CAN YOU MAKE MONEY WHILE MAKING A DIFFERENCE?

One of the best parts of coaching difference makers is having the opportunity to learn and then share what I’ve learned with you. I devoted the last year to attending conferences, reading books and blogs, watching videos and gaining hands-on experience in order to excel at telling my story in a way that is compelling, passionate, and contemporary. I love this because it is through our story that others are truly helped.

At first, I was searching for how I could best share my story in speeches and books, but I quickly discovered that there are many avenues by which someone can share their story in ways that are just as impactful (if not more so) than the traditional methods to which we’ve all become accustomed. I’ve sifted through it all and developed a list of the top 10 ways that you can tell your story, impact the lives of others, and make an income doing so.

As a difference maker, you no longer have to become a professional speaker or author in order to tell your story. 

Now, you can pick the format that is best for you and start today! The tools and methods available are like never before, and there are more and more of them every day. Many are not new, but in fact have been methods of storytelling from centuries old. The great thing is, what was old is new again, particularly because technology has made it possible for anyone to use these methods without extensive training or experience.

The top 10 Ways to Make a Difference While Making an Income Using Your Story – Part 1

1. Books ~ Books are still a great way to tell your story. What’s more, anyone can publish their book now. Create Space and others have made self-publishing easy and inexpensive. Of course, e-books can be made and sold using nothing more than your computer and an online store. There has never been a better time to write and publish a book.
2. Speaking ~ I know, I know, this is NOT everyone’s favorite way to tell a story. Mostly, that’s because everyone pictures themselves having to stand in front of a crowd of strangers. But the truth is, story oration dates back millennia and can be used on thousands—true, but this is a format we should all be using, because you need no more than an audience of one in order to share your story and change a life
3. Teaching ~ A great way to inform others is through teaching and your story can be an awesome tool for impacting lives in this way. In fact, I’ll bet you’ve already done this more times than you can imagine. Get a bunch of moms around a new mother-to-be and I assure you she will learn a great deal about the joys of childbirth by the stories these ladies share.
4. Blogging ~ Ah hah! A way to be a writer without having to write 50,000 words before you can even begin to make dollar number one. Blogs are great because they allow you the opportunity to interact with people who love the things you love. If you have some experience of value, you can create and sell products that help your audience resolve problems or create pleasure in their life. You can also get paid via advertising, or, the latest is something called “paid social” where an advertiser pays you to sample their product and write about it. Not only do you provide a service to the advertiser and get paid, but you serve your audience as well by exposing them to new products (or you save them from buying those that are duds). These are just some of the ways to serve others while making an income through blogging.
5. Video ~ If you’ve got a smart phone and a tiny bit of talent you are ready to create and upload videos to the Internet. Not only is this a great way to share your story, but it’s also very trendy—lots of people now prefer video to reading.

This is just the beginning of the list and probably five ways you are most used to hearing about. Next week I’ll present five more and I am confident that there are sure to be surprises. Until then, please share with me what you would like to know regarding making a difference while making an income.

Question: Which of these storytelling methods are you currently using? Is there one that you haven’t used yet, but would like to give a try? Please comment below.