🎥 This isn't the first time I've heard people talking about Netflix's supposed rule that the plot needs to be explained aloud multiple times in order to accommodate viewers who are scrolling their phones while watching movies at home. But it was interesting to hear Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's take on it.

I take this less as a "the quality of movies is going downhill" statement, and more an acknowledgement that we need to know where our audience is at, and meet them there.

(I'm gonna talk for a second about fictional shows/books, but there are solid takeaways for marketing, too. I'll get there in a minute.)

There are times I want a deep, thoughtful show with lots of visual nuance. I love the thrill of catching a glimpse of some easter egg that makes all the pieces click into place.

And then sometimes I want something to play in the background while I'm sewing.

With books, there are times I want to deeply sit with a novel, knowing that I'm going to have to work for every insight. (Mick Herron's Slow Horses series is like that—they're wildly entertaining reads, but you'd better not let your attention drop for a second or you'll get lost.)

Other times, I want to blaze through something—or listen to it on audio while I'm doing something else. Then, I'm forever grateful for mystery authors like Tess Gerritsen whose detective characters re-explain the clues from time to time so you can remember what's going on.

Damon and Affleck say Netflix's rule of thumb is to rehash the plot 3-4 times for their distracted audiences. In marketing, the adage has always been that you have to get in front of your audience 7 times before they remember you.

SEVEN TIMES.

And the key is that each of those times need to feel similar enough that your audience recognizes the pattern.

That's where branding comes in—the colors, the language, the overall vibe.

And that's where your signature story comes in.

By that seventh time, you want your ideal customer tilting their head, studying your post. "Oh, right," they're saying. "That's the person who [insert your story here]. I should check them out."

What I'm saying is this:

Attention is scarce—even after someone has opted in (like if they've pressed Play on a Netflix show). You can lament that fact, or you can meet your audience where they are—and make it easy for them to recognize you by repeating your signature story.

From the blog:

Tell Your Signature Story in One Sentence

When I talk about telling your story to connect with your audience, I'm not (always) talking about a grand narrative.

We don't need an hour-long slideshow complete with dramatic opening moments and a heroic comeback. We don't need a blow-by-blow description of every setback and success. We don't need a perfectly paced arc with tears at the end.

Sure, having that version of your story can be super powerful. But you can absolutely create connection in far fewer words.

The real job of a signature story isn’t to entertain—it’s to build trust. It’s a sign to your audience that you've been there. You see them. You get what they're going through.

On my blog today, I detail five examples of businesses who communicate the essence of their story in a single sentence, and instantly create emotional resonance. You can tell they’ve done the deeper work of knowing what actually matters in their story—which allows them to distill it down to the part that helps someone feel less alone.

—> See the 5 examples on the Story Rebel blog.

If you take nothing else from these examples, let it be this: the point of being able to tell your signature story isn’t to perform your life on the internet. It acts as a gift to your ideal customer. A conversational opening that says, "Hey, I get it. I've been there. Let's chat."

Think about these one-line stories like bridges between you and the person you’re trying to help. It doesn't have to be complicated—it just has to act as an invitation into your world, and hold enough weight to allow your ideal customer to cross if they so choose.

It tells the right person, instantly, You’re in the right place. I understand.

That’s the work I want you to do with your own story. When I invite you to go deep using the Story Oracle cards or the Signature Story Workbook, it's not so that you can puff up your story by manufacturing drama. Instead, the goal is to dig up the best bits and refine them into pure gold.

If you want help stepping outside your own story and figuring out what that one line is—the one that makes your audience feel seen and understood—book a Story Clarity Call with me. We’ll pull the signal out of the noise, find the connective thread, and shape it into language you can actually use on your website, in your bio, on a sales page, or in a single post.