Cyndi Zaweski

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Cyndi Zaweski

Hi, I'm Cyndi Zaweski, an award-winning journalist and content strategist here to help you tell better stories.

Learn the art of marketing that doesn't feel like marketing. StoryCraft simplifies personal brand storytelling for entrepreneurs who want to build authority through authentic content.

12/09/2025

Micro storytelling requires two things:

1. Creating anticipation through a curiosity-provoking opening line or hook

2. Delivering a satisfying ending that scratches the curiosity itch the first line induced

What I love about Observe–Reflect–Connect is how it gets to the heart of an idea fast while leaving just enough space for the reader to make the final connection—so they can visualize themselves in the story you're telling.

What’s an interesting quote, tip, or fact you can turn into a micro story this week?

09/09/2025

The hardest part is not knowing.

How long will it last?
Will it ever go away?
Is there a point in dreaming big anymore?

When you’re recovering from burnout, there’s no end date to circle on the calendar.

There’s no countdown to the day you’ll be rested and clear enough to consider taking on audacious goals.

No one talks about how depressing it is to not know when you’ll be you again.

If I could go back and tell my burnt-out self one thing, it would be:

Embrace it.

Revel in the slowdown.
Longer morning routines.
Shorter to-do lists.

More pleasure in exploring what lights you up.
Less pressure to “get back” to the way things were.

The only thing to be serious about is learning how to rest.
Un-train your brain to crave chaos.

But most of all, never forget:
Your spark is not gone forever.

You’ll hear your calling when you log off from the noise — the internet “shoulds” and “musts” — and listen to your heart.

Best of all?

This season will fully equip you to handle pressure with a peace you’ve never known.

Because you’ve learned the greatest lesson an ambitious, purpose-driven person can:

Peace and progress can co-exist.

08/09/2025

Most people overthink the stories they share.
They think it has to be dramatic, or perfectly tied to the point.

Not true.

A micro story (2–10 sentences) from daily life is enough.
Something small but specific—like putting the dog’s gear in one basket so we spent more time walking and less time searching for the leash.

The story doesn’t need to be big.
It just needs one overlap with your message.

That’s what the Message → Idea → Story → Bridge framework does.
It shows you how to take an everyday moment and link it to the bigger point you want to make—
so your message is remembered, and so are you.

Cyndi

03/09/2025

Imagine all it takes to achieve your dream is to run a mile on the beach.
Back and forth.
Again and again.

No one will tell you how long you have to run or when it will stop.

Sand in your shoes, lungs burning, legs heavy — but you keep moving.

Then the question creeps in:
What if this never ends?

In SEAL training, that’s the thought that makes recruits give up their dreams right there on the sand.

When there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight, our minds tell us to quit.

❌ When no one is clapping
❌ When the results seem impossible
❌ When there’s no way to tell if all the pain is worth it

We need to ask a different question:

What if this all works out?

In SEAL training, the ones who stay in it don’t remind themselves of the endless laps.

They imagine the sense of accomplishment when the whistle is finally blown.

We become what we think about most.

Every story has a struggle.
If you’re in it, hold on to the inspirational ending you'll get tell one day soon.

Rooting for you!
Cyndi

25/08/2025

Call me nosy, but I love when business owners rip down the curtain.

The sheer number of tactics out there is overwhelming—so when a founder shows me how to approach one before I invest time trying it, it makes my load lighter.

In 15 years as a content writer and marketer, I’ve tried just about every storytelling approach. But for attracting the right people to your offer, the combo of three works every time.

I just used them again to fill my first group in May:
3 emails. 16 spots filled.

As a solopreneur, I loved not having to launch on social media.

Not having to deal with launch graphics alone was a weight off my chest.

Use these for your next launch email sequence.
The complete guide + framework is inside my signature course.

👉 Comment CRAFT to learn what stories to tell—and how to write them—so your content is both concise and compelling.

13/08/2025

This is one of my favorite exercises for spotting stories from your everyday life.

What you’re looking for is high-contrast change.

Not in the events themselves, but your way of seeing things.

This doesn’t have to be groundbreaking or serious. The goal is to give people an opportunity to know you while you practice storytelling.

These short-form stories work well on Threads and IG stories.

1. I used to think ____ but now I think __.

Ex. “Plain bagel with butter. White t-shirt. Google docs. I’m a no frills kinda person. I thought this made me seem boring. But then I saw business owners with 10-app tech stacks and 13-point productivity routines complaining on Threads that they don’t have time, and breathe a sigh of relief. There is flow in keeping it simple.”

2. I used to be a person who __ but now I am a person who __.

“Yesterday I felt like garbage so I (reluctantly) sidelined myself from writing. Today, I’m on fire. Thank God I rested.”

3. I used to hate __ but now I don’t because __.

“Waking up 15 minutes earlier to journal would have been laughable to 2023 Cyndi. Now it’s my favorite time of day. Clearly voicing my thoughts on the page before I pick up my phone to take in others’ ideas makes my days noticeably calmer and more creative.”

My challenge for you this week is to use one of these prompts to write a character-building story for Threads or IG Stories.

Bonus points if you share it with me so I can cheer you on.

06/08/2025

Every few months, it’s the same story.

Some months it’s a Reel.
Another is a Carousel.

But Jesse Itzler repeats this story like clockwork.

After the third time it got seared into my brain for two reasons.

One: It reminds me of my values.

Two: He repeats it all the time—yet it doesn’t get old. It's another good reminder that people won’t get bored if you tell the same story again and again.

It simply reinforces your message in an entertaining way.

What do you think about the moral of his story?

05/08/2025

I thought long-term burnout recovery meant not pushing myself again.

Out of fear that the exhaustion and apathy would return, I avoided anything that might disrupt my peace.

What I didn’t realize at the time: Each time I avoided a task, I was signaling to my brain it wasn’t safe. Instead of protecting my peace, I was reinforcing the belief that I wasn’t capable.

The anxiety around anything I labeled “stressful” grew unchecked. So I’d procrastinate—to avoid the discomfort of anxiety.

Then call myself lazy for not following through.

Things shifted when I came across the concept of Do Not Who—the practice of separating what you do from who you are.

When I stopped tying behavior to identity, I could see the procrastination for what it was: not a personality defect, but fear.

Specifically, the fear of not doing a good job.

It’s what’s called the Curse of Caring. And when I started replacing thoughts like “I’m anxious about this” with “I care about doing a good job with this,” my perspective changed—enough to choose a different action.

One that moved me forward.

Do you use reframes to move yourself forward?
I'd love to hear yours in the comments.

03/09/2024

This storytelling content framework makes your reader say, “Aha! You’re the expert I’ve been looking for!”

Happy Storytelling!

Cyndi

26/08/2024

This is an opportunity for you to come in clutch.

When you can make sense out of all the info and apply it to your reader’s specific situation, they’ll view you as THE expert.

Weave insights into storytelling, and hiring you will be their natural next step.

Cyndi

29/07/2024

How should $torytelling make buyers feel?

Relieved.

Relief that they are not alone.

Relief that they are in the right place.

Relief that there is a solution to their problem.

Successful $torytelling comes down to a belief in a better future with you as the guide.

If you liked this, you’ll like my newsletter.

Cyndi

26/07/2024

It’s easy to write stories when you know the moral, message, or takeaway.

Look at your brand’s core messages for inspiration.

For example, one of my core messages is “everyone can get better at storytelling.”

Scroll back, and you see a viral carousel post called “Steve Jobs Sucked at Storytelling.”

It’s a story about how Steve Jobs was crappy before became one of the world’s best.

The story illustrated my message more interestingly than just saying “PSA: Everyone can get better at storytelling.”

Translating big brand messaging into everyday posts is tricky.

But it’s what makes people care your brand — not just tips and tricks you share.

What morals, lessons, and messages do you want people to remember?

Cyndi

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Ascent StoryCraft is a copywriting and content service founded by award-winning journalist Cyndi Zaweski. See how Ascent can help you rise: www.cyndizaweski.com.