Your story makes your business unique
“I believe stories have the ability to change the world” - Mags Thomson
Mags Thomson has been a storyteller for as long as she can remember. Her first piece of writing is dated at age three and reads ‘Oma’ (the Dutch word for grandmother). But really, her boxes of mementoes are filled with snippets of her writing.
Mags founded the school paper in secondary school, wrote and directed musicals for the Christmas and Easter celebrations in school, edited research rapports for her father as a side-gig in her teens and twenties and joined the editorial staff of the faculty rag in university, where one of her columns made such a splash it was referenced in the University newspaper.
But even beyond the written word, she was finding and sharing stories. She interviewed people on air as a volunteer DJ at a local radio station in her teens and as part of celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Netherlands Constitution, she even interviewed the then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Hans Dijkstal on national radio.
Spreading Her Story Wings
Mags started her entrepreneurial journey in 2013 when she co-founded SwanWaters, a platform for people recovering from emotional abuse. The platform has since lost funding, but the content she created for it has resulted in her book ‘The Ugly Duckling Diary’.
This is where her personal story and business first intertwined and she became fully aware of the power of personal stories.
She learned some of those lessons the hard way, leaving her feeling exposed and anxious. So, she decided to help others tap into the power of their story, bridging the gap between emotive sharing and strategic communication without the massive vulnerability hangover.
Why storytelling is so effective
Storytelling goes beyond effective communication; it taps into an ancient aspect of human nature, fostering trust, connection, and authority. As business owners, the stories we share not only appeal to our audience’s emotions but also play a significant role in their decision-making process.
When we hear or read stories, our brains activate language processing and comprehension, just as they would with simple statements of fact. But storytelling goes beyond that; it also stimulates emotions and imagery, involving the brain’s cognitive planning area.
In essence, a story creates connections and opens our minds to new ideas, drawing upon a combination of learning styles. Consequently, storytelling can captivate every member of your audience, regardless of their personal preferences.
Mags’ goal is to help businesses amplify their unique stories and perspectives in a way that makes their audience feel seen, understood, and connected.
