Last year, I debuted as a stand-up comedian! I am being quite generous with my use of the word “debut.” A more accurate description would be a humble start of some sort. While my street cred has skyrocketed, people are always intrigued by why stand-up comedy? Stand-up comedy is simply the best personal and professional development I can get as …
Business Storytelling Success Secrets for Presentations
Leaders often ask me, “How do we use business storytelling effectively in our presentations?” Smart, successful professionals know that stories can make your presentations memorable. Here are my top business storytelling techniques for presentations. It is important that every story you relate links to a message. Otherwise, you are wasting your audience’s time by being self-indulgent. Your stories are there …
How to use Business Storytelling like a Pro
Recently, I completed a stand-up comedy course at the School of hard knock knocks (I know!) No plans for a career change, just professional development that feeds into my speaking. The first thing our instructor said was, ‘All comedy starts with writing.’ You could have heard a pin drop in the room. None of us ever thought that comedy starts with writing! …
Universal versus specific in business storytelling
Why are so many films about love, or the battle between good and evil, or ‘coming of age?’ Because these are universal themes with which people across cultures or geographies can connect. In a sense, they all speak to our human condition. Universal is that which resonates with all of us. In Wired for Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using …
Business storytelling… knowing when to quit
“After all, tomorrow is another day.” In the end of the blockbuster, Gone with the Wind, this is what southern belle Scarlett O’Hara (played by Vivien Leigh) says after Rhett Butler (played by Clark Gable) walks out on her with the parting shot: ‘Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn!” Her entire response is ‘I’ll go home. And I’ll think of some …
Business storytelling mindset for success
Christopher McDougall was a desperate man. He was about to embark on a gruelling challenge of a lifetime in a 50-mile race through some of the world’s toughest terrain. He had heard about the Tarahumara tribe, or ‘running people,’ a reclusive tribe who lived in the canyons of northern Mexico. The Tarahumara tribe are renowned for this activity, often running …
How to use business storytelling like a pro
Recently, I completed a stand-up comedy course at the School of hard knock knocks (I know!) No plans for a career change, just professional development that feeds into my speaking. The first thing our instructor said was, ‘All comedy starts with writing.’ You could have heard a pin drop in the room. None of us ever thought that comedy starts …
Why ‘A Dalmatian ate my burrito’ holds the secret to brilliant business storytelling?
“A dog ate my lunch,” my client Jen recently tweeted. She then replaced it with, “A Dalmatian ate my burrito,” and Twitter immediately exploded! People loved it. Why? What separated those two tweets and transformed “ho hum” into “ha ha?” The magic happened when she was specific―a Dalmatian (not just any dog) and a burrito (not just a generic lunch). …
Business storytelling success secrets for presentations
Leaders often ask me, “How do we use business storytelling effectively in our presentations?” Smart, successful professionals know that stories can make your presentations memorable. Here are my top business storytelling techniques for presentations. It is important that every story you relate links to a message. Otherwise, you are wasting your audience’s time by being self-indulgent. Your stories are there …
What are some business storytelling techniques?
Leaders new to business storytelling often struggle with mastering techniques essential for success. Here are my top 5 business storytelling techniques that will turn a business storytelling apprentice into a master. Clarity on purpose The most important business storytelling technique is to be clear on the purpose/message of your story. When you are in the pub or sharing stories with …