Hi, fintech fam! 💜

Welcome to the latest edition of our On Performance column! 

Every Sunday night, we provide you with techniques, blueprints, and tactics to create captivating performances that will boost your career in the fintech industry — whether on stage delivering your first keynote or in meetings pitching your next big idea.

The other day, I was listening to one of my favorite journalists, Kara Swisher, on an episode of Pivot. She truly brought our mission with the On Performance column to the forefront.

Following a discussion about the significant media layoffs and the challenges facing journalism today, she asked her co-host, Scott Galloway, what advice he would give to those aspiring to pursue a career in journalism in 2024.

He shared that the ability to craft stories and tell them compellingly is an industry that will always be strong.

The best training? You need to start writing. When you learn to write well, you’re not just learning how to write well.

You’re learning how to process, reason, and think well.

Tonight, we will complete our two-part series on Hero’s Journey, not because it’s the only way to write stories but because it's a format that allows you to process, reason, and think through the stories we tell deeply. 

This practice will be especially useful when we start discussing our personal narratives next week.

*Spoiler Alert: This article might spoil many movies for you. We will discuss the structure that most films, theater, media, and stories are based on. Once you understand it, you won't be able to ignore it. If you're interested, keep reading because this two-part series will be helpful. 🔥

Let’s get started!

ON PERFORMANCE

The Most Important Lesson About Storytelling That You'll Ever Learn (Part 2)

Last week, we explored how the monomyth, or Hero’s Journey Mythic Structure, emerged from the rich tapestry of epic myths and historical narratives passed down through generations.

In this week’s column, I delve into the latter stages of the Hero’s Journey, drawing on examples from various blockbuster films to illustrate the diverse interpretations of these phases.

While these narratives may share a common structure, each story possesses infinite possibilities for interpretation and expression.

Yet, how do we ensure our stories remain fresh and engaging? If the underlying structure remains constant, won’t we risk monotony?

As my former scriptwriting instructor aptly stated...

So long as you maintain your personal brand of insanity, your perspective will distinguish itself.

Consider the film Everything, Everywhere, All at Once (another favorite exemplifying the Hero’s Journey). In its narrative, characters traverse a multiverse of alternate realities.

While this premise could have resulted in repetitiveness, the directors' bold and imaginative choices for each character in their respective universes provide the audience with captivating insights into seemingly fully realized characters, spanning scenes from mere moments to milliseconds.

I view this structure as an opportunity for innovation within the confines of established constraints.

Let’s explore further.

The Hero’s Journey Monomyth Continued

In case you missed it, you can find part 1 of this series on storytelling here. Last week, we discussed steps 1-5 of the Hero's Journey Monomyth.

#7 The Approach to the Innermost Cave

The hero nears a pivotal and perilous location where the ultimate objective or confrontation awaits. I

n Star Wars, as Luke Skywalker embarks on a mission to rescue Princess Leia, their ship, the Millennium Falcon, is ensnared by the gravitational pull of the colossal Death Star, a moon-sized battle station teeming with enemy vessels and soldiers—an embodiment of the metaphorical innermost cave.

#8 The Ordeal

In this part of the story, the hero reaches a central area in the Unknown World and confronts their greatest fear or death.

This experience changes the hero in some way. For instance, in Black Panther, Killmonger uses the traditional laws of Wakanda to challenge King T’Challa for the throne.

Sometimes, the hero fails to overcome his or her fear, as in this story, when T’Challa is defeated and falls off the waterfall, presumably dead.

#9 The Reward / Seizing The Sword

After overcoming the trials, the hero is rewarded with an object, knowledge, or insight.

An example of this can be seen in the movie Kill Bill, where Hattori Hanzo creates a katana for the Bride, claiming it to be his finest work.

This is a great example of non-linear storytelling as it does not follow the chronological rules of time, but rather serves the structure by providing the background of the famous blade that the Bride has been using to defeat her enemies.

#10 The Road Back

After completing their quest, the hero begins returning to their ordinary world.

However, this journey is not without its own set of challenges and tests. In the movie Sister Act, the protagonist Dolores, played by Whoopi Goldberg, is an undercover nun found and captured by her jealous ex-boyfriend.

She is taken back to Las Vegas, which is her ordinary world. Upon learning about her capture, the other nuns organize a flight to Reno to rescue her.

#11 Resurrection

In the climactic moment of a hero's journey, they face a final, powerful challenge that tests their character and determination. This often involves confronting their primary antagonist.

In many instances, the hero is thought to perish but is later revived, symbolizing the death of their old self and the rebirth of a new, fully-transformed being who has completed the journey.

In the movie The Matrix, Neo nearly escapes from Agent Smith but is ambushed and shot dead. As Neo dies, Trinity professes her love for him in the real world and kisses him.

Neo is then revived and gains the power to perceive and control the Matrix. He defeats Agent Smith and can stop bullets in their tracks.

#12 The Return with the Elixir

Having undergone transformation and growth, the hero returns to their ordinary world, armed with newfound wisdom, lessons, or rewards.

They may share their experience and insights with others and bring balance to the community. In Western storytelling, the “Elixir” is shared with the community, but in many Eastern stories, the Elixir is internal.

The hero learns the lesson by themselves, and it’s up to the audience to share the learning with others.  

In Coco, Miguel has returned back to the real world from the Land of the Dead, and after being part of a family that has always hated music, he’s able to repair his family history, bringing all of his ancestors and current family members together through the celebration of song.  

Why does this matter again? 

The stories we tell matter. By sharing stories, we can connect to each other in a way that commands attention, enhances memory, affects behavior, and can even change brain chemistry. 

But most importantly, storytelling creates empathy between people.

Something I find is sorely lacking in the world of Fintech or business as a whole. 

In the next section, I’ll show you some quick and easy tactics for integrating storytelling into your workflow and transmuting the structure to the PowerPoint, the boardroom, or even the stage.

_TACTICS

Your Storytelling Cheat Sheet

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