Every Founder's Story Is Different

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Welcome back, {{first name | friend}}!

Between 2018 and 2023, I worked at two different companies in the US LLC formation space.

Helping founders set up their businesses legally. Entity structures. Operating agreements. All that stuff.

I was good at it. Really good.

Really understood the process. Could explain legal complexity in plain English. Knew exactly where founders got confused.

Then I was fired in 2023.

And here's what's been happening ever since:

People still reach out to me.

Not occasionally. Regularly.

"Stephen, I'm starting a business. Can you help me figure out which entity type makes sense?"

"I'm confused about this operating agreement thing. Can you explain it?"

"I got three different answers from Google about where to incorporate. What should I actually do?"

Every few weeks. Sometimes every few days.

I'd help them. Give them solid advice. Then refer them to one of those companies I used to work for.

Because I didn't have my own thing yet.

(Or so I told myself)

The Part I'm Embarrassed About

Here's the truth:

I've been sitting on this for two years.

Waiting.

For what?

The perfect website. The perfect platform. The perfect automated system.

I even reached out to friends I knew could build the tech side.

"Hey, want to partner on this? I know the business, you build the platform."

Every single one said no. Not interested.

So I kept waiting. And referring. And thinking "I can't start until everything's perfect."

Meanwhile, people kept coming to me because they trusted MY advice specifically.

Not the companies. Me.

But I kept sending them elsewhere.

You see:

I was doing exactly what I told you Monday I was doing.

Waiting for perfection instead of starting with what I have.

(Which is Stripe, Gmail, and Google Forms lol)

Why This Actually Matters

Here's what I finally realized:

The reason people kept reaching out to ME specifically wasn't because I worked at those companies.

It was because I could explain things in a way that actually made sense to them.

I wasn't talking like a lawyer or one of those companies just looking a SALE. I was talking like a founder who understood the confusion.

And that's when the first storytelling lesson hit me:

You don't need to be everything to everyone.

You just need to be the right person for one specific type of founder.

For me, that's the founder who:

Has a real business idea they're ready to execute
Knows they need to "do it right legally" but feels overwhelmed
Has gotten conflicting advice from Google and doesn't know who to trust
Just needs someone to explain it clearly without charging $5k for a lawyer consult

That was me in 2018 before I worked in this industry.

Completely confused. Overwhelmed by options. Just needed clarity.

The Filter That Changed Everything

I haven't really posted much on social media about this business yet.

Just the odd LinkedIn post here and there. Mostly referrals.

But when I DO share anything, I run it through one filter:

"Would the founder who's overwhelmed by LLC formation find this relevant?"

If yes, I share it.

If no, I don't.

Sounds simple. But it changes everything.

Because I'm not trying to appeal to:

All entrepreneurs
All founders
Everyone who might need an LLC

Just the specific person who's in the exact position I was in before I understood this stuff.

The one who just needs someone to cut through the noise and explain it clearly.

Why I'm Telling You This Now

Because the first secret to building a business with storytelling is knowing exactly who you're talking to.

Not everyone. One person.

And here's the thing:

I've been that person for dozens of founders over the past two years.

They come to me. I help them. I refer them out.

But I finally asked myself: Why am I the one they trust for advice if someone else is getting the business?

That question led to everything I'm building now.

(Which I'll reveal Friday. But the foundation is this: relevance to one specific person)

Your Turn

Think about who keeps coming to YOU for advice.

What do they ask you about?

Why do they come to you specifically instead of going somewhere else?

That's a huge clue about who your specific person is.

For me, it took two years of referrals to finally see the pattern.

Don't wait as long as I did. 🤣🤭

Tomorrow I'm showing you the second secret: How to show people the world you're living in that they want to reach.

Because once you know WHO you're talking to, you need to show them WHERE they could be.

Till then...

Stephen

P.S. The people who keep asking YOU for advice? That's your business waiting to happen. Don't make my mistake and wait two years to act on it.

P.S.S. If people keep coming to you for the same advice but you haven't built a business around it yet, reply "STORY". Let's talk about turning that pattern into something real.