Why Telling the Story Isn’t Our Job: And What Happens When We Stop Trying To Own It

By Jason Bellue | Experience Vault | Flying House Media

The Myth of the Storyteller 

We’ve been called storytellers. 

Praised for it.  Branded by it.  Hired for it. 

But let’s be clear: 

Telling the story isn’t our job. 

It never was. 

In the world of testimonial content, 

We have been approached with the request: 

“We just need someone to tell the story.” 

It sounds simple. 

But it misses the mark. 

Because when someone sits down to share their lived experience— 

Whether they’re a patient, caregiver, employee, or founder— 

They’re not reading lines. 

They’re not delivering a script. 

They’re stepping into something personal. 

And in those moments,  

Telling the story isn’t our job. 

The word storyteller implies authorship.  Control. 

A single hand guiding the narrative. 

But the people we work with –they’re not characters. 

They’re people. 

And the story isn’t ours to tell. 

Our job isn’t to craft their narrative. 

It’s to create the conditions where their truth can rise. 

That requires humility. presence. 

And an understanding that the most powerful moments are not told—they’re revealed. 

The Truth Beneath: Story Architecture vs. Ownership 

It’s tempting in creative industries to think in terms of “voice.” 

But voice doesn’t always mean authorship. 

Sometimes, your voice is felt not in what you say— 

But in how you listen. 

Every honest conversation is autobiographical. We bring our worldview.  Our tone.  Our trustworthiness. 

But we don’t bring our agenda. 

That’s the difference. 

We don’t sit across from someone to shape someone’s story. 

We’re here to shape the space where their story can unfold. 

That safety isn’t built by showing off your storytelling skills. it’s built in the silence after someone says something hard. 

In the eye contact that doesn’t flinch. In the follow-up that comes from curiosity, not control. 

Because when you chase the story, 

You often miss the truth. 

But when you create space for the truth, 

You’ll find the story waiting. 

From Extraction to Invitation 

When we stop thinking of ourselves as storytellers, 

We stop trying to extract perfect narratives. 

We start inviting real ones. 

It’s a shift from performance to presence. 

From control to collaboration. 

And it changes everything— 

From how a person shows up on camera, 

To what your audience feels when they watch. 

This isn’t about humility for humility’s sake. 

It’s about honoring something sacred: 

The story belongs to the person who lived it. We’re just the ones who help them find it. 

The Quietest Job in the Room 

Telling the story isn’t our job. 

Creating the space for someone to tell it—that’s the work. 

Because the most honest stories don’t need direction. 

They need dignity. And the quiet courage of someone who knows 

That the best stories were never ours to begin with.