Storytelling

Spoiler alerts! Don’t say I didn’t warn you. 

As a video storyteller myself, I have my favorites in television and film. There are certain shows that feel like friendships to me. When a series I know and love comes to an end, I feel regret because I'll miss seeing my friends!  

Television shows are created, just like the work I do. Basically, it starts with an idea, a strategy session(s) with other people, followed by writing a script and then the visual representation we watch on a screen.  

In everyday conversation we use the word "story" a lot. You might say to a colleague, "Wow, do I have a story for you!" Or maybe your friend says, "I have to tell you my story about the trip." 

But here's the thing...

Sometimes what follows is engaging and interesting. Other times it is a long, drawn-out, wandering trail of words.

If it's engaging, maybe you've been blessed with listening to a natural-born storyteller (there are a few of those out there). But most people could benefit from a …

Not one of us is immune. It's just too easy. We need a crutch. After all, the stakes are high when you stand up in front of a group to pitch your passion. 

Judging Your Pitch Deck 

I once had the honor to be a part of a tech entrepreneur incubator pitch competition. Since I had previously taught public speaking for college students, I was chosen to be a judge of the competition. There were a number of great business business ideas. The concepts covered various sectors of society from nonprofit…

“If a picture is worth a thousand words
then a story is worth a thousand assurances.”
–  Annette Simmons, The Story Factor

 
Once upon a time a young woman worked as a marketing professional. Her career spanned 15 years before she found herself working for a toxic boss. The boss regularly verbally attacked members of the team. As a result, eventually a full, 22-person department turn over occurred under that person’s leadership (or lack thereof). The woman in marketing decided that if ever there…

First, what is a brand story? You might think your brand story is about your company or business. That's partly true. But people do business with people, so your brand story is really about you. AND there's a big caveat to that...  

Talking about yourself may be uncomfortable but there is a way to do this which illustrates your expertise without being perceived as egotistical. The challenge is not too many people do this well.    

Your brand story can also be called your origin story, or your …

I’ve been meeting a lot of new people lately. If you’re a soloprenuer, coach, or consultant then you know just how important networking is to your success.

The trick to networking is making it effective by elevating your brand. The challenge is, how do you define “effective” networking? Do you think networking is only effective if it results in sales? If you said yes, then I have to blast the buzzer on you and say: EEEE wrong answer! Here’s a story to prove it: 

I recently went to a lunch with…

When you hear the word “influence” you may think of influencer marketing but that is just one context.

If you are a leader of others or a business owner/entrepreneur – especially one where you are the brand – then you may want to focus on your influence. Why? Because I speak to leaders all the time who say things like:

• "I feel like my (brand) story is unclear"
• "I’ve got next-level challenges in my business now" (i.e. growth)
• "I’m not feeling confident" (in a new area)   
• "I want those ar…

Most communication coaches and consultants focus on improving public speaking and leadership skills. They may help you prepare for your next big event presentation or lead your team with confidence in meetings.  

But here’s the problem... You get so consumed with what you say and how you say it that you forget who it’s for.

And let me be clear, public speaking is a very valuable skill. And giving a speech in front of an audience can be very powerful for your brand and business. BUT…   

…havin…