You’re about to read a powerful story about how a father’s dream for his son ended up reverberating out and impacting kids around the world.
You’ll also learn an important content marketing lesson about a powerful form of content marketing that many overlook.
Are you ready? Let’s go…
Toru Kumon
In 1954 in Osaka, Japan, Toru Kumon was a math teacher who had a simple desire. It was a desire for his son to enjoy math and to be prepared for the college entrance exams.
And that gave him an idea.
Each day he’d give his son, Takeshi, short assignments to complete.
Because the lessons were incremental, and allowed his son to master each concept completely before he learned a new skill, Takeshi’s ability improved and his parents began to notice.
Handmade material Toru Kumon made for his son
The amazing thing was that Toru was so successful that his son was eventually able to solve calculus problems when he was just in 6th grade!
Little did Toru know it at that time, but the decision he was about to make would not only help his son, but also 16 million students worldwide.
You see, interest in the self-learning method continued to grow and he open the first Kumon Center in 1958. Kumon later opened the first center outside of Japan in 1974 in New York.
The success of Kumon’s math program in America led to the conception of a reading comprehension program, which was developed by a team of experts and launched in 1991.
Using the same self-learning model, the program advances a child’s reading comprehension skills.
For more than 50 years, millions of students worldwide have experienced the results of the Kumon Method of Learning.
That’s an amazing story isn’t it?
And do you know the crazy thing?
I never knew this was how this tutoring center came to be!
I just knew it was another tutoring center like Sylvan. But this story makes it so much more than just another tutoring center in my mind.
They haven’t asked me, but if they did, I would tell Kumon that all of their marketing and branding needs to tie into this “genesis story.”
All of it needs to show how they are using the same model and mindset of Toru Kumon. They need to show how everything they currently do is an extension of Mr. Kumon’s story and dream.
That would cause them to stand out above all of the other tutoring centers.
The Content Marketing Lesson
What is the content marketing lesson we can learn from this? It’s this…
One of the most powerful ways you can stand out from your competition is by revealing your “genesis story.” Many of us try to hide, or downplay, our “genesis story.” We think it’s not important.
But that’s completely wrong!
Your story (and or your business story) is what makes you unique.
Many of the greatest companies in existence have had their “genesis story” told to the public and it’s caused them stand out from the rest.
Don’t believe me? Here are some examples of modern companies who have genesis stories we all know:
- Apple
Their “genesis story” has brought them attention and made their companies standout.
What You Should Reveal In Your “Genesis Story”
You can include anything you’d like, but here are some ideas to get you started:
- Interesting facts about your childhood or early years of life
- How you got involved in your industry
- How your business got started
- Why you started it
- Personal or business-related accomplishments
I have started to reveal my own “genesis story” here on my blog. You can read some of my “behind-the-scenes” personal story in these posts:
- “The Day I Was Kidnapped (A True Story): A Business & Life Lesson“
- “The Martial Arts Master And The Unexpected Business Lesson“
One day it hit me, “All of the things that I’ve kept private about myself are the things that make me stand out from anyone else in this niche. They are things that give people something to relate to and bond with. They have to be shared.”
The Most Important Content In Your Content Marketing Arsenal?
Some people might be pushed away from hearing your story, but who cares? They’re not the people who would have done much for your business anyway.
But there are others who will hear your story, fall in love with it, bond with it, and spread it. And they are the only prospects and customers that really matter.
What I’ll Reveal Next About My Story
- John Maxwell
- Claude Hopkins
- Comedian Sam Kineson
- Singer Al Green
- Rapper MC Hammer
Are There Any Other Things You Think Should Be Included In A “Genesis Story?”
I’m a business strategist, consultant, content creation specialist, and speaker. I’ve been studying effective marketing and business methods (both online and offline) since 1999.
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