Even the best stories—and products—don’t work every time. Perfection isn’t always possible, and I learned that firsthand with my new headphones.

Let’s start with my ears. Yep, my ears.

I’ve had Bose QC headphones forever and loved every pair. Sure, I wore out a few ear pads, but the quality kept me coming back. Recently, I decided to upgrade to the new Bose QC Ultra headphones, expecting my usual noise-canceling bliss. I unpacked them, prepped them, and geared up for my first flight.

The noise-canceling was better than ever. Comfort? A dream. But that’s where the dream ended. A couple of hours later, my ears and face started itching—really itching. At first, I blamed the hotel’s laundry chemicals. I even thought about switching hotels. But after my shower, I noticed something strange. The redness matched the exact shape of my headphone ear cups. My trusty headphones betrayed me.

I don’t share this story to blame Bose. Instead, it’s a lesson for storytellers.

First, if you’re struggling to find stories, you’re not looking closely enough. Stories are everywhere—even in small moments, like itchy ears on a plane.

Second, no matter how tested or crafted your story is, there will always be outliers. Like my ears, some people just won’t connect with your story. And that’s okay.

Third, just like I’m not ditching Bose over this one weird experience, your audience won’t leave because of one off story. Build trust over time, and people will stick with you—even if a story occasionally falls flat.

So stop aiming for perfect stories. Just show up, be yourself, and share those everyday moments.

Amazon’s return policy saved the day, so the headphones are going back. I might even give them another shot, just in a different color. Maybe that’ll fix it!

Here’s to imperfect stories and small moments that teach us big lessons.

#Storytelling #LifeLessons #Imperfection #CustomerExperience #FindingStories #TrustYourAudience #LessonsLearned #AmazonReturns #Bose #IBlameDoug