How to Turn Your Unpopular Story Into a Success Story

My imperfection was my weight. I had gained over 365 pounds. I never thought or felt I was attractive. Maybe I had a pretty face, but I was always the fat girl.I let people, including family verbally abuse and intimidate me. I was boxed into a corner where I didn’t believe I could amount to much, or that what I did was worthy of the spotlight. 

Does any of this sound familiar? Yours might not be a weight struggle but maybe your height, a special learning need, your looks, your poor academic background, etc. It really doesn’t matter what it is. What matters is how you respond to it. 

Realize You Are Not Alone

Truth is, everyone has imperfections. Some may be more obvious than others but they exist. So, whatever you feel right now, has been felt by someone or there’s someone out there who feels exactly the same way. Weirdly comforting, right? Serena Williams was told she would never be as good as her big sister, Venus. Steve Jobs was fired from his first company. Bill Gates was a Harvard dropout. Michael Jordan didn’t reach the minimum height for basketball. Even the public figures we all admire today, had their moments when they didn’t feel proud of themselves. So you’re in good company.

The Money is in Your Story

You are a bundle of amazing ideas and dreams, in spite of your imperfections. If I would dare to say, your dreams will make more impact BECAUSE of your imperfections. Why social media is blowing up with engagement today is because of stories. People love to connect with the feelings, pain, joys, ecstasy, trials, victories of other people. 

Have you ever read a post or watched a video and go, “this sounds exactly like what I’m going through”? When you connect emotionally with people as you share your unpopular story or experience, you build a connection that instantly makes you the preferred choice when they want to invest in a product/service. So document and share your dreams, fears, successes and losses ‘cos that’s how you’d contribute to impacting mankind and also creating a side income.

“Stories create community, enable us to see through the eyes of other people, and open us to the claims of others.” – Peter Forbes

You Can Go Global In An Instant (Almost!) 

Creating multiple streams of income is not as hard as it may sound. When you begin to share your story, platforms and opportunities will begin to come to you. What you already know how to do or what you have experienced can be packaged into solutions that people will want to pay for. Because you are familiar with their pain, people will believe that whatever solution you offer will work for them as well. And this doesn’t just relate to health and fitness coaches. 

Sharing your story can open the doors to free radio and television interviews, collaboration opportunities, global recognitions, keynote speaking engagements, public office appointments/nominations, etc. The possibilities are endless! You can literally build an online empire from sharing your story. But in order to get the rewards, you need to start. 

To get started, you can:

• Write a book. Write a book around your topic that passionately shares your experience with your audience. There is a reason why biographies and autobiographies sell. People want to know the behind-the-scenes. Tell them. Show them. Writing and publishing a book doesn’t have to be the traditional way. You can publish an e-book or an audio book if you decide that you’re not ready for print publishing. 
• Launch a Podcast. Different podcasts exist for different audiences. There are podcasts for moms with special needs, podcasts for subject matter experts, corporate brands also own podcast channels, etc. You can choose what to share and how to share it. The more you share your message, the more you will build a community/tribe around that message and people will begin to pay you to advertise their products to your community. Talk about double wins!
• Start a YouTube Channel. This can be as easy as pressing “record” with your mobile phone. Or hitting the go live button on any of the social media platforms that allow live streaming. Your videos can be uploaded on YouTube and you build an audience that is attracted to your message or the solution that you provide. Truth is, there’s no “one size fits all” approach with videos. The more authentic, the better it is.
• Create a blog and monetize it. Several success stories have come from blogging because it represents the easiest way (for most people) to create content consistently. Some say it’s as simple as journaling. Try it. You can monetize a blog in so many ways – affiliate commissions, selling products/services, writing sponsored reviews, etc 
• Create an online course. This involves packaging your brilliance into text, audio or video format that people can pay for without you having to create/deliver the content each time a purchase is made. 
• Start a Mastermind/Group Coaching. This is almost the same as creating an online course but the difference is that with a mastermind/ group coaching, you are present with those in the group, whether online or offline. 

This is definitely not an exhaustive list! Depending on what mode of content creation comes best for you, text, audio or video, you can literally start sharing your story using your mobile phone. The truth is, your story can be the key to opening doors of endless opportunities and the earlier you take advantage of it, the better. 

What’s stopping you from taking that first step? You certainly can’t let the voices in your head control your actions. You need to say, “Yes, I know I have a slight misstep when I walk, but that won’t stop me from reaching for my dreams of being a public speaker”. It is time to trash the excuses and own your narrative.