Here’s a story for you. It’s true.

I WAS BURIED ALIVE, in the snow.

It was so desperately black—not a hint of light—I could see nothing, hear nothing besides the gong of my heartbeat and my shallow breath—arhythmic and choppy. My skin was numb—every square inch was pressed against my coffin of ice. I was cold, so cold. I started counting to keep myself from slipping into a full-blown panic attack; if I did, it would use too much energy, too much oxygen—both of which were in short supply.

I rapidly became severely hypothermic, shaking like a flag in 80mph winds, completely out of control. My blood oxygen started to plummet, the CO2 in my blood was skyrocketing—all of which caused a chain reaction signaling my brain to start shutting down. Then I started spinning—my head yanking back and forth with such ferocity as my decaying brain was sending me into a tailspin of nausea and vertigo. Yet I was dead still, frozen in place.

This was it—my body was in free fall.

Holy hell! Is this true? Yes, 100% true. You can read the full article in Outside Magazine here, or listen to my interview on NPR’s Talk Of The Nation here. But more on that in a minute. First, you’re probably wondering why I’m telling you this story?

Here’s why: I want you to realize how you reacted when reading this story.

Did your eyebrows furrow? Did it elicit a deep-seated fear of being buried alive (since watching that shitty horror film in 7th grade)? Did you feel something tighten in your stomach, or your throat? Did you cover your mouth with your hand as you read? Were you afraid I was going to die? Do you want to know more, how it ended, why I was there, how I got out?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then a). you’re human, and b). the story worked. The story worked because it caused an emotional, spiritual or physical reaction in you. You felt something in your body, thought a thought, brought you back, and felt an emotion because of this story.

Here’s why: Our brains are designed to receive stories as a fundamental key to survival. They teach us how to build, grow, thrive, and avoid disaster. They transport us, and warn us. They scare us and make us laugh with abandon. They make us feel. And they inspire us to take action.

These are the reasons you should be using stories in your business—to move people to care, to be transformed, and to act. A well-told story can create a deep emotional connection, can organize thoughts and help us remember details that matter, and can make people a believer in your mission.

In the next post, I’ll teach you the 5 reasons to use stories in your brand messaging, so pay attention…they’re powerful. But first…do you want to know what actually happened to me?

What Happened To Me In The End?

What I didn’t tell you is that I was buried for science. I was buried in a snow cave in Utah on purpose, by a team of medical researchers. These doctors were intentionally inducing hypothermia on a simulated avalanche burial victim (me!) to see how my body reacted with lower oxygen and higher carbon dioxide (what happens when you’re buried in snow for too long) in my body and brain. The more they knew, the more they could educate first responders on how to handle their avalanche burial victims to increase the odds of surviving.

To do their research, the doctors needed volunteers. At the time, I was an avid backcountry skier, and was passionate about helping my fellow skiers. So, I raised my hand. Days later, I had a core body temperature probes pushed up my a**, and one up my nose, then swallowed a fancy device to do the same. I had sensors on my skin, and monitors on my fingers to measure my blood oxygen levels at all times.

Once buried (6 feet under, no joke!), I started counting. Then witnessed my body descend into survival mode, shutting down non-essential activities, freeing my brain to whip between functions, not knowing what to do. The doctors watched, I experienced. It was terrifying. Yet I knew I would survive.

To read the full story, go here on Outside Magazine, and listen to my interview on NPR’s Talk Of The Nation.

Then stay tuned for the next lesson in brand storytelling: the 5 reasons to use stories in your brand messaging.

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