Listen up, because this is where 90% of brands face-plant right out of the gate.
Your origin story isn’t just some “About Us” page that you slap together after your third glass of wine. It’s the creation myth of your entire brand universe.
It’s your Big Bang.
Finding Your “Big Bang” Moment
Your origin story most likely isn’t when you filed your LLC or launched your website. Sure, those things might’ve signified to the world that your brand now exists, but that’s not where its origins began.
Your Big Bang is the moment everything changed for you. The moment your brand’s universe became inevitable.
For Nike, it wasn’t when they started selling shoes. It was when Bill Bowerman poured rubber into his wife’s waffle iron.
For Apple, it wasn’t when they sold their first computer. It was when Woz and Jobs decided technology should be beautiful and accessible to everyone.
Exercise: Mining for Your Big Bang
(Stop rolling your eyes because we’re doing this damn thing)
- Write down every “holy shit” moment in your brand’s history
- Circle the ones that still give you goosebumps
- Cross out anything that sounds like every other brand’s story
- What’s left? That’s your raw material
Creating a Narrative That Isn’t BS
Everyone’s screaming about authenticity these days, but here’s the dirty secret: pure authenticity is boring as hell. Nobody wants to read about all the times you stared at your laptop wondering if you should just get a “real job.”
What people want is truth wrapped in meaning.
The Three Elements of a Compelling Origin Story:
- The Spark: What lit the fuse? (And no, “I wanted to be my own boss” doesn’t count)
- The Struggle: What dragon did you have to slay? What mountain did you have to climb?
- The Revelation: What truth did you discover that makes your brand necessary?
What to Leave Out:
- Your entire life story (you’re building a brand, not writing a memoir)
- Technical details nobody cares about
- Anything that makes you sound like a superhero because you want people to relate to you
- Anything that makes you sound like a victim because you have to show that anyone can take responsibility for their future
The Difference Between History and Legend
History <---|-----------------|-------------------> Legend
(Boring) (Sweet Spot) (BS Territory)Your job is to find that sweet spot where truth meets meaning. Where facts become story without becoming fiction.
- Too Historical: “In 2018, after market research showed a gap in the wellness space…”
- Too Legendary: “After a mystical encounter with a sage in the Himalayas…”
- Sweet Spot: “When my mom got sick, I realized the food we eat isn’t just fuel – it’s medicine.”
Making Your Origin Story Work For You
Did you know there are three stories that every origin story needs to pass? You didn’t and that’s okay. That’s why you’re here.
- The Barstool Test: Can you tell it compellingly in a noisy bar?
- The Bullshit Test: Would the people who were there recognize it?
- The “So What” Test: Does it make people care about what you’re doing now?
All of these seem reasonable, right? But do you want to know where brands screw up?
- They try to sound bigger than they are
- They copy other brands’ origin stories
- They focus on what happened instead of why it matters
- They forget to connect their origin to their present
It’s why every once in a while you’ll come across a brand that feels different. One that you’re drawn to because they not only present themselves differently but they also see the world the way that you do.
Your Origin Story Template
We’re going to get right into the mix because this is about taking action. But for the love of god, don’t follow this exactly.
- The World Before: What was missing?
- The Catalyst: What changed everything?
- The Quest: What truth did you have to discover?
- The Revelation: What did you learn that others need to know?
- The Mission: How does this drive everything you do now?
Examples We Can Learn From
This all sounds great but has anyone applied it in real life? Of course, they have otherwise I wouldn’t have figured this stuff out.
Patagonia Does It Right
They don’t just tell you Yvon Chouinard was a climber who started making gear. They show you how a passion for the outdoors created a company that would fight to protect it. Every product, every campaign, and every decision traces back to that origin story.
Exercise: Write Your Origin Story Three Ways
- In one sentence
- In one paragraph
- In one page
If they don’t all tell the same story, keep working.
The Final Word on Origin Stories
Your origin story isn’t just history – it’s prophecy.
It should tell us not just where you came from, but where you’re going. It’s the foundation of your brand’s universe, the gravity that holds everything else together.
Get this right, and everything else becomes clearer. Get it wrong, and you’re building on quicksand.
Now, go write your origin story. Then delete it and write it again. Keep going until it feels both true and meaningful. Until it feels like the beginning of a universe.
