Our Mind's Storybank: Expanding Beliefs Through Diverse Storytelling

I've been thinking, now is the time to tell our stories.

So many of us are facing decision fatigue and media overwhelm. During this particularly high-stakes election year in the U.S., we are in the position to decipher between well-crafted and heartfelt messages, arguments, and campaigns, and those that are ill-informed and ill-intended. My awareness of just how much we need true stories is as heightened as ever.

Why do I think stories are so crucial in these times? Our beliefs are shaped by what we see and hear. We make quick decisions about others based on what’s in our mind’s storybank. Marketing professionals often use the term “storybank” to refer to a literal digital archive—a file or drive—that houses a collection of stories that can easily be accessed when need arises. I repurpose the term to refer to the catalog of stories that we collect throughout our journeys, which live in our memories and shape our understanding and the ways we experience the people and the world around us. When we learn more about one another through stories, we have a broader, more diverse, more representative bank to draw from, and that shapes and changes how we treat one another—generally for the better.

I love to listen to other people sharing their truths, and I’ve made a whole career out of sharing others’ stories. I interpret thoughts, concepts, and ideas into marketing messages that accurately represent organizations and inspire audiences to take action. In the 10 years since I launched my consulting practice, my team and I have designed and implemented campaigns to increase funding and support for over 30 nonprofit and government agencies. We serve leaders who stay true to their missions and values. We’ve done everything from helping technology companies increase media coverage to leading school districts in building support for new initiatives.

Our vision of a world in which all people see themselves represented in honest, compassionate, and dignified ways differs from the conventional standard of using people’s pain and suffering as the selling point for supporting one cause or another. We know firsthand that communication practices will not change overnight, and we’re committed to staying the course. Since the social uprisings of 2020, we’ve watched once-passionate commitments to justice wane while those who are truly about equity and justice continue to build, expand, and work to deliver on promises of justice for all. Expert in our craft and well ahead of national trends, PJS Consultants is here to help. We are expressly focused on transformative, truth-based narrative marketing with a racial equity lens, and we’re humbled by the fact that communications professionals turn to us to seek out training and guidance in their pursuits to become better storytellers.

At this stage in my career, as an experienced leader focused on transforming social and public sector communications, I feel it’s time to contribute more of my own stories to our collective storybank—including the story of the evolution of PJS Consultants . Follow me on LinkedIn. As you read, I hope that you are inspired to share your stories, too, in whatever format you feel called to. Whether on the web, on the stage, or in the living room, the world needs more positive, true, reflective stories.

Please read, share, and comment let me know what you think! The PJS team and I remain steadfastly focused on delivering on our promise to help leaders like you tell organizational stories with integrity and impact.

Thank you for your partnership!

-Precious J. Stroud