Story First
The Business Leader's Guide to No-Pitch Public Speaking
Six counterintuitive shifts that transform forgettable presentations into talks that build trust, spread beyond the room, and generate more business than any pitch ever could.
Good Content Isn't Enough. It Never Was.
You just gave a 20-minute talk. Good content. Solid delivery. Polite applause.
By the time the audience reaches the parking lot, they’ve forgotten everything you said.
Meanwhile, another speaker — same event, same audience — said less, covered less, pitched nothing. A week later, people are still talking about their talk. Repeating their one point. Reaching out to work with them.
What did they do differently?
They broke every rule you were taught about presenting.
The talk everyone remembers is never the one with the most slides.
You Were Taught To Present.
Not To Connect.
Most leaders treat the stage like a sales call. Credentials up front. Five takeaways. A pitch at the end. The audience feels it, can predict it, and tunes it out.
What You'll Learn Inside Story First
- 1
Why removing all self-promotion makes people more likely to hire you
- 2
How to earn attention in the first 90 seconds (hint: don’t announce your topic)
- 3
The three paths of vulnerability — and why two of them destroy your credibility
- 4
How to make your point undeniable without ever arguing for it
- 5
Why one point beats five (and how to find yours)
- 6
The challenge close that turns passive listeners into Monday-morning action-takers
Read It. Then Build Your Talk.
This book includes a complete workbook with ten exercises that build your signature talk from the ground up — a talk you can deliver in fifteen minutes or expand to thirty, at conferences, client dinners, investor meetings, or chamber events.
The talks that earn the most trust don’t pitch. They don’t convince. They don’t try to look impressive.
They tell stories that let the audience arrive at the conclusion themselves.
That’s the method. This is the guide.
Don't Take My Word For It.
"Most business talks feel like a hostage situation. You sit there, trapped, while someone tries to sell you their thing in 37 different ways. Story First flips that. Chris Lema teaches you how to ditch the pitch, lead with story, and leave people saying, 'Wait, who was that?' in the good way. No begging. No awkward CTAs. Just real trust that builds real demand. This isn't a book about speaking. It's a book about being remembered and being the one they come back to when it matters."
Justin Wise — Founder, The Simple Company
"When I think about story, I think about Chris Lema. He literally taught me the power of story, and I leverage that every day in my work as I make sales and coach my clients. Now he's finally sharing his wisdom in complete form with this book, and we'd all be wise to listen and learn."
John Doherty — Business Coach for Agencies
"Count me among the millions of people that hate public speaking. I've heard Chris speak numerous times over the years. He always makes it seem effortless. His is always the presentation everyone talks about. He never sells or asks for anything in return — it's just a pure value dump. In this book, Chris reveals what it is that separates forgettable talks from the ones people talk about years later. Then he provides a workbook to build our own Story First presentations, giving you the tools you need to capture and keep your audience. Everything you learn here will make you a better speaker."
Pete Perry — Agency Coach
"Chris Lema's Story First is a game-changer for business leaders weary of forgettable pitches. Drawing from decades of real-stage wisdom, the book unveils six transformative shifts. Chris's encouraging, relatable tone has been immediately applicable in my faith, family, and finances. His desire to put an end to pitches and turn us toward stories brings a smile to my face. If you're ready to build lasting trust through how you structure your presentation, not just how you close your sales, you might need to find your story first."
Derek Moore
"Story First is a practical playbook for talks that earn trust, not eye-rolls. Clear, usable, and immediately actionable."
Devin Walker
Table of Contents
Part I
The Six Shifts
- 01 Don’t Pitch Yourself
- 02 Lead With Story, Not Thesis
- 03 Be Vulnerable Without Undermining
- 04 Let the Story Make the Argument
- 05 One Point, Not Five
- 06 Challenge Them to Change Monday
Part II
Your Signature Talk Workbook
Ten exercises that build your signature talk from the ground up — from finding your one point to assembling a complete 15- or 30-minute talk ready for any stage.
Get started nowYour next talk deserves better than polite applause.
That's the method. This is the guide.