What We Can Learn From Taylor's New Heights Appearance Ep 6

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Ever wonder how Taylor Swift maintains such a powerful connection with millions of fans? The answer lies in her masterful storytelling abilities—a skill we can all learn from regardless of our field.

This week, I watched a storytelling masterclass unfold when Taylor Swift appeared on Travis and Jason Kelce's New Heights podcast. What made her appearance so compelling wasn't celebrity status, but her ability to bring listeners along on emotional journeys. When Taylor described regaining her masters—falling to her knees, unable to catch her breath—we weren't just hearing about a business transaction. We were transported to that moment, feeling her overwhelming emotions as if they were our own.

This transportive quality defines great storytelling. Taylor's genius extends beyond podcasts into her songwriting, where she creates universal moments that feel intensely personal. We all know someone who was "trouble when they walked in" or fits perfectly into that "blank space." Her stories work because they make us feel seen, functioning as mirrors where listeners recognize their own experiences.

The powerful lesson here? Your stories aren't actually about you—they're about your audience. When crafting your narratives, ask: Who is my audience? What will make them feel seen? Which moments from my journey will resonate with them? You don't need millions of fans analyzing your Easter eggs to create meaningful connections. You simply need to share authentic experiences that allow your audience to see themselves in your story.

Ready to transform your storytelling approach? Watch Taylor's New Heights appearance and observe how she masterfully connects. Then apply those techniques to your own content creation. Share who you are as a person, not just what you offer. When your audience feels truly seen and understood, that's when your story becomes the one they remember.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This week I saw a masterclass in storytelling and
I wanted to share it with youbecause this masterclass was so
impressive and it came fromsomebody you might all know.
So that's what we're talkingabout on this episode of the
Story Lab, where we make yourstory a story to remember.

(00:23):
Now, today we're going to talkabout a very well somebody who
has made their story a story toremember for a long time.
But this week I actually did apresentation on this person

(00:47):
called Marketing Like a Showgirl, and I'm going to be talking
about Taylor Swift and how sheshowed up on Travis Kelsey and
Jason Kelsey's podcast, the NewHeights, and what was so
impressive about that.
So I'm going to really diveinto her storytelling here.
So I'm going to really diveinto her storytelling here In

(01:10):
this podcast episode andthroughout her career, she's
done a brilliant job telling herstory and connecting with her
people, because we all feel likewe've gone through her life
with her.
Now, there's a few reasons forthat, and one of the things that
she's able to do is connect uswith her story, make us feel
like we're being seen in herstory, and that's powerful,
because when somebody feels seen, their trust is much higher and

(01:36):
that's key, so she makes heraudience feel seen.
But she also tells genuine,real stories that mix her public
life with her personal life,with just enough details on the
personal life and obviously wesee her in her public life, so
we feel connected.
When we get these little bitsof her private life, we feel

(02:00):
like we know what's happeningand that's done on purpose.
She knows what she's doing whenshe's sharing what she shares.
Now, a great example of this ison the new heights podcast.
She tells the story of regainingher masters and in this story
she brings us right along withthe on the journey with her.

(02:20):
She tells us how her mother andher brother went to go to LA
and negotiate this and shedidn't have any.
She wasn't holding on any hopes, but they called her and they
told her how well it went.
You know they didn't know whichway it would go, but the
meeting went well and thatbrought us up a little bit.
We got excited for a moment.
And then she talked about howshe was waiting to hear back and

(02:44):
how long it took, and that itwas after the Super Bowl when
she finally heard.
And we're going on this journeywith her, we're following her
along and we feel like we'rethere in that moment.
Because that's the amazingthing that stories do Stories
will transport you to the moment.
We feel like we're actuallythere.
She transports us to this momentwhen her phone rings and her

(03:05):
phone rings and she gets thenews and upon receiving this
news, she falls to her knees.
Now I've never had to get mymasters back.
I've never written an entirecareer of content and had it
ripped from me.
I don't know what she's feeling, but in that moment when she

(03:26):
tells the story and she falls toher knees and she can't get up
and she can't catch her breath,and it's overwhelming.
Everybody's had that moment.
Everybody's had that phone call.
That tool brought us rightthere.
We felt like we were there withher and when we found out that
she'd gotten her master's back,we all celebrated because it

(03:49):
felt like we got our master'sback and that that there is the
magic of storytelling.
And she did that by bringing usalong on this journey from the
moment it happened.
But in this podcast she took usfrom not knowing to finding out
, to knowing that she got it, tocelebrating and how it feels

(04:09):
now, how she feels now that sheregained those masters, how she
feels now that she has fullpossession of her work.
And it was an emotional journeyand she used all the tools she
had, she used her body language,she used the way that she told
the story.
She sped it up, she slowed itdown, she talked a little bit

(04:30):
louder, she talked a little bitquieter.
She had moments of almosthaving a breakdown because it's
still emotional.
She brought us on that journeywith her and that's the beauty
of storytelling.
Now, if you haven't seen the NewHeights podcast one, I
recommend you watch all twohours of it.
It is very good.
But if you don't know what I'mtalking about in this story,

(04:52):
think about how and why youconnect with Taylor Swift in
general If you do most of it.
Most of her fans connectbecause there's a story that
speaks to the specific momentthey remember.
The way that she tells storiesin her songs connects with
people because they get it, shegets them.
They've been in that momentthat she's talking about in her

(05:15):
song, that she's singing aboutin her song.
We all know the person that weknew they were trouble when they
walked in.
We know that person.
We know the person that we knewthey were trouble when they
walked in.
We know that person.
We know the person that youknow the blank space for it's a
very descriptive person.
We know and we all have thatperson.
That's why her songs connect,because there's that
relatability, just like fallingto her knees in her songs.

(05:38):
There's relatability and that'sstorytelling.
Like falling to her knees Inher songs.
There's relatability and that'sstorytelling.
She shares all the key detailsfrom her point of view.
We understand what she'sfeeling like and we can identify
in that moment because we feelthat way.
It works with her songs, itworks with her stories.
It's why the podcast was sopowerful.
So how does this work for you?

(05:58):
Because you're not Taylor Swift, right, you don't have millions
of fans, you don't have peoplethat are clowning over whatever
Easter eggs you've left, butyour story can still be as
powerful, compelling, relatableas Taylor Swift's.
You need to tap in to youraudience.
Who is your audience?

(06:19):
What will make them feel seen?
What can you talk about that'srelatable and comfortable and
emotional enough that they willsee you, that they will
understand you, because it's notjust that it's Taylor Swift,
it's that she describes momentsthat we get.

(06:40):
So what moments in yourbusiness, in your life, in your
journey, can you describe butuse them as a mirror.
Your stories aren't about you.
Your story's about youraudience.
So how does your audience fitinto your story that you're
telling?
How do they fit there?
How are they gonna feel seenand heard?
Because when they feel seen andheard, that's when you get

(07:03):
booked.
That's the big difference.
Your audience needs to feelseen and heard, just like
Taylor's audience feels seen andheard.
We see ourselves in her content, in her songs, in what she's
putting out there in the podcastinterview.
How do you set yourself up sothat your audience sees

(07:23):
themselves in your story, inwhat you share, in the everyday
life that you experiencepublicly and privately?
Bring them in.
Don't just show them what youhave to offer on your product.
Show them who you are as aperson, because that's where
they're going to connect.
They're going to connect withthe person that you are, the way

(07:46):
that you make them feel and thefact that they feel seen and
I've said it 15 times in thisepisode they feel seen.
So hopefully that gave you alittle insight.
I want you to go watch the NewHeights podcast and watch how
she masterfully tells her storyand then take some of what you
can learn from that and apply itto yourself.
It doesn't have to be yourmasters, it can be anything.

(08:09):
Make it relatable, make youraudience see themselves in it,
and that's how you get seen onsocial media.
That's how you do it, withoutworrying about going viral.
That's how you do it by beingyourself, sharing your story and
connecting with your audiencebecause they feel seen, they
understand you, they've beenthrough it.
So that's another episode ofthe Story Lab.

(08:32):
Thank you for joining and I lookforward to seeing you guys on
the next episode.
If you haven't already, pleasedo me a favor, run over to your
favorite podcasting platformseeing you guys on the next
episode.
If you haven't already, pleasedo me a favor, run over to your
favorite podcasting platform.
Give us a rating, let me knowthat you love this episode or
you hated this episode.
Whatever you want, really, um,if you hated it, send me a
message first, um, but, andwrite a review.
Give me a few stars, make acomment on Spotify.

(08:52):
Whatever you want to do, I justwant to hear from you and I
want to hear what I can dobetter to serve you and make
sure that your story is the onethey remember.
I'll see you next time.
Take care, make your story, theone they remember, the truth
that ignites the reason theystay.
This is your time, the brighterthan ever.

(09:23):
You've got something to say.