Storytelling and energy … a business must
In business, whether we realise it or not, we are always communicating. At work, at home, in meetings, on stages, in emails. And yet, so much of the focus goes into what we say, rather than how it is received.
Energy sits at the centre of that gap.
This story centres on someone who helped me see that more clearly.
It was during a company event when international keynote speaker, award-winning coach, and bestselling author of Energize, Simon Alexander Ong, delivered a thirty-minute keynote. It wasn’t a long session, but I remember being completely absorbed, listening to every word he shared.
Afterwards, I asked Simon a simple question. Why do you do what you do?
His answer stayed with me.
“To help people balance their energy so they can reach their potential.”
That moment became part of my own story. Not because Simon set out to inspire me personally, but because the stories he shared helped me to understand one of the most powerful combinations out there …. storytelling and energy.
This is Simon’s story.
The Story - By Simon
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about energy, particularly in how we communicate.
One of the things I often say to leaders who want to be better communicators is this: your technical expertise might be a ten out of ten, but if your communication and your delivery sit at a three out of ten, then that is how your audience experiences you.
They don’t know what you know, they only know what you communicate.
If you want people to see your expertise as a ten, then your communication needs to reflect that. And that comes down to energy.
Energy isn’t just verbal, it’s non-verbal, it’s body language, it’s how you hold yourself in a room. When you interact with people, energy comes through your delivery, and it’s that energy that makes communication engaging.
Visualisation has played a big role in this for me.
Most of us are visual thinkers. When we hear a story, we translate words into images. That’s how we connect. That’s how stories land.
Early on in my own journey, I listened to the stories of entrepreneurs. I heard about their successes, their achievements, their setbacks. And I placed myself into those stories. I imagined myself collecting the accolades, being on stage, travelling the world.
That visual perspective gave me energy. It ignited something inside me and made me want to take action. When we tap into that visual part of our thinking, it becomes incredibly powerful.
But storytelling isn’t just about painting a picture visually. It’s about bringing that picture to life emotionally, and with energy.
When you combine the visual with feeling, with emotion, with the senses, what something looks like, feels like, even smells or sounds like, you create an immersive experience for the audience. That’s how energy is transferred.
Perspective is another ingredient that matters deeply to me, especially important when storytelling my own insights in writing Energize.
I wanted to share stories from my own journey, alongside the experiences of others, for two reasons. The first was vulnerability. The way we truly connect with people is by being human. By sharing failures, challenges, ups and downs. When people see that, they feel connected. They realise we are not that different.
The second reason was relatability.
If I shared only one type of story, I would exclude a large part of the audience. So I deliberately included a diversity of stories from entrepreneurs, business leaders, experiences of loss and grief, environmental change, inspiration. The intention was to give readers multiple entry points, so that at least part of the message would feel familiar to them.
When you share your lessons with the world, people step into your story to understand who you are and how you’ve arrived where you are. They see themselves in that journey., and that’s what makes stories inspiring and enriched with energy.
So, when I reflect on my own life, storytelling and energy have been foundational, and this is why they are not just a must for business … but more so, for the everyday.
Simon Alexander Ong - International keynote speaker, award winning coach, and bestselling author of Energize
Story Takeaways
Simon’s story highlights a combination that is often missing in business.
Storytelling without energy struggles to land, and energy without storytelling struggles to stick.
The best leaders and businesses understand the story they are in, and when they do, others can step into it, understand their role, and feel connected to something meaningful.
As Simon puts it, whoever tells the best story owns their corner of the market.
Whilst Simon’s journey is uniquely his, the insight is universal. In business, leadership, and life, energy is not a “nice to have”, it is the force that allows storytelling to truly move people.
Conclusion
Energy is something we all recognise when it’s present, but feel immediately when it’s missing.
In business, we often assume that clarity of thought, expertise, and experience should be enough. But Simon’s story is a reminder that without energy, even the most considered message can struggle to connect.
Storytelling is the bridge. Energy is what allows people to cross it.
Simon didn’t set out to inspire me that day, but through the way he shared his story, he created space for reflection, possibility, and movement. That is the quiet influence of storytelling done well.
Whether you’re leading a business, a team, or simply trying to communicate more clearly with the people around you, the question isn’t just what story you are telling.
It’s how much energy you are giving it.
Because when story and energy align, messages don’t just land.
They last.
Reflection Question: When you communicate at work, where might your expertise be clear, but the energy behind how you share it, be limiting the impact of your story?
Read more here…
Check out Simon’s bestselling book Energize, to learn more about energy management, and how it can give you the power to achieve your full potential.
Helping you GROW through storytelling
Whether it be for yourself or for your business, let’s work together to improve impact, create meaningful connections, drive positive change, and GROW…
Products and Services include:
Personalised 1:1 coaching | Workshops and Seminars | Speaking
Specific Projects | Fractional Support
Bestselling books > Learn more here
Get in touch:
email: jamie@jamie-mackenzie.com
join the allotment for growth based insights: the allotment
