Welcome to One Thing Better. Each week, the editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine (that’s me) shares one way to achieve a breakthrough at work — and build a career or company you love.
Last week, I told you: If you want to stand out, you can’t just rely on your expertise. You must also become known for your ideas.
Today, I’m going a level deeper on that: I’m sharing my three-part formula for communicating powerful concepts that people remember.
It’s mind-blowingly simple, and I use it all the time — including in this newsletter!
When you follow this formula, you’ll become a more captivating communicator, your ideas will become more memorable, and you’ll stand out from the crowd.
But before I share it, here’s an example of how it works…
The line between forgettable and memorable
Imagine if you opened my newsletter one day, and I told you: “Stop playing it safe. To live a fulfilling life, you need to take risks.”
You would think: Well, duh. Thanks for the cliché.
But now imagine if I wrote this instead…
Today, I want to introduce you to a concept I call the Messy Couch Principle, which will help you act boldly when you’re hesitant to take risks. But first, let me tell you a story…
In the 1980s, people often protected their nice couches by wrapping them in plastic. My grandmother did this too, so I grew up playing on one of those couches. And it got me thinking: By trying to preserve her couch’s niceness, my grandma never actually got to enjoy its niceness.
And we do this to ourselves too! We’re afraid of life getting messy, so we keep our lives wrapped in metaphorical plastic. But that limits our ability to enjoy life. Had my grandma just removed the plastic, she could have taken advantage of its comforts — even if, yes, it got a little scuffed up. But isn’t that better than never enjoying the couch at all?
This is the “The Messy Couch Principle”: By protecting what we have, we inhibit our ability to truly experience it. And here’s the simple way to avoid that fate. Whenever you’re hesitating to take a risk, just ask yourself two questions: 1. If I act, what’s the worst that can happen? And 2. If I don’t act, what am I left with?
Now, let’s break down what you just read…
The first example (“stop playing it safe”) was bland and cliché. The second (“Messy Couch Principle”) felt distinct and profound.
But they were basically saying the same thing.
So what made the second one special? It followed my three-part formula:
1. First, introduce a big idea with a name.
2. Tell a story that brings it to life.
3. Drive toward memorable lesson or exercise.
That’s what I did with the Messy Couch, and it’s become one of my most popular newsletters. People have emailed me about how it’s changed their life, because it inspired them to take a meaningful risk.
But again — I was not saying anything unique! I just provided a memorable framing.
Here’s why this formula works:
1. The name: When you name an idea, it feels special and distinctly yours. It’s like opening your playbook and revealing something you’ve already lovingly crafted.
2. The story: Ideas are abstract, but stories are concrete and understandable. When you tell a story, people are immediately engaged and oriented. This is how to hook them.
3. The lesson or exercise: You’re giving people a way to apply your ideas — and every time they do, they’ll think of you.
To be clear, this isn’t just useful in newsletters. I use this formula everywhere — in keynote talks, in sales presentations, when I’m on podcasts, and more. I even use it in casual conversation. If someone asks me a question, I’ll often say: “Before I answer that, let me tell you a story…”
Of course, each format requires a somewhat different delivery. On a stage, my story might be five minutes long. In a newsletter, it might be 300 words. In conversation, it might be 60 seconds.
But the principle remains: Ideas by themselves are abstract and forgettable. But named ideas, illuminated with stories, and delivered with purpose, will stay with people for years.
How to do this yourself
Try this right now:
- Think about a story you love to tell. Maybe it’s something interesting you did, or observed, or that someone told you. Maybe it’s a time you solved a problem. Or just a fascinating thing you read.
- Ask yourself: “How does that story help illuminate an idea of mine? An insight I have? A lesson I like to teach? A specific part of my expertise?”
- Next, pair these things in your mind — the story and the lesson. These are now one thing.
- The next time you’re in conversation with someone, try this out! Tell someone the story, and then use it to set up the lesson or advice.
The more you do this, the more natural it’ll become. You’ll build a distinct body of knowledge, like a menu of great stories and lessons. That way, whenever you’re asked a question or given an opportunity to share your expertise, you naturally flow into your story — and deliver that memorable takeaway.
The transformation
Lately, I’ve been writing a lot about how to stand out.
It’s the difference between being interchangeable and being singular. When you’re viewed as interchangeable, you’re one of many people who can do similar work — and that means your value is low. But when you become singular, you’re viewed as distinct and unique — and your value goes up. This is the key to getting more business, to getting hired, and to rising the ranks.
Everything in today’s newsletter is part of that goal.
People don’t just remember what you said; they remember how you said it. They start repeating your stories, and then using your lessons, and then talking about you.
That’s how you go from seeming knowledgeable to feeling indispensable.
That’s how to do one thing better.
