Hello {{first_name}} ,

↓ When you see this photo - do you see fear… or a smile? ↓

We rarely see the fear in others, even when it's there. I remind people of this often when they tell me they feel uncomfortable telling stories, especially in the workplace.

Yet growth lives in that uncomfortable space.

On this day, I was telling one of the most embarrassing stories of my life on a stage in a New York City theater. I hadn't told anyone I was doing it - except one person who came to watch.

It started at Yale's Women's Leadership Program, where for more than a decade I've facilitated women to set bold goals (the kind that create butterflies). During one session, I set one of my own.

My goal: increase confidence in my authentic story and voice. I mapped milestones that would eventually lead to a TED stage. 

One early step? Tell an embarrassing personal story in front of a live audience.

So I did the thing. Wrote the story. Got coaching. Applied. Got accepted. Showed up.

It wasn't perfect. But the audience laughed, cheered, and stayed with me. 

When I walked off that stage, I felt more myself than ever before.

That one high-pressure moment on stage led to now, two TEDx talks - and a conviction that storytelling is a critical and underused leadership tool.

Stories move people and make ideas stick. They build trust and connection. And, most of all, stories give us a voice to share with others.

If this past year has taught me anything - especially with my father's passing - it's that life is short. So find the signature stories you want to share. And walk on that stage.

Last summer, a client asked me to deliver a session for leaders on storytelling that inspires action and commitment. It prompted me to pull together everything I’ve learned along the way into a new, experiential workshop.

Here's what happens in the room: leaders learn a methodology for writing an effective story that can be shared in as little as 45 seconds. We craft signature stories together, then work on the art of delivery.

Leaders discover how a single signature story can be deployed across dozens of scenarios - team rallying, board presentations, change management, inspiring new thinking, you name it.

People walk in uncomfortable with the idea of sharing something personal and walk out saying, "I didn't know I had a story worth telling." They do. Every leader does.

More and more organizations are asking for this, and for good reason: leaders who master storytelling are the ones who most effectively lead change.

Want to bring this to your team? I'm booking signature story sessions for Q2. Set up a call →

That's it for March

If you have a story you've been sitting on - or if you want to find one - just reply. I'd love to hear it.

In partnership,