When The Branson School decided on courage as the theme of their next magazine, they needed writers who could tell those stories best.
For a Q&A on the school’s theater director Maura Vaughn, that writer was parent Guy Raz from NPR fame. For a story about Helen Dewar, a Branson alumna and famous Capitol Hill reporter, it was Elisabeth Leamy, journalist, author for the Washington Post and Good Morning America and also an alumna. And for a story about Anne Bennett, who is embedded in international development and press freedom in Africa, they selected Muench Strategic Communications.
With a previous career in journalism and a master’s degree in international development, along with first-hand understanding of developing countries and experience with nonprofits and independent schools, this story was in my sweet spot. But more than that, I had a passion for it.
I couldn’t wait to interview Anne, whose courage and work fascinated me. I had so many questions for her, and what we originally scheduled for an hour and a half interview turned into two and a half hours with a follow-up call a week later for another hour. Our conversation was invigorating, interesting and comprehensive: in other words, it made for a great story.
Choosing the right assets
The Branson School chose to invest in something many organizations overlook: the right assets to tell their story.
The school recognized that to ensure the magazine was not only read but also internalized, it needed to elicit a deep sense of pride and be worth a spot on every reader’s coffee table. To do it, they needed to give each story its best opportunity to be told.
The result was an overwhelmingly popular issue among the school’s many audiences and stakeholders and something that showcases Branson’s global impact.
Passion makes perfect
Stories are elevated when written with passion. A writer’s enthusiasm infuses vitality into their work, captivating readers with authenticity and depth. Passion fuels creativity, driving writers to delve deeper, explore nuances and infuse emotion into their storytelling.
When an author is passionate about their subject matter, they invest themselves fully, resulting in richer narratives that resonate with audiences. Passion ignites a fire within writers, compelling them to craft stories with care and conviction. It transforms words into vivid imagery, evoking powerful emotions and fostering a deeper connection between the story and its readers.
Ultimately, passion imbues stories with a sense of purpose and authenticity, making them more compelling, memorable, and impactful. And passion combined with experience and talent is a power-packed punch for creating the best magazines, cases for support, videos, campaign collateral and messaging for your audiences, who will strengthen their support because of it, ultimately creating a strong, healthy organization far into the future.
At Muench, we’re committed to finding the passion in every engagement we take on and using our talent and experience to tell the best stories. A story that moves us is a story that moves our clients. And we are honored to be able to showcase the amazing work they do every day — with passion.
Photo by Olympia de Maismont