Ep 133: Why Story Matters in Your Creative Process
Our Most-Watched Episode Returns
Episode 90 Replay | Originally Released March 2024 | November 6, 2025
Some conversations are too valuable to only hear once.
When I sat down with my friend, business partner, and client Darren Cooper from 1898 Creative to talk about story, I had no idea it would become one of our most-watched episodes. But the response has been overwhelming—creative professionals keep coming back to this conversation because it solves a problem almost everyone faces but few can articulate:
Why does some creative work captivate while other work falls flat?
The answer is story structure. And not just for movies or novels—for your business narrative, your creative process, and every project you touch.
If you missed this episode the first time around, you're about to discover why thousands of creatives have already implemented these principles. If you heard it before, I guarantee you'll catch something new. I did on my third listen.
Whether you're running a creative agency, building a business, or developing your next big idea, understanding how to structure and tell your story will change how you work and connect with your audience.
⚡️ 3 Key Takeaways
⚡️ Story Creates Connection - At its foundational level, story is how we share ideas and connect with each other. It's not just entertainment—it's the framework that allows people to understand who you are, what you do, and why it matters. This is why this episode resonated: it reframes story as a practical business tool, not just an artistic concept.
⚡️ Conflict Is Non-Negotiable - Every good story needs stakes. Without risk, without the possibility of failure or success, there's no engagement. This applies equally to your business origin story and your creative process—what was at risk if you didn't succeed? Listeners told us this was the missing piece in their storytelling.
⚡️ Resolution Leads to Scalability - How you end your story matters. The best stories don't just resolve—they show what's now possible. When Marty McFly learns he can change his future, suddenly there are sequels. When your idea proves successful, it becomes scalable. This connection between story and business growth is why creatives keep sharing this episode.
Why This Episode Became Our Most-Watched
Since this conversation first aired, I've received countless messages from listeners who said this episode changed how they:
Pitch to clients
Structure their creative projects
Talk about their business origin
Stay motivated through difficult phases of work
Communicate value to stakeholders
The 5-part story arc framework Darren shares (Hook → Backstory → Conflict → Resolution → Call to Action) has become a go-to tool for creatives across industries. It's simple enough to remember, flexible enough to apply everywhere, and powerful enough to transform how your work lands with audiences.
From Showing to Telling: Why Story Beats a Simple "Why"
We all know Simon Sinek taught us to start with why. But story takes it further—it shows your why instead of just telling it. When you structure your business narrative, your creative process, or even your individual projects as stories, you invite people into an experience rather than lecturing them on your mission statement.
This distinction alone has helped dozens of listeners finally articulate what makes their work different.
The Essential Elements Every Story Needs
The Hook: Capturing Attention Immediately
Think about James Bond or Mission Impossible movies. They always open with an action sequence—that's your hook. Before the credits roll, before you meet the characters, you're already invested. The same principle applies to your creative work and your business story.
In your creative process, the hook is the initial spark—the idea that makes you think, "I need to pursue this." Without that hook, you'll struggle to maintain motivation through the challenging middle phases of bringing an idea to life.
Real listener feedback: "I realized my client pitches were starting with background information instead of a hook. Restructuring based on this episode increased my close rate by 30%." - Sarah, Brand Strategist
The Backstory: Creating Depth and Context
Once you've hooked your audience, they need to understand the context. Who are these characters? What's the history here? Why should I care?
For businesses, this is your origin story. For creative projects, it's understanding the problem you're solving and why this solution matters. As Todd Henry says, creativity is just problem-solving, so knowing the root of your idea helps people care enough to see it through.
The Conflict: Where Stakes Get Real
This is the element that's easiest to overlook, especially in business storytelling. There has to be tension. The hero has to risk losing the girl, the ring has to make it to Mount Doom, or the business faces closure.
Darren points out that in B2B work, finding this conflict requires digging deeper. A thousand HVAC companies exist—what made yours uniquely different? What challenge did you have to overcome? That's what makes your story engaging.
Why this matters for your work: Listeners consistently tell us that identifying and articulating their conflict was the breakthrough moment. Once you name what was at stake, your entire narrative gains power.
The Resolution: Proving What's Possible
The best resolutions don't just wrap things up neatly—they show scalability. They demonstrate that if this worked once, it can work again. In business terms, this might mean: "We implemented X, Y, and Z, dug ourselves out of debt, and grew tenfold over the next few years."
But resolution also includes a call to action. Great stories spur you to action. Jesus taught in parables and then said, "Let it be so with you as well." When you walk out of a movie theater as a kid, you immediately start acting like the hero. That's the power of story—it moves people to do something.
💬 3 Notable Quotes
💬 "Story is this way to bring people in to who you are. Maybe it shares an idea with you or it proves a point that you're trying to get across. Story, when done well, just sucks us in." - Darren Cooper
💬 "I like to think of story as explaining the why to me without just telling me the why is. You're showing me the why, not just telling me the why." - Dustin Pead
💬 "Every great story should spur you on to action. Good story spurs you on to action for sure." - Darren Cooper
Applying Story to Your Creative Process
Here's where this gets practical—and why this episode keeps getting shared: your creative process is itself a story. It has a beginning (the hook of an idea), a middle (the challenging conflict of execution), and an end (the resolution and scalability of success).
When you structure your work this way, you're more likely to:
Stay motivated through difficult implementation phases
Communicate value clearly to clients and stakeholders
Build systems that are repeatable and scalable
Create work that moves people to action
Why We're Replaying This Now
As Chief Creative Consultants continues to grow and I work with more creative professionals, I keep seeing the same pattern: the ones who master story structure scale faster, communicate more effectively, and stay more motivated through challenging phases.
This conversation with Darren captures those principles in 19 minutes. If you're struggling with motivation, if your pitches aren't landing, or if your work feels flat despite your talent—story structure is probably the missing piece.
Featured Resources
Learn more about Dustin's frameworks at dustinpead.com/free
Check out Darren Cooper's work at 1898 Creative
Read "Building a StoryBrand" by Donald Miller
Explore Pixar's storytelling principles
Study Simon Sinek's "Start With Why" framework
Ready to Transform Your Creative Chaos?
Story isn't just something you consume on Netflix or read in books—it's a practical framework for how you work, communicate, and scale. By understanding and implementing story structure in your creative process, you'll find yourself more motivated, your clients more engaged, and your work more impactful.
This is why this episode became one of our most-watched. The principles are timeless, the application is immediate, and the results speak for themselves.
Connect with Dustin at dustinpead.com or follow @dustinpead for more insights on creativity made easy.