Creating Your Brand Story with Kris Jones

Today, I’m excited to welcome Kris Jones, founder of Red Door Stories. Kris has been in the marketing industry for over 23 years, working with major brands like Nike and Adidas before shifting focus to small business owners and solopreneurs. Her expertise in branding, website design, and storytelling has helped countless entrepreneurs craft compelling narratives that resonate with their audiences. Let’s dive into our conversation!

The Evolution of Branding and Storytelling

Kris started her career as a visual storyteller, specializing in brand design and visuals. But as the digital landscape evolved, she noticed a major shift: having a beautifully designed website was no longer enough.

“In the early days of the internet, a polished website was all you needed to look like a legitimate business,” Kris explains. “But as online competition grew, businesses needed more than just visuals—they needed a strong, clear message that communicated what made them unique.”

Kris realized that many of her clients struggled to craft this message. They were too close to their own businesses to articulate their value in a compelling way. “It’s like trying to read the label from inside the bottle,” she says. “You know your business inside and out, but writing about it in a way that connects with others is a whole different challenge.”

This realization led Kris to dive deep into the world of storytelling. She became one of the first certified StoryBrand coaches, trained directly by Donald Miller before the book Building a StoryBrand even hit the shelves. Kris immersed herself in learning how to craft narratives that drive engagement and business growth.

Why Storytelling Matters in Marketing

Kris firmly believes that every entrepreneur has a compelling story inside them—they just need help uncovering it. The key, she says, is shifting the focus away from yourself and making your customer the hero of the story.

“In storytelling, there’s always a hero and a guide. Think of Star Wars: Luke Skywalker is the hero, and Yoda is the guide,” Kris explains. “In business, your client should be Luke Skywalker, and you should be Yoda. Your job is to guide them to success, not position yourself as the main character.”

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is centering their brand story around themselves rather than their audience. “99.9% of websites position the business owner as the hero,” Kris says. “But there’s only room for one hero in a story. If you make yourself the hero, you’re unintentionally pushing your potential clients out of the narrative.”

Instead, the most effective brand stories invite customers into a journey, showing them how the business can help them overcome challenges and achieve their goals.

Common Mistakes in Brand Storytelling

Kris has worked with countless entrepreneurs who struggle with their messaging. Here are some of the biggest mistakes she sees:

1. Focusing too much on personal achievements – While your background is important, your brand story should primarily focus on how you help your customers.
2. Lack of clarity – Confusing or vague messaging leads to lost potential clients. Your website copy should be clear and easy to understand.
3. Trying to appeal to everyone – A great story speaks directly to a specific audience. Trying to be everything to everyone waters down your message.
4. Not guiding the customer – Instead of telling customers how great you are, show them how you can solve their problems and improve their lives.

How to Craft Your Signature Story

So, how do you uncover and refine your brand story? Kris takes her clients through a four-phase process:

1. Mining for Gold – “Your story isn’t invented; it’s mined,” Kris says. In this phase, she asks strategic questions to extract the most valuable parts of your journey.
2. Crafting the Signature Story – Once the key elements are identified, Kris writes a compelling, structured narrative that clearly conveys your brand’s message.
3. Implementing the Story – The crafted story is applied across various touchpoints: website copy, elevator pitches, video scripts, and marketing materials.
4. Attracting More Clients – A strong story makes marketing easier. When potential clients resonate with your message, they feel like they already know and trust you, making sales conversations smoother and more effective.

Kris emphasizes that your signature story is an asset that can be repurposed in multiple ways. Whether it’s for your website, social media, or presentations, a well-crafted narrative creates consistency and strengthens your brand’s identity.

The Power of Being Memorable

At the end of the day, great marketing is about being memorable. People may not need your product or service today, but when they do, you want them to think of you first. A compelling brand story builds that connection and trust.

Kris’s approach to storytelling has helped countless businesses clarify their messaging and attract more clients. If you’re struggling to articulate your brand story, it might be time to work with a pro like Kris to mine for gold and refine your message.