I applied for a job in Ukraine in a fit of pique.
It was 2013. Daft Punk had just released their first new album in eight years. The Arab Spring has passed me by unawares.
And I had just finished a year of teaching English in a high school in Metz, about an hour from Strasbourg.
Yet I couldn’t find a teaching job for the summer until my last year at university.
There are numerous job boards where you can find posts to teach English as a second language in such far-flung places as Thailand, Peru and Kenya.
All they required was a degree in any subject from any English-speaking university and the willingness to move to where the work was.
I was more than qualified to teach at that level, but because I didn’t have my degree yet, I kept getting rejected.
I sat in French internet cafes and trawled job boards, becoming increasingly frustrated. Until I found a posting to teach English in a summer camp in Ukraine that didn’t mind that I hadn’t yet graduated.
Fine, I thought. I’ll go to Ukraine.
That’s the magic of personal stories in email. They hook you in and keep you going.
Stories are the gateway drug for your audience to invest in you and in the services you offer.
If you’re looking for a way to connect with your audience and speak to the emotional side of their brains, start with your story. And, more particularly, start with the feeling behind your story.
That's how you get to tell them about the transformation you can give them.
As for me, I spent a great summer in Ukraine.
I swam in the Black Sea and saw dolphins in the wild.
I spent 3 weeks working with a family that was definitely part of the Mafia (sorry, construction. They made their money from construction).
I climbed over the ruins of Soviet-era buildings on the path down to the sea.
I had a small Ukrainian child tell me that for his birthday, his friends made him fancy cakes.
Had I gone to Thailand, Peru or Kenya, this email’s story might have been different. Or there might have been no story at all.
If you want help defining your story and sharing it so that it makes your audience lean in and want to work with you, get in touch with me.
Together, we’ll work out your story and how it connects to your services—and your audience.
Curious to hear your story,
~Sarah at CopyHop~
I'm Sarah Hopkinson and I write meaningful emails that help podcasters increase their revenue and build a community around their podcast.
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Book an exploratory call with me to get an email plan for your podcast.
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