Episode 323: The Power of Three

I'm excited to explore a concept that has sort of a strange and spooky and undeniable power in our lives, which is the power of three.  This episode is inspired by one of my recent Substack posts that I called three, and if you haven't read it yet, please go check it out. But don't worry, I'm going to break it all down for you right here.  So, why Three. Why does this number show up in storytelling, in structure, and even how we sometimes have to make sense of the world?  Well, stick around and let's unpack it together.  Let's start with that very basic, simple question: Why is the number three so universally effective? If we think about it, we tell jokes in threes. You know, three times funny in improv, a priest, a rabbi, and a minister walk into a bar.  Stories are structured in threes, beginning, middle, end, and even in visual design, groups of three feel balanced and complete.  There's something really satisfying about three. It's just enough to feel substantial without being overwhelming.  Psychologists call this the rule of three, and it's rooted in how our brains process information.  Too much, we lose focus.  Too little, it doesn't feel complete.  So whether you're crafting a story, building a business, or even just making a to do list, Three is a magical number. Our brains are wired to recognize patterns, and three is the smallest number needed to create a pattern.  Two points form a line, add a third, and suddenly, you got a triangle.  Something complete, balanced, and again, visually satisfying.  That's why we see the rule of three in so many places.  Just do it. I'm loving it. Eat, pray, love.  And once, now that you are acutely aware of this, it's going to start showing up in all kinds of things that you weren't probably paying attention to before.  But number three has this, it really is just like a magical ability to stick in our minds.  But it's not just marketing. It's not just this gimmicky thing.  It is us.  Past, present, future. Mind, body, spirit. It's universal.  Now nowhere is the power of three more obvious than in storytelling.  Think about what you grew up learning. Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The Three Little Pigs. Each story has three trials, three choices, or three characters. And why, why does it work so well?  Because three creates a rhythm.  The first is the setup. The second builds tension. The third delivers the punchline or resolution.  And of course, it's not just in fairy tales. Modern stories do this too.  Movies have three act structures.  And in my work as a voiceover actor, I think about the beats of a performance. The setup, the build, the payoff.  I'm constantly looking at scripts, even short 15 second commercial scripts, to find that structure, that storytelling aspect of it, and I always find it and it always helps me fill in the gaps because we're just given a little bit sometimes.  Fifteen seconds is a blip, it is almost nothing, but it is our job to turn that nothing into something. So if you're creative, whether you're writing a script, performing the scene, or designing a marketing campaign, think in threes.  It's a simple framework that works literally every time.  We are built to recognize that.  So let's move on from storytelling to something a little bit more personal.  How the power of three can show up in your life and work. In my Substack post, I shared three words that guide me, clarity, creativity, and connection.  I already shared my word of the year with the specificity, but it all kind of boils down to the fact that these aren't just buzzwords, they're a framework for how I approach everything from my business to my relationships. So, clarity, creativity, and connection are my three, and I encourage you to find your three.  What are your three core values or principles that define who you are and how you operate? Write them down.  Like, literally, write them down right now.  Say them out loud and let them guide your decisions.  I'm going to give you some time to think about it, obviously, like you can do this on your own time, but if you're struggling and you're just like, I don't know what defines me. I can't figure it out. Thanks a lot, Mandy.  Think about these three questions to find your three: Ask yourself, what matters most to you right now?  What do you want to be known for?  What principles help you make decisions? And you're going to write down a bunch of words. Write down a bunch of words. When I was finding my three, I wrote down a bunch of words that don't even have anything to do with anything.  I just wrote down words that I like. Like, I really love the word elixir, okay?  But that's not going to help me. But it's going to help you just get it out so that you're not distracted by it.  And here's another tip: When you're overwhelmed or stuck, you should break things down into threes. Three goals for the day. Three priorities for the week.  It is such a simple way to focus and move forward.  And then reset every single time you need to move forward. It's just going to give you that balance and structure and boundary that you need. And just like I told you to ask yourself those three questions, again, it is that type of reliability that is going to give you comfort and confidence.  So I also want to talk about how three applies in business.  If you're running your own creative business, like I do, you have to think about how you communicate your offerings. Too many options like a fricking cheesecake factory menu can confuse potential clients. Instead, guess what? If you present three clear choices, you are almost guaranteed to get clear answers.  So for example, if you're a voiceover actor, you might offer three tiers of a service.  Quick turnaround time, premium full production package, and a middle of the road option. Or if you're marketing yourself, you can focus on three key traits that set you apart. And for me, it's professionalism, creativity, and a little bit of sass. Right?  That's my brand in a nutshell, like we talked about in the last episode about branding.  And when you keep things simple and structured, people are more likely to understand and engage with what you're offering, which is your goal as a business owner. So I want you to look at your website, your social media, your pitch materials, including emails, subject lines.  Are you overloading your audience with too much information?  I know that we all want to be seen as experts. I know that we all have amazing skills that sometimes we gatekeep because we don't think anybody's going to give a shit about them. Sometimes they will, sometimes they won't. But, you owe it to the person that's landing on your website or listening to your stuff. You owe it to them to show them that you can deliver what you say you're going to deliver.  So if you go on my website, I say that I am an expert in commercials with, along with some like two or three other things, right? But I am an expert in commercial delivery.  People landing on my website might need me for something else, but they also know that they're going to get expert commercial delivery. I don't hide behind other things. It is right up front, right there. Here's my commercial demos. Here's my commercial reels. Here's some videos. It's all commercial focused.  And then comes the other stuff.  So how I communicate, how I create content, how I connect with people, is as this expert in these things.  So can you simplify your message into three core points? Can you provide that clarity to the people who want to hire you for the things you owe it to them to be able to do that as part of your job as a creative entrepreneur? Some actionable takeaways from this are how can you start using the power of three in your life today?  You're gonna define your three words, your three core words, three values or principles that represent you and you're gonna use them as your North Star. Then you're gonna set three goals. I don't care what they are. It can be for the day, for the week, for the month.  You pick three things to focus on and you will be amazed at how much clarity this is going to bring to your life.  And then thirdly, you're going to simplify your message. You're in business, babe. You need to boil down your offerings into three clear points. The rule of three isn't just a trick or a gimmick. It's a way to bring focus, balance, and impact to everything you do.  So there you have it. The power of three.  Whether you're telling stories, or running a business, or just trying to organize your fucking life, this little number is your secret weapon.