Storytelling for Startups

"Humanizing a brand in the social media space"

Jun 03, 2025

I’ve been asked to speak on this topic many times throughout my career, but one of the most pivotal moments was when I was invited to speak at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center in front of thousands of people on “Humanizing a Brand in the Social Media Space.”

At the time, I was terrified—sweaty palms and all. Public speaking was something that made me so uncomfortable. But they say practice makes perfect… and after speaking millions of times over the past 20+ years while building my brand, the jitters have (mostly) gone away.

These days, I see so many people “selling” storytelling as a concept, which is why I brought it up in my subject line. When I first spoke on this at Fashion 140, a packed room of brands came to hear what I had to say. A friend who worked at a major brand told me I was the topic of their next-day meeting—they were taking notes from this “small biz lady.”

And guess what? I told them exactly what to do:

Differentiate yourself in the marketplace.
Create separate handles (this was pre-Instagram—hello, Twitter!).
Be authentic (a buzzword now, but it’s always been true).
And most importantly: Be a storyteller.

Because if you don’t share your story, why would anyone care enough to follow you—or buy what you’re selling?

I started sharing my story wherever I could, on whatever device I had. My blog was the first space where I documented my behind-the-scenes journey. That led to my webseries—which was eventually picked up by MTVu and then Lockerz. Every step was about opening the curtain and letting people in.

And that’s still what it’s all about.

When my book Embracing the Calm in the Chaos came out, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Adam Mendler. He asked thoughtful questions that really got to the heart of my journey as a founder, author, and storyteller.

I’m sharing some of the questions here with you all because it captures so much of what I believe in: staying grounded while building something bold.

Adam: What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?

Stacy: I have found the hardest part of running a business, especially a business that owns intellectual property and needs to protect its assets that it is super hard and a lot of money is needed to protect assets which means in turn you need a lot of money on the onset of your business. This brings me to raising capital and finding the right partners. I failed when I made rushed decisions out of the need to bring capital into my company.

But if I didn’t learn from those mistakes, I would not be here to share my story with you.

Adam: How did you come up with your business idea? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with great ideas? Adam: How did you know your business idea was worth pursuing? What advice do you have on how to best test a business idea?

Stacy: When I first started BOY MEETS GIRL®, I knew I wanted to create a message and a logo that spoke to everyone. One of the many ways I embrace the calm amidst the chaos in my life and career is to constantly distinguish myself from those around me, because my style is different from everything else on the market.

From the day I launched after 9/11, I made a promise to myself that I would always help others by sharing stories and bringing awareness to topics, organizations, and current events that were happening around me. And that is how I have led for 21+ years running my business.

I have a lot of advice for others who want to come up with great idea/s. I want you to think about what does your brand stand for? Why are you creating it? Can your idea change the landscape of a business? Is your idea a necessity in your market?

You have to be confident in your capabilities and your open point of view. It’s one thing to be unique and another to share that in a public forum. To move forward, the latter is necessary. Test your idea with 100 people.

How do you get your product awareness when it is in a store? Why would a salesperson in a big department store want to help you? For me, it has always been necessary that anyone who is selling my product or my brand comprehends not only my professional goals but also the ethos of why I got started and that my brand has been an impact brand from day one and that there would always be a nonprofit piece to it. I always share with any sales rep or store salesperson my story of who I am, where I came from, why I am so excited to launch there, how grateful I am to be in that particular store, and go through all product specifics that apply to my brand ie thumbholes on the sleeves of my hoodie etc.

As an owner and boss, you have to understand how customer service operates and how important that personal touch is when you’re trying to stand out. And you have to treat everyone equally, from the picker and the packer to the top salesperson to the president. It doesn’t matter who they are, to earn their respect and their belief in your success, every person needs to know that you care about them, so they’re motivated to represent you and your collection.

Adam: What are the key steps you have taken to grow your business? What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level?

Stacy: My model for growth has always been to partner and collaborate with thought leaders from all facets of business from other brands, designers, artists, musicians, activists, and non-profits. I think each business is unique in its approach and there is not one recipe for success. However, I will say that how you communicate and how you treat a partnership is key to success and taking your business to the next level. Industries are small after you learn more about your industry and when others hear that you are a great partner and you created change they will want to join your roadmap. If you are not kind to others and you treat partnerships poorly it will come back to haunt you.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Stacy: So hard to answer as there are so many. My mom taught me to never doubt my own capabilities, and to believe in what I set out to do in the universe and take ownership of it. My dad taught me that there are and will be many twists and curves on your journey, so remember to keep moving when you feel you might have failed. Lastly, I always loved what Bob Dylan said, “A man/woman is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between, he does what he wants to do.”

BEHIND THE SEAMS™ WITH STACY IGEL

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