We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michelle Loufman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michelle below.

Michelle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard.

I integrate brand storytelling as a keystone to marketing communications. Most creative ideas stem from boredom. I’d been in a marketing career for about a decade, and despite liking it, I wouldn’t say I was excited about the prospect of making it a lifelong career.

Although I desired to make a go of it in journalism or publishing, I chose a safe career in marketing. Ever the writer and visual documentarian, I found that some of the most effective content I created for myself and for my clients centered on storytelling.

That’s how the story of ViaNarrativa began. It’s a boutique brand storytelling agency with the heart of a writer and the brains of a marketing maven.

Michelle, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

ViaNarrativa was birthed the way most businesses are: the result of a romance between dissatisfaction and dreams.

One morning, a tired woman slaps her blaring alarm clock, protesting the day ahead. She crawls out of bed, reluctantly showers and dresses, and opens her email inbox with dread. Something isn’t right. She’s unfulfilled. Yet, she’s too scared to make a change.

Her stress keeps her sick. The bills never end. The increasing responsibilities grow.

She finally asks herself, “What did I love as a child? What makes me come alive? How can I get paid to do it?”
And so, with the loving support of her husband she starts a business based on a nebulous idea: brand storytelling.
She sees the success of other brand storytellers, but maybe they’ve been lucky. She wants to quit hundreds of times. It’s tempting to go back to old wells.

Until she meets amazing clients, creates their many stories and sees the impact their businesses and nonprofits have in their world by supporting them with marketing language, storytelling and photography.

And, in a strange way, hearing her clients’ stories has helped her heal her own. She knew then, without a doubt, her story would forever be in storytelling.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I’m the daughter of an immigrant who grew up in a home where stories were shared over dinners and life’s significant events were told in vivid detail.

For me, storytelling is intrinsically part of what I see as the American Dream: the hope of achieving even the smallest part of your dream, and for me that dream is to run a business. And being able to share those dreams (those stories) and the path for future generations to reap the things I’ve sown.

If I can help a business to better reflect its values and mission, and in turn, that changes lives, it’s a beautiful ripple effect. My clients have heart-centered missions with their work. It’s not about money but I want to help them earn money so they don’t experience the burnout most business owners face on a regular basis.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Word of mouth is how I get most of my clients. Like-minded people will refer like-minded people. We’re mission-focused, not mass-media so I prefer not to advertise in traditional ways in order to ensure I work with people who are missional in their vision.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.vianarrativa.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vianarrativa/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleloufman/

Image Credits

Photography by Michelle Loufman of MML Photography LLC