(recently posted at www.lifebeforebusiness.com) 

I’m still mulling over the movie “Pan’s Labyrinth” three days later.  It is an “adult” fairy tale set in 1944 Spain during the Franco regime.   The heroine is an 11-year old girl named Ofelia who travels with her pregnant mother to live with the evil step-father who commands a fascist outpost.  The movie, which is directed by Guillermo Del Toro, exquisitely tells the story of the horrors of the reality of Ofelia’s life under the control of her step-father while allowing us to escape into Ofelia’s fantasy world filled with fairies and fauns.  Like the DNA double helix the stories intertwine to the very end so that you are left wondering what was real and what may have been a creative psychological outlet for the overwhelming experiences of a little girl.  The fantasy fairy tale outlet makes it safer for us to realize the reality of what is really going on.

I’m always interested in learning about the stories that we are telling each other about how we experience life whether it is in books, television, movies, blogs or video games.  Although I don’t play any video games myself, on the tip of my brain is the curiosity of what stories are being told by their creators, often times very unconsciously. People use many methods to tell their stories and one big way is in how we sell and/or market our business or services.  Think about what story your business tells about itself.   Your business is an entity unto itself with a personality and identifying factors that attract customers.  I’ve noticed lately that the businesses that tell their story and weave in the true humanity of their creators are what I’m attracted to the most.  I naturally trust those entities that show us the little man behind the curtain. 

Unlike Pan’s Labyrinth I believe that most businesses get stuck in telling the fairy tale only without letting us see the reality of what is really going on.  I’m not suggesting that we bare our breasts for all to see but rather, fold in the realness of what our business and services are really all about to make the fluff and stuff easier to digest. In the end of Pan’s Labyrinth, Ofelia learns to follow directions and trust her instincts about right and wrong. In order to find her true self, she must also find the strength to break the rules imposed on her by authority. 

Whose authority are you following?