When Jude Charles was 17, he took a video production class. At the end of the year, Jude’s teacher handed him a yellow envelope and told him that he had to start a business. Inside was his first set of business cards. Since then, Jude has dedicated his life to helping purpose-driven entrepreneurs tell their stories. He firmly believes that “Stories aren’t just how we connect as people and human beings but story is what differentiates you from someone else.”

In this episode of Wingnut Social, Jude emphasizes that you have to start sharing your story. Video storytelling breaks through the noise and sets you apart. Jude shares how to overcome the intimidation factor, what type of stories to tell, and shares the best way to structure your story. Don’t miss it!

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Jude points out that everyone has three different stories that can be shared at any point. These stories are important to use every day on social media. You can repeat them over and over again. What are they? 

1. Your origin story: How you got into the business you're in. 

But how do you get started? Jude has been a guest on over 70 podcasts. He’s studied storytelling for over 20 years. He still listens to himself tell his story so he can find new ways to tell it. It also helps him learn how to connect better with an audience. If you rehearse your story and practice recording it, it makes it less intimidating. 

You can’t just sit in front of a camera and tell your story. That’s boring, right? The way that you make your story interesting is by using the five different types of demonstrations:

1. Behind the scenes: What happens as you’re sourcing materials? What does the design process look like? What is going on that people don’t usually get to see?

Storytelling is about a specific moment in time. These moments have led you to where you are today. They influence how you’ve become a great designer. Jude points out many people believe that their story isn’t unique or interesting—that no one will care. But what debunks the idea that no one cares? Telling your story. You’ll realize that there will be someone it resonates with.

Jude believes so strongly in the power of video storytelling that he only takes on five video production clients a year. Why? Because he works to understand who they are on a deep level. It takes time to be able to get to know someone and accurately portray the essence of who they are with video storytelling.

Record yourself telling a story. Record yourself telling the story that you take for granted. Jude emphasizes that you shouldn’t sell yourself short—or overthink it. Your clients aren’t aware of everything you do to get a project completed. You want to create content so people understand what you do and can appreciate the value that you create. What you do will be different from the next interior designer. So where do you start? 

Just document what you’re doing every day to get in the habit of creating content. You don’t need fancy equipment to get started because every smartphone is equipped with a great camera. You don’t even have to share it on social media. If you share a video of your process with a potential client, it makes them trust you more. It’s not only social proof but it’s a sales tool. You’ve made them part of the journey. Hearing something said 1,000 times is not as powerful as seeing it once. 

Listen to the whole episode to hear Jude’s video storytelling tips for content on different social media platforms, including YouTube. 

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