A conversation with Afton Brazzoni and Carol Cox on how to gather real client stories, tell them well, and make them do actual work for your business. Recorded February 25, 2026.
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Everyone says “share your story” and “use testimonials.” But most businesses either skip client stories entirely because it feels awkward to ask, or share them in a way that sounds like every other business on the internet.
You know the type. The vague quote on the homepage. The manufactured-sounding testimonial. The case study that reads like a press release. With AI making it easier than ever to generate polished-sounding stories, the gap between manufactured and real is getting wider. People can feel the difference, even if they can’t explain why.
The stories that make people think “that’s exactly what I need” are the ones that feel real, because they are.
What we covered
- Why real stories beat polished testimonials There’s a difference between “great to work with, 5 stars” and a story that makes someone see themselves in your client’s experience. We talked about what makes that difference.
- How to actually gather them The ask feels uncomfortable for a lot of business owners. Afton and Carol shared practical ways to get genuine stories from clients without it feeling forced or transactional.
- What makes a story stick, and what makes it forgettable Whether you’re writing a case study, sharing on a podcast, or telling a story in a sales conversation, some stories land and some don’t. We dug into why.The human advantage AI can help you get found, but it can’t make someone feel seen. Real stories from real clients are one of the few things that still create genuine emotional connection, and your website needs to be built to support both.
Your hosts
Steph Sedgwick, Clarity Web Design Studio
I help service-based founders build websites that actually work for humans, not just algorithms. Here’s what I’m seeing in 2026: AI is changing how people find you, but it can’t replicate the emotional connection that makes someone choose you. A real client story hits differently than a polished sales page, but it still needs to live on a site that’s built clean enough for search engines and AI tools to find it. Your site needs to do both.
Afton Brazzoni, Scribe National
Afton Brazzoni is the founder of Scribe National, a B2B content marketing agency that serves clients across North America and Europe. She is a journalist turned agency owner with more than 15 years’ experience in storytelling and content writing. At Scribe, Afton and her team specialize in creating content assets like customer success stories, research reports and blog posts that build trust and drive sales. Since 2019, they’ve served over 100 companies with high-quality original content, including several billion-dollar technology brands. Afton is also a business coach for service providers. She is passionate about helping her clients build a business that lights them up and pays them well.
Carol Cox, Speaking Your Brand
Carol Cox is the founder and CEO of Speaking Your Brand®, a coaching and training company that works with mission-driven organizations, executives, and entrepreneurs to harness the power of their voice – whether on stage, on podcasts, or using AI – to amplify and scale their message and impact with intention and authenticity. Carol is also host of the long-running Speaking Your Brand® podcast, with over 450 episodes on storytelling, public speaking, and brand building, all rooted in her mission to amplify women’s voices in leadership, business, and the media.
This session is part of The Human Advantage series, and the ongoing Female Founders Roundtable.
In a world that’s increasingly automated, the businesses that thrive are the ones that stay genuinely human. This series brings together smart people for honest conversations about what that actually looks like in practice.