I’m guessing all of my fellow Americans are checked out with a White claw right about now, so I’ll keep this brief (well, “Patrice Brief” which is basically NOT)
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By the way… is White Claw still a thing? I just don’t have access to grocery options anymore unless you count AISELS of dried fish that sit among the seasonal clothes bins at supermarkets. This will never not be weird to me. ​

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Speaking of America….2 of my 3 sons are in a World Cup-type soccer tournament right now.
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And the American Team from Miami/Atlanta ANNIHHALTED my oldest son’s club Portugal team. I (WE meaning all the other parents) was literally in shock as Americans aren’t exactly known for their “soccer” FUTBAL domination in these tournaments.
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And even though I hated to see my son lose, I felt a small bit of pride and ended up chatting with one of the dads in town from Miami who couldn’t believe I just “picked up and left.”​
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Our chat naturally descended into politics, then Michael Jordan, Shake Shack, Messi…with a super quick detour into dried fish (seriously)… but he left saying to me, “How cool it was that I was leading an unconventional life.”
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​I have been running that line in my head ever since he said that to me.
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Because just like that Miami dad was fascinated by my “unconventional” move to Lisbon, I just made an unconventional hiring choice that got me thinking about why we choose who we choose.

The “Obvious” Choice vs. The RIGHT Choice

Last month, we were looking for someone to lead MyStoryPro’s marketing as it’s too much to do “on the side” and I am a storyteller at my soul… not a marketer.
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We interviewed several candidates – a full-stack growth marketing agency with impressive AI tool experience that would have given us a full team; another impressive person with a small team behind her, and a page full of video testimonials. People who looked like the “obvious” choice.

But I chose Leisl Bailey instead.

I knew at one point she was a single mom to four kids & started her life over. And Leisl didn’t know this, but single moms who also run businesses? They’re in a different category of badass in my mind – probably because I was raised by one.
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​That one detail changed how I saw everything else about her.

Her insights weren’t just smart. They were survival-tested.
Her skills weren’t just impressive. They were hard-earned.

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Your Story Is Your Competitive Advantage

Your background, your struggles, your weird path – that’s not baggage. That’s your competitive advantage. And you are literally leaving money on the table if you are not weaving these parts of yourself into your business and your corporate role. And I mean the things you THINK you shouldn’t talk about. ​
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I sent Leisl some questions

Where are you from?

I’m originally from Mapleton, Utah – this tiny town where I grew up as the oldest daughter in a blended family of six kids. Lost my mom when I was three, and honestly?

That shaped everything about how I see resilience and second chances.

Here’s the kicker though – I graduated high school with a 3.75 GPA but was convinced I wasn’t “smart enough” for college. No guidance counselor, no one telling me different.

So two weeks after graduation, I packed up for Washington to become a nanny because that felt… safer I guess?

Fast forward through 8 years in the Pacific Northwest, two more in Utah, four kids, a marriage that didn’t work out, and a messy divorce where I fought for and won full custody of my four kids. The MOMENT those papers were signed? I did what I’d been dreaming about since 2017 – packed us all up and moved to North Carolina.

What’s something unexpected about your background that makes you better at marketing?

I spent most of my life learning to read people really, really well. Growing up in a complicated family dynamic, being married to someone clinically diagnosed as a narcissist, being part of a high-control religion… I became fascinated with understanding human psychology and behavior patterns.

I read relationship psychology textbooks for fun. I know Internal Family Systems theory, Attachment theory, Cognitive-Behavioral Theory, Gottman’s research. Throughout my different therapy journeys, my therapists have consulted with me – asking about theories, behavioral patterns (which my ADHD brain tracks incredibly well), and research.

When you spend years learning to navigate unpredictable relationships, you develop this ability to see the psychological patterns behind every interaction.

And that’s what great marketing really is – understanding the human story behind every click, purchase, and decision to stay or leave.

Why did you choose to join us?

​MyStoryPro became an instant “yes” the moment I logged in. But before I even tried the tool, I researched who Patrice was. I listened to podcast episodes, studied her approach, and was impressed by her ability to juggle authenticity as a mom, expat, and business owner while being a badass who knows she’s done amazing things.
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With Vee, I learned more on our calls. She’s incredibly passionate about AI tools AND maintaining our humanity while working alongside AI. My StoryPro works because Vee’s prompts are written by a human who’s been through all of Patrice’s programs and built a business using these methods – not AI.

Everything I’ve studied about what makes relationships work (trust) is echoed in every interaction with them. They’re people you want in your corner. I pinky promise you.
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​See What Happened There?

Leisl could have led with “I’m a Retention & Behavioral Systems Architect with millions in client revenue.” TRUE. But boring.

Instead, she gave us Mapleton, Utah. A mom lost at three. Self-doubt about college. A messy divorce. Psychology textbooks for fun.

THAT’S what made her irresistible as a candidate.

There are probably hundreds of retention specialists out there. But there’s only ONE who combines Gottman research with high-control religion recovery and single-mom resilience.

Her “messy” story wasn’t something to overcome.
It was her secret weapon.

And the same is true for you.

Just like that Miami dad couldn’t stop asking about my move to Lisbon (because it seemed impossible to him), your story is what makes people lean in and want to know more.

Your weird background? That is a superpower, I promise.
​Your unconventional path? That’s not a liability to the people that should be in your life.
​Your struggles? Those aren’t weaknesses and make whatever you’ve accomplished BETTER.

They’re what make you the RIGHT choice for the RIGHT people.

Leisl’s journey gave her insights and skills you can’t learn in any marketing course.

What This Means For You Right Now

Stop hiding the parts of your journey that feel “unprofessional” or “irrelevant.” Those are exactly the parts that will make someone choose you over your competition.

Your next client isn’t looking for another generic expert. They’re looking for someone who gets it. Who gets THEM. Someone who’s been where they are. Someone whose story makes them think “finally, someone who understands.”
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That’s you. But only if you’re brave enough to share it.
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​And finally…

As someone who’s lived outside the U.S. for two years now
“Independence Day” feels complicated.

I’ve seen first-hand how the world views America right now – and it’s not great.
And that makes me really sad, because I know we can be better.(I think?🥴)
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I want us to be better.

Because real independence has nothing to do with borders or bank accounts.​
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It’s the freedom to be fully yourself.
To own your past without shame, speak your story without fear, and to live without having to prove your worth to people who don’t view you as “the same as them.”
​I want us to be better.

That kind of freedom?
It’s not just patriotic.
It’s human.

And that kind of freedom shouldn’t be reserved for a privileged few
or decided by a small group of elite people who still haven’t learned the most basic truth we teach our toddlers:

“Treat others the way you want to be treated.”

That kind of freedom should belong to everyone.

And yet -in America – for so many, in every corner of life and work -it doesn’t.

I see the ICE videos.
The mothers screaming for their babies.
The children – as young as mine – consoling their parents in handcuffs
while people in pretend uniforms treat them like that morning’s trash.

And now, the stripping of benefits from the most vulnerable among us –
calculated, cruel, and clear in its purpose:​
To silence people.
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​And don’t even get me started on the “Alligator Alcatraz”, a reminder that America has a pattern of dehumanizing people in broad daylight while many of us try to convince ourselves it’s just “politics” and “It doesn’t affect me so WHATEVER and here’s my new offer!!.”

The cruelty of all of these incidents aren’t a side effect.
It’s the point.
To erase the parts that make them human.
To crush the very stories that set them apart.

But those stories?
​The painful, “unprofessional” truths?
They are not liabilities.
They are what make us powerful.

So this week, I hope you remember:

Your story is not something to hide.
​ It’s something to lead with. (just like Leisl did.)

And while so many of our most vulnerable American neighbors are being denied this basic human right –​
​I hope you “resist” by refusing to sanitize your own story and beliefs.
And to speak up for those who can’t.

Own your stories. Share them. Lead with them.

It’s the most radical – and liberating -thing you’ll ever do.

Here’s to better days ahead in America and beyond,
​XO
Patrice​
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​P.S. I’m opening up a few slots for one-to-one work.

If you need help shaping your story – or unearthing the insights you know are buried somewhere in your lived experience – and want to roll that into your marketing or brand voice…

Please comment on this blog post.

Let’s make sure the story you’re telling is as powerful as the one you’ve lived. Sometimes we’re too close to our own journey to see the gold that’s sitting right there in front of us.