From Struggle to Success: Our Story, A Testament to the Power of Storytelling

In 1987, my world was turned upside down. Uprooted from my homeland Sri Lanka, I found myself in Chennai, an unlikely refugee with nothing more than my education. I held an engineering degree from the prestigious IIT Roorkee, but as a refugee, I was barred from employment.

I stood on the precipice of uncertainty, staring into the abyss of starvation. The Indian government offered me refuge but couldn’t provide sustenance beyond a place in a refugee camp. My prospects were bleak; however, amidst this despair, I found an unexpected reservoir of kindness and willingness to help within the human spirit.

I knew my survival hinged on a radical pivot. Entrepreneurship was not an ambitious dream but an urgent necessity. I envisioned a factory manufacturing computer peripherals, equipped with a degree, a business plan, and unbridled enthusiasm but devoid of work and business experience. My life teetered on a high-stakes gamble, a leap of faith into the unknown.

Against all odds, I mustered the courage to approach a bank for an unsecured loan, armed with nothing but my story. My improbable journey, my determination to build a business amidst adversity, was my only collateral. Miraculously, the bank granted me the loan, an act of faith that left me bewildered.

Years later, when I asked the bank manager about his extraordinary decision, he revealed, “It was your story. Your story inspired me. I took your application and your story to our General Manager, and he made a special exception for you.” That day, unknowingly, I had become a storyteller.

In the ensuing years, I witnessed the power of storytelling unfold. Stories won deals, unified teams, secured funding, inspired people to go the extra mile, and breathed life into the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’ they do.

From these profound experiences, Storytelling.ceo was born. It was conceived from the realization that humanizing businesses through storytelling is the cornerstone of growth and success.

Our journey is testament to the transformative power of storytelling. We are not just weaving stories; we are igniting change, fostering connections, and inspiring actions, all woven into the rich tapestry of our shared human experience. Our journey from the brink of despair to empowering leaders, has been a remarkable story, and it continues to inspire the work we do at Storytelling.ceo.