“You’re never going to kill storytelling, because it’s built in the human plan.” ~ Margaret Atwood,  Author of The Handmaid’s Tale (and many others)

Hi Friends,

I want to address a rather large elephant in the room that many executives and entrepreneurs stumble over, and that’s telling their story to authenticate their credibility. 

When I started in the media business back in 2001, I began by interning at a local TV station as a reporter in-training. Here, my job was to tell stories of the South Asian community, and I remember that when I would come back with a story that I felt was authentic to the voice of the community, the producer would always change the angle of the story, explaining to me that he had to do this in order for the story to be palatable for a wider audience’s appetite. 

I bought his rationale for a while, until I realized that I had been maneuvered into someone else’s perspective – brainwashed so to speak, which is something big organizations are really good at doing – and they do so without you knowing that they are doing it, because they even provide you with the straw (tools you think are gifts) to drink their Kool-Aid (their perspective for their benefit).  

Having been “handled” all of my formative years by my culture, which had subconsciously conditioned me into learning how to be a good daughter, wife, and mother, but not how to earn a living or hold my own, I realized (once I made the courageous decision to get divorced and become a single mother), that I was done pandering to other people’s narrative. I knew that I needed to discover my own identity, so I went on a 2 decade long quest in search of my True North.

So began the almost 20 year journey of finding myself (which I’m still on), along with founding the media brand ANOKHI in 2002, which went on to serve people like me, who were caught at the crossroads of 2 opposing cultures (domestic and social), trying to make sense of where they fit in. 

ANOKHI (and I) went on to have great success with media and event collaborations and partnerships with some of the world’s biggest celebrity and corporate names (here are some testimonials from a few of them that I’ve worked with), which eventually helped me perfect the art of conscious and authentic story-telling, by being mindful of sensibilities and respectful of diverse perspectives (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion – DEI), which extended to social responsibility. Today you cannot only tell a story. You have to carve out a narrative that’s authentic to the lived experience in order for it, you, your brand, and your company to be seen as (in)credible. And credibility is monetizable. 

If you’re in need of direction on how to work step-by-step through crafting your story or one for your brand or company, then send me an email to set up a free, no obligation call and let’s explore how I can guide you through my one-on-one coaching service (Consult With Raj Girn), to move the dial towards your intended direction (and if I cannot help you, I’ll do everything in my power to find someone who can). 

Contact me here: [email protected]. 

This week’s takeaway: 

“Today you cannot only tell a story. You have to carve out a narrative that’s authentic to the lived experience, in order for it, you, your brand, and your company to be seen as (in)credible. And credibility is monetizable.”  ~ Raj Girn 

See you next week!