IBAM EP 109: Stories to Stages: How to Turn Your Story Into Influence, Opportunity, and Kingdom Impact
“You don’t need more followers.
What you need is the right relationships.”
— Devin Schubert
Devin Shubert shares the SOS Method—Social Media, Opportunities, and Stages—and why your story may be one of the most important tools God has given you.
There are moments when an opportunity shows up without warning.
For Devin Schubert, one of those moments happened while standing on stage in front of more than a thousand people during a dance competition.
The prize was time with Willie Robertson from Duck Dynasty.
Devin admits he was not there because of his dancing ability. He was there because he knew how to own a stage, captivate a crowd, and get people’s attention.
Then something happened that shifted everything.
A young boy came running toward the stage.
At first, Devin’s internal reaction was competitive. He wanted the spotlight. He wanted to win.
But as the boy came onto the stage, Devin threw his jacket into the crowd, gathered the other contestants, and helped create a circle around the boy as he ran into Willie Robertson’s arms.
The boy won.
And Devin says his heart was completely fulfilled by the moment.
That experience became the beginning of a larger lesson about visibility, purpose, influence, and what it means to use your voice for something bigger than yourself.
The Unexpected Opportunity That Changed the Room
Later that evening, the keynote speaker was sharing his own story about adoption, foster children, and orphans.
Then he asked the audience a question:
Do you know the purpose behind why you do your business?
Devin immediately raised his hand.
When he was given the microphone, he shared that he had three adopted children, including two from foster care. He explained that one of those relationships had ultimately taken him to his deathbed because he refused to give up on his son.
He told the room that he had once been given three months left to live.
And then something unexpected happened.
The keynote speaker stopped him, embraced him, and invited Devin to take the stage and spend approximately 10 minutes sharing why he does what he does and what his business is about.
Devin suddenly had an opportunity that vendors and sponsors normally pay significant money to receive.
He got to share:
Who he was
His story
His business
How people could follow him
How they could contact him
Later, security brought him backstage because Willie Robertson wanted to speak with him.
Willie told him:
“Devin, you know how to own the crowd.”
Then he added that Devin knew how to own the room while doing it for the Kingdom of God.
For Devin, that moment was confirmation.
He had built a brand from the inside out without sacrificing his values, integrity, or character.
And he had learned the importance of being visible.
Your Story Needs Visibility
Devin’s message is clear: if your message is going to make an impact, people have to hear it.
He says many businesses that are not growing struggle with two things:
They lack clarity.
They lack good leadership.
But another problem is that many people are simply not sharing their stories.
Devin’s challenge is to stop hiding and start showing up.
He teaches that stories need to move beyond private experience and into places where they can reach people.
That is where his SOS Method comes in.
The SOS Method: Social Media, Opportunities, and Stages
Devin calls the SOS Method the “lifeline to influence.”
The three parts are:
S — Social Media
O — Opportunities
S — Stages
His entire business, he explains, is built on Kingdom principles. He wants the foundations of his work to come from biblical truth and values that will last.
The SOS Method is designed to help people get their message out, build influence, create relationships, and take their story into larger spaces.
S: Social Media Is Today’s Megaphone
The first part of the SOS Method is social media.
Devin describes social media as both a platform and a megaphone.
His point is simple: social media gives business owners a way to share their message with people without waiting for someone else to give them permission.
He challenges entrepreneurs who complain that nobody knows about their business while refusing to learn or use social media.
In his own business, Devin experienced what intentional visibility could produce.
In 2023, about 18 months into his entrepreneurship journey, he shared a post inside a group he was coaching.
Within 48 hours, he says that one social media post resulted in a six-figure business opportunity.
Seventy-two people commented on the post.
The lesson for Devin was not simply that social media can create revenue.
It was that people need a reason to stop, listen, and respond.
To make that easier, he teaches another simple framework.
The ABCs of Social Media
Devin breaks social media communication into three parts:
Attention. Beliefs. Call to Action.
A: Demand Attention
If you do not stand out, Devin says, nobody will notice you.
His opening story about the young boy at the dance competition illustrates the idea.
The boy walked into the room and immediately drew everyone’s attention.
Devin realized there was no point competing against that moment.
Attention matters because people cannot respond to a message they never notice.
Devin also challenges the idea that getting attention automatically means someone is being prideful.
His emphasis is on heart posture.
If the purpose behind being visible is aligned with what God has called you to do, then getting attention can ultimately point beyond yourself.
B: Shift Beliefs
The second part is beliefs.
Devin says people need to be bold.
He uses the young boy again as an example. Regardless of whatever labels people may have placed on him, the boy moved forward toward what he wanted.
That boldness changed the atmosphere of the room.
For Devin, effective communication is not simply about getting noticed.
It should cause people to think differently.
A message should help shift beliefs.
That requires knowing what you stand for and being willing to communicate it clearly.
C: Give a Call to Action
The final part is the call to action.
Devin says this is one of the places where people struggle most on social media.
They do not tell people what to do next.
A call to action can be simple.
It could direct someone to:
Visit a website
Book a call
Download an ebook
Leave a comment
Take another clear next step
Devin’s point is that people are more likely to take action when the action is obvious.
Do not leave them guessing.
Stop Posting for Likes and Start Posting for Legacy
Devin emphasizes that people are not necessarily scrolling social media because they are looking to buy your product.
That means businesses need to use social media in the way people actually engage with it.
Stories, reels, quotes, and other forms of content can all connect back to the same message and lead people in the same direction.
Devin describes this as “seeding your offer.”
You are planting seeds as you communicate.
Your story becomes part of how people understand your business, your values, and the direction you want to take them.
His challenge is memorable:
Your presence online should match your calling offline.
And instead of being consumed by likes, he encourages people to think about legacy.
O: Opportunities Come Through Relationships
The second part of SOS is opportunities.
Devin says God opens doors through relationships.
He also recognizes something many entrepreneurs experience: business can feel lonely.
But he challenges the assumption that loneliness is simply unavoidable.
Sometimes, he argues, people choose busy work over relationships.
There is always another task.
Another deadline.
Another project demanding attention.
But when something becomes truly important, priorities change.
For Devin, relationships need to become one of those priorities.
Not Everyone Has to Become a Customer
One of the most important ideas in Devin’s message is that not everyone who hears your story has to buy from you.
Someone may resonate deeply with who you are and still never purchase your product.
That does not mean the relationship has no value.
They might become:
A dedicated follower
An advocate
A referral partner
Someone who shares your content
Someone who comments on and supports your posts
Someone who attends your events
Someone who introduces others to your work
Relationships can also lead to:
Joint ventures
Partnerships
Audience sharing
Networking opportunities
New connections
Devin believes entrepreneurs miss these opportunities when they focus only on transactions.
His conclusion is simple:
You do not need more followers. You need the right relationships.
He also says that the Kingdom expands through connection, not competition.
Different people may serve similar audiences, and different audiences may resonate with different voices.
That does not have to be a threat.
Clarity and Leadership Still Matter
Relationships alone are not enough.
Devin returns to the two problems he says commonly prevent business growth.
The first is clarity.
People need to know:
Who they help
How they help them
What their offer is
The second is leadership.
Devin makes the point strongly: a business cannot scale if the person leading it is not capable of leading well.
For him, visibility needs to be paired with clarity and leadership.
When those pieces work together, people begin to trust the person behind the message.
S: Take Your Story to Stages
The final S is stages.
Devin’s definition of a stage is broad.
A stage could be:
A podcast
A summit
A panel
A physical stage
A virtual stage
Each one creates another opportunity to tell your story.
Devin says your voice matters and challenges people to stop waiting for permission to release what God has placed inside them.
Everywhere you go can contain a story.
Everywhere you go can contain an opportunity to speak with someone.
The question is whether you are prepared when the opportunity appears.
Devin points back to his own experience.
He did not know that he would suddenly be invited to address more than a thousand people.
But when the opportunity appeared, he was ready to tell his story.
What Do You Need to Reach Bigger Stages?
For people who want larger speaking opportunities, Devin identifies several things they may need.
First, have a clear niche or specific topics you speak about.
Do not simply tell people that you can speak about anything.
Know what you talk about.
Second, develop a framework or signature talk.
Third, have some form of following or place of influence.
Event organizers may want you to promote the event, and they may also want a place where they can see what you do.
Finally, Devin mentions speaker materials such as:
A speaker one-sheet
A media kit
These tools become increasingly relevant as opportunities grow.
The Story Behind Devin’s Mission
Near the end of his message, Devin explains why helping people share their stories matters so deeply to him.
He returns to the story of his adopted son.
His son had experienced severe mental health trauma and prior abuse.
After Devin’s divorce, the situation became even more difficult.
Devin describes years of physical aggression, intense stress, and spending more than $100,000 trying to get one-on-one help for his son.
Eventually, the strain took a devastating toll on Devin’s own body.
He says his brain and nervous system stopped communicating properly.
He experienced shaking, convulsions, and passing out.
Despite people encouraging him to give up on his son, Devin refused.
He considered him his son, and he was determined not to abandon him.
Eventually, Devin found himself with almost nothing left.
He describes lying in bed and telling God that he was done.
Then, around 2 a.m., Devin says he experienced an overwhelming sense of peace and believed Jesus told him:
It was not time for him to go home yet.
He still had a story to tell.
And he was going to tell it to the nations.
Devin said yes.
Later, he says he was given a mission to help one million people share their stories across media.
Your Story Is Not Just About You
That mission leads to the final message of the episode.
If you think your story is only about you, Devin says, you are wrong.
Your story may carry something that helps meet someone else’s need.
It represents what you have lived through, what you have learned, and what you have to offer that nobody else can offer in exactly the same way.
His challenge is not complicated.
Stop hiding.
Start sharing.
Do not take your story to the grave.
Whether that story begins on social media, grows through relationships, or reaches a stage, Devin believes it needs to be released.
The graveyard is already full of stories that were never told.
Do not let yours become one of them.
Watch full episode on YT - https://youtu.be/52C23g5HT4A
Join the free Third Fish Academy at ThirdFish.org
Transcript Evidence
This article is based exclusively on statements and stories contained in the EP 109 transcript, including:
Devin Schubert’s experience during the Willie Robertson dance competition.
His unexpected opportunity to speak in front of more than a thousand people.
Willie Robertson’s comments about Devin’s ability to “own the crowd” and do it for the Kingdom of God.
Devin’s statement that businesses often struggle because of a lack of clarity and leadership.
The SOS Method: Social Media, Opportunities, and Stages.
The ABC social media framework: Attention, Beliefs, and Call to Action.
Devin’s account of building a six-figure business within 48 hours from one social media post.
His teaching that people who do not become customers can still become advocates, referral partners, supporters, and collaborators.
His statement that entrepreneurs need the right relationships rather than simply more followers.
His discussion of podcasts, summits, panels, physical stages, and virtual stages.
His recommendations for niche topics, frameworks or signature talks, a place of influence, a speaker one-sheet, and a media kit.
His personal account involving his adopted son, severe stress, his health crisis, and the moment he believed Jesus told him that he still had a story to tell.
His stated mission to help one million people share their stories across media.
His closing challenge: “Stop hiding. Start sharing.”
His warning: “Don’t take your story to the grave with you.”
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