You've got the credentials.
The track record.
Thirty years in the industry, multiple certifications, and a client list that would impress anyone in your field.
So why does the 35-year-old across the table seem more compelling in five minutes than you do in thirty years?
The answer lies in something I read in David Garfinkel's The Persuasion Story Code:.
Your experience is only as powerful as the story you wrap it in.
The Problem with the Resume Approach
For years, we've been taught that credentials speak for themselves.
List your degrees, rattle off your certifications, mention your decades of experience, and surely people will understand your value.
That worked for Baby Boomers for years.
When you say "I have 30 years of experience in financial planning," it's just a fact.
When you tell the story of the client who almost lost everything in 2008, how you stayed up nights restructuring their portfolio, and how they retired comfortably despite the crisis.
That's when people lean forward.
The difference?
One is a bullet point.
The other is an Origin Story.
Stories Beat Lists Every Time
Presenting credentials in story format has significantly more persuasive impact than creating a list.
This is especially crucial for baby boomer professionals who often have experience but struggle to communicate it effectively to younger decision-makers.
Consider this: "Microsoft certified: Azure AI Fundamentals and Engineer" versus "John has been awarded two Microsoft AI Azure Certifications: Fundamentals and Engineer."
The second version is more powerful because, as brief as it is, it's a story. It has a protagonist (John) and an achievement (awarded).
The first is just data.
The Power of Your "Motivating Moment"
Every compelling Origin Story needs the "motivating moment".
The pivotal experience that shaped your unique expertise.
For many baby boomers, this moment happened during transformative periods: the rise of personal computing, wild economic swings, industry disruptions you not only survived but learned from.
Remember that moment when you realized your old approach wasn't working?
The crisis that forced you to innovate.
The shift you made with a breakthrough insight.
That's your gold.
Not the 30 years.
The moment within those 30 years that made you who you are today.
Making It Work in Five Minutes or Less
Garfinkel teaches the concept of "stacking persuasive microstories".
Brief, focused narratives that can be told in about a minute.
For busy executives and younger decision-makers with limited attention spans, this approach is perfect.
Instead of a ten-minute monologue about your career, you deliver:
- A 60-second Origin Story about your motivating moment
- A 45-second story about a client's pain point you solved
- A 30-second reassurance story that addresses their specific concern
Five minutes.
Maximum impact.
Your decades of wisdom distilled into conversational stories that build trust immediately.
Your experience hasn't lost its value.
You've just been presenting it the wrong way.
It's time to turn those bullet points into the compelling narratives they deserve to be.
Join Us for the Deep Dive
At our next Mastermind Book Club meeting, David Garfinkel himself will be walking us through The Persuasion Story Code including the Origin Stories framework and five other types of persuasive narratives.
You’ll learn how to:
- Craft your Origin Story so it builds instant credibility
- Use “convincing details and fascinating facts” that make your story believable - Identify your own “motivating moment” and leverage it for maximum impact
- Apply these principles to your About page, sales conversations, and networking
Meeting Details: Thursday October 21st at 11:30 AM Pacific/2:30 PM Eastern Location: https://epicencore.life/mastermind-book-club/
This isn’t just another book club meeting.
It’s a masterclass in making people believe in you taught by the expert who literally wrote the code on persuasion.
Ready to transform how you tell your story?
See you there,
Ted
