Send us a text

How to Share Client Wins Without Sounding Like You’re Bragging

If posting testimonials makes you feel like a walking infomercial… you’re not alone.

Most “client win” posts fall flat because they skip the story and jump straight to the ending. You know the ones: “Highly recommend!” “So inspiring!” Cool. But nobody shares praise. They share recognition.

In this episode of The Story Lab, I’m showing you how to turn a testimonial into a story your audience can actually see themselves in, so it lands as relatable (not braggy).

You’ll learn my 6-part framework:
Before, Trigger, Shift, After, Scene, and Cost.

Then you’ll learn how to turn one review into three pieces of content:

1. The Client Story Post
2. The Lesson Post
3. The Behind-the-Scenes Post

Episode Chapters (Timestamps)

00:00 Intro
00:43 Why testimonials feel awkward (and why they usually fall flat)
02:30 The real reason people share content: recognition, not praise
03:25 What most testimonials are missing: movement (before → after)
04:05 The framework: Before, Trigger, Shift, After
05:00 Add the two power-ups: Scene + Cost
06:30 The full 6-part checklist (everything you need, nothing you don’t)
07:10 Real example: breaking down a Google review step-by-step
09:10 Turning the same review into Post #1: The Client Story
11:05 Turning the same review into Post #2: The Lesson
12:55 Turning the same review into Post #3: Behind the Scenes
14:40 Your assignment: turn one testimonial into three posts
15:40 DM prompt: “Make it a story” (send me your review screenshot)
16:15 Outro + leave a review for the show

The Review We Break Down (Real Example)

Annelie Roux (Local Guide • 9 reviews • 19 photos)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Having let my Instagram account drift into digital limbo with only an occasional post, declining reach, and loosing followers, I knew I needed to revamp my personal brand before launching my Digital Divas channel on Chatter Social, but I kept putting it off for ‘more important’ things.

Enter: Jonathan Howard’s Signature Style Challenge — the exact kick in the derrière and accountability I knew I needed.

Jonathan’s prompts weren’t just ‘helpful tips.’ They were strategic, creative, and delivered with the kind of clarity that cuts through excuses. The live Zoom sessions and private Facebook group made it feel like a real-time bootcamp — minus the pressure, but with all the fire.

The feedback? Actual guidance, not fluff. I walked away with a sharper voice, a distinctive style, and content I’m proud to post.

If you’ve been circling the drain of ‘I’ll fix my brand soon’… this challenge is for you. For less than a coffee, you’ll get a full-on creative intervention.

What You’ll Learn

• How to share client wins without sounding like you’re bragging
• The 6 ingredients that make testimonials feel like a real story
• How to turn one review into three content posts
• How to write client wins that make people think: “Wait… that’s me.”

Your Quick Assignment

Grab one testimonial and answer:

• Before: Where were they?
• Cost: What was it costing them to stay there?
• Trigger: What made them finally act?
• Shift: What changed during the work?
• After: What’s different now?
• Scene: What moment or feeling makes it real?

Then write:

1. Client story post
2. Lesson post
3. Behind-the-scenes post

One review. Three posts. No

Support the show

Send us a text

Why You Don’t Have a Choice Anymore: Adam Torres on Personal Brand | Ep. 16

In this special episode of The Story Lab, Jonathan sits down with Adam Torres, co-founder of Mission Matters Media, to talk about the truth people avoid: opting out of a personal brand is still a personal brand and it’s usually not helping you.

Adam shares how he went from managing nearly $200M in finance to building a media company and completing 6,000+ interviews, and why he used to be totally anti-branding until he saw what works. You’ll learn how to use “pocket stories” to connect with different audiences, why repeating your message is how you become known, and how to tell your story in different lengths, from an 8-second hook to long-form conversations.

If you’ve been stuck in “I don’t want to be cringe online,” this episode is your permission slip to show up in a way that actually fits you.

What we cover

• Why “not having a personal brand” is still a loud message
• Adam’s transition from finance to media and what sparked it
• The cringe factor: why most people avoid personal branding (and how to do it right)
• Authenticity: how to show up without performing for the algorithm
• “Pocket stories”: choosing the right story for the right audience
• Why repeating your story builds trust and authority
• Storytelling at different lengths: 8 seconds, 15 seconds, 1 minute, and beyond
• Adam’s short-form framework: hook fast, move from basic to complex
• How podcasting expands your reach and opens doors you cannot knock on
• Why launching messy beats waiting for perfect

Action Steps

1. Google yourself and audit what shows up (or doesn’t).
2. Build a “story file”: 5 pocket stories you can tell in 8 seconds, 60 seconds, and 5 minutes.
3. Pick one message you want to be known for and repeat it on purpose.
4. If you want to expand your network fast, launch a podcast and invite the people you want to learn from.

Guest + Links

Adam Torres (Co-founder, Mission Matters Media)

• Instagram: @AskAdamTorres
• Resources + agency inf

Support the show

Send us a text

Winning Stories Rely On Details: Make Them See It, So They Trust It

Most business owners don’t have a storytelling problem. They have a detail problem. “I used to be shy” is information, but “I hid under a pile of coats at family gatherings so nobody would talk to me” is a scene.

And scenes are what make people listen, trust, and remember you. In this episode of The Story Lab, I break down why details create instant credibility, how to turn summaries into scenes, and a simple 3-question exercise you can use to upgrade any story you tell in your content.

What You’ll Learn

• Why details create trust faster than “expert” statements
• The difference between a summary and a scene (and why most content stays forgettable)
• The 3 types of details that make stories hit:
  • Sensory details (what you saw, smelled, heard, felt)
  • Specific details (what actually happened, not the vague version)
  • Emotional truth (the unpolished thought in the moment)
• Build A Scene in 60 Seconds: A simple exercise to turn any business moment into a story people feel

If your stories aren’t landing, don’t change your whole brand. Change your details.

Try the scene exercise and tell one story as a scene this week.

Want help turning your experiences into stories that connect and convert? You know where I will be!

Support the show