We don’t need to know what led to it yet. Start where it stings. 𝟮. 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁. Keep it specific, visual, and to the point. For example: “I could feel my face go hot. I nodded, but I didn’t say a word. The spreadsheet error was mine, and I knew it.” We don’t need a breakdown of every task you did that week. We just need to feel this moment with you. 𝟯. 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱. What’s the takeaway? What shifted in you, or around you? “I realized I’d been so afraid of asking for help that I made it harder on myself. I started owning what I didn’t know. And guess what? My work got better. So did my relationships.” That’s what sticks. Not perfection—the transformation. So, that’s the framework: Start in the middle. Paint the next beat. Then land the insight. It’s how we do it in improv. It’s how the best storytellers do it on stage. And it’s how you can make sure your story doesn’t get lost in the noise. And here’s the real question I’ll leave you with: What’s one story you’ve been meaning to tell—but haven’t? You don’t have to share it yet. But maybe today’s the day you start shaping it. Let me know if you'd like to keep workshopping this? #Storytelling #PublicSpeaking #CommunicationSkills #ConfidentSpeaking #Leadership 🛑 Want more content like this?  Hit the 🔔 and let’s get this party started!

Robert McKee may be the most interesting Storyteller alive. He taught screenwriting to: • Julia Roberts • Russell Brand • Peter Jackson And re-designed the marketing of: • HP • Nike • Microsoft To be centered around story. So I spent hours devouring his books and classes. They're wonderful. The most interesting framework I learned from him is the 'Purpose-Told Story.' In it, McKee lays out 8 stages for a great story. Here they are: 1. The 3 Targets Before considering your story, you must understand your: • Target audience – who you’re talking to • Target need – what problem they have your product solves • Target action – what you want them to do Without defining those three, you’re guessing. 2. Subject Matter The constraints and subjects that make up your story. McKee breaks it into 3 components: • Core value – the value your brand couldn’t exist without • Protagonist – the Hero your audience empathizes with • Setting – society, time, and place 3. The Inciting Incident Launch the story by throwing the protagonist’s life out of whack. McKee says, “fine storytellers seek out the negative side of life.” Your goal is two-fold: • Grab your audience’s attention • Propel the protagonist to action 4. The Object of Desire What does the protagonist feel they need to get their life back on track? McKee says the most compelling objects come with the highest price tags. 5. First Action The tactical choice the protagonist makes to re-balance their life. This cannot succeed. That’d be too easy. Introduce antagonists – anything keeping the protagonist from the Object of Desire. 6. The First Reaction The reaction to the First Action should be different or more powerful than expected. That gap in expectation vs. reality leaves space for the protagonist to gain insight. Two key aspects: • Turning points • Violation of expectations 7. Crisis Choice The moment of truth – the protagonist must take their earned insight and make a decision. It’s now or never. This final action must be more risky than the first. Raising stakes and all that. The protagonist will either re-balance their life or remain in chaos. 8. Climactic Reaction The protagonist gets their life back on track. Neuroscientists find the brain’s response to a good story’s climax is a few seconds of heightened memory. *** The brilliant part of McKee’s process? It’s built outside in. He starts with the end – your audience, their problem, and the desired action. Then he figures out the beginning – the event to trigger the entire story. From there, you build the narrative arc to connect beginning and end. He says, "Purpose-told stories do far more than entertain. They trigger an action in the listener: a purchase, an investment, a job well done. A purpose-told story needs talent, imagination and time to conceive, create and hone to its audience." - - - I hope you enjoyed that! If so, follow me Nathan Baugh for more on storytelling and publishing.

A cheat code to write better content: Use storytelling. Here are 5 frameworks you can incorporate asap: 1. The Hero’s Journey Structure: Ordinary World → Call to Adventure → Trials & Challenges → Transformation → Return Use it for: Founder stories, career pivots, customer journeys Tip: Position your reader (or your customer) as the hero. Not yourself. 2. The Pixar Framework Structure: “Once upon a time... Every day... Until one day... Because of that... Until finally...” Use it for: Relatable micro-stories, product narratives, personal reflections Tip: Start small and personal—end with a universal insight or lesson. 3. Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle Structure: Why → How → What Use it for: Vision-led content, culture-building, brand storytelling Tip: Lead with belief. People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. 4. The Story Cycle System Structure: Backstory → Trigger → Quest → Conflict → Climax → Resolution → Moral Use it for: Brand arcs, customer case studies, transformational experiences Tip: Emphasize the emotional arc. Let readers feel the journey. 5. The Big Idea Framework Structure: Hook → Goal → Obstacles → Old Way → New Way → Big Idea → Proof → Objections → Steps → Transformation Use it for: Thought leadership, product positioning, brand vision Tip: Present a shift in worldview. Show what’s broken, what’s possible, and how your idea bridges the gap. Which one would you use most often in your content? p.s follow me for more content like this :)

𝐒𝐢𝐱 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 Great storytelling closes rounds, recruits top talent, and builds unstoppable conviction. This breakdown from Anshuman Sinha gives founders six proven frameworks to tell their story with clarity, emotion, and urgency—tailored to different contexts. 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬: 1️⃣ Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle – Why → How → What Perfect for early-stage pitches rooted in mission and vision. 2️⃣ Minto’s Pyramid Principle – Thesis → Pillars → Proof Great for Series A+ and logic-driven investors. Forces clarity under pressure. 3️⃣ The Pixar Pitch – Once upon a time… Turns your origin story into an emotional journey. Humanizes the founder. 4️⃣ StoryBrand Framework – User = Hero, You = Guide Ideal for onboarding flows, GTM clarity, or explaining technical products to non-technical people. 5️⃣ What, So What, Now What – Insight-Driven Storytelling Use this for traction updates, pivots, and investor Q&A. Clear and reflective. 6️⃣ ABT (And, But, Therefore) – Narrative Tension That Converts Skeptics Use this in market sizing, urgency framing, or displacing incumbents. 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞? Founders who master storytelling win more than capital—they win conviction. Choose the right framework for the right moment. Credit: Anshuman Sinha PS. check out 🔔 for a winning pitch deck the template created by Silicon Valley legend, Peter Thiel https://lnkd.in/eQFrsUnE