The Real Reason You’re Stuck (And It’s Not What You Think) | The REAL reason you’re ‘Stuck’ and what to do about it | The real reason you feel stuck in your life

Let’s start with a truth you might feel in your bones but haven’t said out loud: you’re spinning your wheels. You’re putting in the hours, checking off the tasks, maybe even implementing the latest advice from that podcast or webinar. But the needle isn’t moving. That next level of income, impact, or freedom feels like a mirage—always in the distance, never getting closer.

It’s frustrating. It’s confusing. You start to question everything: your offer, your website, your skills. You think, “Maybe I need another course,” or “Perhaps my logo is the problem.”

But what if the real blockage isn’t on your website or in your business plan? What if it’s in the story you’re telling yourself every single day?

This is the power and peril of storytelling. Not the kind you do in ads or social media posts, but the internal, private narrative running in the background of your mind. This story defines your identity: who you are as a founder, a creator, a professional. And if that story is old—crafted from past failures, early struggles, or outdated fears—it will put a ceiling on everything you do. This is the core of identity-based storytelling, and understanding it is the first step to breaking free.

Your business is an outward expression of your inner world. You cannot build a $100,000 business with a $10,000 mindset. You cannot build a sought-after brand while telling yourself a story of scarcity. The internal storytelling becomes the external reality. This isn't mystical; it's psychological. Your actions, decisions, and ultimately, your results, flow from the identity you believe you hold.

So, let’s dive deep. Let’s uncover that old story, learn how to write a new one, and see how transforming your personal narrative is the ultimate engine for how to grow your business with storytelling.

Part 1: The Old Story – Recognizing the Ghost in Your Machine

We all have our story. It sounds like this:

• “I’m the struggling solopreneur who has to do everything myself.”

• “I’m an imposter, and sooner or later, everyone will find out.”

• “I’m not a natural salesperson; I just hate promoting myself.”

• “My business is a passion project, but I don’t think it can really support me.”

• “I have to take whatever client comes my way because money is tight.”

Where did this come from? Often, it was born in the legitimate early days. The “struggling solopreneur” story was true when you were literally doing everything alone. The “I’m not a salesperson” story might have formed after one awkward sales call. Your brain took a snapshot of a moment and turned it into a permanent, defining truth.

This old story was a comfort. It gave you an excuse for slow growth. It protected you from the risk of bigger failure (if you don’t try for more, you can’t fail at getting it). It became a familiar prison.

How the Old Story Sabotages Your Storytelling Business

You might think your internal story is private, but it leaks out everywhere. It’s the foundation of all your business storytelling. When there’s a mismatch, customers feel it. It creates friction and distrust.

Here’s how the sabotage plays out:

1. In Your Marketing (The Confidence Gap): You try to create storytelling marketing that says you’re the confident expert. But your old story whispers, “Who are you to teach this?” The result? Hesitant copy, watered-down promises, and content that hides instead of leading. You might use the right storyteller tactics, but they ring hollow because they’re not rooted in a true belief.

2. In Your Sales & Pricing (The Worthiness Gap): When it’s time to state your price or pitch your value, the old story screams, “They’ll never pay that!” or “Just be happy they’re interested.” You undercharge, over-deliver to the point of burnout, and hesitate to ask for the sale. Your storytelling for business pitch lacks conviction because you’re secretly unsure if you’re worth the investment.

3. In Your Operations (The Control Gap): The “I have to do it all myself” story makes you a bottleneck. You don’t delegate, systemize, or scale because your identity is tied to being the indispensable worker. This stifles growth and keeps you exhausted. Effective storytelling in business communication with a team or contractors fails because you can’t truly let go.

4. In Your Vision (The Possibility Gap): The old story keeps your dreams small. Thinking about a course, a book, or a speaking tour? The old narrative shuts it down: “That’s for real experts, not someone like me.” Your brand storytelling stays small because your self-story is small.

This internal conflict is why many people fail at how business storytelling works. They try to paste a shiny story on the outside of a rusty internal frame. It never holds.

Part 2: The Bridge – From Old Identity to New Author

Changing your story isn’t about positive affirmations you don’t believe. It’s not about staring in the mirror and saying, “I’m a millionaire” when your bank account says otherwise. That creates cognitive dissonance—a mental stress that your brain will quickly resolve by rejecting the new claim.

The process is more like being an archaeologist and an author. First, you carefully uncover the old story (the artifact). Then, you consciously write the new one (the novel), using evidence as your plot points.

Step 1: The Excavation – Naming the Old Narrative

Grab a journal. Ask yourself:

• What do I consistently say about my business when I’m frustrated or talking to a close friend?

• What fear comes up most often when I think about taking a big leap?

• What’s the “role” I feel I’m playing in my business? (The Martyr? The Genius in the Garage? The Accidental Entrepreneur?)

• Finish this sentence: “My business would be easier if I weren’t so…”

Write down the narrative that emerges. Give it a title: “The Tale of the Overwhelmed Hustler” or “The Chronicle of the Uncertain Creative.” See it for what it is: a story. Not a fact, not a prophecy. A story you learned to tell.

Step 2: The Evidence Bridge – Building Belief from Reality

This is the most crucial step. You cannot jump from “struggling” to “wildly successful” in your mind in one leap. You need a bridge built with planks of real, undeniable truth.

Your brain loves evidence. So, become a detective for proof that already exists that supports your new, emerging story.

Example: Your old story is “I’m terrible at connecting with an audience.”
Your new story wants to be “I’m a compelling communicator who engages people.”

The evidence bridge looks for small proofs:

• “That one LinkedIn post last month got three thoughtful comments.”

• “A client told me my explanation was obvious.”

• “I spoke up in that mastermind, and people nodded along.”

• “I wrote an email that one person replied to saying, ‘Thanks, I needed this.’”

These are not flukes. They are data points. Collect them daily. Write them down in an “Evidence Log.” This log is the source material for your new storytelling in business communication. It proves to your skeptical mind that the latest story is possible, because it’s already happening in fragments.

Step 3: Authoring the New Story – Be Specific and Vivid

Now, write the story of the person who has already achieved what you want. Write in the present tense. Be detailed.

Don’t write: “I am successful.”
Do write: “I am the owner of a thriving, streamlined storytelling business. I work with three ideal clients per quarter on deep, transformative projects that I carefully select. I communicate my value with clarity and calm confidence, both in my storytelling for business pitch and in my everyday storytelling marketing. I have systems that run without my constant attention, and I spend my creative energy on work that lights me up.”

This new story becomes your north star. It guides decisions. It rewires your subconscious. When faced with a choice, you can ask: “What does the person in my new story do?”

Part 3: How Your New Story Revolutionizes Your Business Storytelling

Once your internal narrative starts to shift, your external business storytelling transforms from a marketing tactic into an authentic superpower. Here’s how it changes every facet of your storytelling business.

1. Your Marketing Becomes Magnetic (Storytelling Marketing)

Most marketing is a list of features: “We do X, Y, and Z.” It’s transactional and forgettable.

Marketing rooted in a true, lived-story is transformational. It follows the classic story arc that every human brain is wired to understand:

• The Old World (The Problem): You articulate the struggle from the inside. You’re not just listing pain points; you’re describing the feeling, the frustration, the identity of the person stuck there. (This is powerful because it shows profound empathy—you’ve been there.)

• The Encounter (The Solution): You introduce yourself not as a savior, but as a guide. Your story is: “I’ve been through that dark wood. Here’s the map I made.”

• The New World (The Transformation): You paint a vivid picture of the other side. This isn’t just “more revenue,” it’s peace of mind, authority, freedom, confidence.

This is how to grow your business with storytelling. You’re not selling a service; you’re offering a proven path to a new identity. Your content, emails, and ads all become chapters in this larger narrative of transformation.

2. Your Brand Becomes Legendary (Brand Storytelling)

Brand storytelling is the coherent narrative that ties together everything you do. It’s your origin, mission, values, and customer transformation, woven into one compelling tale.

With a clear new internal story, your brand story writes itself:

• Your Origin Story: This is no longer “I started in 2020.” It’s the heroic (or reluctant) beginning. “I was stuck in the same old story of [old story], until I discovered [key insight]. Now, I guide others out of that same place.”

• Your Customer’s Story: You stop talking about yourself and make your customer the hero. Your brand becomes the wise mentor (like Yoda, or Dumbledore). This is the ultimate storyteller tactic: making your client the protagonist.

• Your Mission Story: Your “why” becomes a story of a future you’re building. “We’re creating a world where no creative has to feel like an imposter…” This is deeper than a tagline; it’s a calling.

3. Your Pitches Become Conversations (Storytelling for Business Pitch)

A pitch isn’t a data dump. It’s a short, persuasive story.

The classic structure for storytelling for business pitch is:

1. Identify the Dragon: “I understand you’re facing [specific challenge], and it’s probably causing [frustration, lost time, missed opportunity].”

2. Show the Shining Castle: “Imagine instead if you could [achieve this clear, desirable outcome]. What would that change for you?”

3. Offer Yourself as the Guide: “I’ve helped others like [brief success story] cross that same bridge. I have a plan for how we can get you there.”

4. Call to Adventure: “The next step is [simple, clear action]. Are you ready to begin?”

When you believe your new story, you deliver this pitch not from a place of need, but from a place of service. You are calm. You are confident. You are the guide offering a path, not a salesperson begging for a deal.

4. Your Communication Builds Trust (Storytelling in Business Communication)

Every email, meeting, and client update is an opportunity for storytelling in business communication.

• Onboarding a Client: Don’t just send a contract and an invoice. Send a “Welcome to Your Journey” email. Outline the chapters you’ll go through together. This frames the entire relationship as a collaborative story.

• Sharing a Setback: Instead of a dry, defensive update, tell a mini-story. “Here’s the challenge we hit. Here’s what it means. And here’s the plan for how we overcome it and get back on the path to our goal.” This builds immense trust.

• Celebrating a Win: Tell the story of the win! “Remember three months ago when we started, and the goal felt big? Look at what we’ve accomplished together. Here’s how this chapter ends.”

This level of intentional communication makes people feel seen, understood, and part of something meaningful. It turns clients into advocates and colleagues into allies.

Part 4: Business Storytelling – Where to Start? Your 30-Day Rewrite Plan

Feeling overwhelmed? Let’s make it practical. Here is your step-by-step guide for business storytelling where to start.

Week 1: The Excavation & Evidence Week

• Days 1-3: Carry a notebook. Jot down every limiting thought about you and your business. No judgment, just collection.

• Day 4: Read them. Identify the top 3 repeating themes. Name your Old Story.

• Days 5-7: Start your Evidence Log. For the opposite of each old thought, find 2-3 tiny proofs that it’s not entirely true. Did you finish something on time? Evidence of competence. Did someone say thank you? Evidence of value.

Week 2: Authoring & Integrating Week

• Day 8: Write your “New Story” bio. Describe yourself and your business as if you’ve already achieved your next major goal. Use the present tense. Be vivid.

• Days 9-10: Record yourself reading it aloud. Listen to it once a day.

• Days 11-12: Rewrite your LinkedIn bio or website “About Me” paragraph to lean 20% closer to this new story. Use one piece of evidence.

• Days 13-14: In one piece of content, use one storyteller tactic. Try the “Before and After” framework.

Week 3: The Pitch & Message Week

• Days 15-16: Craft your new “story pitch” using the Dragon/Castle/Guide structure. Practice it out loud.

• Days 17-19: Analyze your website or main offer. Does it speak to the “Old World” struggle your client feels? Rewrite one headline or sub-headline to better reflect that story.

• Day 20: Have a low-stakes conversation (with a colleague, friend, or in a networking chat) and consciously use story language. “You know, it reminds me of when a client was facing X…”

Week 4: The Systems & Scale Week

• Days 21-23: Pick one system in your business (e.g., client onboarding). How can you inject storytelling in business communication into it? Write a story-based welcome email or a “progress journey” PDF.

• Days 24-26: Plan a piece of storytelling marketing—a blog post, video, or carousel—that tells your own “Old Story to New Story” transformation. This is powerful brand storytelling.

• Days 27-28: Review your Evidence Log. Add 5 new strong pieces of proof from the last month.

• Days 29-30: Re-read your Old Story notes from Week 1. Then read your New Story. Feel the difference. Commit to choosing the new story, daily.

Conclusion: Your Business Is the Story You Tell

How business storytelling works is not a mystery. It’s not just a fancy phrase for copywriting. It is the fundamental human technology of meaning-making. When you align the story you tell yourself with the story you tell the world, you become unstoppable.

Your stuck results are the clearest sign that these stories are in conflict. The friction, the hesitation, the ceiling—they are all symptoms of an identity mismatch.

You are not your past launches that didn’t go viral. You are not that one rude client from 2019. You are not the hesitant beginner you once were. You are the author of your next chapter.

A storytelling business isn’t built on clever slogans. It’s built on the true, lived narrative of transformation that starts within the founder. It’s about using storyteller tactics from a place of authentic authority. It’s about understanding that every piece of storytelling marketing, every brand storytelling element, and every storytelling for business pitch is an invitation into a world you have already dared to build for yourself.

So, put down the weight of the old story. Pick up the pen. The blank page of your next quarter is waiting. Start writing from your new identity, and watch as your business—finally—begins to grow into the story you’ve always wanted to tell. This is the true, powerful path for how to grow your business with storytelling. Start within. The external results will have no choice but to follow.

The REAL reason you’re ‘Stuck’ and what to do about it.

Secretly, I knew why I felt stuck but didn’t do anything about it.
That doesn’t mean I didn’t try getting unstuck some days. It just took me a while to gain the courage to do what needed to be done.

We’re often stuck or feel stuck because of our own bullshit. We tell ourselves lies, get lost in fantasies, dream of what will be, and then, as if we’re woken up abruptly, we are thrust back into our current reality — jarred from a warm, fun and magical place… for this.

You’re stuck because you’ve fallen in love with the idea of something, a future, fame, fortune, or something different from where you are. Then you either can’t find a way from here to there, or the work required is just too daunting.

So what’s the secret? Honesty.
You thought I was going to say action or something. You’re right, but honesty comes first — absolute shameless honesty.

The journey to becoming unstuck isn’t easy nor overly enjoyable initially. If you’re ready, strap in and come down this rabbit hole with me.

1. Shameless Honesty

Now, when I say shameless, I don’t mean you act like an asshole and pretend not to care or are oblivious to your shit.
I mean no judgement.

Honesty without shame helps to build awareness of self. We can observe things about ourselves through a lens that is better able to serve us than hinder us. Then like magic, that little bit of awareness is born and can help us be even more honest, leading to more awareness and honesty.

Become interested. Yep, a great first step is to become interested in yourself. Realise that all you’re feeling, seeing, tasting, thinking, etc., in these moments, you’re having a biological experience. It’s a reaction to something on some level.

What’s that got to do with honesty? Understanding that these things are happening regardless is the key; they’re as natural as the rising sun. It is our reaction to them that it is a problem.

Think about that. Pretend for a second you woke up and were pissed the sun had risen. Feels ridiculous to think about it like that, eh?
What if we viewed the ‘problems’ about ourselves and our lives with the same indifference we feel about the rising sun? Then applied a bit of interest as to why they are the way they are instead of judgement.

We get caught up in the emotional retort to a situation. We say things like “I’m angry” when in truth, you feel angry; you aren’t anger itself.
We might say things like, “you make me angry”. What happened was that your preferences adopted through trauma, experiences and habits from the last 20, 30, and 40 years of your life were triggered. Then you reacted, all in an instant.

With shameless honesty, we can look at these things about ourselves and tell ourselves it’s ok. We’re not broken, defective or anything like that. We are what we are; from here, we can see ourselves as the product of a life lived.

You might think at this point; that you know how to be honest with yourself. You’re probably right. You do.
A little thing can happen after your first bout of honesty: self-talk, the negative kind.

2. Dealing with Negative Self-talk

You’re not good enough. You’re too fat. She’s better looking than you. Your dick is too small.
Ouch, that stuff stings. For some people, it can be crippling.

Like it or not, that’s the kind of stuff you’re saying to your stuck self ALL DAY LONG.

One of the most significant flaws I think humans have is believing the shit in our heads. We have become so accustomed to believing our thoughts that we rarely question them. Why? Because it’s easier to do that than question it.

Now to be fair to our brain, this is part of the evolution that has kept us alive as a species for so long — having a tonne of automatic behaviours and processes designed to keep us alive. They’re automatic or wired to require less processing power to keep the brain from burning loads of calories.

You’re automatic wiring was installed by parents, friends, you, social media, etc. You picked up beliefs and habits along the way because they helped. They helped you avoid trouble at school or embarrassment with boys or girls or avoid bad relationships.

Back in my school days. I didn’t study or do homework much; I found that when it came to tests, I could turn up, do the test and pass. My adolescent mind then reasoned that I, clever as I was, no longer needed to bother myself with troublesome homework. That stuck with me until much later in life.
I realised that just turning up and doing stuff didn’t get me far. It’s hard to build skills without practice and repetition or to learn things without reading something new.
Before it was a helpful revelation, I thought I wasn’t good at things. Anything. Silly right?

I’m getting off track. The good news is that you can purposely shortcut the automatic stuff through awareness and honest questions.

The first one: Is this true? Most of the time, it’s not; it’s just some narrative you’ve sold yourself on to help validate your bullshit. The second: Is it helpful? Usually, if it’s not true, it’s not beneficial.

You can safely discard these and try on some new beliefs. While it doesn’t happen just like that, patience, honesty, and awareness will all take shape after some time.

If you’re still having trouble with negative self-talk, then try to think of talking to yourself as a friend, trying to show them that these things are true.
If you had a friend is telling you that they’re a terrible person or useless. You would likely say something to disprove that.
“No, you’re not; remember when you did this or that?”

If you treat yourself as if you were a friend, you will choose the words you say to yourself much more carefully.

3. Use the feelings — get mad!

Huh? We’re on track; stay with me.

You can feel hopeless, frustrated or angry when you’re feeling stuck.
But now that we know WHY we feel these things, we can handle them for a different reason.
Things are not hopeless now, so letting that one go is fine. But frustration and anger? Gold, absolute gold.

You’re stuck because of the mental prison built around you, by others and yourself and reinforced by years of self-talk and bullshit stories and narratives to help it stick.

Only now, you’re stronger. You get to use the darkness against itself and light the fuse to help you move from here to your desired place. Put on your best wolfish grin and feel you are now the hunter, no longer the hunted.

Surprised? Getting unstuck isn’t just about the softly gentle feelings. It’s about being pissed enough to do something about it.
Soft inward, hard outward. A friend to yourself and enemy to all those false things that stand between you and what it is you desire.

4. Action

Now, all that is left is to do something. Anything.
Pick a path that will help you move closer to whom you want to be and further from the feeling of being stuck.

Once you have the vaguest idea of what path you want to take, do something immediately. Then do it again tomorrow and the next day and so on. Don’t stop.

I look forward to seeing you on the other side of stuck.