Steal 3 Proven Storytelling Frameworks from Sahil Bloom
Steal 3 storytelling frameworks from Sahil Bloom
Hey Friend,
In October alone, I received 14 emails from Sahil Bloom.
Not one of them felt like a “newsletter.”
Each read like a short film, simple, structured, and designed to make you feel something before you learn something.
So I studied them.
Line by line. Sentence by sentence.
And what I found were three storytelling frameworks he uses almost instinctively — patterns that make his writing impossible to ignore.
If you write LinkedIn posts, newsletters, or client emails, these three frameworks will change how you think about structure forever.
Let’s unpack them.
1. The Story Framework
The Law of the Instrument – A Framework for Life
Sahil opens this email like a scene from a movie:
“In May 1940, France built a 400-mile wall of fortifications... but when war returned, the Germans simply went around it.”
That’s not just a story. It’s a setup.
It pulls you into a world before you even know what the lesson is.
Then comes the twist:
“The Maginot Line was a powerful hammer — but the new war wasn’t a nail.”
The historical context turns psychological.
He introduces Maslow’s Hammer — the idea that when all you have is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail.
From there, he bridges into the modern world — how businesses, leaders, and creators fall into the same trap.
We rely on the same tools that once worked, even when the environment has changed.
And finally, he ends with a mirror:
“Am I using the right tool, or just the familiar one?”
That’s the genius.
He doesn’t give you a conclusion — he hands you a question.
The email ends, but the thought doesn’t.
Framework:
Scene → Twist → Lesson → Reflection
How you can use it:
Start with a vivid real-life or historical scene.
Add a twist that flips the reader’s assumption.
Extract the universal truth or concept.
End with a reflective question instead of advice.
Example (for your next LinkedIn post):
In business, we build our own Maginot Lines.
Old systems. Familiar routines. Comfortable offers.
They once worked.
Now they hold us back.
Are you evolving — or just repeating?
This framework is why Sahil’s writing feels cinematic.
It’s not random storytelling — it’s story architecture.
2. The Preparation Framework
The Washington Rule – Be Ready for Your Wind
Sahil opens this one with a proverb:
“When fishermen cannot go to sea, they repair nets.”
Then he shifts gears into history.
The year is 1776.
George Washington’s army is trapped across the East River, cornered by the British.
Defeat seems certain.
Then, in a miraculous twist, the wind changes — a dense fog covers the escape route, and Washington’s troops slip away unnoticed.
But here’s where Sahil does what great writers do:
He doesn’t treat it like a miracle.
He reframes it.
“Chance favors only the prepared mind.”
Washington wasn’t lucky — he was ready.
That’s the real principle.
Preparation creates luck.
He closes by turning that historical lens toward the reader:
When the wind changes, will you be ready — or will you still be repairing your nets?
Framework:
Proverb → Story → Principle → Challenge
How you can use it:
Start with a timeless truth or quote.
Bring it to life through a real example or moment.
Extract the principle behind it.
End by challenging the reader to act.
Example:
When things slow down, sharpen your skills.
When nobody’s buying, refine your offer.
When your content doesn’t convert, revisit your positioning.
Because when the wind changes,
you’re either ready — or you’re not.
This is Sahil’s “slow burn” framework — he starts philosophical, then turns pragmatic.
It’s storytelling that builds momentum instead of chasing attention.
3. The Perspective Framework
The Janitor Who Put a Man on the Moon
This one is my favorite because it’s simple, emotional, and universal.
Sahil starts with an old parable — the story of three stonecutters:
One says he’s cutting stone.
The second says he’s building a wall.
The third says he’s building a cathedral.
The same work. Three entirely different meanings.
Then he transitions to a modern version of the same story —
When JFK visited NASA, he met a janitor and asked what he was doing.
The man replied,
“I’m helping put a man on the moon.”
That’s The Stonecutter Principle:
Meaning determines energy.
Perspective determines purpose.
Sahil then closes with a reflective question —
“What am I really building here?”
It’s not just about motivation.
It’s about alignment.
It makes you pause and audit your own direction.
Framework:
Story → Shift in Meaning → Mirror → Question
How you can use it:
Tell a short, relatable story (from your life or from history).
Flip it with a deeper insight.
Hold up a mirror to your audience.
End with a single question that echoes after reading.
Example:
You can see yourself posting content —
or building a brand that changes lives.
You can see yourself chasing clients —
or creating systems that attract them.
The story you tell yourself
shapes the work you do.
This is Sahil’s “mirror” framework — it doesn’t tell you what to think.
It makes you think for yourself.
The Takeaway
After analyzing all 14 emails, I realized something.
The power isn’t in the words.
It’s in the structure behind them.
Every sentence earns its place.
Every story earns its silence.
Every question earns reflection.
That’s why people finish his emails — and feel smarter, not sold to.
So the next time you sit down to write a post, an email, or even your LinkedIn summary,
don’t ask, “What should I say?”
Ask, “Which story will make them feel before they think?”
Because writing that makes people feel is the kind that makes them act.
If you want to test how your current message comes across —
how your LinkedIn profile really tells your story —
I built a quick quiz to show you.
It’s free.
Takes 60 seconds.
And the results will tell you exactly what your next move should be.