The other day, I was walking through a medical clinic. The hallway was lined with chairs filled with people waiting for their appointments. As I passed, a man looked up at me. He was disheveled and rough around the edges, like someone who'd been living on the streets, or at least on the fringes of society.
He smiled and said, "Good morning."
I smiled back. "Good morning."
Then he added, "Cold out there today, right?"
"It really is," I said. "I wasn't ready for the snow."
I'll come back to him in a minute. First, I want to talk about what I see every time I scroll through LinkedIn.
Perfect Posts That Feel Hollow
So many "perfect" posts. Smart, structured and optimized. Clean hooks, tidy lists of lessons.
And yet, they feel hollow.
AI tools have made it easy for anyone to produce competent content on any topic, at any volume. The result is a flood of words that all sound a little alike, and that are harder and harder to remember.
We're drowning in advice and data, but starving for humanity.
If you're an expert, coach, author or leader trying to stand out, that gap is your opportunity. Here's why human storytelling in business matters more now, and how to use it.
Back to the Man in the Clinic Hallway
When I reached the office door, I turned back and saw him greeting everyone who walked by with the same warmth and earnestness. And I realized something.
He was looking for more than connection. He was looking to feel normal. To take part in one of life's simplest rituals: small talk. He had found the one place where his greeting would be returned, because etiquette required it. And even in that, there was dignity, and maybe normalcy.
On my way out, he greeted me again as though it was the first time.
"It's so cold," I said. "Stay warm out there."
He laughed. "I'll try to. You too."
It stayed with me. Because beneath all of our titles, our marketing, our roles, we all just want to feel seen. We all want to feel equal.
And that's what storytelling does. It levels the playing field.
Notice what that story does. There are no statistics in it, no framework, no list of tips. Yet you can picture the hallway, hear the exchange and feel the point land. A tool can produce a paragraph about the importance of human connection. It can't have stood in that hallway.
What AI Can Do, and What It Can't
I'm not against AI. It's useful for research, outlines, summaries and editing.
But here's the thing. AI has leveled the playing field. Anyone can be an expert with the click of a keyboard. And when everyone can sound like an expert, sounding like an expert stops being an advantage.
You know what AI can't replace? A powerful, human brand.
Insights on almost any topic are a prompt away now. What can't be generated is the specific life that led you to your message: the moment you got it wrong, the conversation that changed your mind, the client who taught you something you still use.
Yes, AI can generate flawless paragraphs. But it's your lived moments, your voice, your experiences and your truth that make people stop, listen and remember you.
The Real Cost of Sounding Like Everyone Else
I've been saying this for years. Back in 2023, I wrote: what a boring world if our entire brands were spit out by Chatgpt.
My advice then is my advice now. Show up uniquely "you". Don't be afraid to stand out. We need to lean into our humanity and show up powerfully in our own personal brand. That will be the differentiator.
That's why I'm starting a series on storytelling and how we can better communicate in business. This is the first one.
Here's the lesson for anyone building a brand. When your content sounds generated, people treat it like background noise. They skim it, nod and forget who wrote it. When your content sounds like you, with your stories and your opinions, people start to recognize your voice. Recognition is what turns into trust, referrals and bookings.
How to Bring Real Storytelling Into Your Business
You don't need to be a professional speaker to use story well. Here's the simple approach I teach for posts, presentations, pitches and talks.
1. Start With the Point
Decide what you want people to understand before you choose a story. Message first, story second. It keeps your story from wandering and makes sure it earns its place.
2. Choose a Specific Moment
Skip the life summary. Pick one scene, like a hallway, a phone call or a meeting, and take people inside it. My guide on how to find your signature story will help you choose it.
3. Use Real Details and Real Dialogue
What was said, word for word? What did the room look like? Small, concrete details make a story feel true, because they are true. My clinic story works because of the snow and that repeated good morning.
4. Connect It to Your Expertise
Real storytelling bridges the gap between our expertise and our empathy. Your story should lead somewhere useful: an insight, a lesson or an idea your audience can apply. Story without a point is entertainment. Story with a point is leadership.
5. Let AI Assist, Not Author
Use tools to tidy, tighten and check your work. Write the lived part yourself. If a draft could have been written by anyone, add the detail only you know.
Storytelling Is a Business Skill
This goes well beyond personal brands. Teams that can tell clear, honest stories communicate better with clients, with each other and with leadership. So many organizations struggle with people who stay quiet because they don't feel their voice matters, which I cover in why employees won't speak up in meetings. If you lead a team and want to build these skills across your organization, our sister agency offers corporate communication training.
For individuals, the stage is still the most powerful place to practice. Standing in front of a live audience and telling a true story is the opposite of generated content. Nobody can fake it, and audiences can feel the difference.
So, what's the moment only you could tell?
Keep reading: The Difference Between a Story and a Timeline · 3 Personal Branding Mistakes Experts Make (and How to Fix Them)
Your Next Step
If you want to find your story, shape it around a clear message and deliver it with confidence, that's exactly what we do in my Momentum classes. Join a free class and start building a brand no tool can copy.