Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat: yes, you have a story. Yes, your story matters.

I speak on podcasts and stages across the country about how we use our stories, and the first thing I hear from everyone is the same: “I don’t have a story.”

How could that possibly be true? You’ve lived a life up until this point. You’ve experienced SOMETHING, haven’t you?

What I think they mean to say is this: “My story isn’t valuable.”

We live in a world of 24-hour news cycles, social media, and a whole lot of propaganda. We’ve been led to believe that unless your story is dramatic, traumatic, or sensational, it doesn’t deserve to be told.

The fact is, we can’t all be Malala. We can’t all be Anne Frank or Dr. King or the subject of a future biopic. That’s okay.

In this context—and I’m generally speaking in the context of thought leadership—our stories are not meant to shock the world or inspire a nation. This is not to discredit any of the inspiring people I mentioned or didn’t mention. Their stories are undeniably exceptional and should remain in history books in perpetuity.

But smaller stories matter too. The stories we share are meant to help build connections between us and those who are listening. Connections come from shared experiences.

When you hear about an entrepreneur who came from homelessness and became a billionaire, you can get inspired and awed, but unless you come from a similar background and have those shared experiences, you don’t feel a connection to that person.

When you hear those little stories of people who are just doing their best and experiencing small wins here and there, you can see yourself in their shoes and feel compelled to root for them because you’ve been exactly where they are at some point in your journey.

Your story doesn’t have to be big or earth-shattering to be impactful. That’s really the point. Your story simply has to be told in a way that is honest, authentic, and shares who you are and what you’ve experienced.

So, how do you get to this point? How do you develop a story that accurately reflects who you are and can help you accomplish your personal and professional goals?

My goal for this book is to answer those questions and more, but I’ll start with telling you my own story.