In this 2-hour video training, you’ll learn:
- The Art of The Start: How to jump into a story so we’re gripped from the get-go
- The seamless segue: How to get from your story to the sell without feeling like you’re awkwardly jamming them together
- Concrete details: the magic element that turns words into pictures. But how much to pack in and what to leave out? We’ll cover that, too
- Rhythm changes. (See what I did there?)
- “How do I use dialogue and spoken lines?” ME: I’ve got you.
- Humor, or which words add the yuk yuks
- Length. How long is too long?
- The difference between a “who cares” anecdote and a real story
- How to make a story “email appropriate”
- Who the story should be about when it’s in an email. You, the writer? The reader? Your purebred cockapoo, Roger?
Video, text, audio, puppet show…
Consume it the way you learn best!
You’ll get:
• The 2-hour recorded video training, including q&a portion at the end
• All 112 presentation slides, containing links to the full versions of all the example emails
• The full presentation transcript
• The audio-only version so you can listen to it on the go
• Future bonus resources. If I beef it up (along with the price), you get the upgraded version!
*Puppet show not actually offered.
But you are free to reenact the entire thing with tube socks on your hands.
Be a Story Hero!
Write stories that get people to say, “If you sold stale toast, I’d buy it.”
(People really say that.)
Super-snoozy emails begone!
I learnt all the tricks for pulling rabbits out of the storytelling hat with Laura’s Belgray’s Story Hero course. It gave me confidence in moving forward with my own writing and now I can also help my clients with theirs – woop!
Laura’s know-how, experience, encouragement, and humour are all packed into this class. For added VFM the class also incorporates discussion of segways, yuk yuks and ballsacks.
– Jillian Pocock, Virtual Assistant at The Resourceful Badger
People are signing up for my highest-tier coaching—all because of the stories in my emails!
Story Hero is an incredible product and the lessons were immediately applicable. What makes it so special is that it helps you bring the real you to the table; it helps you–the real you– connect with your audience.
Its practical tips get so many replies to my emails now and people are asking to sign up for my highest-tier coaching package, right after I raised the price—all because they’re loving the stories I tell in my emails!
Best of all, the training is so much fun to watch and I take new notes every time I review it! Anyone who wants to sell, engage, entertain, or inform by telling stories–and who want to sound like themselves when doing so–should take out their checkbook (do people say that anymore? Heck–do people even DO that anymore?) and purchase Story Hero pronto!
– Olu Burrell, Coach, Consultant, Copywriter
Everything Laura teaches and creates gets me writing better.
Everything Laura teaches and creates gets me writing better with ideas that inspire my best work—whether it’s copy for my site, course sales pages, or an article for Business Insider. When I need inspiration to write, I go through anything I have from Laura (seriously!). She is a copy GENIUS!
– Marietta Gentles Crawford, Writer and Personal Brand Strategist
My open rates jumped by 10%!
Ever since I took this training and implemented the changes, my open rates and click-through rates have gone up by a whole 10%! 23% to around 33-35% and I am gettin more replies from my subscribers. Everything Laura shares is magic!
– Deepshikha Sairam, Biz Mentor + Lead Gen Expert
Thank you for teaching me how to craft fun stories that sell!
Let me tell you a story… I pretty much buy whatever Laura sells, so as soon as Story Hero became available I scooped it up.
And Story Hero does not disappoint. As an email copywriter I know the importance of story in your copy. Laura’s story training has given me a new arsenal of story tips that I’ve already started to implement.
Laura has shaped who I am as a writer and helps me snag “You so get me!” and “I love your stories!!!” comments and replies. Thank you for Laura for teaching me how to have a career crafting fun stories that help people sell their stuff.
– Brenna McGowan, Email Copywriter
I’ve taken all the courses. This training stands out!
I’ve taken countless email marketing courses, I’m a member of several copywriting masterminds, and I’ve even taken storytelling and fiction writing workshops. This training stands out among all of those and I learned so much that I can instantly apply to my business!
– Michael Campos, e-Commerce Email Copywriter
I sold a £1,000 a month coaching programme with a little help from my newly minted storytelling skills.
I’m a writer by trade, so I write all day every day… and I couldn’t wait to get my teeth into Laura’s Story Hero. I’d been looking forward to it for months.
And I was not disappointed.
It was epic.
Let’s leave aside the fact that Laura is funny and friendly and makes you feel like you’re hanging out with a mate (totes going to look you up IN A NON-CREEPY WAY when I’m allowed to visit other countries again).
And let’s leave aside that her writing makes my hair tingle.
And jump straight to the fact that this writer (me), who’s been writing for decades and who’s a perpetual student, got SO BLOODY MUCH OUT OF EVERY SINGLE SECOND.
In fact, the course opened up whole new insight into descriptive writing.
Laura’s background in TV writing is a stand-out skill, and one I’ve not seen in other writing teachers.
Similarly with her teachings on dialogue (super helpful), humour (she’s hilarious and knows how to TEACH funny too), and rhythm changes.
I applied a bunch of stuff right away, and got more engagement on my Instagram story than usual. But that’s just vanity, right?
So here’s a real metric: I launched a new service around a week after taking the training. Just a soft launch to a very small list. And put 11 people in it right away. Then I sold a £1,000 a month coaching programme with a little help from my newly minted storytelling skills.
Thanks so much Laura. I do love a training course that’s fun AND profitable!
– Vicky Fraser, Publisher and Author
Every time I buy one of Laura’s courses, I make more money.
Laura Belgray is one of the best email writers on the planet. And I think the reason why is because she understands how to tell a compelling, “small moment” story better than anyone. Her emails are addicting – she’s one of the few people who, when they land in my inbox, I’ll stop everything and read. As an email copywriter myself, I was dying to learn exactly how she makes her stories so damn addicting. That’s why I picked up StoryHero.
It’s one thing to write a ‘good’ email. It’s a whole other thing to be able to whisk your readers away on an adventure, where they feel like they’re walking alongside you as the story unfolds.
The fact is: in marketing, stories turn into sales. I’ve seen this firsthand with my own list. And I know developing this storytelling muscle is going to turn into mountains of cold hard cash.
Every time I buy one of Laura’s courses, I make more money. StoryHero was a complete no brainer. If you use email in your business, then get StoryHero now.
– Chris Orzechowski, Email Marketing Expert
This “non-writer” is feeling like a pro…
Story Hero is for any/all my fellow self-proclaimed non-writers who want to fast track their email and/or social media (yep, it works for social media posts too!).
As a health coach I am sooo not a writer, but Laura’s tips on storytelling have me feeling like a pro… and it’s not just in my own head. I’ve gotten more responses than ever after implementing her tips like detailing brand names and trusting the reader to understand more of the story context. Plus her advice to write down ALL the details in the draft to satisfy my type-A brain, only to then grab those digital pruning shears and go nuts has made all the difference.
– Mackenzie Holznecht, Running With Bacon
Learn to tell stories that get your emails devoured…
…and your offers snapped up
From zero replies from my list to suddenly getting three or four an email!
I’ve always enjoyed writing but when it comes to doing it for my business I struggled with keeping to my own voice. Laura’s “Story Hero” training got rid of that fear for good!
I jumped straight in using some of her techniques for my social posts and my emails and instantly started seeing traction.
From zero replies from my (teeny) email list to suddenly getting three or four an email…and having people send me messages like “it feels like you read my mind” or “this hit me like a slap in the face” (that was a good one I promise)…I would recommend this course for anyone looking to inject a little bit of themselves back into their business. This isn’t your basic writing lesson. No grammar drills, no “correct” way, just some amazing and informal training with Laura, embracing your own style and using it to your advantage.
Whether you’re looking for more sales, more clients, more engagement or something else – this is well worth it!
– Tessa Hull, Success Coach No Right Way Ltd
I’ve watched it twice and each time I come away with a new way to tell a story in my weekly email.
I have all of Laura’s programs and I love her way of breaking down personality-driven copywriting, including everything she teaches in The Copy Cure, but StoryHero is really that girl. It’s so much more than learning a quick tip or two to punch up your writing. It’s how Laura’s brain works when she writes copy. I’ve watched it twice and each time I come away with a new way to tell a story in my weekly email which I’ve just started and have only 50 list subscribers, but the great thing about that is that I’m actually getting responses from them. I’m on my way to building a community that trusts me and it’s through Laura’s specific advice on how to use storytelling in my emails.
– Tynisha Thompson, Copywriting Coach and Productivity Strategist
Story Hero will give you newfound confidence in your creative writing!
You might already be a fan of Laura and have signed-up for all her other freebies and offers. You’re probably wondering what else could I learn from Story Hero, that I haven’t learned already? The answer is tons of tips on how to write a story. I’m not talking about the stories you were forced to write in school. I’m talking about turning your stories into connections with your clients. What I loved most about Story Hero is that it was a training packed with what to do and how to do it. Laura’s presentation style also makes you feel like you can do anything…at least when it comes to writing. If you have always been a scientific writer (like me), have no fear – Story Hero will give you newfound confidence in your creative writing!
– Stacie Lampkin, Health Educator
This was one of the best (if not the best) writing coachings I’ve ever experienced!
I gotta say….this was one of the best (if not the best) coachings I’ve ever received with regards to writing.
Soooo many takeaways and direct techniques to put into my writing till it becomes a habit on its own 🙂
I took tons of notes so I’ll be able to input these techniques at a glance as I’m writing (hopefully!)
Loved the ‘start in media res’, ‘humor~use a surprising word instead of the norm + end on the funniest word’, ‘the list of where to find stories (prompts)’, and on and on……
It’s great how you showed real emails to reference each technique. Very helpful in bringing the point home.
– Randi Seiff, Design and Product Development Expert
It made me more ME. (40-60% open rate!)
Thanks to Laura Belgray’s help in the writing and story-telling department, I have a 40-60% open rate on my emails and like Laura, I get tons of messages from people telling me they can’t wait for the next message from me. As I go through my analytics, I see that most people open my emails a minimum of 3-7 times (with some people opening the messages 20-30 times!) I especially LOVE Story Hero. It’s genius. It’s funny. It’s practical – and it actually did change my writing style. It made me more ME. It gave me the freedom and skills to write like I talk. I love having Laura Fucking Belgray as my personal online writing mentor. Her messages always make me laugh out loud and make me feel like I’m her BFF – and that’s exactly what Laura teaches in Story-Hero – how to write in a way that people feel like it’s Christmas morning when they see an email from you.
– Lisa Natoli, Founder of The Healing Cure & Creator of The 40-Day Program for Transformation
I used some key takeaways when I wrote a follow up email to a film festival I recently submitted to and received awesome feedback almost immediately.
As a creativeprenuer who communicates primarily through photos and films, I honestly didn’t even know what a copywriter was. Laura has taught me copywriting is a non-negotiable if I want to take my business to the next level, and all the ways it can be so much fuuun, even if it gets vulnerable. And how it’s not always grammatically correct, which, truthfully, sold me.
StoryHero was super insightful, challenging in the best way and so much fun!
I used some key takeaways when I wrote a follow up email to a film festival I recently submitted to and received awesome feedback almost immediately. Most importantly, I made a personal connection, which I’m learning is the he(art) of Copywriting.
Thank you Laura for all your wisdoms.
– Daisy Salvacion-Shields, Creative Director/Founder of Alchemist: Portraits & Productions
I am fresh out of excuses now for why I can’t write to my list.
I took Story Hero with Laura Belgray and it was a game changer. I am fresh out of excuses now for why I can’t write to my list. I wonder if this sounds familiar to you?
Before I took Story Hero, I knew I was supposed to be writing to my list more frequently than I was. Now it wasn’t that I wasn’t willing, it’s that I would get stuck in this loop of indecision of, is this good enough? Is this relevant? Shouldn’t I be at least making some kind of pitch or ask or call to action in this email?
And what I loved about taking Story Hero was the fact that there were so many actionable points. I particularly loved Laura’s tips around how to transition from telling an interesting story about your day to getting back on track, back to business as it were. Those tips around transitioning were worth the program in itself.
The best part is, at the end of the program she will fill your boots with a plethora of story prompts so that you will never run out of ideas again.
– Katy Prince, Squirm-Free Sales Coach
So, yeah: you should buy Story Hero.
I’ll say this as candidly as possible: I’m good at storytelling. It’s what I do. It’s what I teach other people to do…and it’s not exactly inexpensive to hire me.
And yet.
I found myself pausing to take notes, saying “man, Laura worded that perfectly” and generally walking away feeling energized by all of her ideas.
So, yeah: you should buy Story Hero.
– Mike Pacchione, Speaking Coach
Tools to make people buy your stuff!
Talking Shrimp products/goodies are like jet fuel in the writing jetpack. You go so much farther, so much faster, every time you use the tools and insights. People write back, people click-thru, people buy your stuff. Jetpack ON!
– Becky Karush, Writer, Podcaster, Gateles Writing Instructor
Story Hero is EPIC!
I got six replies right away to my email the next morning—and my average before was 1-3. I’d already written the email, but I went back and applied several of the tools from Story Hero, and BOOM!
I just have to watch the recording every time I write an email to keep all of these great reminders top-of-mind.
– Cindy Childress, PhD, The Expert’s Ghostwriter
The best!
This is the best training I took all year.
– Irina Leoni, Photographer and Personal Branding Expert
FAQ
What if I’ve already got The Copy Cure? Is this different from what’s in there?
You bet. I design all my Talking Shrimp trainings to complement and enhance, never replicate, The Copy Cure.
What if I’ve already got Inbox Hero? Do I need this, too?
That’s a yes! Story Hero is a spinoff of Inbox Hero. Or, a sequel. It’s a giant closeup on the storytelling part of email writing. And, it brings you a different style of learning. Inbox Hero is all on the page, while Story Hero is a video training (or, if you prefer, audio. Or you can read the transcript along with the slides).
Learn from someone whose emails have been featured, read aloud, loved on, dissected, and caressed almost obscenely on podcasts, in experts’ emails, in high-ticket masterclasses—and who knows where else?
Who am I?
I’m Laura Belgray, award-winning copywriting expert, founder of Talking Shrimp, co-creator of The Copy Cure, and unapologetic lazy person. I also like to be called “Laura F*cking Belgray.” That’s the fame status you achieve telling great stories: {first name} f*cking {last name}.
I’ve taught email writing to thousands, through live events like Copy Chief Live, Traffic and Conversion, and Unfair Advantage Live, and online conferences like Teachable’s, Marketing Profs’, and lots more.
Before segueing to copywriting in the online entrepreneur world, I spent decades writing promos for big TV clients like Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, TV Land, HBO, Bravo, and Fandango.
A dream job, for sure.
But my real dream was always to make a living writing my own stories.
I constantly wished, Can’t I just write emails? Recently, when I discovered I essentially *could* do that, I retired from client work and went whole-hog (or whole shrimp?) on emails.
Think you have to have a huge list or charge huge prices to make it? In one affiliate promotion, I made 6 figures from a 6k list. Up against affiliates with lists 100 times the size, I was number one for sales. All because I kept at it and put story into every email.
My first launch for Inbox Hero, a true “lazy launch,” brought in just under $200k. For a (then) $299 product. That’s the power of writing great emails with great stories.
You can do that, too! I’m here to show you how.
I don’t have knots in my stomach anymore when I start an email.
I spent over a decade unlearning any creativity in my writing. My college and work experience up until recently was all in a technical field.
And what I didn’t realize until it was too late, was that the technical writing I learnt for work had sucked the soul out of my personal writing as well.
I love stories. I love hearing them, reading them, watching them, living them. Heck, I’d eat them for breakfast if I could. But I’d forgotten how to share them. And the pandemic only rubbed salt in my wounds because email and messages are the quickest way to connect with friends and family- and quite frankly mine were a snooze fest. My messages, not my friends.
I’m not a copywriter – clearly. But as a recovering technical writer, I don’t want any of my writing to be a chore to read anymore.
Story Hero is helping me do just that. Laura’s step-by-step breakdowns of how to use story in an email from the start to the end helped me understand that it doesn’t always have to be a grand novel to be interesting.
Plus all the examples each step of the way really helped me internalize the lessons and show me how I can start practicing the concepts, one bite at a time, in my own writing. The best part is – I don’t have knots in my stomach anymore when I start an email. That alone is worth the price of admission to me.
I’d recommend Story Hero to any “non-copywriter” who wants to make their writing more fun to read and to get their point across much more easily. Not to mention Laura’s training is straight up fun to watch.
– Clarissa White
You gave me the boundaries for what makes a compelling, eye catching story that others want to read.
Love the Story Hero workshop!
NO ONE wants to be lectured. A story is such a great way to be real and relatable. With that said, telling stories can be an art: how do you tell the story in a way that doesn’t just go on and on?
This workshop is filled with ways to tell a story that others will find compelled to read. Story Hero breaks it down into all the little pieces that make up a great story. It felt like you gave me the boundaries for what makes a compelling, eye catching story. I know my message is important and learning how to share it in a story is priceless. I loved the exercise where I focused on a specific room in my house. It brought back detailed memories that will be perfect for my future messaging. I started creating a list of stories that I can use in the future. And I use this exercise to flesh them out even more. Thank you! Super helpful.
And, a big bonus of the workshop? It was fun. I like how you call out the crazy into the middle of the room. Makes me feel normal. 🙂
– Rebecca Thorne, Founder of The Art of Expansion
Story Hero inspired me to charge for a masterclass I previously would’ve offered for free. The sales emails were fun and easy!
All I needed was the title of the workshop “Story Hero” to know I was in.
I had ideas pinging of what stories I could start telling within minutes of the session, having felt bored or repetitive with my stories before. I was so inspired I even pulled up an old dusty Word doc with my “one day I’ll write a book” ideas in it and started tapping away again.
As someone who used to work as an economist, I need a good dose of practicality – tools, systems, and “why am I doing this” – to get me into consistent action. I got all of that and more in Story Hero.
I loved Laura’s concrete examples about concrete examples. (It’s an in joke). There were ways to write I’d just never thought about before, like giving your writing rhythm or inserting more dialogue and I immediately tried all of them in my newsletter.
Every time I sit down to write an email I can open up my notes from Story Hero and try something new out. A relief for those times when I just have no idea what to say and where to start.(I started an email last week with “I don’t know where to start” because of something Laura said in Story Hero and it turned into one of the best stories!).
Since Story Hero, I also ran a masterclass that I would previously have offered for free – this time I charged for it, sent out sales emails that felt easy and fun (full of stories) – and had the most interest (and sales!) I’ve ever had for this type of offer.
Anyone who has a business needs to tell stories. Just float your eyes over your last handful of emails in your promotions tab – which ones are you reading? I’m starting to wish story-telling was the first place I went when starting my business. If you’re reading this, you need Story Hero.
– Danielle Brooker, Joy Coach, Life Coaching, Meta Dynamics™ Practitioner
I LOVED Story Hero.
My favorite part was the seamless segue. I’m leaning into telling stories for the sake of telling stories, but nothing beats the sense of smugness that comes from delivering a truly smooth transition — smooth like Segways on an F1 race track (not on Roman cobblestones).
– Danbee Shin, Website Designer for Health Coaches
Story Hero cracked me open and the ideas and words started to flow!
Laura provides the structure that busts writer’s block. After months of this pandemic, Story Hero made me feel like I had been on vacation to the South of France. I had a new outlook on life, I couldn’t wait to write, and was excited to tell my stories!
Laura opens you up, makes you realize it’s doable, and never imposes her style on you. She makes you believe that your own style is the stuff people want to read!!
Oh, and she shows you how easy it is to layer in the sale. Who could ask for more?
– Kelly Shannon
Each section is simple, immediately actionable, and also universally applicable.
Everything was useful, tbh. I appreciated how it was structured so that each section was simple, immediately actionable, and also universally applicable to writing (not just to writing emails). I also appreciated how you used excerpts from Roxane Gay and Samantha Irby – it somehow validates my love of their writing that much more.
I really wish I’d found out about you earlier on in my entrepreneurial journey – but then again, I also feel like I’m part of the exclusive club now, “in the Talking Shrimp know.”
– Riya
Be a Story Hero!
Learn to write stories that get your emails devoured…and your offers snapped up.
This shizz really works!