Storytelling · Michigan-made

Stories that help us slow down & notice.

People need good stories to feel seen.

Businesses need them to build trust.

Communities need them to stay connected.

We make documentary-style stories — on film, in podcasts, and across the content between — about real people doing real work. Quietly, without fanfare, and at a human pace.

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Currently telling stories across Michigan est. when the work needed telling Documentary · Brand · Community

Good stories exist all around us. We simply choose to slow down — and notice them.

— Our north star
About Us

Good stories are not hard to find.

They are happening every day — in people, businesses, and communities that rarely ask for attention. Good Stories Co. exists to notice those moments and tell them with care.

We tell documentary-style stories — on film, in podcasts, and in the everyday content between — about real people and real impact. Our work highlights the individuals, nonprofits, schools, and local organizations across Michigan who are making a difference, often without fanfare.

These are not ads. They are not scripted performances. They are honest stories, told at a human pace.

Our model is intentionally simple. Stories are made possible through aligned partners who believe visibility matters when it comes to good work. Partners are acknowledged, but the story always comes first. That balance protects trust, credibility, and the dignity of the people at the center of each story.

We work at a sustainable rhythm — choosing depth over volume. Each story is thoughtfully produced and designed to be shared, remembered, and useful long after it is published.

Behind the work

Meet EJ.

Founder & Lead Storyteller — supported by a team of cinematographers, animators, designers, and operations who keep the work moving.

For twenty years, I have told stories. Stadiums, arenas, churches, college campuses — and rooms so small the camera almost didn't fit. I've worked with some of America's largest and most time-honored organizations — on camera, behind it, producing, directing, storytelling in every form it takes.

The contrast

Some of the most powerful stories I've ever captured were in developing countries — places where resources were scarce but humanity wasn't. Some were right here. Ordinary people. Extraordinary moments. Nobody knew the story existed until we showed up.

The truth

What I've learned is this: every organization has a story worth telling. Most just don't know how to find it. Or how to tell it in a way that actually lands.

That's the work. That's always been the work.

EJ Swanson Founder & Lead Storyteller · Rochester, Michigan
Working alongside
Photographers · Cinematographers · Animators · Designers · Operations
Latest Work

The work.

Documentary-style stories made at a sustainable pace, with the people at the center. Click any frame to play. More stories are in the field and in the edit bay — we'll add them here as they're ready.

Showcase Reel

Watch the work

Play

Small Hands, Big Impact

A 4-year-old & rescue dogs
Coming soon

In the edit bay

Story in progress
Coming soon

Camera up, summer '26

Next on the schedule
Have a story we should tell?
Our Mission

Shaping the future of your brand — one true story at a time.

Good Stories Co. specializes in honest, documentary-style stories — told in film, podcasts, and content — designed to be shared, remembered, and felt. These are not promotional videos or scripted ads. They are authentic stories, told with care, at a sustainable pace.

How We Work

Three mediums. One approach.

Stories don't all look the same. Some are meant to be sat with for six minutes. Some are meant to play out as a long conversation on screen. Some are meant to land quietly in a feed, between everything else. We work in all three — with the same instinct underneath.

Service 01

Mini-Documentaries

Short-form films about real people, real businesses, and real communities. The flagship work — five to eight minutes, made over weeks rather than days, designed to be remembered long after the first watch. Honest stories, told at a human pace.

Best for → Partners with a story that deserves depth, time, and a film made with care.

Service 02

Podcasting

Long-form video podcasts for partners who want to think out loud — narrative episodes, interview shows, and branded series, produced end to end (with audio releases when the format calls for them). Where a documentary compresses a story, a podcast lets it breathe. Made for the screen first, the headphones second.

Best for → Brands and people with more to say than fits in a six-minute film.

Service 03

Content Creation

The everyday rhythm between the bigger stories — short cuts, photo essays, written features, and social-first pieces. The work that keeps partners visible and present, without ever feeling like content for the sake of content.

Best for → Partners who want to stay present — not just visible — between major releases.

How it works

From first call to final cut.

Every story moves at its own pace, but the path is the same: we listen first, dig in, then bring it to life. Here's the rhythm.

01

Discovery

We sit down — sometimes over coffee, sometimes over Zoom — and ask the questions you weren't expecting. We're listening for the story you've been carrying without knowing it.

02

Research

Before the camera comes out, we go deep. People, places, history, context. We want to understand the world the story lives in — so when we shoot, we know what to look for.

03

Shoot

Days on location with a small, focused crew — cinematographer, audio, sometimes a second camera. Calm, unhurried, respectful of the people in front of the lens.

04

Edit & Deliver

The cut takes as long as it takes. We share rough versions. We refine. When it feels right — not "fine," right — we deliver the final piece, plus whatever cut-downs and assets you need.

Who We Serve

Who we tell stories for.

Three audiences. One belief: that telling the right stories, the right way, can strengthen what already exists.

01 / People

People

Good stories make people feel seen. When someone hears a story that reflects their struggle, their hope, or their everyday reality — it reminds them they matter. That's not a small thing.

The impact → People feel understood rather than overlooked.

02 / Businesses

Businesses

Good stories build trust. Honest storytelling moves a brand from being just a product or service to something people actually believe in. The difference is relational, not transactional.

The impact → Trust grows. Loyalty deepens. Partnerships feel human.

03 / Communities

Communities

Good stories keep communities connected. Shared stories create shared identity — they highlight common ground, celebrate local voices, and remind people they're part of something bigger.

The impact → Stronger bonds. More collaboration. Real belonging.

The model

Built on partnership — not transactions.

We don't sell content. We find partners who believe good work deserves to be seen and want to be part of making it happen.

Partners underwrite stories.

They provide the time, care, and resources needed to tell a story the right way — without urgency, without compromise, with the people at the center.

Some fund a specific story.

Others support our work on an ongoing basis. Both matter. Together they let us choose stories for their impact — not their marketability.

Funding is intentionally balanced.

Ongoing client relationships support a portion of our monthly operations, creating stability. Partner support completes the picture.

Acknowledgement is earned, not forced.

Partners are recognized in ways that feel natural and respectful. The story always comes first — that's what protects the trust.

If you believe that telling the right stories, the right way, can strengthen communities and create lasting impact — this model was built for you.

Testimonials

What partners are saying.

A few notes from people who came in expecting content — and left with something more like clarity.

★★★★★

"We came into the process thinking we already knew our story. EJ asked us three questions in the first twenty minutes that none of us had ever been asked before. By the end of the first session we realized we'd been telling the safe version for years. What came out of that process was something our entire team actually believed in — and our clients noticed immediately."

JS
James S. Partner
★★★★★

"I've worked with a lot of content and branding agencies. Most show up with a questionnaire and a template. EJ showed up with questions we weren't prepared for. He wasn't interested in what we wanted to say — he was interested in what we'd never said. The story we landed on was one we'd been sitting on for eleven years without realizing it."

RR
Rebecca R. Partner
★★★★★

"We expected a typical branding session — slides, questions, a polished recap. What we got was much deeper. EJ noticed details about our culture, our customers, and our values that we had overlooked because we were too close to it. He turned everyday things we took for granted into a story people could actually connect with. Now prospects mention our message before they mention our pricing."

SP
Stacey P. Partner
★★★★★

"We hired Good Stories Co. thinking we needed content. What we actually needed was clarity. EJ has a way of listening past the obvious and finding the real heartbeat of a business. He helped us say in one afternoon what we'd struggled to explain for years. The videos were strong — but the bigger win was how aligned our team felt afterward."

JS
J. S. Partner
Get in touch

Ready when you are.

If there's a story worth telling — about a person, a business, or a community — we'd love to hear about it. No urgency, no pitch deck. Just send a note.

Email · adriana@goodstoriesco.com
Based in · Rochester, Michigan
Hours · By appointment, at a human pace