Confession time! Who else is hooked on The Netflix original series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. Unless you have been hiding under a rock you probably know this Queen of Clean is revolutionising the way we look at our stuff. She advocates only keeping what ‘sparks joy’. This simple joy test helps people de clutter with a new mindset. Kondo exudes calm …

People always ask this question: at a networking event, even strangers in lifts and your mum’s friends! Hopefully not your boss. Often we launch into a potted history, even a mini autobiography, a biopic (still waiting for that phone call from Hollywood). It never feels right, always feels too long and sadly doesn’t feel compelling enough. At the other end …

I am a huge fan of Hugh Mackay’s writing and thinking. Not the stalking, restraining order kind of fan… not yet anyway. Recently I was reflecting on one of his presentations titled ‘The double paradox of a super connected world’. The first paradox is the illusion that technology brings us together, but keeps us apart. He gave the example of …

How do we persuade people to adopt our ideas, listen to what we have to say and even be inspired to act? If you lived in 16th century Venice, the answer would be easy. You would do it through fear, as suggested by diplomat and political theorist, Niccolờ Machiavelli. However successful, smart leaders in the 21st century know that hard …

What’s the secret sauce that makes some stories better than others and some storytellers more successful than others? The answers might surprise you. Small beats big In business storytelling, David beats Goliath every time. Quite often, my clients start by putting themselves under pressure, thinking that their stories have to be mega—about scaling Mount Everest or sailing around the world …

Millions of people can’t be wrong. Both in terms of Mari Kondo’s bestseller on the Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (the inspiration for this blog’s title) and in the practice of Hanami. Hanami huh? I have just returned from Tokyo where I was working with Goldman Sachs on business storytelling. My trip luckily coincided with the cherry blossom season. Nothing …

Not long ago, I took part in a Melbourne Moth Story Slam. I share my video further down. I won! Now, I know what you are thinking: I had an unfair advantage because I am a professional storyteller. But the rules for the stories told at The Moth are very different than the rules of business storytelling. (Or that’s my …