What do these stories have in common?

• Two college dropouts invent a computer in a garage that changes the course of human history.
• A struggling shoe company spends its entire marketing budget on an unproven NBA rookie as a sponsor and makes billions.
• The owners of a Seattle coffee shop invest in high-quality beans and equipment to create unique blends loved around the world.

They are all the origin stories of three of the most successful brands on the planet-Apple, NikeAND Starbucks. But you didn't need me to tell you that. These stories are so universally recognized that they are part of their company's DNA.

Everyone loves a good story – a powerful narrative that explains how you start out one way and end up completely changed. Just as movie audiences want to know how Peter Parker messed up when Spiderman or Anakin Skywalker went to the dark side and became Darth Vader, customers are curious about how their favorite brand was born.

Too often, brands ignore their beginnings. They fail to share their origin stories with the world. Maybe they think no one will care, or they're too focused on the future to dwell on the past.

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They are making a mistake. Over the years, I've asked hundreds of successful people to tell their origin stories, the best of which I've collected in a new book called Write About Now. Their answers never cease to amaze and inspire.

Here's why stories are key to your brand's success—even if you don't think you're that interesting Steve Jobs OR Phil Knight.

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Origin stories make you unique

Looking for a point of difference for your brand? Consider the story of its origin. In a market saturated with thousands of companies promising the same old tired clichés – “we are disruptive; we offer a holistic 360 approach” – the story of your business's beginnings sets your brand apart from the competition. Just as no two fingerprints are identical, no company can have exactly the same origin.

Get Red Bull. There are a million energy drinks out there, but none have a story like Red Bull's. Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz flew to Thailand and picked up a strange, medicinal drink with bulls on the logo, which quickly had him bouncing off the walls in Bangkok. He went on to develop a version of the drink that would appeal to Westerners' need for increased mental and physical energy. As the slogan goes, “Red Bull gives you wings.”

Origin stories make you authentic

A good origin story humanizes a brand, making it relatable in a way that connects with your consumer on an emotional level. Many brands try to do this, but if the story seems contrived or inauthentic, it can backfire miserably.

Burt's Bee the origin story is an example of a company's story that matches its values. In the early '80s, former Manhattanite Burt Shavitz moved to Maine to become a beekeeper. One day, he picked up a hitchhiker, Roxanne Quimby, who had also left the city for the tranquility of the Maine wilderness. The two struck up a friendship, and Quimby discovered recipes for turning beeswax into candles and lip balm. A thriving business was born with roots in nature and sustainability.

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Origin stories inspire

Did you know that? MailChimp started as a side hustle? Founders Ben Chestnut and Dan Kurzius ran a web design agency but created a bonus email service after hearing customers complain about expensive email software. Word spread about their service and soon, the sideshow became the main event. In 2021, they sold MailChimp to Intuit for $12 billion.

Mail Chimp's origin story shows that solving a real problem can lead to serious financial gains.

It's a lesson in playing multiple fields and being prepared to rotate if the opportunity arises. And it's inspiring. The overwhelming success of their acquisition is every entrepreneur's dream scenario.

Connected: How to craft a brand story that connects with customers

Origin stories make you relatable

Stories are like mirrors, reflecting our own traits into ourselves and teaching us about things we may not have noticed before. We love a story we can relate to because it validates our experience. A good brand origin story lets you know that these people are just like me, and I understand what they're about.

Connected: Ken Burns on the power of storytelling

Airbnb hits this right on the nose. In 2007, two broke roommates looking to make rent payments rented out air mattresses in their San Francisco apartment to convention visitors who couldn't find a hotel room. They called their service “Bed and Breakfast with Air”. The experiment went so well that they ended up creating a business by enticing others to invite strangers into their homes.

Whether it's collecting rent or getting creative to make ends meet, we can all relate to this origin story.

Word is, Airbnb's founders are doing their rental pretty well right now.