Once upon a time, there were three politicians: a charismatic African-American, an indefatigable female crusader, and a true-grit Vietnam Vet and former POW. Each one was striving for the office of President of the United States of American. Which story would the country like best?

We all know the ending, but did we all get the moral of the story–that story is everything or almost everything? Story telling is what captures our collective and individual imagination. And I don’t mean story telling in the sense of spinning a line to hoodwink the audience. I mean the ability to create a vision that leads to full engagement and is captivating enough to fuel passion, action and a movement. We are all consumers, voters and community participants, each with our ear out for the most compelling story about the product we should buy, the politician we should vote for, or the cause we should take up.

Corporate America, consider peeling back the layers of the corporate communications onion–all your sales and marketing endeavors. Get to the core of the matter, the true heart of your venture–the story of why you exist, what you are trying to do in the world and why. Now craft your story with care and tell it with passion, conviction and creativity…this is the way to earn a happy ending.