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How to Use ‘The Lion King’ Method to Turn Your Business Story Into New Customers and Higher Profits
April 2025
Read time: 13 mins, 30 seconds E very small business has a story — but are you telling yours in a way that people actually remember? 🤔 Think about Simba’s journey to reclaim Pride Rock or Neo’s transformation from office drone to savior of the Matrix. Those stories don’t just entertain — they stick. For billions, they’ve become lifelong memories because they tap into a timeless narrative structure our brains are wired to respond to. This isn’t about Hollywood 🎬 . It’s about using storytelling to make your business unforgettable. Storytelling makes your marketing clear, emotional, and persuasive. In this guide, I’ll show you how to use the storytelling framework behind iconic characters like Simba — step by step — to improve your content, your sales process, and your results. 📈 We’ll break down why the story works, map “The Lion King” story arc to your business, fix common mistakes,
walk through a real-life example, show you how to build your own business story, and help you actually use it across your marketing. Let’s get started. 🚀 🧠 WHY STORYTELLING WORKS (EVEN IN ‘BORING’ INDUSTRIES) Stories are how we make sense of the world. In business, a good story is often the difference between being remembered and being forgotten. According to several studies, people are up to 22 times more likely to remember a fact when it’s wrapped in a story. Even in industries that aren’t traditionally “fun” — like accounting, IT, or home services — story creates emotional engagement. 💡 Just look at Dollar Shave Club. Razors are boring. But Michael Dubin’s famous launch video told a story about overpriced razors and the everyday guy who was fed up. That simple, bold story grew a subscription startup into a billion-dollar brand. 💰 That’s the power of a clear, relatable narrative. It turns heads, builds trust, and gives people a reason to follow you, buy from you, and refer others. 🦁 HOW THE STORY FRAMEWORK WORKS (USING ‘THE LION KING’) To show you how this works in practice, we’ll use “The Lion King.” It’s the same formula many great brands use — just simplified. Hero & Problem Simba is our hero. He wants to be king but is driven into exile by Scar. He grows up burdened with guilt and fear, avoiding his true purpose. 👑
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Your customer is Simba. They want something — to grow their business, get more time back, simplify operations — but something stands in their way. Maybe it’s confusion. Maybe it’s frustration. Maybe it’s past failure. Make that problem crystal clear. Make them feel seen. 👁️ Guide & Plan Simba meets Rafiki (his mentor), who helps him remember who he is. Rafiki doesn’t solve the problem for him. He simply guides him to the realization and points him toward the solution. That’s your role. You’re not the hero. Your customer is. You’re Rafiki — the trusted guide. Your plan should be simple, clear, and doable. Three steps is often enough. 🙌 Call to Action & Success Simba returns to Pride Rock. He faces Scar. He wins. The kingdom is restored. That’s the success. The story shows us what happens if he acts — and what’s at stake if he doesn’t. 💪 That’s your job in marketing, too. You need to show what’s possible when your customer follows your plan — and what they risk if they stay stuck. 🧑 ⚖️ BRINGING IT INTO YOUR BUSINESS (REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE) Let’s take a B2C estate planning attorney and show how to transform their messaging using our story- driven framework.
❌ Original Website Copy (Generic): “Walker Estate Planning Law has provided comprehensive estate planning services since 2012. Attorney Sarah Walker specializes in wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and probate matters. With a J.D. from State University and bar admissions in three states, our firm offers expert legal guidance. Contact us to schedule your consultation.” ✅ Story-Driven Rewrite: “70% of Americans don’t have a will or estate plan — leaving their loved ones facing unnecessary stress, expenses, and complicated legal battles during an already difficult time. “You’ve worked hard to build security for your family. But without proper planning, state laws — not your wishes — will determine what happens to everything you’ve built. “At Walker Estate Planning, we’ve helped over 500 families create peace of mind. We understand that thinking about these matters feels overwhelming, but we’ve created a simple process that protects what matters most to you. “Here’s how we create your family protection plan: 1. We have a conversation about your family’s unique needs (no legal jargon). 2. We design straightforward documents that reflect your wishes exactly. 3. You gain peace of mind knowing your family is protected, no matter what.
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LinkedIn bios (focus on the customer’s transformation, not your resume) • Before: “Estate Planning Attorney with 15 years of experience. J.D. from State University, specializing in wills, trusts, and probate matters.” • After: “I help families protect what they’ve worked so hard to build. After seeing too many loved ones struggle through probate nightmares, I’ve guided over 500 families to create simple, effective plans that ensure their wishes are honored.” 💼
“Schedule your free family protection assessment and sleep better tonight knowing you’ve taken care of the people you love most.” 😴 Same firm. Different message. One forgettable. One engaging. 🔥 You can use the same structure in: Email campaigns (start with a relatable problem, walk them through the plan) • Subject line before: “Estate Planning Newsletter: Summer Updates” • Subject line after: “Most families make these 3 estate planning mistakes. Are you?” 📧 Sales calls (position yourself as the guide, not the hero) • Opening before: “Let me tell you about my credentials and our firm’s services ...” • Opening after: “I know thinking about estate planning brings up a lot of questions. What concerns you most about protecting your family’s future?” 📞 Proposals (remind the prospect what’s at stake if they do nothing) • Before section: “Service Options and Fee Schedule” • After addition: “Your Family Protection Road Map” section showing the contrast between leaving matters to chance versus having a proper plan. 📑 Direct mail (especially newsletters — story format is a natural fit) • Before: Legal-focused mailer about recent law changes • After: “How the Martins Protected Their Blended Family” — a story about clients (with details changed) who solved complex family protection challenges. 📬
🚫 WHAT NOT TO DO (COMMON MISTAKES) Even with the best intentions, a lot of business owners fall into these traps: Making yourself the hero: Talking too much about your own journey. Remember, your customer is Simba. You’re Rafiki. Using industry jargon: Your audience doesn’t care how many acronyms you know. They care if you get their problem. Not providing a clear next step: Every piece of communication needs a strong, clear CTA. Want your story to work? Avoid these mistakes and always put your customer front and center.
Even in industries that aren’t traditionally ‘fun’ — like accounting, IT, or home services — story creates emotional engagement. 💡
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📝 BUILD YOUR OWN STORY (SIMPLE WORKSHEET)
📱 Social Media: Structure posts as micro-stories (Problem ➡ Guide ➡ Solution) rather than just announcements or tips. 🖥 Sales Presentations: Start by acknowledging the prospect’s challenges, then introduce your company briefly as their guide, and dedicate most time to showing your plan and the success it brings. 🎧 Customer Service: Train your team to recognize where customers are in their story journey and how to guide them to the next step. Remember, consistency matters. When your story structure aligns across all touchpoints, it creates a cohesive experience that builds trust and momentum. 🤝 Storytelling isn’t a gimmick. It’s a strategic framework that makes your marketing work harder — and better. When you use this framework across your marketing channels, you: • Get clearer messaging • Build deeper trust • Close more deals • And connect with the people who matter most — your customers ✅ It’s not magic. But it feels like it when your customers start telling others about “the company that gets them.” ✨ So, tell a better story. One where your customer wins — and your business does, too. 🏆
Want to use this framework right now? Here’s a fill- in-the-blank story map you can complete today: 📌 Hero (your customer): What do they want? 📌 Problem: What’s standing in their way (external + internal)? 📌 Guide (you): How do you empathize and show authority? 📌 Plan: What’s your clear, 2–3-step process? 📌 Call to Action: What’s the next step they should take? 📌 Success: What transformation happens if they act? 📌 Failure (optional): What happens if they don’t? You can use this for your website, sales emails, videos — even print newsletters (which are a perfect vehicle for telling short, high-impact stories that build connection and drive referrals).
That’s your job in marketing, too. You need to show what’s possible when your customer follows your plan — and what they risk if they stay stuck.
–Shaun
APPLYING YOUR STORY ACROSS MARKETING CHANNELS
🌐 Website: Lead with the customer’s problem on your homepage, position yourself as the guide, and outline your simple process. Save your company history for the About page. 📰 Newsletters: Share customer success stories and case studies. Use the case study to demonstrate the results of others experiencing the same issue and how you helped them. Show the before and after. This works in print and email newsletters. For the physical newsletters, you can use a variation of this to build a one-to-many relationship with your cover article content.
For help putting this to work in your marketing, visit NewsletterPro.com/schedule or call 208.297.5700.
We’ll help you tell your story — and make sure your audience hears it loud and clear. 🔊
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📝 BUILD YOUR OWN STORY (SIMPLE WORKSHEET) Want to use this framework right now? Here’s a fill-in-the-blank story map you can complete today. 📌 Hero (your customer): What do they want? ___________________________________ What’s their typical day like?________________________________________________ What are their aspirations? _________________________________________________ Problem: What’s standing in their way (external + internal)?______________________ How does this problem make them feel?______________________________________ What have they tried that hasn’t worked? _____________________________________ Guide (you): How do you empathize with their problem?_ _______________________ What experience/expertise gives you authority?________________________________ How are you uniquely positioned to help?_____________________________________ Plan: What’s your clear, 2–3-step process?_____________________________________ How is it simple to understand and follow?____________________________________ What makes it feel doable for the customer?___________________________________ Call to Action: What’s the next step they should take?___________________________ How can you make it low-risk to begin?_______________________________________ What happens immediately after they act?_ ___________________________________ Success: What transformation happens if they act?_____________________________ What tangible results will they see?_ _________________________________________ How will they feel after working with you? Failure (optional): What happens if they don’t act?_____________________________ What costs (financial, emotional, time) continue?_______________________________ What opportunities will they miss?___________________________________________ You can use this for your website, sales emails, videos, and even print newsletters (a perfect vehicle for telling short, high-impact stories that build connections and drive referrals). 📩
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