This is the ‘Win with Stories’ newsletter. It’s focused on helping founders, entrepreneurs and business owners. Every week I send an email with a business or life message wrapped in a short story. I also share one actionable tip to help you enhance your business storytelling skills.
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Getting Drunk Might Actually Be Good
Even with its pleasures, a vice. In fact, it doesn’t serve individuals or the human society and is one of our prime weaknesses.
That is the conventional discourse.
But the alcohol-lover in me was smiling as I listened to the podcast. Called ‘The Next Big Idea’, it featured Edward Slingerland who has authored an interesting book. ‘Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced And Stumbled Our Way Into Civilisation’, the title of the book is self-explanatory.
Edward argues that we did not discover alcohol because of civilization. But that it was the other way round. We settled down to ferment beverages and enjoy them in social settings.
In fact, he mentions in the podcast that the earliest grains we cultivated weren’t that great to consume.
So then why did we cultivate them?
Because they were good for something else.
You’ve guessed it by now, they made good beer-like beverages.
The book is filled with cautionary advice against binge-drinking and spirits. But it hopes to contribute to a more balanced discourse about alcohol.
It showcases the positives of alcohol, so we stop having an extreme view of this pre-civilization partner of ours.
If you’d like to know more about how alcohol has helped our evolution, do give the podcast a listen. The book is, of course, available if you’d like to dig deeper.
But what’s the communication tip in this?
There is a good chance that you opened the email because of the headline.
The same reason might have to do with the popularity of the book and its author. That alcohol has contributed to our evolution is not a statement you expect to hear.
Therein lies the communication tip of the day.
Contrarian beliefs are a magnet.
Contrarian beliefs can help you get attention from clients, investors and team members.
Of course, your argument for a contrarian belief needs to be a sound one. Just like the ones shared Edward in his book.
Also being a contrarian for the sake of being one may do harm than good.
But having a few contrarian beliefs linked to business and work may actually be helpful.
But then, how do you get started?
- When it comes to business or work, ask yourself – ‘What is that I know to be true that others don’t?’
- Build your arguments to support this claim
- Put main belief on top. Use the belief and arguments to influence your audiences(prospects, team members, investors, etc)
If you’d like to have a chat about this, am only an email away.
That’s it from me this week. Tell me one thing that will make you share this newsletter with friends and colleagues 🙂
If it’s already share-worthy, then please forward this to your network right away. Let’s all win with stories.
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