Life is a combination of moments, stories, and emotions. A good life should have more positive than negative in it. That also means we sometimes need to make an effort. An effort to have fun.

This Storyletter is written from Johannesburg, South Africa. I had mixed feelings about taking a vacation, a motorcycle trip, while so many good things are happening in both my work and personal life.

Do you also feel it’s hard to stop and recharge?

In today’s Storyletter:
• Referral marketing is the best
• Feeling in Public
• Fun stuff – Weekend vibes

Key learning

Referral marketing is the most powerful form of growth. It’s also the hardest and most interesting to create.

Let’s look at how to build a stronger referral plan.

If I offered my services to you for free and asked for your referral plan, do you have one?

While referral clients are the best type of clients, most companies don’t have a plan in place. I’m consulting a U.S.-based company that runs an amazing business.

I was invited to help them scale to the next level. We’re using storytelling to improve the entire onboarding process, from the first interaction and introduction meeting all the way to signing and onboarding.

The research we did showed that over 97% of their business (a high nine-figure business) comes from referrals. So as much as they wanted to start with marketing campaigns, events, and more.
We understood very quickly that if every client brings in one client every three years or so, we will keep growing at a staggering pace.

The interesting part is that it’s easier to manage, measure, and follow up on.

The best part is that it costs almost nothing compared to running ad spend on LinkedIn. I always thought it’s better to give your client a discount or better service than to pay the algorithm gods. Here, it proves to be the best way.

I’ve introduced several concepts on how to run these programs, but I thought I’d share some fun stories from previous clients (and save this client’s stories for next quarter).

When a real estate company wanted to make sure clients kept them top of mind, we created something that could last, stay visible, and make clients feel proud about their decision.

Since the company was selling high-end apartments on paper, we decided to send an expensive bottle of whiskey with a custom-made label featuring the client’s name and the year the project would launch.

We sent it in a box with a letter inviting them to keep it in plain sight as a reminder. Most displayed it in their office and kept talking about it. They were proud to refer new clients.

With another client, we asked the leadership team to call their top clients and request a testimonial for a new website. During those calls, we asked if they could help one of their friends who might need our service and connect us.
That resulted in six new clients within a month. Zero cost. Maximum revenue growth.

Review your client list and acquisition funnel. Add a new referral funnel and start building a quarterly plan. It could be an event, a bonus, a gift, or a simple ask to connect.

Remember, referrals are powerful because they mean you’re doing a good job. It’s the best form of marketing. But more than that, it’s about your clients feeling comfortable putting their name next to yours.

Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions on how to build your referral funnel. Set the expectation, and they’ll be happy when it happens.

Building in public

This week’s update felt like a mix of feelings, and I thought I’d share them as such.

Feeling proud
I just wrapped up a three-day workshop with 20 people from a top-20 Fortune 500 company. I taught them the method: writing, editing, how to craft a great hook, and so much more. But what stood out was seeing them after three days, ready to pitch, ready to be better storytellers. I felt proud. It reminded me why I’m doing what I do. They made an effort to become better.
I want to run more three-day workshops to see that full change. Thank you for having me. Find something that makes you proud in your work.

Feeling motivated
Almost every company I work with has had a big win over the last two weeks, and it’s such a pleasure and honor. I feel motivated to keep tweaking my work. Find one thing to tweak in your marketing funnel.

Feeling sad
Last week I said something that came out the wrong way. While I want to do good, sometimes we screw up. You take the heat, apologize, and move on. But I still felt sadness. I share this because we must learn from our mistakes. Whether big or small, it’s on you to fix and learn. Write down something that made you sad, and how you’ll avoid it next time.

Social stuff
I’ve been posting less on LinkedIn lately, but I am still getting great feedback and even two new leads this week. I also edited two new videos and hope to post them after I return from South Africa. The YouTube channel is slowly growing, which is interesting considering I haven’t posted anything in the past two months. Maybe you really should trust the algorithm gods.

Feeling confident
As I gear up for more travels this year, I feel confident the business will scale, that I’ll find the way. Write down your top three things for this year. Putting them on paper will make you feel more confident that you can achieve more than you think.

Just for Fun

Chill & Enjoy

🎧 Music
This week’s newsletter was created while listening to Miami Gets Funky. Listen

🎬 The Underdog Boxing Story
Sydney Sweeney plays Christy in this boxing movie, coming out November 7. Watch

🍿 Do You Have What It Takes to Run an Ultramarathon?
An inspiring documentary about running, endurance, and pain. Go be epic. Watch getting their own films now. Ready to swipe?
Watch the trailer

Resources

📺 How to win the SEO game and AI search in 2025 - Full episode here

💡 The Business Storytelling Guide - A complete guide on how to implement storytelling to improve your business quickly. Available here 

📕 My Amazon best-selling book F*ck The Slides - How to Create a Winning Pitch. Available here: Kindle/Print/Audio

📺 My YOUTUBE Channel: Interviews, tips and some fun content Available here