Over the last 20,000 years, our DNA has been 100% designed to understand the world through story.

Not through stats. Not through slides. Through storytelling.

So if you want to succeed as a founder, you need to embrace this ancient, built-in advantage. In this issue, I’ll show you why story is more than strategy—it’s survival. Inside, you’ll find:

Enjoy this trip into your DNA ~ LG

Storytelling isn’t some gimmick. It’s not a marketing tactic. And it’s definitely not something you tack on after building your product or pitch deck. It’s embedded in who we are as humans, and especially in who we are as founders.

That’s because, in our earliest days, storytelling wasn’t just communication. It was survival.

DNA is the blueprint of life. It carries the code that tells our cells how to grow, evolve, and reproduce. It’s how life continues.

Story is the blueprint of understanding.

That’s because it’s how we made sense of the world long before we could write it down.

More than 20,000 years ago, our ancestors used stories to pass along vital information, how to find food, where predators lurked, which plants healed and which ones harmed. If you didn’t listen to those stories, you didn’t make it.

Over time, story became more than just a warning system. It became a teaching system, a culture builder, and eventually, an emotional bridge between. In fact, anthropologists and archeologists have discovered evidence of storytelling on every culture on Earth, across every continent.

Think about your own life. When you were in the womb, there is a good chance your parents shared stories with your developing self.

Then before we can talk or walk, our parents, grandparents, and babysitters read us bedtime stories. We didn’t understand the words, but we start to feel the rhythm, tone, and flow of narrative.

Then we enter school and spend the next 12-16 years being taught, tested, and trained through stories. From fairy tales to fables to Shakespeare and Gatsby, stories become the primary way we learn about the world, and about ourselves.

Founders are the Davids. The underdogs. The dreamers who take on Goliath-sized industries with little more than vision, grit, and a damn good story.

Today, instead of looking to kings and conquerors for inspiration, we turn to people like Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson, Sara Blakely, and even Alex Hermozi.

Why? Because their journeys speak to us. We’re wired to understand life, and business, through stories of struggle, setback, and ultimate success.

And that’s why your story matters more than your slide deck.

You don’t need to make up some grand myth or over-polish your journey. Just be real. Be honest. And most of all, be human.

We are storytelling creatures. It’s how we learn, how we grow, and how we move the world forward.

So when you sit down to tell your founding story, remember: you’re not doing something new.

You’re doing something ancient. Something primal. Something proven for over 20,000 years.

You’re tapping into the most powerful language on Earth.

Story.

And it’s already inside you.

If story truly is embedded in our DNA, then your founding story isn’t just a pitch. It is a reflection of who you are at your core and why you do what you do. It comes from within in what drives you, shapes you, and stays with you. Below are 3 tips on how to leverage this storytelling DNA that is in all of us:

1. Start From the Inside Out

Founders who tell stories rooted in their own identity create instant credibility. Think of a wellness startup founder who battled chronic illness for years, her story is the company. She’s not just selling a product. She’s sharing her purpose.

Ask yourself: What’s in my DNA? What traits, values, or life experiences made me want to solve this problem? Your origin story begins with understanding what’s already inside you.

2. Share a Relatable Experience

Great founders connect their journey to everyday human experiences. A food delivery founder shared how his frustration with missing family dinners sparked his startup idea. Instantly, everyone understood the why.

Look for emotional entry points. How can you explain your founding moment in a way that resonates with anyone who’s had a bad day, missed a loved one, or wanted a better way to live?

3. Connect the Past to the Present

One founder’s story began with a childhood fascination with space. Decades later, she’s leading an aerospace startup. Her journey feels inevitable because it’s connected to her history.

Reflect on a vivid memory from your past that ties to your present mission. This not only adds depth, it helps people believe your company was meant to be.

Research in cognitive psychology shows that our brains are wired for story. When information is presented in a narrative format, it triggers narrative transportation, a state where we mentally "enter" the story. This immersion boosts comprehension, memory, and decision-making.

A study published by the Society for Neuroscience found that stories activate the amygdala, our brain’s emotional center, leading to stronger emotional responses and better recall. Bottom line - storytelling is primal. It’s how we’re built to learn, connect, and remember and is woven in everything we do as humans.

This video by Xtrema Cookware -Get to Know Our Brand shares the story of a family-run company crafting pure ceramic cookware with passion, purpose, and care. They position the brand as more than cookware in that is a reflection of the values embedded in all of us. By celebrating family, resilience, shared meals, and meaningful traditions, Xtrema taps into the emotional DNA we all share.

It’s a reminder that the best things in life, like a good meal or a lasting legacy, are built slowly, with love.

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