Skip to contentNarrative OS — The Belief Engine
📐 Templates & Tools
🛠 Tool #16: Client Kickoff Ritual Guide
Don’t start with scope. Start with story.
🧠 Purpose
To turn your first client meeting into a narrative workshop — one that:
Think of it as your first ritual — not just a checklist.
📅 When to Use
🧱 Ritual Flow Structure
🔔 PHASE 1: The Arrival (5 min)
Objective: Shift the room. Slow the rhythm. Create presence.
Arrival
Action
Example
Begin with a single, grounding line
“Today we’re not talking content. We’re architecting belief.”
No slides yet. Just tension.
“Most brands don’t lack creativity. They lack narrative coherence.”
Invite silence. Let it land.
Look them in the eyes. Then begin.
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🧱 PHASE 2: Narrative OS Primer (10 min)
Objective: Teach the system just enough.
Primer
Action
Key Line
Present the 3 Gears
Architecture. Exposure. Emotion.
Anchor with metaphors
“A brand isn’t a campaign. It’s a system of belief.”
Say the rules
“We’re not chasing content. We’re designing tension, memory, and trust.”
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Then invite them to step in:
“Let’s find your spine.”
🧠 PHASE 3: Guided Extraction (30–40 min)
Use Tool #4 (Core Tension Discovery) and parts of Tool #14 (Founder Story Canvas).
Extraction
Element
Prompt
Core Tension
“What emotional conflict does your brand live in?”
Narrative Role
“If your brand was a person, who would it be in the tension?”
Voice System
“What does your brand never say? What should it sound like in silence?”
Emotion Palette
“How should people feel after experiencing your brand?”
Memory Marker
“What’s one moment you want people to carry with them?”
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Facilitate this live. Fill in the Belief Spine Snapshot (Tool #8) as you go.
🔁 PHASE 4: Shareback & Seal (10 min)
Shareback
Action
Example
Read their belief back to them
“What I heard today is that your brand exists in the tension between ___ and ___...”
Confirm alignment
“Does this feel like your voice?”
Name the ritual
“Every brief, post, and strategy from here on out will echo this.”
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Leave them with a printed or digital 1-pager from Tool #8.
📬 PHASE 5: Follow-Up (Within 48 Hours)
Follow-Up
Deliverables
Belief Spine Snapshot
Workshop Summary (Lightly formatted)
Audio/Video or Deck Replay (optional)
Link to Notion/Coda hub of the full system
Invite to upcoming rhythm (monthly OS reviews, content loop planning, etc.)
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🧘 Closing Note
“Start with the system. Lead with the scar. Seal with the voice.”
Most teams begin with what to build.
You begin with why people will believe.
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