How To Become A StoryBrand Certified Guide
Everything you need to know to become a StoryBrand Guide.
If you’re considering becoming a StoryBrand Certified Guide you’re in good company. But, the process of becoming a Guide through StoryBrand can feel a little overwhelming if you’re not sure if it’s the right step for you. That’s why I’m writing this blog, to help anyone considering guide certification through StoryBrand make the best decision for them. I cover all the details from costs to schedule and even a few things most people don’t know about but should. If you are thinking about getting certified, read this blog before making your decision.
Is being a StoryBrand certified guide worth it?
I’ve been a Storybrand Certified guide for almost 18 months now. In that time I’ve helped a lot of businesses of all sizes get a clear message, experience growth, and discover the right path their business needs to take in their marketing.
It’s been a wild ride so far, and I’ve really enjoyed it. The question I’ve gotten from a number of marketing people, friends, family, and even business owners is this, “Is being a Storybrand Certified Guide really worth it?”.
The other day I actually got a message on LinkedIn asking this question. Because they were local we actually met up for coffee so I could answer their questions.
It turns out they were thinking about becoming a Storybrand Guide themselves and wanted to know if it would be the right move for them to make. I loved their questions and after 2+ hours of talking, I decided I would share a lot of the conversation in this blog. But first, some background!
Why did I become a StoryBrand Certified Guide?
In January of 2019, I found myself without a job for the first time in about 13 years. I’d spent the over a decade working on vocational ministry which is just a fancy way of saying my paycheck came from a church.
I’ll spare the details on how it happened because that’s not important. 12 months earlier I was asked by the second largest church in the country to launch a live-stream version of their weekend services.
I was told it was up to me to do the following:
- Create the vision
- Gather a team of volunteers
- Create a buzz & awareness for the online stream
- Build it from the ground up w/ $0 in marketing budget, $0 in staffing, and 0 help from the stage.
To say I was panicked was an understatement. I had some big problems to solve fast! That’s when a friend told me about the book called Building A StoryBrand. I devoured the book by Donald Miller, and after reading decided I would put it to the test.
I wrote a crude brand script, drafted a 1-liner and composed 5 emails. Then I hit send!
Over the next 12 months, I went from nothing to a ministry with over 10,000 online viewers, a team of 25 volunteers, and an email list of 3000+ emails! All using the StoryBrand framework! That’s when I became a believer in Storybrand and Donald Miller.
After I left my career in ministry I began freelancing as a copywriter and digital marketing specialist. I was doing white-label work for other Storybrand guides because I knew the framework really well, and writing has always been something I am good at.
After freelancing for other guides for about 6 months my wife turned to me one night and asked, “Why don’t you just become a guide?”. I gave her a weird look and realized, I don’t actually have a reason not to. So, that’s when the decision was made to become a Storybrand certified guide.
My story is kind of a weird one. Most marketing professionals I talk with who want to know if becoming a Storybrand certified guide is worth it, fit into one of these areas:
You work for an existing brand/company and want to know if being a Storybrand Certified Guide will help you run their marketing better
You own your own marketing firm/agency and want to know if becoming a Storybrand Certified Guide will help you add value to your business/clients
You are considering launching your own marketing firm/agency and want to know if you should spend the money to become a Storybrand Certified Guide
You are a freelance copywriter/marketer and want to know if being a Storybrand Certified Guide will make you better at your work
I will talk about all of these and answer the biggest questions you have so that you will know if becoming a Storybrand certified Guide is actually worth it.
How much does it cost to become a StoryBrand Certified Guide?
Let’s just get into the practical details you’re probably wondering. Here’s what it costs to attend a LIVE Storybrand Guide training:
- Guide Certification Costs: $10,000.00
- Hotel/Air BnB: $500-$1200
- Food: $200
- Flights: $300-$1000
- Transportation (Car rental or Lyft/Uber): ~$250-$500
Total Cost: $11,250-$12,900 ~
Now that you see the numbers, let me explain them a bit for you. The cost Storybrand charges just for the certification is $10k. This includes your training, the regular Storybrand Live course, and breakfast throughout the 5-day experience.
When you apply and are accepted into the program (more on that here) they provide recommended hotels. These tend to be on the pricey side of things so if you’re like me and just starting out, I recommend going with an Air BnB option or VRBO to save money.
The 5 days are split up between two locations. They do the first few days in the heart of downtown Nashville. The other two days of just guide training is held a few miles away at another location. I stayed in an Air BnB that was in between the two locations and rented a car to go from place to place.
If you do rent a car that’s obviously an additional charge. Or, you could do what a lot of guides did and just Uber or Lyft everywhere you need to go.
StoryBrand will cover your breakfast with regular buffet spreads that are pretty decent. Plus they serve snacks, treats, and drinks in the afternoon too! This means meals for lunch and dinner are on you. I recommend going to meals with other guides too. One of the biggest advantages of the whole program is the relationships with other guides.
If you live close enough to drive to Nashville for the Guide training then you’re set. I live in Phoenix and I was not going to do a cross-country road trip.
When planning on getting certified, plan to spend somewhere between $11k-$13k in total. This will ensure you aren’t surprised and really know the actual cost of becoming a StoryBrand Certified Guide.
What is the LIVE Storybrand Guide Training like?
Preparing to go to training:
As I got closer and closer to my guide training date my wife kept asking me what I was expecting. I honestly had no clue what to expect. I’d seen some footage from previous training on Instagram and the website, but other than that I had no expectations.
The morning I flew from Phoenix to Nashville I was so excited the night before that I stayed up way later than I should have. I over-slept and almost missed my flight. Sprinting to the gate I was the last one on the plane and my luggage didn’t make it onto my flight.
I arrived in Nashville with only the clothes I had on my back. Some basketball shorts, a t-shirt, flip-flops, and a baseball hat. The first night of the Storybrand conference is actually a semi-formal dinner where all the guides gather at an upscale Nashville restaurant for dinner and drinks. I couldn’t go in what I was wearing. I spent the afternoon at the mall buying clothes from Nordstroms, getting a haircut, and then hitting up target for some needed hygiene essentials.
The Guide Dinner – Night 1:
The dinner was at 5:30 pm that first Sunday Night. Fortunately, I looked the part with my new clothes from Nordstrom. The food was incredible Nashville BBQ complete with pulled pork, brisket, ribs, and smoked chicken. They had all the sides and even a private bar in the upstairs private dining room StoryBrand had reserved for us.
After a couple of quick intro’s and a brief welcome from Donald Miller himself, I ate dinner and spent the evening talking with the other prospective guides sitting near me at the table. After dinner, we were invited next door to another building where we would have a cocktail, dessert, and mixer hour.
At the mixer, JJ Peterson, Donald Miller, and Koula Callahan all spoke briefly before leading a group mixer where we moved around the room while answering unique questions with the different people we found ourselves standing with. It was actually a lot of fun.
The First Two Days Of Training: The StoryBrand Framework
The next day the training began. Monday and Tuesday were where Don, J.J., & Koula lead both the room filled with guides as well as business owners through the StoryBrand framework. Monday was all about clarity and the first few elements of the 7-part framework.
As I sat through this portion of the training I wanted to make sure I paid close attention to how Don, J.J., and Koula lead their sessions. As a future StoryBrand Guide, I wanted to read between the lines, watch how they lead the crowd, hear how they answered questions, see what they emphasized, and learn how they got the best information out of their clients. I wanted to be a student of the methods, not just the framework.
Throughout the first two days, we worked through the provided StoryBrand workbooks, had existing guides help us get even more clear, and had access to J.J., Koula, and others. Don did not teach every session, but I didn’t mind that too much. I think J.J. and Koula bring a very valuable perspective and voice.
At the end of the first two days, we celebrated our successful completion of the framework with a very special StoryBrand tradition. In fact, they worked these through the whole 5-day experience, and personally, I loved it. It speaks to the culture of the StoryBrand community and you feel included. I think because it’s special to them I will leave what and how they do it out of this post. It’s nothing elaborate, but it is special.
The Second Two Days of Training: Becoming a Guide!
Wednesday and Thursday are the meat and potatoes of the StoryBrand Guide Training. This is where we learned how to build our StoryBrand Guide business. It’s when we learned how to lead, implement, and use the framework for other businesses.
The two days were split between learning how to build a sales funnel, practicing the various elements of our sales funnel, and even having Donald Miller, Dr. J.J.Peterson, and Koula critique and help us hone our craft with the framework.
We learned how to write copy, wireframe a website, create a 1-liner, and develop a sales letter among other things. We did all of this with the help of Donald and the StoryBrand team. Access to their team while learning these things was one of the most helpful and valuable things in the world.
The final part of the day on Thursday was spent in a group working on creating a full sales funnel for a fake business. My group was given a luxury travel business. We had to create a BrandScript, website wireframe, email nurture sequence copy, 1-liner, and sales letter for our company. We had about an hour and a half to create everything from scratch.
Between the short timeline, a group of people you’ve never worked with, and a fake company you can’t ask questions to, it was not an easy project. The pressure was high, but it was also one of the most productive learning experiences ever.
At the end of Thursday, we were all commissioned as Certified StoryBrand Guides with another special ceremony from the StoryBrand Team.
Should You become a StoryBrand Certified Guide?
At this point, you know how much the training costs and what it’s like. Now, you’re probably wondering if you should become a StoryBrand Certified Guide or not.
In order to figure that out, I am going to walk you through a few questions that will help you figure out if you should become a StoryBrand Guide or not. When you answer these questions you will have a clear idea of whether being a guide is right for you. You’ll feel confident about your decision and have a clear plan for moving forward.
Question 1: How will you be using the certification?
This may sound like an obvious question, but hear me out. If you don’t have a clear plan or sales process for your Guide certification then you may be wasting your time and money. I don’t know about you, but I can’t just toss around $10k on something I’m not going to use.
I had to have a clear plan for how I was going to use my certification. I knew I was going to build my business around helping people make the complicated parts of their message clear so they could win at business.
Without a plan for your StoryBrand Guide Certification, you will be wasting money. That’s not on StoryBrand, that’s on you!
Question 2: Do you really believe in the StoryBrand framework?
This may or may not surprise you, but I met a number of guides in training who were adding the certification because they didn’t want to “not” have it. Now, don’t get me wrong. Building authority through certifications and knowledge is great. I love getting a good education and building authority.
That being said, If being certified as a StoryBrand Guide is more about the badge on your website than being equipped with the tools then I would say don’t do it. If you would honestly just give the $10k, skip the training, and collect your badge at the door then please don’t join. There are plenty of other certifications you can grab.
Question 3: Can you leave your business/company for 5-6 days and be ok?
If you’re in a place where you feel like the amount of work you’re doing is too demanding to leave this may not be a good idea. If you know you’re going to be in the guide program thinking about all the other stuff you have to do when it’s over then save yourself the stress.
Instead, create a plan to sign up for a program in 6 months. Focus on getting your business to a point where you can leave and give 100% of yourself to becoming a guide.
Question 4: Are you looking for a quick way to earn money?
Becoming a guide is not a cash cow. My phone has not been ringing off the hook. My inbox is not flooded with Storybrand leads. I’m not turning around client work by the hour. It’s a process. It requires hard work. If you don’t like hard work helping other people then this is not the program for you.
Answering these questions honestly will help you decide if becoming a StoryBrand Certified Guide is the right thing for you. It will give you the confidence you need to fill out the application and have the immediate conversations to get you to Nashville for the training program.
If you do decide to go, please let the StoryBrand crew know this blog helped you make your decision.
How do I start the process to become a StoryBrand Guide?
Believe it or not, the process is simple. It has a few steps, but they are all designed to help you succeed as a guide. I’ll break them down for you so you know exactly what to expect.
Step 1. Go to Storbrand.com and click the link that says “Get Certified”
This will lead you to the StoryBrand Certified Guide page. You can see all the information, pricing and details of what the program entails.
Scroll through the page, watch the videos and click “Apply Now”. Once you do you will be asked to fill in some information, answer some basic questions and then click submit.
Step 2. Schedule an Introductory Phone Call
Once your info is submitted StoryBrand will reach out to you to schedule an introductory call. On this call, they will ask you about your work, why you want to be a guide and answer any questions you have.
After the call, they will tell you if you’re a good fit for the program and then guide you to the next steps of becoming a StoryBrand certified guide.
Step 3. Submit samples of your work
StoryBrand wants to guard the guide program against letting just anyone in. They do ask for proof of your work and the ability to perform the tasks needed at a high level. They will ask for a website and copywriting samples.
Don’t worry, they aren’t judging it to see if it’s on point with StoryBrand. Instead, they just want to make sure you have the knowledge and experience you need to do the work after getting certified.
Step 4. Review & approval
After your work has been submitted they will look through everything and either approve or deny your application. Like I said before, they do want to make sure they don’t let just anyone through, but they aren’t hyper-critical either.
Step 5. Payment and planning
Once you’re approved you will receive instructions on how to submit payment. After you do that you will receive all the emails to help you plan for your trip and prepare for the guide program.
That’s it! This is what it looks like to become a StoryBrand Guide. Pretty painless right?
If you are interested in becoming a StoryBrand Certified Guide but would like to talk to me before you do, please let me know! I can help you decide if it’s the right move, can help you grow your business, or even improve your marketing team. Here’s how you can get ahold of me directly:
Email: hello@ericsupton.com
Instagram: @EricUptonOfficial
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/eric-upton-777179154