Dear Andre,

Have you writen your first story yet? (I didn’t receive a DM or a link to it…)

This is a skill that isn’t taught in school. 95% of people will read this and WON’T do it. Don’t be one of them. Be in the 5% who do.

Skills compound.

A penny doubled daily for 31 days equals more than 5 MILLION dollars.

Skills double too.

Practice.

Anyway, like I told you last week, we’re still talking about signature stories. (I did say this would be a 5-part series, didn’t I?)

If you want all the intro fluff, go read last week’s newsletter. For now, let’s get into the good stuff.

Short Cuts: (7 min read)

• Here’s the story:

• The Journey Continues:

• The Action

So, you want to have amazing friendships?

If you implement these ideas your friends will ask:

How did you know or remember that?

Today I'm revealing a secret.

It's a secret that allowed me to give a friend of mine her EXACT Boba order.

It allowed me to give someone else a $150 gift card, and a Twinkie.

I got another friend his favorite granola from Trader Joes.

I sent Starbucks to friends and family hundreds and thousands of miles away.

Okay, so, how do you read your friend’s mind?

Here’s how: 5-Day Friendship

A 5-day course to help you be a better friend. (In 10 mins or less each day)

Normally $97, but free for the first five people who click here and use the code FREE at checkout.

Here’s the story:

I wanted Katelyn to like me.

You know that middle school or high school crush? Yeah, that.

I also wanted to be cool like Aaron. Remember when you were younger, and people in college seemed so old and so cool? I wanted that too.

I also wanted to be closer to my dad. I felt like we didn’t have much in common. I wondered, If I become a great drummer, would we relate better and grow closer?

Now imagine you grew up in a very musical family.

• Your dad was a drummer.

• Your mom majored in voice at the University of Michigan.

So naturally, you’d think I’d be great at music right out of the gate, right?

Wrong.

I played drums for five years. One summer, I implemented the 3x3 rule.

I know you’re asking, What’s the 3x3 rule?

It’s where I wouldn’t let myself hang out with my friends until I’d practiced drums for three hours a day (by 3 PM). Hence, 3x3.

I also kept a notebook logging all my practice time, broken down by category.

But here’s the thing:

I was rejected from the worship team at my church three different times.

I’ll never forget this moment:

Something pretty scary happened.

I was practicing a song. Then, mid-song, my body started unconsciously crying.

I asked myself, What is happening?! I’m not sad. Why am I CRYING?

And then, there was this door with a window—nine panes of glass like a tic-tac-toe board. I could sense an evil presence outside the door, looking in. (Think “soul eater” from Harry Potter, except real.)

Somehow, I knew:
Playing drums MUST matter.

Why would there be such significant opposition if there wasn’t any result from what I was doing?

This happened semi-frequently. When I played downstairs after dark while my dad was gone, there was often a risk of this happening.

There was opposition—not just external, but even within my own home. (Even though both my parents were very supportive.)

It got to the point where I’d stop practicing at the kit and go upstairs to finish my session on a practice pad because I was afraid to stay there.

Honestly, it probably stunted my growth.

But I kept hitting walls—so many things I didn’t know I didn’t know.

I’d moved to Sacramento to answer a question:

How much better at drums could I get?

But despite all my effort, it felt like an eternity. There were two other drummers, both far better than I was, who were already playing.

I still wanted to be like Aaron. I wanted to get the girl. I wanted to connect with my dad.

Yet, I still didn’t make the cut.

Then, someone stepped in.

That man was Noah Dionne.

Noah was one of the two drummers who was better than I was. He went to battle for me.

He even refused to play for a scheduled event and recommended me instead.

AND THEN, he helped me practice for two hours to make sure I nailed it.

I owe so much to Noah and his belief in me. He helped me significantly over the course of two months.

But what I didn’t know was that something big was just around the corner.

I got to play drums at Bayside College. Noah played bass and MD’d. (This was such a sweet time.)

But it didn’t last.

Noah got sick and had to fly back home to NY.

Suddenly, there was a void—a drummer-shaped void.

I wasn’t as good, but I was available.

And all of a sudden, I was playing four times a week.

And I'd be playing a song I'd learned two hours ago.

Struggling to remember if the bridge built 3 times or 4.

Playing Reckless Love, I crashed in so confidently at exactly the wrong time. (It was in 6/8 my brain switched to 4/4)

But in the next six months, I played live over 100 times in multiple environments.

I learned how to:

• Learn songs in under two hours.

• Be present

• watch the worship leader, and go off the normal structure to let the Spirit move in the moment.

I’ll never forget how special Bayside College was and how God moved through worship. We had such an epic team.

For the first time, I felt like I belonged.

I’d “made it.” Finally.

I wasn’t perfect. I still made mistakes.

But for the first time, I could hang. I could be present.

I’d become Aaron. At 22, I was doing what I’d always dreamed of.

It gave me something in common with my dad. We connected over performance, and that was so cool.

Honestly, it hasn’t gotten me the girl yet. But who knows? It might still work out. 😉

Now, after 15 years (the first 7 for less than 200 people), I’ve played live for over 80,000 people in the last 8 years.

And that presence that didn’t want me to do this?

It was right.

Me playing drums did matter. A lot.

And because I kept going, so many people have experienced the presence of God through the gift He gave me—and that I cultivated.

The Journey Continues:

That’s the story. It’s still developing as I keep playing drums.

I love the power. The control. The structure.

It’s so predictable yet unpredictable. I love the yin and yang of music: structure and flow all in one.

I love the violence of music. The dynamics. The ebb and flow. The highs and lows. Contrast. Beauty. Blood. Sweat. Tears.

So many years.

So much longing.

Fulfilled.

Well, I gotta go catch a flight. Enjoy!

The Action

Okay, Andre, now you’ve heard my second signature story.

Here’s exactly what I want you to do:

1) Practice one story this week.

At first, it’ll feel overwhelming. By the end, you’ll be able to build stories yourself. It’s kind of a superpower. Don’t miss it. (Isn't getting a bit easier this second time?)

2) Accept that this is lame.

Writing out and practicing the story you want to tell is lame. But that’s why, if you do it, you’ll stand out. Most people will never take action. But I know you. You’re different. You’ll follow through and do this. (Dude, I’m so freaking excited to hear your Second story.)

3) Write like you talk.

How? Send a voice memo to yourself (or record a video) of you sharing the basics of the story. Transcribe it into written form.

Before I Write Anything, I Answer 3 Questions:

• What’s the emotion?

• What’s the idea?

• What’s the action?

The basics: Every story needs an intention and an obstacle:

What do you want?

What’s in the way?

Next, you need a beginning, middle, and end to the story. In the voice memo, say:

1. Here’s where it started.

2. Here’s this moment I want to focus on.

3. Here’s how it ended.

Ideally, you have this 5-second moment of transformation. Where you begin and where you end should be the exact opposite of each other.

Side Note: you need to have an obstacle. People want you to succeed—but not right away. Pixar’s storytelling rule: If it was too easy, people are bored (and jealous). So, make sure you zoom in on the hard moments. People don’t love stories because the hero succeeds. They love the hero because of how hard he tries. So show how hard you try.

Remember, if this is your second story, it’ll probably suck. That’s okay. Like I said, I’ve listened to this one podcast about this concept at least 36 times over the last 5 months. I’m still learning more. That’s why I’m giving you 5 weeks to try to get better at this. It isn’t overnight.

Well, Andre, write your first (or second) story. At first, you’ll say, “I don’t have any stories. My life isn’t that interesting.” Here’s the thing: That’s not true. The business you have? Look at how you started that. That’s one story right there. Start with that. People love to buy from people, not companies. So be a person. Share your story. Share your struggle. People will be rooting for your success. I know I sure am.

As you start looking for and finding stories, you’re going to start having this other problem: You’ll have so many stories, you won’t have the time to write and refine them all. It’s a wonderful problem to have.

Love you, dude.

– Daniel

P.S. Want that new vehicle look and smell?

Want your friends to be jealous of how good your car looks?

Your family to wonder how you had the time in such a busy time of the year?

Baarns Detailing can help you out.

Get a free Leather treatment ($50 Value) with any Exterior or Interior Detail booked in December. (Only 14 slots left)

Booking link: https://calendly.com/danielbaarns/detail-appointment

P.P.S. Booking also Unlocks access to buy friends/family gift cards at 60% off. (Limit two per person and only 30 left)

Reply “Gift Card” for details.

Resource: The podcast I’ve listened to at least 36 times: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlTA4wXSACE