Remarks to the Smyrna Business Association, Oct. 30, 2024, Smyrna, Georgia

As prepared for delivery.

I am excited to be here. My name is Todd DeFeo, and I own my own business, The DeFeo Groupe. It’s a content marketing agency.

People always ask me what that means.

Your guess is as good as mine! While it sounds great on a business card, it’s harder to explain than it seems.

At my core, I am a writer. It also sounds far more glorious than it is. But it’s a good conversation starter at the local pub!

I recently struck up a conversation with someone at a bar about some of the stories I covered as a journalist. This person was floored by some of the crazy topics I’ve covered, stories about criminals, politicians — sometimes in the same story.

They’re best shared over a beer, and I am happy to grab one with anyone here and talk more.

The fact is, I was just sharing stories. At my core, I am a storyteller. It’s what I learned as a “journalist.”

I have never taken a class on journalism. I couldn’t tell you anything schools teach about journalism.

All I know about storytelling is to keep your eyes open and remain curious. It’s an approach that has served me well so far.

My business has two sides: I help people tell stories, and I tell stories, some of which have nearly been lost to history. I tell them on my websites and in one of the nine railroad history books I have authored.

I want to use an example of a book I wrote and published chronicling the Atlanta Northern Railway. The interurban line operated between Atlanta and Marietta from 1905 to 1947. This line ran along Atlanta Road through the heart of Smyrna.

People keep saying we need mass transit in this area. It’s hard to believe today, but this area had mass transit.

Riding the interurban from Marietta to Atlanta took less than an hour. Seventy-five years later, how long does it take in our car during rush hour?

When I started writing about the Atlanta Northern, I wasn’t sure I could find enough content to complete an entire book. I keep digging, looking for interesting anecdotes and quirky happenings to bring the story to life.

I threw my hands up at one point. It took some perseverance, but I completed the book, which may be my favorite.

How many people have driven along Atlanta Road next to Dobbins Air Reserve Base? How many people have driven along Atlanta Road next to Dobbins and thought about a terrible interurban wreck that happened there in January 1928 that killed six people?

I knew I was unique, maybe just weird.

I share that to say marketing requires the same mindset. Some companies have obvious, great stories to share, while others have stories worth telling, but they require digging to find them.

Sometimes, there are stories worth telling where we’re standing, and we don’t realize it. Those stories are staring us in the face; we have to keep our eyes open to see them.

Corporate storytelling is only as good as the execution and takes time to develop. Successfully finding and sharing a narrative won’t happen in a day. It requires a thoughtful and well-planned approach.

I have worked with many clients who want to go out and share their news. They want to tell everyone what it is they want to sell. Ask them what they’re trying to say, and they can’t succinctly do it.

That’s because they haven’t thought through their narrative.

Telling a story requires understanding the intricacies of what you’re trying to say and thinking through how your audience will relate to it.

The goal is to nail down your story before you start sharing it. You want to develop the narrative and messaging and identify any weaknesses or areas of improvement.

Stories are derivative from one another. Every story you tell can set the stage for the next one.

I think the biggest mistake people make in storytelling is they think sharing their story is one-and-done. I was reading something on social media the other day, and it would have been perfect to include it here; I forgot what it said.

But that’s just the point.

We’re busy. Our attention spans are short. There is always another bright, shiny object that will come along to capture our attention.

Companies have to exist and share their stories in this ecosystem.

Content lives many lives, and marketers must seize every opportunity to trumpet their stories — and on many platforms. I write a lot of thought leadership columns for executives.

For example, if I write one piece that is published in Forbes, it might not move the needle. But you can repurpose that piece on a blog, on social media and in remarks.

The goal of storytelling is to build a library of stories that we repurpose and use to drive additional opportunities — with the media, influencers, your industry and your stakeholders. I’ve done that with my books, and I help companies take that same approach.

In short, if you think you don’t have a story to tell, you’re wrong. The best part about storytelling is the journey to finding — and telling — your story.

Leave a comment