Hello Reader,
I hope you get a little rest, a little joy, and at least one moment where nobody asks you to “circle back” on anything.
One of the biggest (non-biz) things for me in 2025 has been the dramatic shift in my pet situation. I entered 2025 with a set of 13 year old puggles, one had been sick for nearly a year and the other, old but happy go lucky... I swear his tail was never down!
Sadly, in July Ryder (the happy go lucky one) got really sick over a weekend, and by the time I got him to the vet on Monday the X-Ray revealed cancer that would not be able to be operated on. It was just a couple days later (after my segment on The Morning Chatter)he left this Earth and a devastated brother and father behind.
The next few months navigating a senior puggles grief was probably the hardest most unexpected trial I have been through. Max felt everything with his whole being and fell into a deep depression. When he wouldn't get out of bed I knew it was time for me to take drastic action, so I started the adoption process.
A few dozen applications, a couple potential brothers not to be and well, I accidentally adopted a three year old pitbull named Maverick, who Max labelled as his enemy immediately... but his enemy got him out of bed, and running every single morning. Honestly, this unexpected love bug saved my buddy and I thank him for that daily!
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But that wasn't it because during the entire process I had also been talking to a breeder about getting on a list to get a male Klee Kai (basically a mini husky)... long term desire, I went to Northeastern, we were the Huskies, they are adorable dogs and just a couple days ago... Jack Frost arrived in my home and we are now a family of 4! Well me and 3!
Now that I dropped some year end storytelling on you, I’ve got a simple storytelling exercise just for fun!
If your content has felt a little “meh” lately, it’s probably not your ideas.
It’s your details.
Most people don’t tell stories, they tell quick summaries. And summaries don’t stick.
So here’s the quick exercise. Set a 5-minute timer and answer these 3 questions:
- Where were you exactly? Not “at home.” Where at home. Kitchen? car? bathroom floor? couch with your laptop?
- What is one sensory detail? A sound, a smell, a physical feeling, a tiny detail you can still remember.
- What was the exact thought in your head? Not the polished version. The real one.
That’s it.
Those three answers give you a scene, not a summary. And scenes are what make people stop, feel, and trust.
If you want an easy way to use it, take your answers and write 5 sentences:
“I was __ when __.
The problem was __.
I remember thinking __.
Then I realized __.
If you’re dealing with __, try ___.”
Boom. Story post.
Also, if you missed it, I just dropped my Social Media Trends 2026 blog post plus a super skimmable 2026 cheat sheet you can save and use all year. It’s the “what’s changing” and “what to do about it” version, without the doom-scrolling.
Reply and tell me what moment you picked for the 3-question exercise. I read every response, and I might even help you turn it into a post.
Happy holidays!
Keep Creating,
Jonathan