How to Rewrite Your Story for Success: Success, Failure and How to (Literally) Rewrite Your Story While You Change Your Inner Story

Master the Art of Storytelling: An Interview with Lior Arussy on Authoring Your Success Story

Lior Arussy is an authority on organizational transformation, having guided over 400 companies—including Mercedes-Benz, FedEx, and Walmart—to new heights of success. As the founder of Strativity Group, his strategies have consistently delivered exceptional customer experiences and fostered profound business growth.

In his latest book, Dare to Author!, Lior challenges individuals to take control of their personal narratives, mastering the Art of Storytelling for themselves. He argues that without intentional authorship, one’s life story is shaped by external circumstances and societal pressures. The book offers a structured approach to transforming experiences into resilience and growth, empowering readers to transition from feeling like victims to becoming victors and crafting their ultimate success story.

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” — Maya Angelou

From our conversation, I took away many key lessons including:

• Recognizing Outdated Narratives: Leaders often hinder progress by clinging to past practices. He explains the importance of adopting “next practices” over “best practices” to remain future-ready and write a new narrative.

• Challenging Limiting Beliefs: Phrases like “If you want to do it right, do it yourself” can stifle delegation and employee development. He encourages leaders to move beyond such limiting beliefs in their professional story.

• Embracing Vulnerability: The idea of the invincible, all-knowing leader is outdated. Leaders should share their personal story, including failures, to build trust.

“Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.” — Brené Brown

His insights offer a roadmap for leaders aiming to craft intentional, impactful narratives that drive success. I encourage you to read the interview and learn more by reading his book.

You mention that the biggest obstacle to being future-ready occurs when you are stuck with an old story. Can you elaborate on how a leader can recognize when they are stuck in an outdated narrative?

Change is an inevitable fact of life. In DARE TO AUTHOR!, I point out that leaders often focus on developing best practices that are dependent on past practices. When they only provide examples of how they used to do things, they are “future delayers” not “future ready.” When their actions focus instead on experimenting with innovative technologies, tools, and mindsets, they are on the path to being future ready. Constant usage of best practices reinforces old chapters when creating their story. Experimenting with next practices helps develop the new chapter for themselves and their teams. Leaders should ask themselves: what is in my toolbox: best practices or next practices?

“Leaders are the sum total of their actions not their statements. Examine your actions.” — Lior Arussy

In your experience with organizational transformation, what are some of the most common old stories that hold leaders and companies back?

“If you want to do it right, do it yourself” is an old story sold to us early in our careers and although it is wrong, many people still believe it. This paradigm is contrarian to empowering and developing new employees. It holds back leaders from furthering and adapting their leadership skills.

The leader as “an invincible person” is another old cliché. The idea that a leader needs to show up as a “know-it-all, never-in-doubt” person is not a leadership style that attracts followers. It leads to blind submission and not to a reflective and learning organization.

The leader as the consummate fire fighter is another narrative that puts leaders into a position of trying to preserve the past without the ability to look for growth and opportunities. When leaders constantly fight fires, they do not have the time or mindset to develop their businesses. It’s important to author a new story that teaches others to fight the fires and focuses on creative development as opposed to conserving the past.

“Outdated narratives hold leaders back. Rewrite your story with intentionality and growth in mind.” — Lior Arussy

The idea of “intentional authoring” is fascinating. How did you personally come to realize the importance of authoring your own story?

The nucleus of the idea started when readers of my earlier books quoted sections and drew different conclusions than my original intentions. It made me pause and think. I recognized the power of personal storytelling based on your life’s background and experiences.

Then when the 2008-2009 financial crisis hit and I needed to rebuild my business almost from scratch, I had to deploy new tools and mindset. I had to gather past successes to refuel my dwindling reserves. And that is how my intentional authoring started. I remembered a study that found that 14% of companies that go through a crisis emerge in a better shape than their original state. So I asked myself, what if I try to thrive here and not just survive? There is a small chance for success, but still a chance. That is how DARE TO AUTHOR! evolved – out of my own need to rewrite my story so that my past experiences could lead to a new success story.

In Dare to Author! you explore the biased lenses through which we view our experiences. What practical steps can someone take to begin identifying and removing these lenses?

Biases such as the denial of gratitude or succumbing to impostor syndrome twist the facts. The best way to counter them is to face the facts without the cynical voices in your head. Examine your success story, celebrate it, develop the narrative of what you learned from it and incorporate it into your future consideration of challenges. When you “dare to author” your story, it becomes a tool for future growth. You silence the cynical voices that undermine those facts and negate their damaging impact on you.

The book discusses overcoming impostor syndrome. What strategies have you found most effective in shifting people’s internal dialogue when it comes to self-doubt?

The intentional authoring process requires people to face the facts, recognize their lessons and impact, and use them to assess future opportunities. The moment an experience, that was once voided by succumbing to impostor syndrome, becomes part of the discussion, the experience gains legitimacy. It therefore becomes a productive tool in a leader’s future growth and part of their success story. In short, reflect and learn from those experiences and use them in future decisions, and the impostor syndrome voices will disappear.

How can leaders effectively translate their personal narratives into powerful stories that inspire and engage their teams?

Before people are leaders, they are humans. Their connections to others are on that level, not on the level of power and invincibility. By reflecting on, processing, and sharing their personal and business stories, they build bridges that make people want to follow them. This is the core of the Art of Storytelling for leaders.

People will follow a leader who they relate to and whose story about persevering even when they faced failure reveals their humanity and ability to understand others. The story also serves as a good guide on people’s path to growth.

The old saying is true “people don’t care about how much you know until they know how much you care.”

You talk about managing the cynical voices in our heads. In a world full of cynicism, what advice do you have for leaders trying to stay positive and optimistic?

Leaders should focus on the impact they are making on the lives of their customers. They touch people in so many ways and are privileged to provide solutions or assistance. This is a highly gratifying experience when leaders pay attention to it and use it to author their story.

No company is perfect. After over four hundred transformations I can say with confidence that every company has its flaws. Those that emerge as successful are not those who dwell on their flaws in a cynical way but rather see the beauty in what they do manage to achieve, authoring a collective success story!

You have consulted with companies like Mercedes-Benz and FedEx. How do you help these large organizations craft new stories for future success?

Companies are usually started by entrepreneurs with a vision to change the world. Overtime, as the company grows, leadership forgets that initial impulse and focuses instead on revenue and profits. The people in their businesses – their customers and employees – become secondary to that focus.

To author a new chapter for the company, I usually recommend that leaders go back to the business’s original story to change the world. We reflect on the impact it made and the people it affected.

The new chapter starts by recognizing past successes and the relevant tools used to achieve them. We then explore what tools are required now and in the future by recognizing the changing environment in sales, technology, and competition. As we develop a vision for a better future, we always stay connected to the original vision of why the organization was created, which is the foundation of their success story.

In your book, you mention the question “good news or bad news first.” What insights did you gain by studying this dynamic in your research?

Good-news-first leaders focus on finding the opportunities in a crisis. Bad-news-first leaders focus on stopping the fire and preserving the current state. The latter are in denial of their current state. In DARE TO AUTHOR!, I refer to them as creators versus fixers. Fixers do not develop a vision for the future. It is not their mindset or their narrative.

How can leaders use storytelling to build trust and foster stronger connections within their teams?

I have observed that the majority of leaders are process reinforcers and measurement chasers. They are not storytellers. It is critical that they recognize that the Art of Storytelling is a new skill they must develop. This is especially important when employees are seeking purpose and empowerment or when they are being asked to achieve new performance standards.

Storytelling creates an emotional connection between leaders and their people and to the matter at hand. It allows people to draw their own conclusions and connect personally to the mission. It removes the invincible leader from the picture and creates an environment of working together. So, sharing a success story or a failure is not about the medals leaders have earned, but rather the lessons they have learned and are willing to share that lead to the gains.

You mention that changing a mindset is not just a decision but something that needs to be practiced. Can you share some real-life exercises or scenarios where leaders can practice new mindsets?

As presentation delivery engines, leaders approach their presentations with confidence and bravado. Their goal is to convince and close the deal. I was guilty of this mindset myself as an entrepreneur who was always selling. But I decided to stop. The practice I adopted was to ask at the end of every presentation “what surprised you?”

That question assumes there was a surprising nugget, and it shifts the focus of the conversation to the listener. I stopped repeating myself and started listening to their experience. This small change in my narrative approach transformed my interactions.

This question has changed my mindset and my approach to business and personal relationships.

You have written about both business and personal transformation. How does the concept of authoring differ when applied in the workplace versus in someone’s personal life?

Both types of authoring require intention, honesty, and the development of resilience and future readiness. However, as I explain in Dare to Author!, personal intentional authoring focuses on developing internal convictions and strength for one's own life story. Business intentional authoring is designed to build buy-in and acceptance by stakeholders, whether customers, employees, investors, or suppliers. As such, business intentional authoring does not require sharing information that is not helpful in the process of building trust and empowerment. It is more focused on a shared vision advancement and a collective narrative.

“To stay optimistic, focus on the positive impact you make on others.” — Lior Arussy

In your experience, what role does failure play in crafting a compelling narrative, and how can leaders embrace failure as part of their story rather than being defeated by it?

When leaders author their story, failure is equal to success. Both are experiences that should serve as building blocks for future strength and resilience. If leaders do not learn from their failures and convert them into chapters in their life narrative, then even the success failed in its purpose. Failures are a defeat when leaders fail to use them to develop themselves.

Therefore, failures are merely milestones of learning. Processing and converting them into lessons is critical for facing the unplanned future and discovering the opportunities in it. It drives future courage and amplifies leadership by getting more people on board to actualize opportunities, turning a setback into a future success story.

The Unspoken Fear: Why We Sabotage Our Own Success Story

We dream of thriving. We imagine success, accomplishment, recognition—and yet, within us, something sometimes hesitates. While fear of failure is easy to spot, fear of success hides in plain sight, often embedded in the personal Story we tell ourselves. It’s the impulse to hold back when things begin to go well, the sudden fatigue after a breakthrough, or the mental tug-of-war that convinces us to settle for less when more is just within reach.

This hidden fear doesn’t shout; it whispers. It suggests that achieving too much might lead to undesirable consequences: isolation, overwhelm, or eventual exposure. Other times, it can mask itself as modesty, practicality, even responsibility—keeping us small while recasting it as playing it safe.

What if the discomfort we feel around success isn’t a warning sign, but a Narrative that’s ready to be rewritten? The Story we carry—often shaped by internal scripts and social messages—can limit not just what we do, but who we believe we’re allowed to become. Challenging this fear is an essential part of the Art of Storytelling for your own life. It's not about chasing more; it’s about stepping into a version of yourself that feels expansive, free, and aligned.

Unseen Chains: How Fear of Success Holds Us Back

Fear of success doesn’t announce itself clearly. It sneaks in through the cracks of your progress—masked as procrastination, over-planning, or chronic second-guessing. You may find yourself endlessly tweaking a project instead of launching it. You might turn down opportunities with excuses that sound practical, but underneath, there's an unspoken anxiety: What happens if this actually works, and I become the author of a new Success Story?

This form of fear is especially deceptive because it can look like discipline or caution on the surface. After all, who could argue with wanting to “get it right” or “wait until the time is perfect”? But when these habits become patterns that delay or dilute your success, they’re not strategy—they’re sabotage, undermining the Story you are trying to create.

One of the key drivers of this hidden resistance is the fear of what success might demand. When things go well, the stakes get higher. Expectations increase. Visibility grows. The identity you’ve maintained—perhaps as the underdog, the outsider, the struggler—no longer fits. This old Narrative feels safe, and success threatens that familiar self-image. Rather than welcoming that stretch, the subconscious often opts for retreat.

Another way this fear manifests is through subtle acts of self-sabotage. You might miss deadlines “accidentally,” back out of collaborations that feel too big, or simply stop showing up when momentum builds. This isn’t laziness or lack of desire—it’s a defense mechanism against a new chapter in your Story. If success feels unsafe or unsustainable, your mind will find ways to avoid it under the guise of self-protection.

Ironically, this fear often coexists with ambition. You can want something deeply and still fear it at the same time. That inner conflict creates emotional friction—a kind of psychological tug-of-war that drains energy and clouds clarity. You may find yourself working hard but spinning in circles, not because you lack drive, but because you’re unknowingly pumping the brakes on your own Success Story.

Recognizing this pattern is a turning point in your Narrative. Once you name it, you can begin to question it: Is this hesitation really about readiness, or is it rooted in fear of what success might change? That shift in awareness loosens the grip of unconscious resistance and opens space for a new kind of momentum—one that’s rooted in clarity, not avoidance.

The Hidden Risk: Why Success Feels Unsafe

For many, the idea of success carries an unexpected weight—not because they don’t believe in their potential, but because success itself feels risky. Beneath the surface of every ambitious goal lies a question few speak aloud: What might I lose if I win?

This fear often isn’t conscious. It lives in the background of our behavior, quietly steering decisions and reactions. At its core is the perception that success isn’t just gain—it’s exposure. To succeed means becoming visible, being held to higher standards, and potentially being judged more harshly. When the spotlight turns on, imperfections that once went unnoticed may suddenly feel magnified. That threat of being "seen" can trigger the instinct to shrink back into familiar roles and routines, a tragic twist in any Success Story.

Another aspect of this fear is the pressure to maintain success once it arrives. Achieving something meaningful can feel like raising the bar permanently. With every breakthrough comes the unspoken demand to keep performing, to never fall short again. This kind of pressure can drain the joy out of success, replacing fulfillment with anxiety. The fear isn’t just of reaching the top—but of not being able to stay there, turning your Story into a burden.

Then there’s the internal identity shift success requires. Most people carry a self-image built on past experiences—some empowering, others limiting. Rising into a new level of visibility or influence may conflict with that internal blueprint. For example, if you’ve always seen yourself as someone who supports others but stays behind the scenes, stepping into a leadership role might feel disorienting. Success asks you to evolve your identity, and that evolution can feel like letting go of something deeply personal—even if it no longer serves you, challenging the core Narrative you've held.

To the subconscious mind, these shifts can feel dangerous. It’s safer to stall progress, stay at the edge of achievement, or even sabotage forward motion than to risk the emotional upheaval that might come with real change. And because these patterns often disguise themselves as logic or maturity, it can be easy to miss the fear underneath the Story.

The turning point comes when you stop equating success with danger and start redefining what it means for you. What if visibility doesn’t mean vulnerability, but authenticity? What if pressure could be replaced with clarity? By shifting your perspective, you begin to neutralize the emotional charge around success—making it something you can step into without fear of collapse, authoring a new Narrative of empowerment.

Internal Scripts: Challenging the Story You're Living

For most of us, the biggest barriers to success aren’t external—they live in the stories we tell ourselves… internal scripts formed quietly over time, shaped by past experiences, unspoken fears, and inherited beliefs. They operate like background code, subtly influencing choices, reactions, and the way we interpret what we’re capable of achieving.

Some of these scripts sound like familiar refrains:

“If I succeed, people will expect more from me.”

“I’m not the kind of person who gets too far ahead.”

“If I shine too brightly, I’ll lose people I care about.”

Each statement carries a protective logic—stay safe, stay relatable, stay invisible. But left unchallenged, these thoughts keep success just out of reach, even as you strive for it, preventing a positive Success Story from unfolding.

One reason these scripts are so powerful is that they feel like truth. Because they’ve been repeated—either internally or externally—for so long, they’ve become part of your identity. And when success threatens that identity, resistance kicks in. It’s not that you don’t want to evolve; it’s that the current version of you doesn’t yet know how to coexist with the next version that success requires.

To begin rewriting these scripts, you first want to become aware of them. Pay attention to the thoughts that arise when you’re close to a breakthrough. Do you start questioning your worth, your readiness, or your right to want more? Do you feel guilt for wanting something bigger or fear that achieving it will come at a personal cost? This awareness is the first step in mastering the Art of Storytelling for your own mind.

The key is curiosity over judgment. Instead of criticizing yourself for having limiting thoughts, explore them: Whose voice is this? Where did I learn this belief? Is it still true? This kind of self-inquiry breaks the trance of old narratives and opens the door to more empowering ones.

Replacing internal scripts isn’t about blind optimism or fake confidence. It’s about choosing beliefs that support your growth, that make space for both ambition and authenticity. It’s about shifting from “Success is dangerous” to “Success can be safe and aligned.” From “I’ll be abandoned if I grow” to “I can grow and still be deeply connected.” This is how you edit your Narrative.

The more conscious you become of the Story you’re living, the more power you have to edit it. Success doesn’t have to threaten your sense of self—it can reveal who you really are when fear no longer has the final say.

Authoring a New Chapter: Turning Fear into Fuel

Once you’ve named the fear, traced its roots, and challenged the beliefs behind it, you’re left with a choice: continue living by the old script—or write a new one. This is where real transformation begins—not by eliminating the fear, but by recognizing its roots and moving ahead in changing your relationship with it. This is the heart of the Art of Storytelling for personal growth. Fear of success doesn’t have to be a stop sign. It can become a signal that growth is near.

The first step in authoring a new chapter is reclaiming agency over your Narrative. That means deciding—consciously and consistently—what success means to you. Not what you were taught or what others expect. Not even what you may have experienced in the past. What does it mean to you for where you're heading? What you want to accomplish? Your next step? For some, that might mean leading boldly. For others, it might mean quietly mastering their craft. The key is that it’s yours.

Start small. Rewrite the way you talk to yourself when progress appears. Instead of “I’m not ready for this,” try “I’m learning to handle this.” Instead of “What if I mess it up?” try “What if I grow from this?” These subtle shifts may seem insignificant, but over time, they rewire your inner world and recalibrate your sense of what’s possible, building a new Story from the ground up.

It also helps to consciously visualize your future self—the version of you who has embraced success with integrity, clarity, and confidence. Ask:

“How do I think?”

“How do I act when faced with fear?”

“What do I believe about my right to shine?”

When you use this vision as a guide, fear loses its power to dictate your choices and your Narrative begins to shift.

Of course, growth isn’t linear. Old stories will resurface. Doubt will try to sneak back in. But now, you’ll recognize it for what it is—a habit, not insight. And with each conscious choice to move forward, you strengthen a new Narrative: one where success isn’t a threat to your identity, but a reflection of your alignment with it.

The goal isn’t to become fearless. The goal is to become fluent in your power, your purpose, and your worth—even when fear speaks. That’s how fear becomes fuel: not something to avoid, but something to work with. A sign that you're expanding into territory your old self never believed was safe to claim.

And that’s the true rewrite—not just of what you can achieve, but of who you enable yourself to become. This is your Success Story in the making.

Claiming the Narrative: Success on Your Terms

Fear of success doesn’t mean you’re weak or unworthy—it means you're standing at the edge of change. It means something powerful is trying to emerge, and your past experience is doing all it can to protect you according to what it knows best. But protection isn't the same as possible, nor inaction the same as insight.

When you begin to see your fear not as a flaw but as a teacher, you shift from avoidance to authorship. You realize you don’t have to live in a Story written by outdated beliefs, cultural expectations, or inherited uncertainties. You can write your own script—one where success is an extension of your integrity, not a threat to it. This is the ultimate Art of Storytelling.

It's not a question of being fearless or flawless. It’s about being honest. It’s about choosing expansion even when it feels unfamiliar. And most of all, it’s about recognizing that your potential was never the problem—only the Narrative you told yourself about what would happen if you fulfilled it.

So let this be the moment you stop playing small to make others comfortable, or quieting your ambition to avoid imagined risks. Let this be the moment you reclaim success as something you are worthy of, capable of, and safe to receive. Your Success Story is waiting to be written.

Not someday. Now.

The Unheard Narrative: Making Peace with the Messy Story of Your Startup Life

The din is loud. It’s the surround sound of advice, of fear, of those terrifying failure stats that everyone loves to quote. 90% of startups fail. 95%! It becomes a mantra of impending doom, a chorus that drowns out the one voice that actually matters—your own.

I’m obsessing, and I know it. And in a moment of brutal honesty, that quiet inner voice I often ignore whispers a terrifying truth: to obsess over the statistics of failure is to have already lost half the battle.

This isn't just about startups. It's about any bold, fragile, new thing we dare to build. If, in its tender early stages, your primary focus is on the probability of its collapse, then there’s an issue there. You’re building a coffin alongside the cradle.

I’ve been thinking a lot about falling down. About the chasm between our in-built, socialized dread of failure and the chaotic, iterative reality of creating something new. We’re conditioned to worry about what people will think, to see a stumble as a permanent stain on our personal narrative. Eep is right.

So, I’m taking a pause. A full, unapologetic stop amidst the frantic scrolling and planning. And in this pause, I’m asking the questions we rarely give ourselves space to hear, let alone answer:

• How do you define success and failure for yourself?

• Is it better to have tried and failed, or to have stayed comfortable and steady?

• When do you pull the rip cord?

• How do you communicate with your team or supporters when the story isn't a straight-line success story?

• And most importantly, what tone does your inner voice take? Is it a cruel critic or a compassionate coach?

These questions are the real work. And they become infinitely more complex when you, like me, are a multi-hyphenate. When your identity isn't a single, neat title on a LinkedIn profile.

The Confounding Pause and the Multi-Hyphenate Identity

“What are you up to these days? What do you do?”

These are simple, cocktail-party questions that feel like existential traps when you’re mid-pause. For the last nine years, a core part of my story has been running a mental health storytelling platform. It’s social impact, it’s purpose, it’s the Art of Storytelling in its most raw form. And recently, I’ve ventured into the world of startups, with all its pivots and precariousness.

But I’m also a writer. A journalist. A corporate professional at times. And each of these identities has its own ruler, its own definition of victory.

As a writer, a modestly successful book is a triumph. For the storytelling platform, impact is measured in messages from strangers who felt seen. For the startup, the metrics are users, revenue, growth—a different beast entirely. The goalposts are not just moving; they’re on different playing fields entirely.

So, how do you make peace with these different strands? How do you reconcile the drive to leave an impact with the reality that impact wears many disguises?

I’ve had some success with my writing, and yet I’ve never felt like I’ve made… enough. That’s the poison of the monolithic success story. We’re fed a narrative of exponential, visible, often viral triumph. We aren't taught the Art of Storytelling for our own messy, multi-threaded journeys.

Redefining the Narrative: It’s All Material

This is where I’ve had to force a shift. I’m learning to see every strand not as a conflicting identity, but as a source of material. The Art of Storytelling isn’t just what we do on a platform; it’s the lens through which we can view our own lives.

That “failed” startup feature? It’s not a failure; it’s a plot twist in your story. That uncomfortable conversation with a co-founder? It’s character development. The pivot you’re about to make? That’s the thrilling turn in the second act that keeps the audience engaged.

When you start to view your journey through this lens, the very definition of a success story changes. A success story isn’t just an IPO or a unicorn exit. A success story is the narrative of someone who learned, who adapted, who built resilience, and who, most importantly, kept listening to that honest inner voice even when the external din was overwhelming.

The story of your startup is not a binary pass/fail transcript. It is a collection of lessons, relationships, and scars that form your unique narrative. This is the most profound application of the Art of Storytelling—crafting meaning from the chaos.

The Pivot: The Heart of the Startup Story

Ah, the pivot. The word itself is a startup cliché, but it’s the absolute core of a resilient narrative. A pivot is not an admission of failure; it is the climax of a chapter where the hero becomes smart enough to listen to the market, to the data, to their own intuition.

My own journey is littered with pivots. The mental health platform didn’t start in its current form; it evolved. The startup I’m working on now has already shifted its focus twice. Each time, it felt like a small death. But with each pivot, the story got stronger, more focused, more authentic.

A pivot is the ultimate act of the Art of Storytelling. You are taking the raw material of your initial idea—the characters (your team), the setting (the market), and the conflict (the problem you’re solving)—and you are rewriting the plot to make it more compelling and viable. You are refusing to let a single, rigid version of the story dictate its ending. This, in itself, is a success story.

Weaving Your Multi-Hyphenate Tapestry

So, back to the multi-hyphenate’s dilemma. How do you hold all these identities without fracturing?

You stop seeing them as separate and start seeing them as a single, rich tapestry. The empathy I’ve honed through years of mental health storytelling is my greatest asset in building team culture for the startup. The analytical rigor from my corporate career helps me structure the social impact work. The writer’s eye for narrative helps me communicate the startup’s vision in a way that resonates.

Each identity informs and strengthens the others. The yardsticks are different, but the person holding them is the same. Your personal narrative isn't a list of job titles; it's the cumulative story of your skills, your passions, and your impact across all domains. This integrated narrative is your greatest strength. It is your unique success story in the making.

Making Peace with Your Own Story

The failure stats are real. The fear is real. The confusion of the pause is profoundly real. But they are not the whole story.

The way forward is to consciously, deliberately, practice the Art of Storytelling on yourself.

1. Listen to Your Inner Narrator: What is that honest inner voice actually saying? Write it down. Is its tone helpful? If not, consciously rewrite the script. Change the narrative from “You’re going to fail” to “This is hard, and you’re learning.”

2. Redefine Your Success Story: Write down what a true success story would look like for you, in this specific chapter, for this specific venture. Is it learning a new skill? Building a product you’re proud of? Impacting ten people deeply instead of ten thousand superficially?

3. Embrace the Pivot as Plot: When things aren’t working, don’t frame it as failure. Frame it as a necessary plot twist. Ask, "What is this teaching me? How does this change my narrative?" This reframing is a superpower.

4. Weave Your Strands Together: Instead of compartmentalizing, look for the connections. How does your work in one area fuel another? Your unique tapestry is your competitive advantage. Your life is not a single story but an anthology, and each piece contributes to the overarching narrative of who you are.

The 95% failure rate is a number. It is not your narrative. Your story is yours to write. It will be messy, it will have twists and turns, and it will be filled with moments of both doubt and brilliance. But it will be yours. And the simple, brave act of trying, of building, of pausing to listen, and of continuing to write your next chapter—that is the most powerful success story of all.

Multi-hyphenates of the world, your complex, beautiful, ever-evolving narrative is your power. Unite not under a single title, but in the shared, courageous Art of Storytelling that is your life.