How Purpose Turns Stories Into Connection
- Nov 21
- 2 min read
By Danyon Togia
I published my first YouTube video on the 6th of February, 2015.
I’d just entered one of the most competitive spaces online; a niche packed with thousands, if not tens of thousands, of creators all fighting for attention.
I had no idea I’d grow this channel to over 3 million video views, 25,000 subscribers, and 33 years of total watch time on my videos.
But, at the beginning, I was nobody.
There I was:
Just a guy with a camera, filming in my garage that turned into a sauna every summer.
I had no idea what I was doing. No fancy lights. No YouTube strategy. Barely a script. Just a shaky tripod, a camera I borrowed from my best friend, and a vision.
I was awkward on camera. My voice cracked like a teenager’s. I’d do 12 takes of the same sentence and still hate how it sounded.
But one of the ways I separated myself from the ocean of other creators was through storytelling.
I remember reading a marketing book that said:
“If you want to truly connect with people, you have to bypass their analytical brain and speak straight to their emotional core.”
That line stuck with me.
It made me realise people don’t just buy products or subscribe to channels.
They buy feelings.
One of the best ways to help people “feel something” is through stories.
So I started weaving stories into everything.
But not just random ones.
Stories with purpose. Stories that meant something.
I’m not a psychologist or a behaviour expert, but one thing I do know is this: the videos that built my real community (my true fans) were the ones rooted in purpose and authenticity.
I shared the ups and downs. The wins and the faceplants. I shared them all to make not just my channel, but myself, human.
And that changed everything.
People might’ve clicked my videos to learn something about a video game, but they stayed because of the connection we built through purposeful storytelling.
Suddenly, it wasn’t just a channel. It was a community.
If you want to build not just a business but a purpose-led, gratitude-filled community that gives value to you and gets value back, focus on sharing your true, authentic stories.
Think about the stories in your business or life that make you uncomfortable.
The ones where you think, “Yeah, maybe I shouldn’t share that.”
Those are usually the ones that hit deepest.
They’re the stories that remind people you’re human and those are the stories that forge real connection.
It’s those moments, the scary, messy, honest ones, that spark personal growth and bring your community closer.
Because vulnerability builds trust, and trust builds everything else.
Quick tip: take 20 minutes to cultivate these stories. Think about what happened, who was involved, what lessons you learned, and how you felt before, during, and after. Then share them with your audience. You don’t need to dramatise or overthink. Just tell the truth wrapped in purpose.
Because when you publish with purpose, you stop talking at people and start talking to them. And that’s when the magic happens.
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