Stories, by definition, evoke emotions. Strong stories encourage your audience to see themselves in your story.  But what does your audience experience when you share a story about your own struggles?  Maybe you want them to get the message, “I’ve been there.” Maybe you offer a service to clients who seek help for difficult, sensitive problems. Maybe you’ve struggled in your own business and you want to demonstrate, “I’m human.”   How will your story land with your audience? Will you inspire them or inadvertently create an uncomfortable response? To answer this question, we can turn to Nicole Lewis-Keeber, The Business Therapist.  Nicole is passionate about the impact of small “t” trauma on businesses and she's trained and certified with Brené Brown’s Dare To Lead™ methodology. She's one of the few professionals who combine therapeutic processes with business coaching, helping entrepreneurs gain emotional and well as financial sustainability. In this podcast episode, Nicole explains how a story can inadvertently trigger strong negative emotions. She provides a framework and guidelines for sharing a difficult story when it’s appropriate to your offer and your audience.  Tune in to discover… …key points to consider as you incorporate storytelling in your business   …essential questions to ask when sharing a difficult story seems appropriate - even essential - to your marketing …what can trigger an audience’s negative emotions as they listen to your story …why the wrong story can come across as manipulative (and change your relationship with your audience forever) …when and how you might consider “trigger warnings” before sharing a hard story …why you can replace a struggle story with a joyful story It’s a subject we rarely discuss but it’s important in today’s dynamic marketing environment. Nicole is one of the few professionals who combine an understanding of psychological trauma with the realities of entrepreneurship.  Listen to Episode 112 here and you’ll come away with the understanding to choose the right story for your business and manage your shares when the topic becomes sensitive.   RESOURCES: Business Therapist Nicole Lewis-Keeber Consultations for storytelling - the Strategic Intensive FREE guide to understanding your prospective client's backstory - Click here