Authenticity Is A Powerful Persuader

When Peter Guber listened to his daughter tell him her story with a sense of purpose he’d never heard before, he knew hers was a mission from the inside out, not outside in.

She was asking for an investment of hundreds of thousands of dollars to design and manufacture a line of active wear clothes around yoga. She had no business, retail, wholesale, or design background.

But authenticity is a powerful persuader. Jodi told him a story about how, as a young girl, she longed to be part of the glamour she saw all around her. But, she always felt as if she were on the outside looking in. Jodi struggled with her weight and finding fashionable clothing that looked good on her was always a challenge. Jodi felt that fashions should be designed inclusively, regardless of size, weight or socio-economic status. So she decided since no one else was designing clothes this way, she does it herself.

This story rang true in a way that her prior ambitions never had and would ring true to her customers, because it proved she understood and shared their experience and was designing a product that was emotionally satisfying as well as practical. Her narrative told Guber to override his concerns about her lack of technical expertise, especially when she showed him that she’d done her business homework as well, and was truly ready to roll with a line of active wear she was calling beyond yoga.

In a short period of time beyond yoga’s sales grew from $80,000 to $5 million and today the company has grown into lifestyle apparel and is known as “I Am Beyond.”

 

MORE ABOUT TELL TO WIN

blog-telltowin-linkTo validate the power of telling purposeful stories, Guber includes in this book a remarkably diverse number of ‘voices’ – master tellers with whom he’s shared experiences. They include YouTube founder Chad Hurley, NBA champion Pat Riley, clothing designer Norma Kamali, “Mission to Mars” scientist Gentry Lee, Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, former South African president Nelson Mandela, magician David Copperfield, film director Steven Spielberg, novelist Nora Roberts, rock legend Gene Simmons, and physician and author Deepak Chopra.
 
After listening to this extraordinary mix of voices, you’ll know how to craft, deliver – and own – a story that is truly compelling, one capable of turning others into viral advocates for your goal.

 

Deepak Chopra & Peter Guber Talk About Success on Winning Voices

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