The Anatomy of a Winning Story – Part 1: Emotional Stakes

👋 Hey ,

You’ve worked hard. You’ve got stories.
But when you finally share one—whether it’s onstage, in a pitch, or at that high-stakes meeting—
…you’re met with polite nods. Maybe a smile. A tepid clap.

And you wonder:

Nope.
The problem isn’t the story.
It’s the stakes.

🎯 Safe stories get smiles. High-stakes stories get remembered.

Most people tell stories that are clean, clever, maybe even funny.
But if nothing’s at risk, the audience has nothing to root for.

💔 Did you almost lose something?
💥 Were you scared of what might happen?
🪞Did it change how you saw yourself?

If the answer’s yes—you’ve got the story.

You just need to tell that part.

💥 Real Winning Stories (From My Stage)

These are real stories from What’s Your Story Slam:

🟣 She broke off her engagement, staring at the edge of a cliff.
→ Not just a breakup. A story about choosing uncertainty over safety.

🟣 He fainted beside his newborn’s placenta.
→ Not just dad humour. A story about showing up scared—and staying anyway.

🟣 A stranger named Roshan guided him through floodwaters in Mumbai.
→ Not just survival. A story about unexpected belonging.

They didn’t win because they lived wild lives.
They won because they let us in.

✏️ Want to Raise the Stakes?

Try these questions:

✔️ What did this moment cost me?
✔️ What was I afraid of?
✔️ What could I have lost—reputation, safety, identity?
✔️ What changed in me after?

If the answers make your stomach flip a little… you’re getting close.
That’s the version we’ll remember.

❤️ You Don’t Need to Be More Dramatic.

You need to be more honest.

You don’t need to overshare.
You don’t need a Hollywood life.
You just need to show us what was real—
The tension. The heartbeat. The turning point.

P.S.

If you’re holding back a story—
Not because it’s not ready…
…but because you’re not sure you’re ready to tell it?

Hit reply. I’ll send you one question to help you raise the stakes.
Just one.

See you in your inbox,
Anna