In a world where healthcare companies often sound the same—“better technology,” “innovative solutions,” “disrupting the status quo,” and our favorite, “transformational [insert innovative offering]"—the real differentiator isn’t your product. It’s your story.
At a recent fireside chat featuring advisor, investor, and healthcare leader Chrissy Farr, and Oxeon’s CEO Sonia Millsom explored how to better craft effective narratives that connect emotionally, withstand scrutiny, and actually move markets. The conversation offered a powerful reminder for those of us who value authenticity. In a field that is as emotionally driven as healthcare, storytelling isn’t fluff: it’s strategy.
Healthcare is one of the least effective industries at telling its own stories. Unlike tech, which has historically celebrated risk and failure as a lead-in to reward, healthcare operates under fear: fear of regulatory missteps, fear of offending incumbents, and fear of saying too much.
FACT: Y Combinator founders mention the word failure constantly. In healthcare, it’s nearly taboo.
That fear breeds sameness. When every company claims to be a “leader” in a made-up segment, no one stands out. But the best brands don’t try to dominate the market, they position themselves as underdogs, fighting uphill battles against entrenched systems. Humans are hardwired to root for the underdog (every great sports movie proves it!). That’s why you may have noticed so many CPG and service brands position themselves as underdogs and “everyman” types over the last decade or so: relatability works. Audiences like feeling seen, heard, and met on their level.
Chrissy Farr shared her go-to storytelling framework, S.O.A.P., designed to help brands and founders tell stories that actually stick:
+ SURPRISE | stick: Include twists, crashes, or unexpected lessons learned. Perfection is forgettable: struggle is memorable.
+ OPEN | Explain why you made certain decisions instead of just stating what happened. Transparency builds trust.
+ AUTHENTIC | Be yourself. Avoid postures that make you come across as nervous or artificial.
+ PATHOS (empathy) | Show that you care for your audience. Speak to their fears, not your features.
In practice, the SOAP framework transforms founder stories into human stories—relatable, emotional, and rooted in purpose.
Most brands overshare their wins and undershare their wisdom. The 9:1 rule flips that balance:
For every 1 promotional post, share 9 posts that contribute to your industry.
At Oxeon, one of our core beliefs lies in freely giving gifts of information. Nothing good comes from being greedy, and no exciting stories build off of a running commentary of “Me, me, me!” After you tout an accomplishment or selling point, give some insight. Think: market commentary, data breakdowns, hard-earned lessons, etc. According to LinkedIn research, this strategy drives exponential follower growth. It also signals trustworthiness to both audiences and algorithms. It’s Party-Going 101: No one likes the person who only talks about themselves. Ask questions about others and contribute to the conversation for greater positive social impact. Let others talk about you once you’ve made your impression.
Research shows that vulnerability only builds trust after competence is established. This (sigh) is a critical insight for women founders navigating scrutiny. Once credibility is earned, vulnerability becomes a superpower. Sharing authentic stories (failures, pivots, lessons learned) can humanize leaders and open doors to speaking engagements and media coverage.
In their discussion, both Chrissy and Sonia were able to frame their own personal narratives from one of The Seven Basic Plots of storytelling:
The Quest (Chrissy): By staying in constant motion across various roles such as her careers in journalism at CNBC, investing at OMERs, Second Opinion media, Scrub Capital fund management, and committing to public experimentation (e.g., not being afraid to fail), Chrissy has achieved and continues to build upon visible growth within her career.
Rags to Riches (Sonia): From her immigrant parents, Hell’s Kitchen roots, and a desire to do good, Sonia’s perseverance fueled her willingness to make non linear career choices (and let’s face it, met a little bit of luck along the way) to chart her unique path toward becoming a prominent CEO.
These archetypes resonate because they map universal emotions: ambition, humility, resilience, and directly, succinctly place them onto professional journeys.
One standout example comes from PillPack, which hired a communications lead as its fifth employee, an almost unheard of move in the startup world. When Express Scripts came after them, PillPack fought back, not with silence, but with storytelling. By openly challenging incumbents and strategically leveraging press coverage, they turned adversity into acquisition, eventually becoming part of Amazon. What is the lesson? Incumbents buy disruptors, not enablers. Silence doesn’t build valuation, clarity does.
Today’s healthcare landscape is chaotic: regulatory shifts, economic pressures, and consolidation are everywhere. Instead of pretending otherwise, great storytellers simply acknowledge uncertainty. What good does it do to pretend like you know what’s going on when that, in and of itself, is a risk that could end up not paying off? Authentic companies lay it all out, making audiences feel seen in the chaos, not sold to.
Oxeon’s recruiting network knows “where the bodies are buried,” a humorous way of saying that great stories start with deep listening. The most effective communicators aren’t broadcasting, they’re building trust through curiosity.
1. Be curious before being clever. Ask better questions, don't just push messages.
2. Speak plainly. Drop the "platform" and "solution" jargon. Talk like a human.
3. Admit what everyone knows: You have competitors. Pretending otherwise erodes credibility.
4. Be consistent. As Meta proved with "Move fast, break things," clarity beats customization.
In healthcare storytelling, truth is the most disruptive strategy of all.
This blog post was compiled from a special discussion with Chrissy Farr, a New York-based Managing Director with Manatt focusing on healthcare clients. She previously worked as a health-tech investor, with the venture capital firm OMERS Ventures, and as a reporter and correspondent for CNBC, Fast Company, and Reuters News. She runs a newsletter called Second Opinion, which is read by more than 20,000 subscribers, and continues to invest in early-stage health-technology companies as a founding partner of Scrub Capital. Her new book, “The Storyteller’s Advantage: How Powerful Narratives Make Businesses Thrive” is out now. Learn more or reach out about collaborating with Chrissy at www.chrissyfarr.com.
