Mastering Your Message Using Strategic Storytelling
with Ryan Holck
Ever wondered what to actually do with your story once it’s crafted? Dive deep into the world of strategic storytelling in this enlightening episode with Ryan Holck, a seasoned brand messaging strategist. Ryan brings over two decades of expertise in helping brands simplify their complex messages and deliver them effectively across various platforms. If you're grappling with a great story but unsure how to leverage it for your business growth, Ryan will guide you through the ins and outs of implementing your story to maximize impact.
Key Takeaways:
Strategic Implementation: Learn the art of implementing your story where it matters most. Ryan discusses the importance of strategic placement, ensuring your story reaches the right audience at the right time to foster engagement and conversion.
Modular Storytelling: Discover how to break your story into modular pieces for different contexts. Ryan shares his approach to tailoring your story’s delivery for various platforms, ensuring consistency and adaptability without losing the core message.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls: Gain insights into the frequent mistakes brands make when telling their story and how to avoid them. Ryan provides practical tips to keep your narrative focused on your audience’s needs rather than falling into the trap of self-centric storytelling.
Why You Should Listen: If your business’s story is gathering digital dust or you’re struggling to see how it fits into your marketing strategy, this episode is a must. Ryan’s expertise will empower you to not only tell your story but also use it as a powerful tool for business growth and customer connection. Transform your narrative from a static tale into a dynamic asset today!
About Ryan Holck
Ryan Holck is a speaker, author, marketer, and brand messaging strategist. As creator of the Distill Your Story framework, he guides brands to tell their story clearly so they are memorable and referable.
He specializes in helping brands identify their unique story, simplify their messaging, and deliver it strategically both online and in person.
Ryan combines storytelling principles with marketing practices to help brands be memorable and referable. He has helped organizations like CASA Fresno Madera, Your Energy Solutions, The Thing Conference and the CA Southern Baptist Convention.
Unlocking Clarity: 3 Steps to Creating an Effective Marketing Story
https://ryanholck.ck.page/0c3aac0716
Connect with Ryan Holck
Website: http://distillyourstory.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/storydistiller/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/distillyourstory/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanholck/
About Aleya Harris
Aleya Harris is the spark for your spark™. A trailblazer in purpose-driven story crafting, she is a former marketing executive and ex-Google Vendor Partner who brings her dynamic experience to her role as the CEO of The Evolution Collective Inc. Aleya is a StoryBrand Certified Guide, international award-winning speaker, and the host of the award-winning Flourishing Entrepreneur Podcast. Her unique approach as a Strategic Storytelling Consultant has revolutionized the way businesses communicate, transforming workplace cultures and market positioning. With her dynamic energy and proven methodologies, she guides clients to unlock their potential, articulate their radically authentic stories, and achieve unparalleled success.
Book Aleya to Speak
To book Aleya to edutain your audience at your next event as a keynote speaker, please visit www.aleyaharris.com/speaking to check out her speaking topics, reels, and why. Click "Schedule a Call" to secure the speaker with "that something new" you've been looking for.
If you are a Corporate Event Planner, Employee Experience Professional, Head of Marketing, Learning & Development Professional, Executive Assistant, Speakers Bureau Destination Management Company, or Destination Management Organization who is looking for a top-quality, energetic speaker, you should definitely hop on a call with Aleya.
Connect with Aleya Harris
Speaking & Media: https://www.aleyaharris.com
The Evolution Collective Inc.: https://www.evolutioncollective.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleyaharris/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleyaharris/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thealeyaharris
Links Mentioned on this Podcast
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[00:01] Aleya Harris: Stories have many jobs in our lives. They're the things that we use to put our children to bed at night. Well, unless your name is Ruby Coral and you're my child, she only wants to hear wheels on the bus. But I digress. Stories are also used to convince people to do things, to change, to be different. Stories are the things we engross ourselves in with our noses in books and our butts in seats in movie theaters, therefore entertainment. But your life is also a story, and it's complete of with other stories made up into the grander story of your life. One of those stories is your money story, and it is one of the most powerful stories that you tell. It's been developed over your entire lifespan, starting from childhood through adolescence and into adulthood. But my question to you is, is that story serving you or is that story harming you? If it's harming you, wouldn't it be good to, I don't know, write a new story? I think it would. And because of that, I have my guest here on this episode, Tasha Chen. Tasha Chen is the number one manifestation and wealth mentor for women entrepreneurs and executives. She is the co founder of the Science of Getting Rich Academy. She is a wealth and success coach. She is also has her vision alignment method, and it's helped 17,000 plus people find ease and joy, enjoy quality time with their families, manifest tremendous levels of wealth, and have the freedom to do what they love. She has manifested within her community. 163 million. I'm going to say that again, just in case you didn't hear the number of millions. That is a 163. $163 million. And she's created 14 on her way to 15 millionaires, multimillionaires, and counting. She's an author, a speaker, a mindset, mastery expert, and she's the one who, in today's episode, is going to unveil to us wonderful ways to change our story around money so that we can change our overall story of our lives. If you are ready to be wealthy, to feel more importantly wealthy, to manifest all of those things that are swirling around in your vortex into this plane of existence, so you can see them, touch them, lick them, enjoy them in this physical plane, then, my friend, this episode is for you. All right, let's go.
[03:00] Yuliya Patsay: Welcome to the Flourishing Entrepreneur podcast with Aleyah Harris. If you're looking for actionable ways to overcome communication and differentiation challenges by sharing radically authentic stories, you are in the right place. Listen in and learn how to stand in the power of your unique narrative to transform your personal life, business and workplace. Culture. And now, your host, award winning international speaker, strategic storytelling consultant, and japanese whiskey lover, Ruby Coral's mom, Alayah Harris.
[03:49] Aleya Harris: Tasha, thank you so much for joining us here on the Flourishing Entrepreneur podcast. How are you doing today?
[03:55] Tasha Chen: I'm doing fabulous. Happy to be here. Ready to be vulnerable.
[03:59] Aleya Harris: Oh, I love it. We have a willing participant, everybody. Before we get into some of these hard hitting questions, can you please, Tasha, tell us who you are and what you do in just a couple of sentences?
[04:15] Tasha Chen: I am Tasha Chen, and for the last twelve years, I've had the honor of fixing myself with my money and my wealth and all things finances and then going on to show thousands of women all over the world, creating 14 going on 15 million years. Super excited to share that journey with your listeners.
[04:35] Aleya Harris: I love that. And just in case anybody didn't catch that, Tasha has not just been like, oh, yeah, I had this one friend this one time, and then she reached a million dollars, and now I'm a success. She says she's created 14 other millionaires. Outside of herself, there are 14 other human beings running around with money in their pockets because of the things that Tasha says. So if you weren't interested in listening before, I highly recommend that you start tuning in now. Stop multitasking. I can see you. Tasha, if you had to say the number one thing that keeps people from reveling in their trueness of their money story, which is abundance and staying within lack, what would that be?
[05:19] Tasha Chen: I would say that's a two part question. It's a two part answer because it's somewhere in between money traumas and their money story. Really. Over the last twelve years, one of the things that I love about the work that I do is I said I figured myself out first. And so I looked at myself one day and I realized there was a pattern here. I had some serious traumas around money. And I sat down and I listed them, and there were 16 different traumas that I could name at the time that I had experienced that I saw stopping me. And then as I looked at my clients, I was like, holy macaroons. Them too. And so these money traumas, what they do is they cause you to live from a money story that does not serve you, that blocks you. And it's kind of like if I asked you what your name is like, without thinking about it, you're like, my name's Aaliyah. Right. And so that's what happens with your money story. You don't even know it, think you're not conscious. It is literally just playing out like, you take your next breath. That's what's going on in the background. You're like, this is me. This is the story I live from around money. That's that. And that's the biggest thing I would say, you know, twelve years in that has women blocked from receiving and experiencing the financial wealth that is the right of all of us.
[06:44] Aleya Harris: You said you had 16 money traumas that affected your life, and I'm assuming you go into all six in your book, is that correct?
[06:52] Tasha Chen: Actually, that's the book that's yet to be written. Oh, yeah. Coming soon. I do teach a lot about the money traumas, and I really do a lot of deeper diving because I feel if I just tell you the list of 16, you're going to read them and go, yeah, yeah, yeah, I have all of these. And then what? You know, like, I leave you to your own devices. So I really try to keep it in the context of a class that I'm teaching or one of my programs that I'm doing. I can tell you 95% of the women that I serve have this number one money trauma, and it's this. Have you ever been in an experience where you concluded it was love or money?
[07:46] Aleya Harris: Probably. I would think that I have. I would think that I.
[07:50] Tasha Chen: Most women, it falls into one of two categories. Either watching their parents fight over money, just like there's not enough. The awareness that there's not enough, and the parents are angry at each other and. Right. So it's usually seeing it as a child or if you're a divorced woman, nine times out of ten, this man you once loved and thought you were going to spend the rest of your life with, you end up fighting over money. And it's like, wow, gosh, I guess you can't have both. And what happens is a money trauma is really something that leaves you feeling unsafe, unloved, abandoned, and you don't naturally think, I'm mad at the person. You're like, money caused this. And so you have a trauma. And people, you know, when you speak about trauma, it's so natural to think stress trauma from stress or trauma from abuse. Not a lot of people recognize that they've experienced trauma from money. Right. And so, yeah, it's pretty deep work.
[08:55] Aleya Harris: So was that your number one money trauma that you had to overcome?
[09:01] Tasha Chen: My number one money trauma was that. And from my childhood, I have a money wound that says, you're not enough. You are not enough as you are. And I spent my entire life working out that trauma by being a perfectionist. By being overworking, by being a people pleaser, by just giving myself, prostituting myself and my services. Honest to God, no other way to say it then like that, for money. Because this wound just could not be healed. And the trauma of. I will never be whole enough to say, I don't have to beg, plead, and sacrifice myself for money. I just. I just deserve it, you know? Yeah.
[09:55] Aleya Harris: So how did you heal from that trauma? Or would you say even. I guess a better question is to say that you are healed or not. I don't want to leave.
[10:05] Tasha Chen: What I will say is, I've done a lot of healing around that trauma, and I don't want anyone to think, oh, yeah, you know, like, I took that magic pill and bye bye for life. I'm going to tell you a story. After doing a lot of work on healing my money trauma, where I found myself at an event, and I had done this three day event. I get to the end. You know, we do events. I get to the end and I go, okay, go to the back of the room, sign up for the program, right? $5,000 program. And it's end of three days. 300 people in the room. This woman comes starting direct to me as I'm beelining to leave the event, and she says, tasha, I'm gonna work with you one on one. What would that look like? And I'm like, um, um, um. Because that was not the offer I made. And so I was like, it'd be $25,000. And she goes, okay. And she picks up her checkbook and starts writing a check. And I go, uh, no, no, no. Just go to the back of the room, do the $5,000 thing.
[11:03] Aleya Harris: And, you know, you did not say that.
[11:07] Tasha Chen: If you've ever wondered what it looks like to subconsciously respond from a trauma, that's it right there. You turn down money, you devalue yourself. You say, literally, you say, no, no, 25,000. Give me five instead.
[11:23] Aleya Harris: Oh, my God, I hurt. My whole body hurts hearing that story.
[11:29] Tasha Chen: I go off by myself and I go, tasha, what the heck just happened? Right? And you've done so much work on this. What was that? And that's when I had the awareness I have a trauma from growing up on the island of Jamaica, which we have this deep, inherent thing that says you have to work hard for money. I know I say from Jamaica, but truthfully, I think that is, you know, international standard. Like, you have to work hard for money. So when that woman came across the room with the $25,000 so easily. My trauma was like, this isn't safe. It's bad.
[12:07] Aleya Harris: Say no.
[12:08] Tasha Chen: Say no. And so I recognized in that moment, like, after all the work that I had done, that's how quickly it can resurface if you're not having it in check. And so the difference between me and someone who's not done that work, I could become. I was immediately aware I knew what to do to heal it. And you best believe that woman has gone on. She's in so many programs now. She has gone on, probably spend $50,000 with me over time. And by the way, she's one of my millionaires.
[12:38] Aleya Harris: I love it. I love the success story at the end. That's amazing. I'm still a little hurt and pained by the fact that you turned down that $25,000 check. But what a great lesson that. That gave you and that, that gave everybody else. Right. You mentioned something in your story about staying in check, and obviously, you were a little bit out of check in that exact moment, but you were able to quickly rein yourself in. What are some of the things that we need to do once we have rewritten our money story? Or a better way of saying this, I guess, is we're on the journey of rewriting our money story to stay on that new path that we've discovered for ourselves.
[13:20] Tasha Chen: Number one, you have to be vigilant. Right. It's like, I deem it unacceptable that that event occurred, but it did. I'm human and it did. What I do know is because I'm so watchful, that is a one in a hundred time for me, you know, after doing all of this work. So you just have to. I know my wound. I know. Oh, it's too easy. That's my thing. Watch out for your quick response. So I know the things. I know. Oh, you have to work hard for it. Oh, you. You're not enough. You know, I know the things to look out for. And so I have. I stay vigilant around those things. This morning, someone messaged me and said, hey, I have a few questions. She's been a past client. I have a few questions. Can I just, can we do a catch up call or can I text you? And I saw myself go to respond, and I just rained myself. And I go, there. There it is. Your people pleasing trauma. You know, it's like, actually, would you like me to send you my link for us to book a session?
[14:17] Aleya Harris: Absolutely.
[14:19] Tasha Chen: Right. It's just being able to stay vigilant around it is, number one. Number two, once you've done the work to heal it. What happens is you've actually created a brand new identity. You become a whole new person. And it's kind of like when someone, you know, if you're religious, who says, I'm born again, you are born again. And you live by the tenants of I'm a new person and I have to now live this version of me. And the easiest way to do that is embodiment of. So I embody. I am no longer wounded, traumatized with money, Tasha. I'm now healed. Goddess aligned in my wealth and my deservingness around wealth, Tasha. And I act accordingly.
[15:02] Aleya Harris: I really, I really love that and I love the new story. When I tell stories, stories have elements, right? Like you have a character and you have the thing that they're trying to do and they have trials and tribulations. When I'm trying to create this new person, write this new story, align with this higher version of myself, what are the elements of that story that I need to put into place so that I'm actually telling a story and not just like on that same path and kind of having a little offshoot, I'm truly telling a new story.
[15:36] Tasha Chen: I think in order to tell the new story powerfully, you have to be really honest with yourself about who you have been. And part of the healing the money story process is I guide clients through looking at the stories that you've inherited from your mother, your father, your religion, the things that have really made you who you are in the story. The way you identify in this, in this movie. I say it's your movie. It's your money story movie. Are you playing the shera or the victim? You know, and most people prior to doing the work, are in a victim role with their money story. And so the first thing is, well, what's a character I want to be now? You know, boss, babe, goddess Shiro, who do I want to be? This is like a whole new script. And so I would say decide, first of all, this role, this character that you're going to embody and then really sit with, okay? And so as her, what is going to be different? You know, how is she going to show up? How is she going to dress? What's she going to say? What are the actions that she's going to take? But I know, like you said, we can write a story till the cow has come home. I can write a 20 page book about a new money story. But if I close that book and put that pen down, and that's that, that would have been an interesting, fun afternoon. Nice activity. Great. And maybe some of it will show up in my life. Maybe a little bit. The real work is not even in writing the money story. It's then going to live it and consciously choosing moment by moment. I just said, I'm a boss, babe. I can't play victim anymore. Like, I don't even know who that is, you know? So. Yeah. Did that answer your question? That.
[17:19] Aleya Harris: That did. And I. And I'd love to take it kind of to another. A deeper. A deeper place from there. When. When we're on our journey, often there are villains. Often there are our own creation, our own limiting beliefs, our own things that hold us back. Or often there are situations when you're working with, let's keep your 14 millionaires in mind that the people who have gone through the hero's journey successfully. But I'm sure it was not a smooth process for them or for you. What are some of those villains that throw you off of your story, off of your path? They're the money traumas. But it's not say, I have my money trauma, and it's unworthiness, like you mentioned. But I already know that that's not going to throw me off my path. That's the thing that actually got me started. It was understanding my money trauma and wanting to heal it that got me started on this journey. But now I'm on this journey, and so what are the pitfalls that I'm watching out for? And what have maybe even been some of your pitfalls that you have experienced, and how have you overcome them?
[18:24] Tasha Chen: You ready for this one? Don't know if you.
[18:26] Aleya Harris: I wasn't ready for that last one, Tasha. I'm still hurting for that $25,000 check, so let me gird my loins with whatever you got to say.
[18:34] Tasha Chen: Now, I did a little audio for my clients over the last two days, and it literally is interesting because it's the answer to your question. But the first one that has floored me, having done this work for 15 years on myself, is the way my hormones totally send me off track. Like, I literally start going into, you're not good enough. It's not working. Da da da da. Like, you know, who's gonna pay that? When are you gonna read your like. And I. And I've trained myself to go, where's the calendar here? What's going on? Literally, it's like, oh, that's what's going on. But I'm aware. But I can tell you, you know, sometimes I don't catch it till I'm three days in, you know? So that's been a major surprise for me, the role of my hormones in my state of mind. Another thing is, I was sharing with my clients recently how I. Recently, I just moved into a new house, and for the first time in my life, I have a gas stove. I have arrived. The only other person in my life who's ever had a gas stove is my mom, and she has, like, a super duper fancy, expensive one. So when I go home, I have to use hers. I light the lighter. I get it. And so the fact that I moved into a new house with a gas stove is, like, I'm a katrillionaire right now. So I am so proud of myself. I go to use my gas stove, and every time I use it, I use a lighter. And then one day, I forgot the light or whatever. I was just on autopilot, had coffee in my hand, turning it on, because I'm used to an electric stool where you just turn it on, turn it on, and wouldn't you believe it, it lit. It's a freaking self lighting stove. And so what I realized, the lesson that I realized was, oh, my gosh, I'm so on autopilot sometimes, even with all the work that I've done. And I think that's another thing that cat will catch you and has caught me, is I'll be literally in the middle of shaking out the lotion for 15 minutes before I realized, you're wealthier than this. What are you doing?
[20:45] Aleya Harris: You're wealthier than this. Go get the other lotion.
[20:49] Tasha Chen: Right? But it's the autopilot. And I know that's lotion. But then you go to business, and I'm like, I'm about to do a launch, and I'm going to price the thing at autopilot price, you know? So it's just watching yourself and going. Even in the autopiloting price, it's not recognizing that that price was of Tasha, who was traumatized, versus the Tasha that is healed, you know? So recognizing those little nuances of the difference between who you were and who you have now chosen to become. And then the last one I'll say is, that gets me is story. Did laundry, did a color load, took it out to put it in the dryer, and there was a white t shirt, and the white t shirt was now pink. I was like, wait a second. There isn't even anything in here that's pink. How did that happen? And I realized the white t shirt will pick up. It is the weakest, lightest color right in the color circle in the laundry. And so it's going to pick up whatever is the most dominant. And so I realized that it's such a powerful metaphor for, you've done all this work, you've done your healing, and then here you are, recognizing, oh, my gosh, I've been spending time with my girlfriends, love them, but they're not where I'm at. And, holy moly, here I come back. Or my family or my husband, right? And it's like, these people are not where I am in regards to the work I've done on this story and healing myself. And so an extended period of time can impact. They're going to be the most dominant thought, and especially because I used to think like them, right. So they're going to, if I don't, I'm not careful, I will come back and be like, huh, perfect example I took. I take the summers off. I go to Jamaica. I have to pretend to work.
[22:48] Aleya Harris: Why?
[22:49] Tasha Chen: Because my parents think it's irresponsible that you should be this age and taking a vacation off all summer. You should be working. This is your prime working years. And so I literally find myself starting to feel irresponsible while I'm there, because that's how they think, you know? And so what does that. It just infers, and it gets me right back into, you should be working hard for money, which is my wound. Right. So those are the things that you just really have to be vigilant in watching for. Man, who's who or what is gonna take you down. You know, the strongest thing around you watch for your hormones. I'm telling you, mine. Nobody is thinking about that one. But, yeah, it is. And when are you on autopilot? Where are you on autopilot? Because you. You have lived from this money story a lot longer than you have lived from the new one. And so you just got to watch out for being in that, like, oh, yeah, this is the way I always do it mode.
[23:53] Aleya Harris: That is such a great response to that question. And I loved a couple. I loved everything that you said, but I especially loved, you know, poor people pricing, like, my poor self is pricing this for my wealthy self, and my wealthy self does not like it. And I also loved that she said, I'm wealthier than that. I think that there's a lot of times where I need to go and look at the things that I'm doing and say, alayah, you're wealthier than that. Stop it. Stop it. Absolutely. Absolutely. We've talked a lot about money stories and past traumas and wounding, and I've thought that this is an incredibly rich conversation. And I have one final question for you. It's still about story, but maybe slightly different, maybe not. What is the story that you want people to tell about you after you're gone?
[24:46] Tasha Chen: Wow. People will say, I remember Tasha Chen. I remember the way she made me feel that it was possible for me. And I remember the way that I stepped into the highest version of myself because of what she taught me to do. That would be a life well lived.
[25:15] Aleya Harris: I think so. I definitely think so. And I definitely think, based on what I've heard and seen of you, that you are currently writing that legacy for yourself, which is a beautiful thing to see. Tasha, why should people work with you?
[25:30] Tasha Chen: Ooh. I really, for me, I wake up every morning and I say this one thing. God use me. And I believe that God is using me to answer the prayer of the woman who is right now saying, I cannot figure it out. My daughter would say, help me make it make sense. It's not making sense. I'm smart, I'm driven, I'm educated. I know all the right things to do, and I'm just not getting to that financial, you know, goal that I desire. And I cannot figure it out. And I can tell you, it's not your education, it's not where you live, it's not the business that you're in. Those are all things outside of you. And there's a reason why it says the kingdom is within, because that is the truth. The thing that is stopping you from experiencing the wealth that you deserve is within. And if you're looking for someone to help you, go there. I would love to do that. I would love to show you, like, I'm on a mission to create 100 millionaires. I'm at 15, about 14 and a half. 15. And so why should somebody work with me? Do you want to be one of my hundred million year women? That's it.
[26:44] Aleya Harris: I love that. I love that. Tasha, if people do want to be one of your hundred millionaire women, how can they start to work with you? Where can they find you? How should they contact you?
[26:55] Tasha Chen: I think the thing that would be like, I want to get started on this right now is a free gratitude journal that I have. It's a gratitude for money journal. Easy. Tashachen.com gratitude.
[27:09] Aleya Harris: Perfect.
[27:09] Tasha Chen: Download your free journal. It's a 30 day prompt of different things that you can just be grateful to money for. Great healing practice.
[27:19] Aleya Harris: I love that. I love that. Well, Tasha, this has been wonderful. I'm excited to download my journal to dive more into your book. I'm so glad that we got to meet and talk about rewriting stories around money. Thank you for being here.
[27:36] Tasha Chen: Thank you. Thank you for having me.
[27:40] Aleya Harris: I don't know about you, but I am sitting here definitely contemplating what things are on poor people autopilot here in my business. And I will be saying all day, in fact, and probably from now on, I am wealthier than that. I love that and so many more of the things that Tasha said. It was amazing and wonderful and beautiful to have her here. But more importantly, your job is to now go do something about the information that she just said. Wealth doesn't just happen. You don't have to work hard for it. Hear me? That's not what I'm saying. I'm not saying you have to go work hard for it, but you have to take control of your mindset, your feelings, your emotions, and your relationship to your money and your money story. Just listening to this podcast is not enough. You need to step out. Go download her gratitude journal. Go buy Tasha's book. All of those things will get you closer and closer and closer to the wealth that you desire. The baby steps, my friend. Oof. That's where the magic happens. Baby steps done consistently will make you into one of Tasha's millionaires, especially if you work directly with her. I know. I'm excited about how I have rewritten my money story, and money is just flowing in. We're doing much better over here, y'all doing much better over here. And life is feeling good. And I want this and more for you and everyone with under. Under the sound of my voice. So I'm wishing you, as always, lots of love, light, and abundance here on the flourishing entrepreneur podcast. My name is Aleyah Harris, and I am just hoping and loving you into a wonderful rest of your day. Bye for now.
[29:38] Yuliya Patsay: Thank you for listening to this episode of the flourishing entrepreneur podcast with Aleyah Harris. Vibing with what you hear, leave a five star review to spread the love and be sure to click subscribe. We wish you love, light, and abundance. See you next time.
