storyOS

S08 E30: STORY 2025 Highlights, Favorite Moments & Season Finale

Istoria — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 05:00:00 -0600

In this season finale, Harris, Kate and Michael reflect on STORY 2025, and the transformative experience of storytelling events, emphasizing the importance of environment and creativity in engaging audiences. The discussion highlights how changes in format and atmosphere can lead to moments of awe and wonder, creating lasting impressions on attendees.

In their reflective conversation, they cover topics like:

The experience of storytelling can be profoundly transformative.
Environment plays a crucial role in shaping audience engagement.
Creativity in format can lead to unexpected and delightful experiences.
Moments of awe can significantly enhance the storytelling experience.
Collaboration with creative individuals can elevate the overall atmosphere.
The impact of storytelling is often felt through shared community experiences.
Visual elements can create a sense of wonder and engagement.
Tweaking traditional formats can lead to innovative storytelling.
Audience reactions can be a powerful indicator of success.
Creating memorable experiences requires attention to detail and creativity.

Get on the STORY 2025 waitlist by visiting: https://story2026.com
Learn more about Istoria by visiting: https://istoria.com

S08 E29: The Power of Leading an Intentional Family Story

Istoria — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 05:00:00 -0600

In this episode of the Story OS Podcast, hosts Michael McRay and Harris III discuss the importance of leadership within the family unit, emphasizing the need for intentionality and proactive engagement. They explore how family dynamics can mirror organizational leadership, the role of children in shaping family vision, and the integration of work and family life. The conversation also touches on the American dream and its implications for modern family structures, ultimately advocating for a more unified approach to leadership that includes all family members. In this conversation, we cover some key takeaways such as:

Leadership starts at home and is essential for family dynamics.
Intentionality is key in maintaining healthy family relationships.
Children can provide valuable insights and wisdom in family decisions.
Proactive leadership in families can lead to better outcomes.
Integrating work and family life is more effective than balancing them.
Storytelling is a powerful tool in leadership and family engagement.
Vision casting helps families align on shared goals and values.
The American dream may not serve modern family needs effectively.
Including children in decision-making fosters a sense of belonging.
Leadership and creativity are intertwined, driving positive change.

Coming Up Soon

Living Room Leadership Summit - November 13 (virtual event from 10am-5pm EST, with a special family session at 8pm EST)
Register today at livingroomleadershipsummit.com !

Resources Mentioned

Get Living Room Leadership by Brittany and Geoff Anderson (available now!)

S08 E28: Living Room Leadership with Brittany and Geoff Anderson

Istoria — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 06:00:00 -0600

Tune in this week as Michael McRay welcomes Brittany and Geoff Anderson, co-authors of brand new book Living Room Leadership and founders of Renala, for a conversation about why world-changing leadership begins at home. The Andersons share their powerful story of a marriage that nearly ended in 2019 during Geoff's time as an Air Force One pilot, and how coaching - not traditional therapy - helped them challenge the stories they were telling themselves and rebuild their relationship. Rather than letting that fracture define their future, they discovered that family is the most vital leadership training ground and created a coaching program that helps families co-create vision, values, and rhythms using research-backed tools and playful practices. Their approach focuses on the entire family system - not just individuals or couples. Renala helps parents and children understand their unique strengths, build shared mission and vision statements, and practice saying yes to each other. In this episode, they also discuss:

Why 98% of children test as creative geniuses but only 2% of adults retain that genius
How understanding that weaknesses are often just overused strengths can transform family dynamics and build compassion for each other
Why play activates up to 80% of the brain compared to just 15% for talking alone
How creating a family mission and vision statement provides the same clarity and direction that thrives in business and military environments

Coming Up Soon

Living Room Leadership Summit - November 13 (virtual event from 10am-5pm EST, with a special family session at 8pm EST)
Register today at livingroomleadershipsummit.com !

Resources Mentioned

Get Living Room Leadership by Brittany and Geoff Anderson (available now!)
Renala
Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment

S08 E27: World-Changing Leadership Begins at Home

Istoria — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 06:00:00 -0500

In this week's episode, Michael McRay sets the table for next week's conversation with Brittany and Geoff Anderson, authors of Living Room Leadership. After his divorce, Michael crafted a framed set of commitments that define how he and his son show up together. This episode explores the radical but simple claim that world-changing leadership begins at home, and that the tools we treat as normal at work - vision, mission, values - matter even more in our living rooms. Michael introduces key themes from next week's conversation: moving from deficit to strength-based family culture, understanding families as systems rather than just individuals, and reclaiming play as a leadership technology that accelerates learning and disarms defensiveness. In this episode, Michael also shares:

How to shift from organizing family life around what's wrong to organizing around what's already strong
Why individual growth isn't enough if the family system doesn't change with you
How excavating your story requires gentle patience, slowly uncovering what pain and shame have buried beneath the surface
Why the person you are at home is the person you are

Coming Up Soon

Join us for next week's episode as Brittany and Geoff Anderson talk on their new book, Living Room Leadership
Order Living Room Leadership for yourself - available now!

S08 E26: The Wild Way

Istoria — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 06:00:00 -0500

Michael McRay welcomes listeners into a different kind of episode - a celebration of his fifth book, The Wild Way: Navigating the Space Between the Old Story and the New, releasing today. Tune in for an intimate invitation into the heart of a project years in the making, born from more than a decade of coaching conversations, story facilitation, and personal notes from the dark forest. Michael reads from the opening pages of the book, sharing the concept of the wild twin - the exiled, instinctual part of ourselves that knows the way into the woods, the part we sent away for being too much, too loud, too alive. In this episode, Michael also shares:

The inspiration behind the title The Wild Way
How the book's dispatches function as reports from someone who's been in the thick of it, and found paths through
What the "worthy if wanted" narrative is and how it keeps us chasing validation by tying our worth to whether others choose us
Why your story needs patience while carefully uncovering truths buried beneath pain and shame

Resources Mentioned

Michael's new book The Wild Way: Navigating the Space Between the Old Story and the New is available now! Get your copy today!

S08 E25: The Sacredness of Story

Istoria — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 06:00:00 -0500

This week, Michael McRay and Harris III gather for a raw, timely conversation about what it means to treat story as sacred in a world that has reduced it to formulas and frameworks. Reflecting on last week's interview with Kaitlin Curtice and her new book Everything is a Story, they explore why their conference is simply called "STORY" - a deliberate choice to reclaim storytelling from the creative class and awaken everyone to their inherent creativity and narrative power. The conversation confronts the cultural moment we're living in: a world where rage has replaced nuance, where social media algorithms feed us dopamine hits of outrage, and where we've lost the ability to sit at tables with people who think differently. In this episode, they also discuss:

Why we must resist the urge to "master" storytelling and instead, approach it with the humility and care we would give any sacred thing
How single stories strip away nuance and dehumanize, while wise stories hold paradox and complexity
Why leaders must audit their vocabulary and choose words carefully to avoid weaponizing language
Why choosing narrative agency over apathy is how we stop the descent of disagreement to demonization

Coming Up:

Michael's new book The Wild Way: Navigating the Space Between the Old Story and the New is available October 21st - order now for over $500 in pre-order bonuses!

Resources Mentioned:

Kaitlin Curtice's new book Everything is a Story
The Danger of a Single Story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

S08 E24: Everything is a Story with Kaitlin Curtice

Istoria — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 06:00:00 -0500

This week, Michael McRay welcomes award-winning author and poet Kaitlin Curtice to celebrate the launch of her new book, Everything is a Story. Curtice, an enrolled citizen of the Potawatomi Nation, explores how narrative drives all human behavior and shapes our identities, beliefs, and relationships. The conversation weaves through Indigenous wisdom, spirituality, and the profound recognition that stories aren't just things we tell - they are living beings that we participate with and that fundamentally shape how we experience the world. Curtice shares her journey through health challenges leading up to the book launch, the vulnerability of putting creative work into the world, and why she chose the metaphor of an oak tree's life cycle to structure her exploration of storytelling. In this episode, they also discuss:

How oral storytelling traditions differ from written narratives and why stories should be understood as living beings with their own essence
Why Curtice categorizes stories as liminal, loving, or lethal, and how to recognize which stories we're living
How linear versus cyclical storytelling reflects different worldviews, particularly between Western and Indigenous approaches to narrative
Why the practice of "mastering" storytelling misses the point—we need humility and care in our relationship with stories, not dominance

Resources Mentioned:

Get Kaitlin Curtice's new book Everything is a Story
Join The Circle
Preorder Michael McRay's new book The Wild Way

S08 E23: Stories That Root, Stories That Release

Istoria — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 06:00:00 -0500

Michael McRay prepares listeners for his upcoming conversation with Kaitlin Curtice, award-winning author and Potawatomi Nation citizen, whose new book Everything is a Story explores how stories root in our bodies, beliefs, and behaviors. Michael reflects on Kaitlin's framework of stories as lethal, loving, or liminal - categories that he argues aren't separate buckets but overlapping truths within the same narrative. Michael demonstrates how a single story can simultaneously hold hope and futility, love and obedience, connection and violence. Michael challenges the notion that we lose stories we didn't choose, examining how narratives handed down through family, church, and culture take root before we even recognize them as stories. He introduces the parable of the man building a house in a field who trapped insects inside by adding windows - a metaphor for how stories get locked into our forming brains during childhood and require intentional work to shift. In this episode, he also discusses:

How Kaitlin's book structure mirrors a tree's growth cycle from seed to mature tree to seed again, reflecting story's circular nature
Why the transformative work of story requires spiritual slowness and presence rather than rushing toward resolution
How narrative intelligence means holding complexity and recognizing stories aren't tidy but textured, tangled, and true in layers

Coming Up:

Tune in for Michael's conversation with Kaitlin Curtice next week
LOW TICKET ALERT - less than 25 tickets available! STORY 2025 - October 9th and 10th in Nashville, TN at the Schermerhorn (use code PODCAST100 for $100 your ticket!)
Michael's book The Wild Way: Navigating the Space Between the Old Story and the New releasing in October - preorder today!
Becoming Restoried

S08 E22: The Narrative of Emotions

Istoria — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 06:00:00 -0500

Tune in as Michael McRay and Harris III explore the complex relationship between emotions and storytelling, diving into whether we're primarily emotional beings who tell stories, or story beings who experience emotions. Harris shares how his childhood survival mechanism of entertaining others to manage their emotional states shaped his career path, while Michael reflects on his "emotions epiphany" through Karla McLaren's work. They challenge the common phrase "story follows state," arguing instead for a circular relationship where stories create emotional states and emotional states influence the stories we tell ourselves. Their conversation examines how both emotions and imagination remain active throughout our lives, even when redirected toward anxiety and catastrophizing rather than creative expression. In this episode, they also discuss:

How the Irish language recognizes emotions as temporary states ("there is sadness on me") rather than permanent identities ("I am sad")
Why understanding emotions as intelligent messengers rather than problems to solve transforms our relationship with difficult feelings
How worry represents a misuse of imagination
Why anxious people possess valuable scenario-planning superpowers for creative problem-solving

Coming Up Soon

LOW TICKET ALERT! STORY 2025 - October 9th and 10th in Nashville, TN at the Schermerhorn (use code PODCAST100 for $100 your ticket!)
Experiential Narrative Practice certification training - October 6th-8th
Conversation with Kaitlin Curtice
Michael's book "The Wild Way: Navigating the Space Between the Old Story and the New" releasing in October

Resources Mentioned

Karla McLaren
Don't Believe Everything You Think
Enjoying these conversations? Join The Circle!

S08 E21: The Intelligent Messengers Within with Karla McLaren (pt. 2)

Istoria — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 06:00:00 -0500

Join Michael McRay as he continues his conversation with emotional researcher Karla McLaren, diving deeper into how emotions serve as guides rather than problems to solve. Karla explains that when emotions feel overwhelming, it's often about our lack of skills to work with them rather than the intensity itself. She reframes depression as an intelligent system that removes energy to redirect us from destructive paths. Their conversation reveals how toxic positivity isolates those experiencing intense emotions, while slightly depressed people often see reality more clearly than eternally optimistic ones. Karla introduces "narrative completion"—how witnessing recovery and resolution is essential for healing, from trauma workers to personal relationships. In this episode, they also discuss:

How to distinguish healthy internal shame from toxic external shaming messages
Why intense emotions often indicate disconnection from parts of ourselves that need healing
How narrative completion helps heal trauma and unfinished emotional business
Why we're drawn to serial stories during times of cultural uncertainty

Coming Up Soon

LOW TICKET ALERT! STORY 2025 - October 9th and 10th in Nashville, TN at the Schermerhorn (use code PODCAST100 for $100 your ticket!)
Experiential Narrative Practice certification training - October 6th-8th
Michael's book "The Wild Way: Navigating the Space Between the Old Story and the New" releasing in October

Resources Mentioned

Karla McLaren
Embracing Anxiety, The Art of Empathy and The Language of Emotions
Empathy Academy
Enjoying these conversations? Join The Circle!

If you or your loved one is experiencing suicidal ideation, please contact a mental health professional as soon as possible and seek help. You are not alone. If you are experiencing a mental health, suicide, or substance use crisis, or any other emotional distress, call or text 988 or chat online at 988lifeline.org/chat.

S08 E20: Purpose Behind Every Emotion with Karla McLaren (pt. 1)

Istoria — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 06:00:00 -0500

Michael McRay welcomes Karla McLaren, award-winning author and emotional researcher whose work has fundamentally reshaped how many understand inner life and emotional intelligence. Karla shares how her journey into emotions began not as academic pursuit but as survival. When severe childhood abuse left her with intense emotions that no one around her would acknowledge or discuss, Karla was forced to decode the language of emotions on her own. This conversation challenges fundamental assumptions about emotions, particularly the myth of "positive" versus "negative" feelings. They explore how gender stereotypes allow men anger but punish them for it, while women can express sadness but face consequences for that too. The discussion reveals how most people can instantly recall emotion-shaming messages but struggle to remember any emotion-welcoming ones, highlighting our culture's fundamental discomfort with feelings. In this episode, they also discuss:

How Karla learned to study emotions like a language, observing patterns across humans and animals to understand what triggers each emotion and how beings respond
Why the categories of "positive" and "negative" emotions miss the point
The critical distinction between healthy shame that arises internally to maintain our values versus toxic shame imposed from outside that creates impossible standards
How anxiety combines with panic in "panxiety" during high-stress situations

Coming Up Soon

Part two with Karla McLaren, researcher and author of "The Art of Empathy" and "The Language of Emotions"
STORY 2025 - October 9th and 10th in Nashville, TN at the Schermerhorn (use code PODCAST100 for $100 your ticket)
Experiential Narrative Practice certification training - October 6th-8th
Michael's book "The Wild Way: Navigating the Space Between the Old Story and the New" releasing in October

Resources Mentioned

Karla McLaren
Embracing Anxiety, The Art of Empathy and The Language of Emotions
Empathy Academy
Enjoying these conversations? Join The Circle!

S08 E19: The Internal Navigation of Storytelling

Istoria — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 06:00:00 -0500

In preparation for his upcoming two-part conversation with emotional researcher and author Karla McLaren, Michael McRay explores why emotions are the fundamental architecture of all storytelling. Drawing from his work with David Hutchins in the Storytelling Leader program, Michael addresses the common pitfall of leaders who shy away from emotion in their stories, mistakenly believing that emotional storytelling means crying in front of their teams. Michael shares how Karla's work revolutionized his understanding that every emotion exists because we need it - fear as a signal, sadness as a release, anger as an alarm, and shame as an alignment check. He challenges the common emotional trinity of "happy, mad, and sad" and advocates for emotional fluency as both a survival skill and essential component of narrative intelligence. In this episode, he also discusses:

How emotion serves as the GPS of narrative, telling us where we are in a story and what matters most
The revolutionary concept that there are no positive or negative emotions
Why viewing emotions as trustworthy guides instead of obstacles to overcome changes how we navigate the narratives of our lives
How emotional language reveals the invisible threads that connect events into stories we can feel and relate to

Coming Up Soon

A two-part conversation with Karla McLaren, researcher and author of "The Art of Empathy" and "The Language of Emotions"
STORY 2025 - October 9th and 10th in Nashville, TN at the Schermerhorn (use code PODCAST100 for $100 your ticket)
Experiential Narrative Practice certification training - October 6th-8th
Michael's book "The Wild Way: Navigating the Space Between the Old Story and the New" releasing in October

Resources Mentioned

S08 E18: Failure as Your Origin Story

Istoria — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 06:00:00 -0500

In today's episode, Michael McRay and Harris III dive deep into how we define success and failure, exploring whether our culture's focus on mental health has inadvertently reduced our resilience. Their conversation examines the pendulum swing from necessary trauma awareness to potentially over-labeling every difficulty as trauma, and how this impacts our ability to navigate the inevitable failures that come with building a business or pursuing meaningful goals. Harris shares insights from his work with purpose-driven entrepreneurs who often struggle when their well-intentioned efforts don't yield immediate results, while Michael reflects on Jordan Geary's concept of "failure as origin story." Drawing from Michael's upcoming book "The Wild Way," they explore how success might be better defined as "any action in service of the story you want to live" rather than arrival at predetermined destinations. In this episode, they also discuss:

Why increased mental health awareness may be unintentionally reducing our capacity to navigate ordinary challenges and setbacks
How redefining success as maintaining "integrity of direction" rather than perfect arrival can transform our relationship with both achievement and setbacks
Why the journey toward goals creates the character and capacity needed to handle the responsibility that comes with achieving them
The distinction between nurturing children and affirming everything they think or feel

Coming Up Soon

STORY 2025 - Oct. 9th and 10th in Nashville, TN at the Schermerhorn (use code PODCAST100 for $100 your ticket)
Experiential Narrative Practice certification training - October 6th-8th
Michael's book "The Wild Way: Navigating the Space Between the Old Story and the New" releasing in October

Resources Mentioned

Jordan Geary
@TheJordanGeary on YouTube and Instagram
Becoming Restoried
Join The Circle

S08 E17: Stepping Into Your Own Story with Jordan Geary

Istoria — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 06:00:00 -0500

This week, Michael McRay sits down with Jordan Geary, Emmy Award-winning creative producer and executive at Sesame Workshop who has spent over 20 years crafting stories for children and families through beloved shows like Sesame Street's Mecha Builders, Ghostwriter, and Helpsters. After ten years at Sesame, Jordan has discovered his new mission: helping people shift their perspective from feeling like extras in their own lives to recognizing themselves as the heroes of their personal stories. This conversation explores how children's content teaches us about the power of personal stakes in storytelling, why kids are far smarter than adults give them credit for, and how the future of media will continue moving toward giving audiences more agency and curation. In this episode, they also discuss:

How the best stories focus on personal stakes rather than world-ending scenarios
Why the most anticipated achievements often matter less than the relationships and people who witness them with us
How rejection and failure can reveal what we must accomplish in our lives versus what we simply want to achieve
How simple acts of play can restore the creative joy that adult seriousness often suppresses

Coming Up Soon

STORY 2025 - Oct. 9th and 10th in Nashville, TN at the Schermerhorn (use code PODCAST100 for $100 your ticket)

Resources Mentioned

Jordan Geary
@TheJordanGeary on YouTube and Instagram
Becoming Restoried
Join The Circle

S08 E16: Becoming Better Stories

Istoria — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 06:00:00 -0500

Michael McRay reflects on the profound idea that "self-authorship is a sacred act" and explores what it means to move from simply telling stories to becoming better stories. Drawing from his own experience growing up in the church, Michael examines how so many of us have lived inside stories written by others - whether by religious institutions, cultural systems, or societal expectations. He shares his personal journey of recognizing that his sensitivity wasn't a weakness but a signal that the internalized stories weren't the whole truth. This solo episode is preparation for his upcoming conversation with Emmy-winning producer Jordan Geary, who has spent decades creating transformative stories for children and families through shows like Sesame Street. Michael introduces his framework of four limiting stories - self-doubt, victim, self-defeating, and avoidance - and explains how the goal isn't to delete painful narratives but to integrate them into a fifth story that transforms pain into purpose. In this episode, he also discusses:

Why recovering from systems that diminish voices requires redefining our understanding of wisdom and worth
The distinction between becoming better storytellers versus becoming better stories ourselves
How sensitivity and being "too much" can serve as signals that we're living someone else's script rather than our own authentic narrative
Why storytelling becomes one of the most radical acts of emotional resilience when we claim our pain through narration

Coming Up Soon

Conversation with Jordan Geary, Emmy-winning creative producer
STORY 2025 - Oct. 9th and 10th in Nashville, TN at the Schermerhorn (use code PODCAST100 for $100 your ticket)

Resources Mentioned

S08 E15: The Currency of Human Connection

Istoria — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 06:00:00 -0500

Michael McRay reconnects with Harris III to unpack the conversation with Pádraig Ó Tuama and explore the broader implications of moving from an information age to a wisdom based economy. They dive into how artificial intelligence is making information abundant and cheap, while wisdom becomes increasingly rare and valuable. Harris argues that as AI makes it harder to trust anything we see on screens, people will crave authentic, in-person human experiences - exactly the kind that storytelling provides. Their conversation examines empathy as a crucial component of narrative intelligence, but they also explore its shadow side, questioning whether our culture's elevation of emotions above all else might actually hinder productive action. In this episode, they also discuss:

How the shift from knowledge-based to wisdom-based economies makes storytelling an essential future-proofing skill
Why artificial intelligence will increase demand for authentic human connection and face-to-face storytelling experiences
The distinction between emotions being "true" but not always "real"
How empathy can become a way to bypass our own emotional experiences rather than enhance our capacity for genuine connection

Coming Up Soon

STORY 2025 - Oct. 9th and 10th in Nashville, TN at the Schermerhorn (use code PODCAST100 for $100 your ticket)

Resources Mentioned

S08 E14: Stories For the Sake of Stories with Pádraig Ó Tuama

Istoria — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0500

Michael McRay sits down with his longtime friend Pádraig Ó Tuama, the Irish poet, theologian, conflict mediator, and storyteller who has profoundly shaped Michael's approach to narrative intelligence over their decade-long friendship. Their rich conversation explores the delicate balance between fostering empathy through story while recognizing that mandatory empathy rarely works. Pádraig shares how his work in communities with people from both sides of the Irish border taught him that storytelling isn't inherently good - it's power that can either liberate or control. He also reflects on his years leading Ireland's oldest peace and reconciliation organization, and discusses the origins of Tenx9, the community storytelling night he co-founded in Belfast. In this episode, they also discuss:

How stories reveal hidden layers and deeper truths when we resist the urge to explain their meaning
Why "some people's theories are other people's traumas" serves as a reminder that our ideas always land somewhere on someone's body
The recognition that most people do what seems reasonable to them at the time, and how this perspective can foster empathy
How "the author of the story cannot control a story's power to reveal"
- Terrence Tilley

Coming Up Soon

STORY 2025 - Oct. 9th and 10th in Nashville, TN at the Schermerhorn (use code PODCAST100 for $100 your ticket!)

Resources Mentioned

Pádraig Ó Tuama
- Specifically mentioned In the Shelter: Finding a Home in the World
Poetry Unbound Podcast (with On Being Studios)
Tenx9 Storytelling Community
Join The Circle
Applied Narrative Intelligence Certification

S08 E13: The Practice of Narrative Humility

Istoria — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0500

This week, Michael McRay prepares listeners for his upcoming conversation with Pádraig Ó Tuama, the Irish poet, theologian, conflict mediator, and storyteller who has profoundly shaped Michael's approach to story work over their long friendship. This episode introduces the concept of narrative humility - the practice of remembering that no matter how good a story is (even your own) it doesn't tell the whole truth. Michael explores how our impulse to quickly moralize stories or force neat conclusions actually limits their transformative power. Through examples ranging from a retreat participant's mountain rescue story to the tragic tale of physician Ignaz Semmelweis, Michael demonstrates how our attachment to certain narratives can blind us to deeper truths and alternative perspectives. In this episode, he also discusses:

How narrative humility differs from narrative intelligence, and why both are essential for transformative storytelling
The power of asking "what must the story be that would make this behavior feel reasonable?" when facing conflict or confusion
Why treating stories as windows rather than weapons allows them to do their deepest work of transformation
How letting stories breathe without interpretation allows them to uncover riches we never saw before

Coming Up Soon

Tune in next week as Pádraig Ó Tuama joins the storyOS podcast
STORY 2025 - Oct. 9th and 10th in Nashville, TN at the Schermerhorn (use code PODCAST100 for $100 your ticket!)

Resources Mentioned

S08 E12: Agency Is Always an Option

Istoria — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0500

To unpack the incredible conversation with researcher Ben Rogers about his groundbreaking research on the hero's journey framework, Harris III rejoins Michael McRay. They explore how understanding our lives as unfolding stories, rather than just random events, has implications for reducing anxiety, increasing contentment, and building resilience. Michael and Harris examine about how Ben's research validates what they've long believed: that the stories we tell ourselves fundamentally shape our physiology, our choices, and our capacity for growth. In this episode, they also discuss:

How redemptive versus contaminated narratives determine our capacity for leadership, meaningful relationships, and overall flourishing
Why narrative agency is always an option, even when life feels completely out of control
The connection between cynicism and fear
How simple language shifts like adding "yet" to our self-talk can transform contaminated narratives into redemptive ones

Coming Up Soon

STORY 2025 - Oct. 9th and 10th in Nashville, TN at the Schermerhorn

Resources Mentioned

S08 E11: The Hero's Journey with Dr. Ben Rogers

Istoria — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0500

Michael McRay sits down with Dr. Ben Rogers, a researcher at Boston College, to explore his groundbreaking research proving that people who view their lives through the hero's journey framework experience measurably greater meaning, resilience, and life satisfaction. They explore how growth mindset is really just a story we tell ourselves about our capacity to change. Dr. Rogers shares how his personal experiences shifted from finance to studying what makes life meaningful. Their conversation reveals how the narratives we tell ourselves about everything from workplace challenges to personal setbacks directly shape our well-being. In this episode, they also discuss:

How people who naturally see their lives as hero's journeys score higher on meaning, resilience, and life satisfaction
Why growth mindset versus fixed mindset are competing narratives about human potential
The seven research-backed elements of the hero's journey: protagonist, shift, quest, allies, challenge, transformation, and legacy
How a simple intervention can help people reframe their story and experience measurable benefits to well-being

Coming Soon

STORY 2025: October 9-10 in Nashville, Tennessee at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center (use code PODCAST100)

Resources Mentioned

Dr. Ben Rogers: Hero's Journey Assessment
Becoming Restoried
What to expand your narrative intelligence? Join The Circle!
Istoria Collective

S08 E10: The Character You're Becoming

Istoria — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0500

What if the key to resilience isn't changing your circumstances, but changing how you see your story? Michael McRay takes listeners through the profound idea that you are a character in a story—and how you understand your role and arc might be one of the most important frames you ever adopt. Drawing on Joseph Campbell's hero's journey and upcoming research from Dr. Ben Rogers, Michael reveals how people who view their lives through mythic storytelling frameworks report greater meaning, resilience, and well-being. In this episode, he also discusses:

How the hero's journey framework increases resilience and reduces anxiety when applied to personal life
Why challenges aren't signs you're off track—they're the exact terrain of transformation
How stepping outside familiar contexts allows us to recognize patterns we couldn't see before
Michael's Restoried Roadmap: moving from now story through wound story and no story to new story

Coming Up Soon

Next Week's Episode: Dr. Ben Rogers on his hero's journey research and workplace meaning
STORY Conference 2025: October 9-10 in Nashville, Tennessee (use discount code PODCAST100 for $100 off!)

Resources Mentioned:

S08 E09: The Space Between Stories

Istoria — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 06:00:00 -0500

Michael McRay welcomes back Harris III for a fascinating exploration of vulnerability, wonder, and influence. Harris shares a powerful story about performing a trick at a conference, then doing something radical—he simply stopped talking. The result? Thirty different people found thirty different meanings, each more profound than anything he could have prescribed. They explore Lisa Cron's framework for narrative influence and why you can't just give someone a transformation—you have to understand their starting point. In this episode, Michael and Harris also discuss:

Why vulnerability feels dangerous to leaders and how it's actually the key to connection
The neuroscience of wonder and how awe literally opens our minds to new possibilities
Lisa Cron's misbelief-truth-realization-transformation framework for influence
How magic tricks prove we can be easily deceived and why that matters for storytellers

Coming Up Soon

Tenx9: June 30th in Nashville, Tennessee
STORY Conference 2025: October 9-10 in Nashville, Tennessee (use discount code PODCAST100 for $100 off!)

Resources Mentioned

S08 E08: The Neuroscience of Story with Lisa Cron

Istoria — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 06:00:00 -0500

What if everything you think you know about emotion and decision-making is backwards? Michael McRay sits down with Lisa Cron, the brilliant mind behind "Wired for Story" and "Story or Die," to unpack the revolutionary science showing that emotion isn't the enemy of logic—it's actually running the show. Lisa reveals how her fascination with story began in the most unlikely place: analyzing subway advertisements during her daily commute in New York, studying which ones made her want to buy versus which ones made her roll her eyes. This conversation demolishes the myth that we're rational beings who sometimes feel, exposing the truth that we're feeling beings who rationalize everything. Lisa explains why your brain treats every story like virtual reality and why vulnerability isn't just nice to have in storytelling—it's the neurological key that unlocks human connection. In this episode, they discuss:

How emotion functions as the brain's decision-making system, not an obstacle to rational thought
Why vulnerability is essential for creating connection and trust in any story
How story serves as humanity's first virtual reality system for survival learning
Why specific details create universal connection while generalities lose audiences entirely

Coming Up Soon

STORY Conference 2025: October 9-10 in Nashville, Tennessee

Resources Mentioned

Lisa Cron: "Wired for Story," "Story Genius," and "Story or Die"
Istoria.com

S08 E07: Story is Your OS

Istoria — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 06:00:00 -0500

Tune in as Michael McRay kicks off a new three-part series exploring the wiring of the human brain and why we fall for certain stories while resisting others. He dives into the concept that story isn't just something we tell—it's the invisible operating system running in the background of our entire lives, shaping what we believe, fear, and think is possible. Michael uses the famous 1938 "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast as a compelling example of how well-structured stories bypass rational filters and spark visceral responses because our nervous system doesn't distinguish between narrative and experience. In this episode, he discusses:

How narrative functions as the invisible code shaping our decisions and beliefs
Why we hold onto beliefs that helped us cope but no longer help us grow
How the body reacts to narrative as if it were real experience
Why recognizing our stories is essential for human flourishing rather than just academic exercise

Reflection Prompts

What's a belief that you carry that might just be a story you learned to survive?
What kind of character have you cast yourself as—the hero, the helper, the outsider?
What narrative did your family hand you? What narrative have you chosen instead?
Where might you be living someone else's script?
If you could re-story your story, where would you start?

Coming Up Soon

Next Episode: Tune in as Lisa Cron, author of "Wired for Story," joins the storyOS podcast!
STORY 2025 Conference - October 9 and 10, 2025

Resources Mentioned

S08 E06: Never Waste a Good Crisis

Istoria — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 06:00:00 -0500

Harris III rejoins Michael to explore Selena Garefino's transformative insights about how our bodies store and process the stories of our lives, and why traditional approaches to healing often fall short. They dive deep into the intersection of story and body, exploring how the body functions as the unconscious mind, processing millions of bits of data while our conscious awareness handles a limited amount. The conversation weaves through powerful examples of experiential work, from toxic team dynamics shifting through play, or retreat participants reconnecting with childhood purpose through embodied timeline exercises. In this episode, they discuss:

The body as unconscious mind, and understanding how our nervous system processes information beyond conscious awareness
Why traditional talk therapy has limitations for trauma and transformation
How challenges become wisdom when we don't avoid the learning

Coming Up Soon

Lisa Cron, author of "Wired for Story"
Experiential Narrative Practice Certification: June 20-22 (October training options available)
STORY 2025 Conference (Use code PODCAST100 for $100 off!) - October 9 and 10, 2025

Resources Mentioned

Special Offer: Podcast listeners get $100 off STORY 2025 with code PODCAST100
Applied Narrative Intelligence Certification: Currently in second cohort
Becoming Restored: 12-week experiential program for narrative reconciliation
Istoria Website

S08 E05: The Body Keeps the Story With Selena Garefino

Istoria — Tue, 27 May 2025 06:00:00 -0500

Michael McRay sits down with Selena Garefino, an internationally renowned yoga teacher, storyteller, and somatic coach. Selena weaves together yoga, mythology, anthropology, and coaching into a transformative practice that recognizes how stories live not just in our minds, but in our bodies. They explore how the subconscious mind receives story through sensation, how myth becomes a map for healing, and how returning to the body can help us re-author inherited meanings. Selena shares her profound wisdom about "never wasting a good crisis" and how good wine comes from stressed grapes. This spacious, grounded conversation reveals how embodied storytelling can be a pathway to healing trauma, navigating grief, and embracing our full dimensional humanity.

Coming Up Soon

Next Episode: Harris III returns to reflect on this conversation with Selena Garefino
Experiential Narrative Practice Certification Training: June 20-22 in Nashville, Tennessee
STORY 2025: October 9th and 10th 2025 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, Tennessee

Resources Mentioned

Learn more about Selena Garefino
"Women Who Run with the Wolves" by Clarissa Pinkola Estés
"The Body Keeps the Score" by Bessel van der Kolk
Istoria Website
Instagram: @istoria_studio
Email: wonder@istoria.com

S08 E04: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Transformation

Istoria — Tue, 20 May 2025 06:00:00 -0500

In this episode, Michael McRay introduces his upcoming conversation with Selena Garefino, a somatic storytelling practitioner who weaves yoga, storytelling, anthropology, and coaching into a transformative practice. As a prelude to their full interview, Michael shares the ancient Germanic tale of the Handless Maiden - a powerful story about loss, transformation, and rebirth. Through this myth, Michael explores how stories live not just in our minds but in our bodies, and how disconnecting from our bodies often means losing access to the very stories we need for healing. This episode serves as a beautiful introduction to Selena's philosophy that we don't just tell stories - we carry them, embody them, and move through them as they move through us.

Coming Up Soon

Join next week for Michael's conversation with Selena Garefino
STORY 2025: October 9th and 10th 2025 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, Tennessee
Applied Narrative Intelligence: Istoria's certification program
Later this season: Lisa Cron, author of "Wired for Story"

Resources

Istoria Website
Instagram: @istoria_studio
Email: wonder@istoria.com
The Handless Maiden: Germanic folktale mentioned throughout the episode
Dr. Martin Shaw

S08 E03: The Motive Behind the Story

Istoria — Tue, 13 May 2025 07:15:00 -0500

Michael McRay welcomes back Harris III to discuss key insights from the conversation with Annette Simmons. Together, they explore the critical distinctions between influence and manipulation in storytelling, the importance of transparency and informed consent, and how confidence plays a role in effective leadership narratives. Harris shares wisdom from his background in magic and illusion, drawing parallels between ethical performance and ethical storytelling. The conversation delves into why allowing ourselves to be known is fundamental to building trust, and how leaders can share personal stories without oversharing.

Coming Up Soon

STORY 2025: October 9th and 10th 2025 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, Tennessee
Applied Narrative Intelligence: Istoria's certification program
On the podcast: Selena Garefino, a Somatic Storytelling Practitioner from Italy, who believes in "never wasting a good crisis."

Contact Information

Website: istoria.com
Instagram: @istoria_studio
Email: wonder@istoria.com

Tags: storytelling ethics, narrative intelligence, trust building, influence vs. manipulation, personal stories, confidence, leadership, Harris III, Michael McRay, Annette Simmons, significance emotional experience

S08 E02: The Portal to Wisdom with Annette Simmons

Istoria — Tue, 06 May 2025 07:49:36 -0500

Join the first interview of season 8, as Michael McRay sits down with Annette Simmons, author of the storytelling classic "The Story Factor" and several other influential books. Their conversation explores storytelling not as performance or persuasion, but as ethical leadership, presence, and the courage to hold complexity. Annette shares her journey into story work, explains her concept of the "six stories every leader needs to know how to tell," and discusses the difference between influence and exploitation. With decades of experience consulting for organizations including the US military and Fortune 500 companies, Annette offers profound wisdom about empathy as a superpower and how storytelling can be both "gold and lead, depending on how you use it."

Coming Up Soon

Next week, Harris will join Michael to reflect on this conversation with Annette Simmons, discussing practical applications of ethical storytelling and the importance of narrative intelligence in leadership.
STORY 2025: October 9th and 10th 2025 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, Tennessee
Applied Narrative Intelligence: Istoria's certification program

Resources

Annette Simmons
- The Story Factor
- Territorial Games
- A Safe Place for Dangerous Truths
- Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins
- Drinking from a Different Well
In the Shelter by Pádraig Ó Tuama
Website: istoria.com
Instagram: @istoria_studio
Email: wonder@istoria.com

Tags: narrative intelligence, storytelling, Annette Simmons, ethical leadership, empathy, The Story Factor, paradox, significant emotional experience, Michael McRay, Istoria Institute

S08 E01: A New Chapter for storyOS

Istoria — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 05:00:00 -0500

Meet Michael McRay as he steps into the host role and takes listeners on a personal journey through his path to narrative work. From his early storytelling for empathy building, through a successful yet unsatisfying corporate consulting career, to the pivotal TEDx talk that changed his direction, Michael shares how he discovered his true calling in helping people reconcile with their life stories. He details the creation of Becoming Restoried, and his eventual partnership with Harris to launch the Istoria Institute. With vulnerability and insight, Michael weaves his own narrative while introducing the foundation for the season: story is not just how we explain the world - story is the world.

Coming Up Soon

Upcoming Guests: Annette Simmons (author of "The Story Factor"), Lisa Cron (author of "Wired for Story" and "Story or Die") and Pádraig Ó Tuama (host of "Poetry Unbound" podcast)
STORY 2025: October 9th and 10th 2025 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, Tennessee
Applied Narrative Intelligence: Istoria's certification program

Contact Information

Website: istoria.com
Instagram: @istoria_studio
Email: wonder@istoria.com

Tags: narrative intelligence, storytelling, StoryOS, Michael McRay, Istoria Institute, Annette Simmons, Becoming Restoried, ethical leadership

Welcome to Season 8 of storyOS

Istoria — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Welcome to Season 8 of the storyOS podcast! In this season opener, Harris introduces Michael McRay as the new host of the podcast. Michael, who now heads the Istoria Institute, sits down with Harris to discuss the exciting vision for this season, which includes the new three-part episode format and an exciting lineup of future guests. As a seasoned storyteller with experience in coaching and facilitation, Michael brings a unique perspective to the storyOS podcast. He's excited to build on the foundation Harris has created while introducing listeners to new perspectives on narrative intelligence.

Coming Up Soon

Upcoming Guests: Lisa Cron (author of "Wired for Story" and "Story or Die"), Annette Simmons (author of "The Story Factor"), and Pádraig Ó Tuama (host of "Poetry Unbound" podcast)
STORY 2025: October 9th and 10th 2025 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, Tennessee
Applied Narrative Intelligence: Istoria's certification program

Contact Information

Website: istoria.com
Instagram: @istoria_studio
Email: wonder@istoria.com

Tags: narrative intelligence, storytelling, storyOS, Michael McRay, Istoria Institute, podcast format, Lisa Cron, Annette Simmons, Pádraig Ó Tuama, wisdom-based economy

The Future of storyOS: Building a Global Movement for Narrative Intelligence

Istoria — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 04:00:00 -0600

In this exciting season finale, Harris welcomes back Michael McRay to announce a groundbreaking initiative: the creation of the Istoria Institute, a global center for narrative intelligence. Learn how this new venture aims to transform the way we understand and apply storytelling through the world's first certification program in narrative intelligence, and discover how you can be part of this revolutionary movement. You'll learn:

What narrative intelligence is and how it differs from traditional storytelling approaches
Details about the three-level certification pathway in Applied Narrative Intelligence (including specializations in leadership, social change, and personal transformation)
How the storyOS methodology is being developed into practical applications for sales, leadership, and organizational change
Ways to join the growing global community of narrative practitioners through upcoming initiatives

Whether you are a leader, coach, therapist, or someone passionate about the power of story, this episode offers an inspiring glimpse into the future of narrative intelligence and how it can transform both personal and professional growth.

LINKS:

Beyond Basic Stories: Jason Locy on Creating Emotional Ownership Through Narrative

Istoria — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 04:00:00 -0600

In this final conversation with Jason Locy and Harris III, we'll explore how organizational storytelling differs from traditional storytelling and learn practical approaches for creating emotional ownership in your work. Tune in as we discover why most people don't naturally care about your organization and how to craft stories that genuinely resonate and support your larger narrative. You'll learn:

Why organizational stories require different approaches than campfire tales or movies
How to build narrative support systems through conversations, experiences, and content
Practical strategies for creating emotional resonance and differentiating your work
The importance of matching your story's ask with the appropriate stage of relationship

This episode offers valuable insights into crafting stories that go beyond basic storytelling to create genuine connection and lasting impact in your work, whether you're an entrepreneur, in leadership, or a creative professional.

LINKS:

Building Powerful Narratives: The Four Norms Framework with Jason Locy

Istoria — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 04:00:00 -0600

This second installment with Jason Locy, author of "Culture Bending Narratives," brings us into the practical frameworks for building organizational narratives that drive meaningful change. Discover how to move beyond surface-level storytelling to create deeper narratives that align with your organization's purpose and values. You'll learn:

How to use the Four Norms Framework (desires, mindsets, behaviors, and language) to evaluate and build your narrative
Understanding the three key strands that make up a powerful narrative: cultural, personal, and aspirational
Why tension between these narrative elements is necessary and how to harness it productively
Practical approaches to strategic planning that remain flexible in our rapidly changing world

Whether you're leading a large organization or building your personal brand, this episode provides concrete tools for crafting narratives that authentically reflect your values and drive positive change in the world.

LINKS:

The Power of Narrative: Jason Locy on Moving Past Stories to Create Meaningful Change

Istoria — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 04:00:00 -0600

In this illuminating conversation, host Harris III sits down with Jason Locy, founder of Five Stone agency and author of "Culture Bending Narratives," to explore the crucial distinction between storytelling and narrative in business and culture. Together, they unpack how organizations can move beyond simple storytelling to harness the transformative power of narrative to create meaningful change in the world. You'll learn:

The fundamental difference between stories and narratives, and why focusing solely on storytelling might be limiting your organization's impact
What makes an organization "culture-bending" through the three key characteristics: imaginative, interconnected, and generative
How to identify and challenge the dominant narratives that shape business decisions and organizational behavior
Why transcendence matters in business and marketing, and how to create narratives that inspire positive cultural change

Whether you're leading a large organization or building your own brand, this episode offers valuable insights into how deeper narrative work can transform not just how you communicate, but how you think about and structure your entire organization.

LINKS:

Embracing Your Inner Two-Year-Old: Writing with Wonder and Influence

Istoria — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 04:00:00 -0600

Join host Harris and Sarah Selecky, founder of Sarah Selecky Writing School, as they explore how embracing childlike curiosity and creative influences can transform your writing practice. In this final installment of their four-part series, Sarah shares profound insights about reconnecting with wonder and discovering inspiration in unexpected places. You'll learn:

How observing a child's genuine curiosity can lead to a breakthrough in your creative process
The concept of "writing under the influence" and how to intentionally learn from other writers
Practical tips for maintaining an influence journal to track your creative inspiration
Alternative storytelling structures beyond the traditional three-act format

Whether you're a writer or simply someone interested in living more creatively, this episode offers valuable perspectives on approaching your work with renewed wonder and openness to influence.

LINKS:

Beyond the Scroll: How White Space Changes Your Story and Your Life

Istoria — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 04:00:00 -0600

Writer and teacher Sarah Selecky explores the vital role of white space in creativity and life in this illuminating episode. Drawing from her experience as a Gen X creator straddling pre and post-social media worlds, she shares how intentional spaces away from digital noise can transform both our creative process and daily living. Sarah shares her personal experiment of taking a year-long social media hiatus while running an online business, demonstrating how reducing digital noise doesn't necessarily impact business growth. You'll learn:

How white space isn't just absence of activity - it's where processing, growth, and authentic creation happen
That most people encounter 4,000-10,000 messages daily, making intentional white space more crucial than ever
Small changes can create significant shifts in attention and creativity
Social media and digital platforms are designed to hijack attention through endless scrolling and engagement tactics

This episode offers particular value for writers, creators, and anyone seeking to cultivate more meaningful engagement with their work and life, showing how white space can be the key to unlocking both creativity and personal growth in our hyper-connected world. Join us for a conversation that delves into practical strategies for reclaiming attention and creating space for deeper wisdom to emerge.

LINKS:

Embracing Influence and Wonder: Sarah Selecky on Creative Curiosity

Istoria — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 04:00:00 -0600

In this illuminating conversation with Sarah Selecky, dive into the transformative power of embracing both childlike wonder and conscious influence in your creative work. Through a heartwarming story about a two-year-old's visit to her home, Sarah reveals how returning to a state of pure curiosity can revolutionize your creative process. In this episode, you'll learn:

How to recapture the genuine curiosity and wonder of childhood in your creative work
The power of keeping an "influence journal" and why tracking your influences matters
Why acknowledging inspiration from others strengthens rather than diminishes your work
Practical ways to integrate both childlike wonder and conscious influence into your creative practice

Tune in to learn why the harmonization of elements can be as powerful as conflict resolution in storytelling. You'll discover why acknowledging your influences strengthens rather than weakens your work, and learn about a fascinating alternative to Western storytelling structure that could transform how you approach narrative creation.

LINKS:

Writing as Transformation: Sarah Selecky on Story, Magic, and Creative Flow

Istoria — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Tune in to hear an intimate conversation with Sarah Selecky about the transformative power of writing and storytelling as host Harris III sits down with Selecky to explore why some stories feel transactional while others touch our souls. In this episode, you'll learn:

How to recognize when a story needs to be written versus when you're forcing it
Why personal development and creative expression are inherently linked
How to approach writing as a sacred practice rather than just a business tool
The importance of listening to your unconscious mind in the creative process

You'll also learn about the difference between writing for the market versus writing from inner necessity, discover how stories can actually write us, and understand why the creative process is as much about personal growth as it is about the final product. Whether you're an aspiring writer or simply someone who appreciates the craft of storytelling, this episode offers fresh insights into the magical relationship between creator and creation.

LINKS

Authenticity, Influence, and Purpose: Storytelling's Evolution in the Digital Era" Copy

Istoria — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 04:00:00 -0500

In this final episode with the Istoria team, you'll explore the evolution of storytelling in our digital age, focusing on its role in social media and brand communication. There is a shift from wanting curated, polished content to authenticity in social media - but this brings the challenge of balancing genuine storytelling with the pressures of social media influence. You'll learn:

How social media has contributed to storytelling becoming a buzzword
Why stories are vessels for meaning, not just tools for growth or manipulation
How to approach storytelling with integrity in both personal and professional contexts
The importance of having a clear point of view and using stories to convey meaningful messages

Whether you're a content creator, marketer, or simply interested in the power of storytelling, this episode offers valuable insights on navigating the complex landscape of digital narratives and maintaining authenticity in an era of influencers and buzzwords.

LINKS:

Stories Everywhere: Exploring the Broad Applicability of Narrative

Istoria — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Join Harris and two members from the Istoria team, Angie Kline and Ben Stewart, as they continue to unpack the reasons behind storytelling's buzzword status and its enduring application in our digital age. In this engaging discussion, you'll explore:

The unexpected ways storytelling manifests in our daily lives, from personal relationships to parenting
How narrative techniques can transform complex business concepts into accessible ideas
The evolution of emotional intelligence across generations and its impact on storytelling
The paradox of increased connectivity and rising loneliness in the digital era
Practical strategies for leveraging storytelling to foster genuine human connections

This episode challenges conventional thinking about storytelling, revealing its broad applicability beyond marketing and business. Whether you're a seasoned storyteller or new to the concept, you'll gain fresh perspectives on how narrative shapes our world and influences our interactions. Discover why storytelling isn't just a trend, but a fundamental aspect of human experience that's more crucial than ever in our technology-driven society.

Beyond the Buzzword: The Power of Storytelling

Istoria — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 04:00:00 -0500

In this episode, join Harris III and Istoria team members Ben Stewart and Angie Kline as they dive deep into the world of storytelling in business, and how the team applies it to the work they do on a daily basis. The team talks about why storytelling has become a buzzword and whether it's still relevant, as well as the difference between superficial storytelling and authentic brand narratives. You'll hear:

How Disney uses storytelling to create magical experiences for guests
Why every interaction, from marketing emails to customer service, tells a story
How nonprofits can use storytelling effectively without exploiting their causes
The importance of connecting through stories before focusing on conversions

If you're a marketing professional, business owner, or simply curious about the power of storytelling, this episode offers valuable insights into how stories shape our perceptions, influence behavior, and build lasting connections. Discover why storytelling isn't just a trend, but an essential skill for anyone looking to make an impact in today's business world.

Creative Leadership Reimagined: Lessons from Samantha and Aaron Edwards

Istoria — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 04:00:00 -0500

In this inspiring episode, you'll get a unique glimpse into the world of creative leadership through the eyes of siblings Samantha and Aaron Edwards, co-founders of the Charles Group. You'll learn:

The challenges and benefits of combining family dynamics with professional leadership
Strategies for bridging the gap between creative and business mindsets
How to create space for creativity in leadership and vice versa
The importance of transparency and caring leadership in building a strong team culture
Insights on their innovative "Family First" initiative and its impact on their company

This episode offers valuable lessons on fostering collaboration, communication, and mutual respect in creative enterprises, whether you're a creative professional, a business leader, or an entrepreneur wearing both hats. Discover how the Edwards siblings have turned potential conflicts into strengths, creating a thriving agency that values both creativity and effective leadership.

The Art of Accountability: Redefining Leadership for Personal and Professional Growth with Shane McKenzie

Istoria — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 04:00:00 -0500

In this final interview, Shane McKenzie dives deep into the often misunderstood concept of accountability in leadership. Both seasoned leaders or those simply interested in personal development will benefit from this episode. Listen as Harris III and Shane bring fresh perspective on leadership that can transform your approach to work and life. You'll learn:

How accountability isn't about punishing mistakes, but a powerful tool for personal and organizational growth
The importance of setting and modeling standards as a leader
The crucial difference between being accountable to others versus being accountable for them
Practical strategies for creating a culture of respect and influence, rather than manipulation

Join Harris III and Shane McKenzie as they close out this conversation, and share honest reflections on common leadership struggles and offer valuable insights to overcome them.

LINKS:

Curiosity Over Judgment: Shane McKenzie's Framework for Effective Leadership

Istoria — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 04:00:00 -0500

In this episode, Harris III and executive coach Shane McKenzie dive deeper into the critical role of communication in leadership. 70% of conversations are characterized by misunderstanding and misconception; Shane talks about practical strategies for providing clear expectations and direction. You'll also learn:

The five most important questions every team member is silently asking
How to shift from judgment to curiosity in your leadership approach
The importance of tapping into individual motivation when setting expectations
How to use curiosity to elevate your team's thinking and problem-solving skills

Whether you're an experienced leader or a new manager, this episode offers practical tools to enhance your communication skills and leadership effectiveness. Shane's insights on curiosity-driven leadership can help you create a more motivated, innovative, and productive work environment. By applying these principles, you'll be better equipped to navigate the complex landscape of team dynamics and drive meaningful results in your organization.

Beyond Micromanagement: Shane McKenzie's Approach to Empowering Teams

Istoria — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 04:00:00 -0500

In this insightful episode, join Harris III and executive coach Shane McKenzie as they dive deep into the challenges of leadership and team development. Shane drives home the point of why people are the solution, not the problem, in any organization. You'll learn more about:

The crucial difference between equipping and developing team members
How to overcome the fear of becoming "unnecessary" as your team grows
Strategies for elevating your team's decision-making and problem-solving skills
Practical techniques for empowering your team without losing control

Expanding your vision is key to embracing true leadership; whether you're a seasoned leader or an aspiring entrepreneur, this episode offers valuable insights on moving beyond micromanagement to create a thriving, self-sufficient team. Shane's framework provides a fresh perspective on leadership that can help you unlock your team's potential and drive your organization forward.

LINKS:

The Human Side of Leadership: Sacrifice, Stories, and Success with Shane McKenzie

Istoria — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 04:00:00 -0500

In this candid and insightful episode, you'll hear from executive coach Shane McKenzie as he shares his personal journey and hard-earned wisdom about leadership. You'll learn:

Why leadership is often misunderstood and how to reframe your perspective on it
The sacrifices required for effective leadership and why many shy away from them
How personal narratives and past experiences shape our views on leadership
The importance of empathy and self-awareness in leadership roles
How to start changing organizational culture by focusing on your own growth first

Shane offers practical advice for navigating leadership challenges at any level of an organization. Whether you're an aspiring leader, a seasoned executive, or someone who's skeptical about leadership, this episode offers a refreshingly honest look at what it really means to lead. Shane's personal anecdotes and lessons learned provide valuable insights that can help you become a more effective influencer and change-maker in your sphere of influence.

People Are Not the Problem: Shane McKenzie on Leadership and Accountability

Istoria — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 04:00:00 -0500

In this thought-provoking episode, you'll hear from executive coach Shane McKenzie as he challenges common perceptions about leadership and accountability. Shane presents a fresh perspective on handling team dynamics, particularly when people fail to meet expectations. Shane helps us reframe accountability as a conversation rather than a punishment, and provides practical steps for having effective accountability conversations. You'll also learn:

Why people are not the problem, but the solution
The importance of leaders modeling accountability themselves
Insights into the current leadership crisis and how to address it
Ways to maintain healthy relationships while being candid about performance issues

Whether you're a seasoned leader or an aspiring one, this episode offers valuable insights on fostering a culture of accountability and growth within your team or organization. Shane's approach encourages curiosity, empathy, and proactive leadership, providing you with tools to navigate challenging situations and drive better outcomes.

Don't Bring Sand to the Beach: Ken Black's Insights on Distinctive Leadership

Istoria — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Ken Black is the former VP of Design Future at Nike and a creative powerhouse in the world of sports and design. In this inspiring episode, Ken shares his wealth of experience and insights on leadership, creativity, and standing out in a crowded field. You'll learn the importance of having a clear vision, not getting bogged down in the "how" too early, and why authenticity is crucial in leadership.

Additionally, Ken will challenge you on:

How to lead from the center of who you are
The value of "building in public" and articulating your vision to attract help and support
How to balance organizational goals with your unique leadership style
Lessons from the Chicago Bulls on teamwork and individual authenticity
The concept of "don't bring sand to the beach" and how to be distinctive in your field

Whether you're a leader in a large organization, an entrepreneur, or a creative professional, this episode offers valuable perspectives on making your mark and leading with authenticity.

LINKS:

Reimagining Leadership: Michelle Hord on Creativity and Finding Common Ground

Istoria — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 04:00:00 -0500

In this powerful second part of our series with Michelle Hord, you'll dive deeper into her extraordinary journey of resilience and leadership. Listen as Michelle shares intimate details about overcoming personal tragedy and transforming her pain into purpose. This conversation brings insight on:

The meaning behind "The Other Side of Yet" and choosing hope over fear
How storytelling and journaling can be powerful tools for healing and growth
Bridging the gap between creative and corporate worlds in professional settings
Strategies for finding common ground and fostering collaboration in diverse teams
Practical advice for navigating creative challenges and budget constraints
The importance of resilience and adaptability in leadership

This episode offers a unique blend of personal story and professional wisdom, providing inspiration and practical takeaways for anyone looking to enhance their leadership skills, overcome adversity, or bridge divides in their workplace.

Links:

Rewriting the Narrative: Michelle Hord's Journey to Resilience

Istoria — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 04:00:00 -0500

In this inspiring episode, we hear from Michelle Hord, a former NBC Universal executive and bestselling author, as she shares her powerful insights on creativity, leadership, and resilience. Listen as Michelle recounts her journey from television producer to corporate leader, and learn how she discovered the importance of bridging the gap between creative and corporate worlds. You'll gain valuable perspective on:

The power of storytelling in all aspects of business
How to foster a growth mindset and encourage creativity in leadership
The connection between creativity and resilience in facing life's challenges
The importance of embracing possibility and vulnerability in leadership

Michelle also touches on her personal story of tragedy and resilience, offering a glimpse into how she used creativity to rebuild her life. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to enhance their leadership skills, foster resilience, and embrace creativity in their personal and professional lives.

Links:

The Collective Hero's Journey: Reframing Leadership for a New Era

Istoria — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 04:15:00 -0500

Countless myths, books, movies, and even leadership principles have been built using the hero's journey model. But what if today's complex problems demand a new approach? Listen in as John Bucher introduces the concept of the collective hero's journey, offering a fresh perspective on leadership and storytelling for our interconnected world.

You'll learn:

Why the traditional individual hero's journey model may be limiting in today's world
How to shift your mindset from solo heroism to collective leadership
Ways to identify your unique role within a larger team or movement
Strategies for navigating group dynamics and avoiding blame in collective efforts
How to balance personal growth with collective achievement

John Bucher is a renowned mythologist and story expert who has been featured on the BBC, the History Channel, the LA Times, and on numerous other international outlets. He serves as Executive Director for the Joseph Campbell Foundation and is a writer, podcaster, storyteller, and speaker. Holding a PhD in Mythology & Depth Psychology, he integrates scholarly insights with practical storytelling techniques, exploring the profound connections between myth, culture, and personal identity.

Whether you're a leader, creative professional, or someone passionate about making a difference, this episode will equip you with a fresh perspective on leadership and storytelling. By embracing the collective hero's journey, you'll be better prepared to tackle the complex challenges of our time and inspire others to join you in creating meaningful change.

Resources and links:

From Theory to Practice: Applying Narrative Intelligence in Daily Life

Istoria — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 04:30:00 -0500

Increasing your narrative intelligence gives you the power to reshape your personal story, improve your relationships, and become a more effective leader and communicator. In this final episode of our four-part series with Michael McRay, we're digging into practical ways you can apply narrative intelligence in your daily life.

Throughout the conversation, we'll explore practical exercises to enhance your narrative intelligence, how you can use story structures as tools for self-awareness, and the connection between vulnerability, authenticity, and effective storytelling. We'll also share how to identify and reframe limiting personal narratives, along with resources and tools to continue developing your narrative intelligence.

By applying these insights, you'll be better equipped to navigate challenges, inspire others, and create meaningful change in your life and work. Whether you're a leader looking to motivate your team, a creative professional aiming to produce more impactful work, or someone seeking personal growth, this episode offers concrete strategies to help you harness the transformative power of story in all aspects of your life.

Links and Resources:

Rewriting Our Stories: How Imagination Shapes Our Reality

Istoria — Thu, 27 Jun 2024 04:30:00 -0500

Join Harris III and Michael McRay as they delve deeper into the power of narrative intelligence and its connection to wonder, curiosity, and imagination. You'll discover how these elements work together to shape our perception of reality and influence our ability to rewrite the stories that guide our lives.

Throughout the conversation, you'll learn:

How wonder and curiosity act as catalysts for expanding our narrative intelligence
The role of imagination in problem-solving and personal growth
Practical strategies for cultivating a more open and flexible mindset
How to leverage narrative intelligence in leadership, parenting, and conflict resolution
The impact of awe-inducing experiences on our ability to embrace new narratives

Whether you're a leader looking to inspire change, a parent seeking to nurture your child's imagination, or simply someone interested in personal growth, this episode offers valuable insights on how to harness the power of story to transform your life and the world around you.

Links:

Every Problem is a Story Problem: Leveraging Narrative Intelligence for Change

Istoria — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Explore how a greater understanding of narrative intelligence can help you approach challenges in your personal life, your relationships, and even on a global scale.

In this second part of our discussion with Michael McRay, we dive deeper into the idea that every problem is fundamentally a story problem. Discover the power of acknowledging the existing narratives that shape our beliefs and drive our behavior, and how this awareness is crucial for effective communication, leadership, and problem-solving.

Learn how to identify the story problems in your own life and work, and how to begin the process of rewriting your limiting narratives while honoring the impact of past experiences. You'll also be introduced to a simple framework for understanding the narrative structure of problems.

Whether you're a leader looking to inspire change, a creative seeking to tell more impactful stories, or simply someone who wants to develop a greater understanding of the role narrative plays in shaping our world, this episode will provide you with valuable insights and practical strategies for leveraging narrative intelligence to create positive transformation.

Awakening to the Power of Story: Introducing Narrative Intelligence

Istoria — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 05:00:00 -0500

Are you aware of the narratives that shape your everyday life? Special guest Michael McRay joins Harris III to dive deep into the concept of narrative intelligence and the fundamental role that storytelling plays in the human experience.

Explore why story is best understood as the operating system (OS) of the human brain, and how the stories we tell ourselves shape our beliefs, drive our behavior, and ultimately influence every aspect of our lives. Learn about the difference between narrative and story, and discover how storytelling has been leveraged in marketing, politics, and religion to influence and connect with people on a profound level.

Learn to increase your narrative intelligence, and you'll gain more agency over your stories, rewrite your limiting beliefs, and become a better leader and communicator in your personal and professional life.

Whether you're a creative looking to tell more impactful stories, a leader seeking to inspire and influence others, or simply someone who wants to better understand the power of narrative in your own life, this episode is a must-listen. Get ready to awaken to the power of story and embark on a journey towards greater narrative intelligence.

Our Next Chapter Begins: Introducing storyOS

Istoria — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 15:54:38 -0500

In a time when information is abundant yet comprehension is scarce, it's more important than ever to understand how our brains work and why. That's why we're so excited to introduce you to the next evolution of the STORY podcast: storyOS.

This season, we'll be diving deeper than ever into narrative intelligence and the framework our brains use to understand stories. You'll learn how to leverage the power of story to craft compelling narratives, build community, and create lasting change.

Closing Out This Chapter of STORY

STORY — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 03:00:00 -0600

As we close out this season of the STORY Podcast, we are also closing out this chapter of STORY Conference. Over the last seven years, this conference has touched thousands of lives and changed the landscape of storytelling. On this episode, we sit down with members of the STORY team to discuss favorite memories from STORY Conferences past. Listen in and come trip down memory lane with us!

If you have a favorite STORY memory, we’d love to hear it! Send us a note at harris@storygaterings.com

A Roadmap for Your Story-Writing Journey

STORY — Mon, 21 Nov 2022 04:00:00 -0600

With our thriving community of writers of all types, we wanted to highlight this breakout from STORY 2022 with our friends, David Goetz and Melissa Parks from Journey Sixty6. Journey Sixty6 helps coach and guide their community through things such as manuscript review, writing coaching, and what to do with your manuscript as you edit and get it prepped for publishing or review. Writing can be an isolating experience, and Journey Sixty6 has positioned themselves to be the community for those in that gap between wanting to write and publishing.

Even if you’re thinking, “I’m not writing a book, or even a writer at all”, still listen in because you never know what the future holds as you continue on your creative journey! To learn more about David and Melissa and what they’re doing through Journey Sixty6, check them out at JourneySixty6.com

Getting Your Own Stories Out Into the World

STORY — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 10:00:00 -0600

On this episode, we feature two incredible conversations — the first from the STORY stage with Chris Wall and Andrew Peterson of the Wingfeather Saga series, and the second is a post-STORY sit-down with Angel Studios. These two have created not just an incredible series for families, but they went about it in a unique way that can be an inspiration to get you to start thinking about and implementing the way you approach the work you do in brand new ways. Listen in!

Learn more about The Wingfeather Saga’s upcoming release at WingfeatherSaga.com. If you’re curious to learn more about the innovative stuff that Angel Studios is up to, check them out at and Angel.com.

Making Kindness the Norm

STORY — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 02:00:00 -0600

On this episode, we hear from the incredible folks from The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. Many of you heard about the heart and soul behind why and how they do what they do from the mainstage at STORY, but in this episode, we also share ways YOU can be part of impacting the world around you by helping to make kindness the norm. Listen in!

To apply for the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation Creative Grant mentioned in this episode, click here! Deadline for submission is November 18, 2022.

One Last Trip to Neverland

STORY — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 16:34:00 -0500

In this episode, we take one more trip to Neverland via a virtual STORY Town Hall to debrief the STORY 2022 conference and allow our STORY community to ask all their post-STORY 2022 questions. Think of this as an expanded version of the Behind-the-Scenes Breakout Experience at the event. We put a massive amount of focus and energy on creating an intentional experience every year at STORY from the ground up, and in this episode, we talk about how STORY is not just a theme slapped on posters and websites. We share about our process and how we think long and hard about how we want everything to flow, feel, and communicate, taking you on a journey that hopefully leaves you feeling inspired and able to ask bigger questions about what’s possible. And if that means putting a mermaid in the fountain in downtown Nashville, that means we get that mermaid. Listen in!

The Future of STORY

STORY — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 03:00:40 -0500

In case you missed the news, we’ve been listening to the heartbeat of culture all around us, having deep conversations with leaders within our community, and staying curious about the future. For all these reasons, we’ve decided as a team to move away from large events filled with hundreds or thousands of people, for at least a season, to enable us to focus on other new and exciting ways of serving storytellers and the work you do. Listen to this announcement to learn more about the future of STORY.

Using Your Passion to Impact Change Through Story

STORY — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 03:00:42 -0500

We continue to explore the Revolutionary Storytelling Type. Revolutionaries are a powerful group of individuals that are on the cusp of almost all change and are constantly rewriting and shifting narratives through their work. The work that Revolutionaries do is the reason that many of us tell stories. We desire change. Disruption. Something better.

In this episode, we pick up for part 2 of our Round Table discussion with John Bucher and Jason Jaggard. One thing John said on this Round Table that is worth highlighting is, “I refuse to live in a world where this does NOT exist, and I will move heaven and earth until it exists.” It is that passion that makes the Revolutionary so powerful. Listen in to hear more about what he can’t live in a world without.

How Revolutionary Storytellers Begin with the Stories They Tell Themselves

STORY — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 09:01:43 -0500

John Bucher and Jason Jaggard are incredible Revolutionaries, a type of storyteller who is drawn to leverage the power of story to positively change the future. They press into the world around them to be everything they were meant to be, whether that’s through publishing, deep critical thinking, guiding others to their max potential through coaching, and so much more. Listen in on part one of a conversation about how revolutionaries begin with the stories they tell themselves, and how you can do the same.

Using Our Brain and Hearts Together

STORY — Mon, 08 Aug 2022 03:00:09 -0500

As we dive into part 2 of our Round Table conversation with Kevin Carroll and Louis Richardson around the connector, if you haven’t listened to part 1 yet, go back and listen to episode 13 so that you have context around the continuation of this incredibly deep and rich conversation around what it means to be a Connector. On this episode, Kevin and Louis both share great insights into their purpose and focus as Connectors and the power of seeking connection not titles. It is these simple vantage points that can really help give you a picture of what it means at the heart of Connection.

Leveraging the Power of Story to Embrace Connection

STORY — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 03:00:29 -0500

On this episode we continue to dive into the Connector Storytelling Type with two of our favorite Connectors, Lewis Richardson and Kevin Carroll. This interview, pulled from one of our STORY Round Table events, dives into how to leverage our stories as a tool for connection. Those we come into contact with are more receptive to our presence and we can learn so much from everyone if we’re more curious. When we engage with people where they’re at, asking what we can do for them or how we can better serve them, connection is organic. Listen in to learn more about how story and connection go hand in hand.

Why It’s Important to Write the Future Together

STORY — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 03:00:42 -0500

As we continue to unpack the Connector Storytelling Type, we would be remiss to not include one of our favorite Connectors…Mr. Brad Montague. If you’ve been around the STORY community for a while, you are very familiar with his genus. Brad is an incredible creator and storyteller who approaches all of his work with a vision for making the world a better place. Whether it’s through his book, Being Better Grown-ups, his wildly successful Kid President video series, or his critically acclaimed children’s book, The Circles All Around Us, Brad’s passion for guiding people together is deep and compelling. We dug back into the archives, and found this talk from STORY 2018 because as timely as this talk about the future was back in 2018, it's still applicable - possibly even more so - in 2022. There are so many unknowns, uncertainties, disconnections, and fears swirling around these days, but despite the crushing weight of all these uncertainties, there is still hope because we choose to remember it exists. Listen in.

Using Connection to Get Back to Wonder

STORY — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 03:00:05 -0500

Over the past couple of months, you’ve heard us talking about the 5 Storyteller Types: Amplifier, Artisan, Investigator, Connector and Revolutionary. If you’re not familiar with these types, or yours for that matter, head over to storygathering.com and take our quick assessment. These “types” help you identify the core motivations behind how and why you tell stories and create the way you do.

On today’s episode, we are kicking off a new focus to the Connector type. It’s likely that when you hear the word Connector, a specific type of person comes to mind because Connectors are experts at just that: Connecting. Skilled at speaking to others, Connectors are compelling and live compassionate and leadership-driven lives. With a clear balance between their head and their heart, they are magnets for people who want to feel seen and known. To start off this new focus, we’re listening to one of the best, most enthusiastic Connectors we know, Mr. Kevin Carroll. Formerly from Nike, Kevin has an incredible ability to cultivate and curate a positive awe state so that you, and those around you, can get back to wonder in order to create tangible impact. Incredible things take place when this happens. So how do you do it? Listen as Kevin shares inside this episode.

How Asking “But Why” Can Change Drastically Shift Your Business

STORY — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 03:00:21 -0500

Last week, we were listening in on the Round Table conversation that I had with David Paull and Kristina Henkai about the Investigator. David talked about behavioral storytelling, breaking it down into the practical RESPCT framework. On this episode, we pick back up with the second half of the conversation and dive into the necessary practice of continually asking yourself “but why” within your business.

In my own business practices, this question is something we’re constantly asking and digging deeper on so that as we push out content, write copy, create events, or help clients, we’re operating from a deep understanding of what’s needed and why it matters.

Listen in on how you can implement this right away to see results and gain clarity and traction in your own business.

Behavioral Storytelling Framework with David Paull

STORY — Mon, 13 Jun 2022 03:00:42 -0500

As we continue to unpack the Investigator Storytelling Type, we pull from our latest STORY Round Table conversation with David Paull and Kristina Henkai. In this episode, we hear David share the way he approaches his work utilizing a framework he dubs Behavioral Storytelling. What he shares on this episode is so practical and applicable to every storytelling type and has been an important litmus test for everything we do at STORY. This episode is for more than just the Investigators, and for this reason we always encourage you to listen in on each of the types because it’s a great way to figure out where the holes or gaps exist in what you’re doing.

Why Data Helps Us Tell Better Stories

STORY — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 03:00:07 -0500

In this episode, we officially kick off our next type, the Investigator. Investigators are an integral part of the storytelling process because they provide the data, research, and facts that help give stories the depth and roots necessary for momentum to be achieved. Though they are anchored in analytics and statistics, which is how they find the truths to their work, they are also logical, innovative, adaptable, calculated, and always in pursuit of truth. One such Investigator that I have learned so much from over the years is David Paull. Combining storytelling and behavioral science, David is the co-founder and CEO of Lillian Labs, a messaging and research consultancy that helps craft, test, and refine stories and content. A few years back, I sat down with David to break down just what his job entails, and why it matters in the context of storytelling, and let me just say, it was such a brilliant and thoughtful way of understanding not just stories as we know them, but why they have the impact they have on a waiting world.

Making Sense of the World Through Art with Morgan Harper Nichols

STORY — Mon, 30 May 2022 03:00:19 -0500

In this episode, we pulled a clip from our recent Artisan STORY Round Table conversation with none other than our friend, Morgan Harper Nichols. Morgan is a well known artist, poet, and musician and you’ve probably seen her work pinned somewhere on Pinterest, re-posted all over Instagram, or maybe in Target, Anthropologie, Crate and Barrel. This episode is powerful because Morgan shares how she world through her art and reminds us how “trends will comakes sense of her me and go, but people will always be human.” We can chase the latest and greatest fads in our industries, but the stories that we tell are meant to hit deeper than that, because the aptly called, “human condition” doesn’t change. This episode just might be the gut-check you need for yourself.

How Does Your Art Connect to the World Around You?

STORY — Mon, 23 May 2022 03:00:23 -0500

As we continue our conversation around the Storytelling type, the Artisan, this episode features our friend, wildly talented Nashville fine artist, Ed Nash, alongside our mutual friend, acclaimed photographer, Allen Clark. You’ll hear Ed as he discusses not only HIS connection to the world around him, but to what he’s creating and the story he hopes it tells, but how it’s interpreted by those that experience it. If you haven’t already taken our Storyteller Type Assessment, please do it, it’s quick, and it will help you follow along on these conversations regardless of which type you are, because learning about different types will help you leverage and understand the skills that they bring to the table like you never expected.

How Collaboration Creates Deeper Impact

STORY — Mon, 16 May 2022 03:00:24 -0500

We are moving on to the next Storyteller Type in our 5 part series, and this one is the Artisan. Many in the STORY community will identify as Artisans because they are deeply passionate about their art and the story it tells those who view or interact with it. From paint on canvas, to carefully crafted lines in poetry, to movement of bodies through dance, to notes that seem to float off of sheet music, Artisans use a variety of mediums to intertwine their heart and message.

This is exactly why we wanted to kick off the Artisan series with Academy Award Winning costume designer, Ruth Carter. She has dreamt up the way her costumes and designs guide and deepen the stories of those that wear them. Her work has been featured in movies such as Selma, Malcolm X, and Black Panther to name a few, and she is not only brilliant, but deeply connected to the way that costumes tell stories of their own. Don’t miss this conversation, and all the wisdom shared that you can apply to the stories you tell, regardless of the way you create.

What Do You Want to Do With Your Power?

STORY — Mon, 09 May 2022 03:00:15 -0500

Are you thinking big enough when it comes to your power? At the heart of being an Amplifier and storyteller, is a desire to chase and hope for impact. Something that moves the needle and creates solutions for the future. As we wrap up the Amplifier portion of this storytelling series, listen as Ben Von Wong explains how he uses a focus on solutions to create change vs. a sole focus on the problem that will make you want to get up and DO for all the right reasons.

Embracing the Tension of Your Marketing Values

STORY — Mon, 02 May 2022 03:00:37 -0500

Story's greatest power is not in its ability to simply convert, but its ability to connect. If you want to play the long game you must lead with connection first. But for a change-maker who wants to make a bigger difference faster, that can be a little bit complicated. It can be difficult to be patient with the long-term value journey when the cause that you are trying to amplify needs attention now. In this episode, we dip into the archives of a recent Round Table conversation with Ben Stewart, co-founder of Louder Agency, Brand Messaging Strategist and Copywriter, Janelle Traister, as well as Artist and Activist and longtime friend of the STORY Community, Benjamin Von Wong. Listen in as they discuss the tension that often comes from honoring your values in the process of amplifying stories worth telling.

How to Use Your Vision and Point of View to Transform Culture

STORY — Mon, 25 Apr 2022 03:00:17 -0500

As we continue to dive into the storytelling type we call, "The Amplifier,” in this episode we dip into our archives to learn from AJ Hassan. If you aren’t familiar with AJ, you probably are familiar with her work. She is the Emmy Award-winning Executive Creative Director behind the widely recognized #LikeAGirl campaign that challenged gender bias and captured over 150 million views worldwide. A perfect example of an Amplifier, AJ has built an award-winning career on tackling and bringing to light tough topics without fear. A believer that everyone’s story deserves, and must, be told, AJ leverages her role as an advertiser to push the ball of change down the hill, all while compelling people around the world to join. Don’t miss her wisdom in this episode of the STORY Podcast.

How To Amplify Your Message And Make Your Story Heard

STORY — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 03:00:38 -0500

What happens if your story doesn't get heard? What if your message doesn't resonate, and falls flat or you don't get the sale? In this episode, jump into the storytelling type we call, "The Amplifier." We do so by dipping into the STORY archives and listening in on some wisdom from a talk from Ben Stewart, co-founder of Louder Agency. You'll be reminded of story's greatest power, and how to amplify your stories so they connect with others, change hearts and minds and help you achieve your storytelling goals.

Welcome to Season 6 of the STORY Podcast!

STORY — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 15:56:55 -0500

After a little break from the podcast, the STORY team is back with an incredible new series of episodes focused on helping you better understand who you are as a storyteller and how to equip yourself to better tell stories that matter. Over the next 6 months, we're going equip you to level up your storytelling skillset and inspire you along the way. Welcome to season 6!

Being Brave in Our Dark Moments: A Conversation with John Bucher

STORY — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 03:00:00 -0500

You may have heard the story about how the Chinese word for “crisis” can be represented as “opportunity.” As it turns out, that’s not quite accurate. The word is more like “a crucial point” — the moment right before a big change.

There’s still a lesson there for us, but it’s a pretty nuanced one, and that’s something John Bucher understands well. John is the Creative Director for the Joseph Campbell Foundation in Hollywood, who understand the ideas of story and myth about as well as anyone.

Take a listen to John’s talk from the STORY 2020 stage as he explores the concept of embracing these crucial points in the midst of dark moments.

The Upside to Creating Bad Art with Seth Worley

STORY — Fri, 30 Jul 2021 03:00:00 -0500

One cause of writer’s block isn’t that we run out of ideas, it’s a fear that the ideas we do have are bad ones. We don’t want to keep writing, keep painting, keep creating — whatever it is — because we’ve got a feeling that the next steps just aren’t very good and we’d rather not create at all than create something that sucks.

Seth Worley knows that fear. He’s a writer and director who’s done videos for Bad Robot Sandwich Video and Red Giant, where he’s the senior content creator. He’s also helped create some really great tools for writers like the Storyclock Workbook. He says that the key to getting around making bad art is just to go ahead and make bad art and explains why the secret to making good art is making bad art. Take a listen.

Understanding Your ‘Why’ in the Midst of Career Disappointments with Cress Williams

STORY — Fri, 23 Jul 2021 03:00:00 -0500

We don’t like to talk about disappointment in the creative field is. Creativity is a risk and risks, by their very nature, have a pretty high rate of failure. Those stories don’t get told very much, for obvious reasons. But by not telling those stories, we reinforce this idea that unless you’re hitting success after success, you’re a total failure and should give up.

Take a listen to Cress Williams from the 2020 STORY Stage. Cress is an actor, known for his roles on Black Lightning, Hart of Dixie, and Prison Break.

Brooke Shaden on Finding Beauty in Hard Times

STORY — Fri, 16 Jul 2021 03:00:00 -0500

Something you hear our last year described as a lot is a “dark time” or a “dark season.” Getting to the end of all that was described as a “new day” or a “new morning” for us. And there’s a lot of truth to that, since so many of us lost so much in 2020. But it’s worth asking if our immediate impulses to avoid, ignore or rush through those dark times and get right to the morning is the healthiest way to deal with pain and hardship.

Last year at STORY, we asked that question, and one of our most talked about speakers, Brooke Shaden, had some really great thoughts to share. Brooke is a wonderful artist who uses her work to explore things like darkness, pain, death and decay. She wants to find beauty in those things, and hopefully help us have a better understanding of the dark and hard times in our own life. It’s an experience she’s walked through, and now she wants to help others do it too.

Fighting Cynicism in Storytelling with Dr. Chené Swart

BTRC — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 03:00:00 -0500

I think all of us can feel tempted towards cynicism these days. However we need to remember that change is possible, and we need to help inspire others to believe it too. That’s how Dr. Chené Swart sees it. She’s a narrative coach and consultant who helps people, organizations and communities with a technique called “narrative therapy,” teaching them to understand their own stories better.

The True Power of Marketing with Stories with Ben Stewart

STORY — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 03:00:00 -0500

There are two kinds of marketers out there. The first are the Don Drapers—the guys who know how to package lies to turn profits. Certainly an easy way to make money, but it takes a toll on your soul, right? The second kind wants to help people tell a better story about their lives, their hopes, their work. They want to help the world see your work the way you see your work. Ben Stewart is that kind of guy, and helps storytellers understand that if you want to leverage the power of story to convert, you have to lead with story’s greatest power: it's ability to connect. Don't miss this practical, wisdom-packed episode of the STORY Podcast.

Shabazz Larkin on Your "Purpose" As a Creator

STORY — Fri, 25 Jun 2021 03:00:00 -0500

Finding your purpose is a huge deal — for everyone, obviously, but younger generations are especially pursuing purpose-driven work. A Society for Human Resource Management study found that 94 percent of Millennials want to use their skills to benefit a cause. Another survey found that 63 percent of millennials believe the primary purpose of companies should be to make a difference instead of make a profit.

But artist and author Shabazz Larkin has a surprising take on the subject, suggesting that what we’re really looking for isn’t exactly purpose, but something else. Listen in...he might just change your mind on what we talk about when we talk about purpose.

How to Use Story to See in the Dark with Marc Pimsler

STORY — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 03:00:00 -0500

I think most of us are aware of the idea of story as a passion, a skill, and maybe a career. But what about story as survival? What about story as a way of finding your way when all else seems to be lost? There are times when story is sort of like the trail of breadcrumbs we leave in the forest. No matter how dark things get or how far we wander, we’ve got something to lead us back home to hope and safety.

That’s the theory of Marc Pimsler, an Experiential Therapist, leading voice in Emotional and Mental Health, and a leader at Onsite Workshops, a Personal Growth and Wellness Retreat Center in Nashville. Last year at STORY 2020, Marc gave a talk about story as a way to see in the dark, and it’s one of the most powerful, convicting ways of thinking about story we’ve heard yet. Listen in.

The Difference Between Hope & Despair Is a Story with Krish Kandiah

STORY — Fri, 11 Jun 2021 03:00:00 -0500

Some stories are a way of making sense of the world. Life can seem confusing or random, so we fit all the details into a story to help us figure out what’s going on. That’s useful, as long as we’re telling beautiful, compassionate, loving stories. But sometimes, lazy stories get told that write off other people’s experiences with prejudice or stereotypes. That’s something Krish Kandiah is out to change. He is the Founder and Director of the adoption and fostering charity Home for Good, and he wants to make sure that the kids in the adoption and foster care systems aren’t abandoned to bad stories. There’s so much we all can learn from his work as storytellers, and he has some incredible stories of his own. Listen in on this week's episode of the Story Podcast.

OnBeing Creative Director Erin Collasaco on Storytelling for Societal Transformation

STORY — Fri, 04 Jun 2021 03:00:00 -0500

There’s still this idea that we’re living in an extra dark time, that things are bad, worst year ever...that sort of thing. That’s because stories — even macro-level stories — don’t just change on their own. We need storytellers to help us learn how to tell better stories. We need people who care about story to help us set a new, better narrative. That’s something Erin Collasaco is passionate about.

She’s the creative director at OnBeing, a media and public life initiative that’s all about helping people change on a personal level in a way that makes societal transformation better. They’re all about helping us live out better stories, and that’s something Erin wants to help us all do. But, according to her, finding the right story isn’t always as intuitive as you might think. Listen in on some of what she shared with us in her amazing talk last September at STORY.

Leveraging the Power of Story to Bring Teams Together with David Hutchens

STORY — Fri, 28 May 2021 03:00:00 -0500

It’s one thing to know that stories have power. It’s another to learn how to invite the power of story into your spaces. And sometimes, the most important thing you do is nothing at all besides invite others to the table. That’s a lesson David Hutchens knows well.

He’s worked with companies like Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart, GE, and so many others, helping them learn about things like strategy and leadership, as well as ethics and corporate responsibility. But what does that have to do with the work you’re doing, regardless of the spaces you’re doing it in? It turns out, everything, because all of David’s work is rooted in his deep understanding of narrative. In this episode, David generously passes some of that understanding along to us.

The Story-Healing Work of Zimbabwe's Grandmothers

STORY — Fri, 21 May 2021 03:00:00 -0500

Zimbabwe has about 13 million people in it, and twelve psychiatrists. Yes, twelve. That’s a problem for Dixon Chibanda, who cares deeply about mental health. He can’t really expect each psychiatrist in his native country to take on a little over a million patients, so he started thinking about what they did have: grandmas. What does this have to do with your work as a storyteller? Everything. Don't miss this incredible episode of the STORY Podcast.

Shifting the Narrative with Christina Blacken

STORY — Fri, 14 May 2021 03:00:00 -0500

Obviously, there are certain types of stories in America that are easier to accept than others. At some point, we make certain judgments about which stories we want to buy into and which ones we don’t, and most of us get pretty good at doing this automatically. We decide which stories we think deserve to be taken seriously, and which can be dismissed. It’s just how we get through life. The problem is, the way we decide which stories to listen to says a lot about us. And sometimes we reject stories because they tell us something we don’t want to hear. That’s where Christina Blacken comes in, the Founder of The New Quo, and all-around amazing human being. Prepare yourself for an incredible episode as we get to learn from her on this episode of the Story Podcast.

A Child-Like Perspective on Your Creative Process, with Brad Montague

STORY — Fri, 07 May 2021 03:00:00 -0500

One of those tropes you hear a lot about out there is how much children have to teach us, but if you think about it, we don’t really live that way. We call people who are acting inappropriate “childish.” But there’s a big difference between what is child-ish and child-like. What would it look like to live a life that is child-like, while growing up in ways that leave what is child-ish behind? Maybe kids really do have something to teach us? That’s the life Brad Montague is living.

He’s the guy behind the Kid President web series who also writes for Joanna Gaines’ The Magnolia Journal and all sorts of other amazing projects. He’s written multiple books, including his new book, The Circles All Around Us, which is hitting shelves later this month! Brad has spent his life trying to figure out what kids get right and it’s made a huge difference. He thinks what he’s learned can make a difference in your own life too. If you won’t listen to the kids, maybe you’ll listen to the guy who listens to kids. Listen in on some of Brad’s talk from STORY 2020 here on this episode of the STORY podcast.

How to Keep Creating with Morgan Harper Nichols

STORY — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 03:00:00 -0500

What if we could keep creating and never give up? That kind of hope feels a little bit harder to hold on during times like these, doesn't it? Morgan Harper Nichols is a poet, a music artist and a visual artist, and in this talk delivered live at STORY, she shared about how she’s found joy in the everyday, despite the heaviness so often felt in the world around her, and how that joy permits her to keep creating. Want to learn to do the same? Listen in on this first episode of Season 5 of the STORY Podcast.

How to Maximize the Value of Any Conference Experience

STORY — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 17:28:26 -0500

STORY 2020 is here! It’s our flagship gathering, where each year, over 1,000 storytellers from around the world gathering together for 2+ days of inspiration and instruction to do their best, most creative work. In this special, extended episode, you’ll hear the audio from a mini-masterclass with Jason Jaggard, an entrepreneur, leadership coach, a founding partner of Novus Global and so much more. Together, they discuss leadership as an often overlooked storytelling essential, and how to approach STORY or any other event with a “leader” mindset instead of a “consumer” one. You’ll learn how about how maximum value comes out of full participation, and a new concept Jason discusses that he likes to call “Listenings.” It’s a content-rich episode, and a great way to pre-game any conference experience, whether in-person or virtual. Don’t miss it!

A Look Ahead to STORY with Harris III

STORY — Fri, 11 Sep 2020 10:47:34 -0500

In this special episode, we look ahead to STORY 2020 with our director and curator, Harris III as he unpacks the intentional design of this year’s virtual experience. Whether you’re attending STORY 2020 or not, this episode is rich with insights into the planning and creative process behind producing the event, making it relevant to anyone who wants to creates great experiences for others.

If you already have a ticket, listen to this short episode to learn more about what to expect between now and STORY, and how to fully prepare for our time together as a community.

Embracing the Story in Sports with Yogi Roth

STORY — Mon, 07 Sep 2020 03:00:00 -0500

We’re so used to living in stories that sometimes we don’t even recognize them. It’s like how fish don’t know they’re wet. It takes a really keen mind to not just know a good story when it sees one, but put it together in a way others can understand and find themselves in. Documentary filmmakers are especially great at this, where others might just use rolls and rolls of b-roll, they see a narrative that just needs a little bit of structure.

This week on the STORY Podcast, we learn from a storyteller who is excellent at this very subject, Yogi Roth. Yogi seeks to uncover the humanity in sports around the globe. He’s a Pac-12 Networks college football analyst, filmmaker, scholar, New York Times bestselling author, coach, speaker and world traveler. He’s the kind of guy who can watch a football game and see not just a series of plays, but a real plot. And his take on the intersection of artistry and athletics is so insightful. Don’t miss this illuminating conversation between Yogi and Harris.

Embracing a New Way of Marketing with AJ Hassan

STORY — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 03:00:00 -0500

Does the word “marketing” strike you as kind of a dirty word? Many of us are part of a generation that really doesn’t like to feel like we’re being sold to. Brands know that, and the smart ones are getting ahead of it by swapping out marketing copy for real stories and real connection.

At STORY, we’ve been saying for years now that a story’s greatest power is not in its ability to convert, but in its ability to connect, and when it comes to achieving conversion in the long term by leading with connection first, few marketers do that better than AJ Hassan. AJ is an Emmy-winning executive creative director who works with creative teams to help businesses and brands infuse their message with life and relevancy. She led the Equality Can’t Wait gender equity work for R/GA in partnership with Melinda Gates’ company: Pivotal Ventures. The “Like a Girl” campaign she led was a huge viral hit. She’s won tons of awards and lots of acclaim for her work and she understands, better than most, how to make advertising just a little more human.

This week on the STORY Podcast, we dip into the archives to hear a portion of AJ’s talk from her time at STORY. It’s one that can help us all, because we’re all marketers now. As we share and promote our own work, or the work of others, how can we focus on connection? Listen to AJ Hassan tell us how.

Embracing a New Perspective with Apollo Robbins

STORY — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 03:00:00 -0500

Let’s be honest...getting a new perspective is harder than it sounds. It’s not just shaking your head and trying harder. It’s not just a gut check. It’s a real mental move — a shift in your whole way of being. It’s about being aware of your awareness, and taking control of it, and that’s a huge part of navigating the kind of spaces we’re finding ourselves these days in a healthy way.

In this episode of the STORY Podcast, Apollo Robbins speaks to these very ideas. He’s an American sleight-of-hand artist, security consultant, self-described gentleman thief, and deception specialist.

Forbes has called him “an artful manipulator of awareness.” Obviously there are lots of ways a guy like Apollo can use his talents — and he does. But he can also teach us how to do what he does — take control of our own awareness. Don’t miss this insightful episode.

Embracing Invisible Impact with Benjamin Von Wong

STORY — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 03:00:00 -0500

How is your work impacting others? Here’s the simple answer: you don’t really know for sure. We might have metrics — profit margins, Google analytics, retweets — but that’s reach, not impact. How is what you do really connecting to other people, changing them and affecting them on a heart level? Part of the reality of living in the liminal space of creativity means learning that while we’re all connected, most of those connections are invisible.

That’s something Benjamin Von Wong understands really well. Von Wong’s work lies at the intersection of fantasy and photography and combines everyday objects with shocking statistics. It has attracted the attention of corporations like Starbucks, Dell, and Nike and has generated over 100 million views for causes like ocean plastics, electronic waste, and fashion pollution. Most recently, he was named one of Adweek’s 11 content branded masterminds.

Don’t miss this episode of the STORY podcast where we sat down to talk to Benjamin about connection, isolation, and the thin lines between the two, and so much more.

Embracing Boredom with Thaniya Keereepart

STORY — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 03:00:00 -0500

We’re moving into month five of this pandemic. It’s hard to even remember March now, when lockdown felt like kind of a weird novelty. Many of us have gotten used to spending huge chunks of the day stuck with ourselves — and that’s a tough place to be. Or it can be, unless you learn how to utilize it well.

That’s something this week’s guest, Thaniya Keereepart, can help you learn to do. Thaniya is a seasoned product executive with over 17 years experience in the media technology space. She’s built three teams from the ground up and helped grow recognizable media brands from start-up mode to structured, scalable companies. Her work has been recognized by numerous awards, including Emmy, Peabody, Adobe MAX, Debby, and the prestigious National Design Award.

Thaniya’s connection to storytelling is through an understanding of human-computer interaction, design, and behavioral economics. Her transformative work has shaped the future through tenures at Major League Baseball, TED, and as Head of Product and Creator Experience at Patreon. If you’re wondering what to do with some newfound alone time, she’s got some really great advice. Don’t miss this episode.

Embracing the Mystery and Tension with Meera Lee Patel

STORY — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 03:00:00 -0500

The tension. The mystery. The unknown. It’s something that comes up often, especially in this trying season of a global pandemic. Thankfully, that mystery and tension is one Meera Lee Patel’s specialities, and she’s our guest on this week’s episode.

Meera is a self-taught writer, artist and best-selling author of books like My Friend Fear: Finding Magic in the Unknown; Made Out of Stars: A Journal for Self-Realization, and Start Where You Are: A Journal for Self-Exploration.

She has worked with companies like Anthropologie, Amnesty International, Spirituality & Health Magazine, Target, Vogue India, Wix and more to help tell stories through campaigns that help us better understand who we are.

Listen in as she helps us understand the space we find ourselves in better than most — and how to find your way.

Embracing the Messy Middle with Jon Acuff

STORY — Mon, 27 Jul 2020 03:00:00 -0500

When we talk about stuff like the “messy middle,” or “the tension between the no longer and the not yet,” it can be hard to think of real experts. It’s easy to find people who will share their success stories. It’s also pretty easy to find someone who wants to talk about their dreams. But what about the middle — the part between the vision and the reality? That’s a little harder, and that’s why we’re so glad to have Jon Acuff joining us on this episode of the Story Podcast. Jon not only loves that space, but has spent his life helping others learn how to navigate it. He’s a highly successful speaker and communicator, and a New York Times bestselling author. Listen to Jon share his thoughts about living in tension and how it has been a source of success. If that tension can help Jon create work at the level that he has, imagine what it could do for you.

Embracing Your Creative Uniqueness with Jinahie

STORY — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 09:10:12 -0500

Do you ever question your own abilities as an artist, creator, communicator or storyteller? Especially when you’re exposed to the brilliance of one of your creative peers?

Jinahie is a gifted spoken word poet and activist who has performed for TEDx, Sundance, the US Department of Education, United Nations, the Smithsonian Institute, the Kennedy Center, and even performed in front of Michelle Obama. She’s also shared the stage with everyone from Lupe Fiasco to Smokey Robinson to the Roots, Angela Davis, the list could go on.

While being exposed to Jinahie’s talent and genius may leave you with that feeling of questioning your own abilities, she actually does the opposite.

In this episode of the STORY podcast, she will inspire you to be more confident in your own creative uniqueness. Listen now, and allow her words to encourage you.

Embracing Liminal Space with Gillian Ferrabee

STORY — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 07:34:49 -0500

What is “genius?” Is it something you’re just born with, like freckles or perfect pitch? Or is it something that can be cultivated, like growing a garden or redoing your kitchen?

That’s a question that Gillian Ferrabee is interested in. You might have seen Gillian performing on stage, TV or the movies. At the very least, you’re probably familiar with her work as a 12 year veteran at Cirque du Soleil. Now, as the founder of the consulting organization, Kite Parade, Gillian helps people activate and achieve their highest potential for genius.

Find out how in this insightful episode of the STORY Podcast.

Micah Bournes on Continuing to Faithfully Create

STORY — Mon, 22 Jun 2020 14:24:15 -0500

In this episode, we kick off Season 4 of the STORY Podcast by dipping into the STORY 2016 archives and spending some time with Writer, Poet and Musician, Micah Bournes. Listen in on a thought-provoking and heart-stirring piece of Spoken Word artistry, followed by a glimpse into Micah’s creative process through a short talk that will inspire you to continue faithfully creating and telling stories that need to be told.

Welcome to Season 4

STORY — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 14:22:29 -0500

Welcome to Season 4 of the STORY Podcast

John Bucher on Liminal Space

STORY — Tue, 07 Jan 2020 12:55:29 -0600

John Bucher on Liminal Space

Ken Black on Storytelling and Building Brands

STORY — Mon, 14 Oct 2019 13:07:33 -0500

Ken Black on Storytelling and Building Brands

Michael Margolis on Technology and Storytelling

STORY — Tue, 08 Oct 2019 16:45:13 -0500

Michael Margolis on Technology and Storytelling

Kevin Carroll on Building a Community

STORY — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 12:58:26 -0500

Kevin Carroll on Building a Community

Brad Montague on Looking Into the Future

STORY — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 16:09:31 -0500

Brad Montague on Looking Into the Future

Vera Leung on Restoring Wonder in Storytelling

STORY — Wed, 31 Jul 2019 10:52:55 -0500

Vera Leung on Restoring Wonder in Storytelling

Kevin Carroll on Creative Confidence

STORY — Wed, 31 Jul 2019 10:44:46 -0500

Kevin Carroll on Creative Confidence

Jason Jaggard on Redeeming Cliché in Storytelling

STORY — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 13:26:05 -0500

Jason Jaggard on Redeeming Cliché in Storytelling

CJ Casciotta on Embracing Your Unique "You"

STORY — Fri, 14 Jun 2019 10:52:43 -0500

CJ Casciotta on Embracing Your Unique "You"

David Paull on Storytelling and Behavorial Science

STORY — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 15:15:21 -0500

David Paull on Storytelling and Behavorial Science

JJ Heller on Using Melody to Enhance a Good Narrative

STORY — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 20:22:27 -0500

JJ Heller on Using Melody to Enhance a Good Narrative

Shawn Askinosie on Doing Meaningful Work

STORY — Mon, 04 Mar 2019 18:22:51 -0600

Shawn Askinosie on Doing Meaningful Work

Abigail Fuller on Using Food to Tell A Story

STORY — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 14:48:37 -0600

Abigail Fuller talks to us about how she uses food to tell a story.

Ruth Carter on Using Clothes to Tell A Story

STORY — Mon, 18 Feb 2019 14:16:21 -0600

Ruth Carter talks to us about how she uses clothes to tell a story.

Your 2019 Pep Talk

STORY — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 12:19:21 -0600

To kick off 2019, we gathered some of the most successful and creative people we know to discuss how they set their year up for success.

You can hear some of the insightful conversation during this first episode of Season 03 of the STORY Podcast.

CJ Casciotta on Embracing Your Weird

STORY — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 17:18:42 -0500

CJ Casciotta is an author, speaker, and brand consultant who has worked with companies like Whole Foods and Lululemon to help them find their unique identity. During this conversation we talk about the importance for finding and embracing your weird, especially in the digital age.

To learn more about CJ and order his new book, visit cjcas.com/.

To learn more about STORY, visit STORY2018.com

STORYCraft: How to Face Your Fears

STORY — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 16:49:30 -0500

When we set out to "face our fears", sometimes we jump to the biggest, boldest step that we can take. But what if faced our fears on our own terms? Listen to this short, 5 minute episode to learn how.

For more creative resources, visit STORYCraft.co

To learn more about STORY, visit STORY2018.com

STORYCraft: How to Find Inspiration

STORY — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 09:43:55 -0500

Sometimes inspiration comes in seemingly un-inspirational forms. But the most ordinary things can become the most extraordinary stories. Listen to this week's STORY Craft episode to learn how.

Access more resources >> STORYCraft.co

Learn more about STORY 2018 >> STORY

STORYCraft: The Easiest Way to a Better Idea

STORY — Sun, 19 Aug 2018 22:44:31 -0500

This week's tip might be the simplest that we have ever given on this podcast. Listen in to how this one thing can get you closer to the best idea yet.

Access more resources >> STORY Craft.

Learn more about >> STORY.

Linda Woolverton on Awakening Wonder and Fighting For Your Story

STORY — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 17:59:45 -0500

Linda Woolverton is a screenwriter and is the first woman to have written an animated feature for Disney, Beauty and the Beast, which was also the first animated film ever to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. She also helped write the screenplay for The Lion King, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, and Maleficent.

It's needless to say, she has a lot to say about storytelling and awakening wonder.

To learn more about STORY, visit www.STORYgatherings.com.

STORYCraft: Try This the Next Time You Feel Stuck

STORY — Mon, 30 Jul 2018 10:26:54 -0500

We've all been there. Unhappy with where our project sits, unsure of where the story should go next. Try this fun exercise the next time that you don't know how the story should develop.

To gain access to more resources and creative tips, visit www.STORYCraft.co. To learn more about STORY, visit www.STORYGatherings.com.

Jason Russell on Being True to Yourself and Your Art

STORY — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 10:04:48 -0500

Where do you start when it comes to creating something? Do you start with a need? Is it your job? Or do you create something simply because it’s something that you want to see in the world? We tackle those questions and so much more, this week on the STORY Podcast with filmmaker and storyteller, Jason Russell.

To learn more about Jason, head over to alittleradical.com/. To learn more about STORY, visit www.STORYGatherings.com.

STORYCraft: How to Overcome Writer's Block

STORY — Mon, 23 Jul 2018 10:46:56 -0500

During an interview with writer and spoken word poet, Micah Bournes, we talked about the creative process and being vulnerable with your work. But he also had something very important to say about the dreaded writer's block. Listen to this week's episode to learn how to overcome it.

For more resources and to listen to the full interview with Micah, visit www.STORYCraft.co. To learn more about STORY, visit www.STORYgatherings.com.

STORYCraft: What You Should Avoid While Telling a Story

STORY — Mon, 16 Jul 2018 09:54:22 -0500

We often talk about what you should do while creating and telling a story, but this week we talk about what NOT to do.

For more creative tips and resources visit www.STORYCraft.co. To learn more about STORY, visit www.STORYgatherings.com.

Maggie Gaudaen on Telling Stories in the Commercial Space

STORY — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 10:34:33 -0500

Maggie Gaudaen in a Senior Creative Director at the award-winning digital agency, ISL. We had a chance to have a conversation with her about the difference between art and creativity and telling stories in the commercial space, all in front of a live audience in DC.

For more creative resources, visit www.STORYCraft.co. To learn more about STORY, visit www.STORY2018.com.

STORYCraft: The Key Elements of a Good Story

STORY — Mon, 09 Jul 2018 11:55:59 -0500

Need an easy framework while writing your next story? Listen to this week's episode as we talk about the 5 key elements that are needed to tell a great story.

For more resources and creative tips, visit www.STORYCraft.co. For more information about STORY, visit www.STORYGatherings.com.

STORYCraft: What Can We Learn From Dr. Seuss?

STORY — Mon, 02 Jul 2018 09:11:20 -0500

Dr. Seuss may be the most successful and creative children's author of all time, so there's a lot that we can learn from him. This particular story is applicable to any project that you may be working on, big or small.

For more creative tips and resources, visit www.STORYCraft.co. To learn more about STORY, visit www.STORYGatherings.com.

David Hutchens on Activating Your Voice of Leadership Through Storytelling

STORY — Thu, 28 Jun 2018 09:08:20 -0500

David Hutchens is a writer and storytelling consultant who works with leaders and companies to help them tell their story. He claims that if you're the leader, you are the narrator and he's on a mission to help companies transform their systems by helping them write their stories.

To learn more about David, visit http://www.davidhutchens.com/. To gain access to more resources and to learn more about STORY, visit www.storygatherings.com.

STORYCraft: Fight Off Your Inner Critic

STORY — Mon, 25 Jun 2018 11:17:15 -0500

Practicing this simple exercise can help combat your inner critic before they even speak. Listen to this short episode to learn how.

To gain access to more creative tips and resources, visit STORYCraft.co. To learn more about STORY, visit www.STORYgatherings.com.

STORYCraft: When Is the Last Time You Did This?

STORY — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 10:31:39 -0500

Sometimes the smallest actions can really boost your work ethic and level of creativity. This week's tip is an easy action that few of us actually participate in, but could change the trajectory of our work.

To gain access to more creative tips and resources, visit www.STORYCraft.co. To learn more about STORY, visit www.STORYGatherings.com.

Seth Worley on Growing as a Storyteller (Part 2)

STORY — Thu, 14 Jun 2018 10:16:01 -0500

During part 2 of this conversation with Seth Worley, we talk about some of the exercises and tools that Seth uses to grow as a storyteller.

To learn more about Seth and his work, visit https://plotdevices.co/. To learn more about STORY, visit www.storygatherings.com.

STORYCraft: Everyone Needs One of These

STORY — Mon, 11 Jun 2018 15:40:51 -0500

Having this one thing could change the trajectory of your career and life. Listen to this short, 5 minute episode to find out what it is.

To gain access to more creative tips and resources visit www.STORYCraft.co. To learn more about STORY, visit www.storygatherings.com.

Seth Worley on the Importance of Taking Risks (Part 1)

STORY — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 10:32:17 -0500

Writer and Director, Seth Worley, got his start filming video effect tutorials. Now, you can find him working on projects for JJ Abrams and starting his own company called Plot Devices. But how did he get there? We talk about that and so much more, this week on the STORY Podcast.

To learn more about STORY, visit www.STORYgatherings.com

STORYCraft: How To Break Through Your Creative Block

STORY — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 10:25:36 -0500

These simple steps could help you get unstuck when working on a new idea. Listen to this quick 5 minute conversation to learn how to break through your next creative block.

To gain access to more resources and creative tips, visit www.STORYCraft.co. To learn more about STORY, visit www.STORY2018.com

STORYCraft: Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

STORY — Mon, 28 May 2018 11:23:46 -0500

Try this the next time that you feel like you're hitting a creative block. It might help you get unstuck.

For more creative tips and resources, visit STORYCraft.co. To learn more about STORY, visit www.STORY2018.com.

Danae Dougherty on the Future of Design Thinking

STORY — Thu, 24 May 2018 10:03:12 -0500

Danae is a Managing Principle at one of our favorite companies, Visioneering Studios. They work with clients to help their offices and stores tell their stories. Danae believes that design principals, from all disciplines, should create solutions that address our most pressing cultural and social issues. We talk about management, the creative process and so much more during this incredible conversation.

We loved learning from her during this episode and we can't wait to learn from her on the #STORY2018 stage! Learn more at www.STORY2018.com.

STORYCraft: This Framework Could Help Shape Your Story

STORY — Mon, 14 May 2018 10:05:18 -0500

Do you sometimes wonder if you have a story? Or maybe you know that you have one, but you're not sure how to tell it in a compelling way. This framework could help shape you tell your story in a way that will help with your leadership, your community and inspire those around you.

To gain access to more resources visit STORYCraft.co. To learn more about STORY, visit STORYGatherings.com.

Jason Michaels on Magic, Facing Fears, and the Creative Process

STORY — Fri, 11 May 2018 11:25:11 -0500

As artists and storytellers, it seems like we give fear a lot of power in our narrative. But what if we could shift the way that we view fear and the effect that it has on us and our creative work?

Jason Michaels is a speaker and illusionist who has had to face a lot of fears in his career. During this week's episode we talk about how he overcame them and how you can too.

To gain access to more resources, visit STORYCraft.co. To learn more about STORY, visit STORY2018.com.

STORYCraft: What Your Calendar Says About You

STORY — Mon, 07 May 2018 11:29:13 -0500

How you fill your calendar says a lot about you and your work. How can you use it to value yourself and your creativity. Listen to this week's STORY Craft episode to find out.

To gain access to more resources, visit STORYCraft.co. To purchase tickets to STORY 2018, visit STORY2018.com.

STORYCraft: Have You Done This Lately?

STORY — Mon, 30 Apr 2018 09:40:49 -0500

When's the last time that you hit pause on Netflix and drove to the movie theater? During this week's STORY Craft episode we talk about how going to the theater can boost your creativity.

To gain access to more creative tips and other resources visit www.storycraft.co. To learn more about STORY visit www.STORY2018.com.

Todd Henry on the Creative Revolution

STORY — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 09:59:42 -0500

What is the Creative Revolution? It's the time that we are living in right now. If you've ever struggled with identifying as a "creative" this conversation is for you. If you're proud of of being a "creative", this conversation is for you.

Todd is the author of 4 books all about living the creative life. He’s a speaker, a consultant, and he also hosts the podcasts “The Accidental Creative” and “Herding Tigers” where he delivers weekly tips and ideas for staying prolific, brilliant and healthy.

Todd can also add STORY 2018 speaker to his resume. We're so excited to learn from him this Fall. If you don't have you ticket yet, head on over to www.STORY2018.com to snag your seat now!

STORYCraft: The Most Successful CEOs Do This

STORY — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 10:56:03 -0500

If you're looking for a small way to shake up your work week and get your creative juices flowing - this week's tip is for you.

To gain more access to additional resources and premium content, visit STORYCraft.co. To learn more about STORY, visit STORY2018.com.

BONUS // STORY 2018 Preview

STORY — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 11:00:59 -0500

Curious of what STORY 2018 will be like this year? Tune in to get a special preview from the STORY Team about the theme, the speakers and the format of this year's event.

Learn more and secure your ticket for this year's event at story2018.com

STORYCraft: A Simple Way to Awaken Wonder

STORY — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 08:22:06 -0500

Wonder is pertinent to your creative work. If you aren't wired for curiosity and imagination, creating something new will always be difficult. This is why this week's tip is so important, but it's also very simple. Listen in to see how this one act could reawaken wonder in you.

To gain access to more resources visit STORYCraft.co. To learn more about STORY and our 2018 conference, visit STORY2018.com.

STORYCraft: The Three Things You Should Do Every Day

STORY — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 11:22:06 -0500

What does one of the most successful storytellers do every single day? Find out on this week's STORY Craft Episode and learn a simple way to stimulate your creativity on a daily basis.

To gain access to more resources and connect to the STORY Community, visit STORYCraft.co. Learn more about our workshops and gatherings, click here.

STORYCraft: The One Thing Every Story Needs

STORY — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 08:53:38 -0500

Do you feel like you don't have a story? Or that your story isn't worthy of telling? This week's episode we talk about the one thing that will make or break a story. And you'll be surprised at how liberating it will be to hear what it is. This will help you tell your story, no matter how big or small it may seem to you.

To gain access to more resources like this one, go to STORYcraft.co. To learn more about STORY, visit STORYGatherings.com.

Amena Brown on Surrendering the Outcome of Your Creative Work

STORY — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 17:58:57 -0500

Amena Brown is an author, speaker and spoken word poet who strings words into beautiful phrases while speaking truth. During this conversation she talks about embracing vulnerability in her work, dealing with criticism and how storytellers can shift cultures through creativity.

She gave a powerful talk at STORY 2017 that was a blend of spoken word and soul-filled creative genius. It was one of our top rated presentations and you can view it now on STORYCraft.co if you become a premium member.

STORYCraft: Why You Can't Hold on to an Idea

STORY — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 09:15:11 -0500

Have you ever held on to an idea so tightly that you didn't leave room for improvements or perhaps an even better idea? This week we talk about why you must be willing to fall out of love with an idea in order to come up with something better.

To gain access to more creative resources, visit STORYcraft.co.

STORYCraft: How to Meet Your Creative Work Halfway

STORY — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 10:19:56 -0500

Do you ever find yourself waiting for inspiration to strike? Or waiting for the big idea to just come to you? This week we talk about how you have to meet your creative work in the middle and how to do just that.

To access more creative resources and learn more about STORY, visit storycraft.co

Jim Krueger on the One Thing Every Story Needs

STORY — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 11:00:32 -0600

Jim Krueger is an award-winning filmmaker, New York Times best-selling author, copy-writer, video game developer and comic book writer and graphic novel legend. He is quite literally one of the best storytellers we’ve ever met.

We always learn something from him and this podcast was no different. Listen in as we learn about the one thing that every good story needs.

If you want to learn more from Jim, we are hosting a one-day workshop with him on March 24th in Chicago! Click here to learn more.

STORYCraft: How to Stay in Your Creative State

STORY — Mon, 05 Mar 2018 12:06:18 -0600

What's the difference between your limbic and executive brain? And why is it important to stay in your limbic state while creating? Learn why it's best to create without rules and before looking at your phone in the morning during this week's STORY Craft episode. This could be key for your next project.

To listen to Ally Fallon's conversation and gain access to other resources, go to www.storycraft.co

STORYCraft: Your Work Doesn't Speak For Itself

STORY — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 15:28:41 -0600

As storytellers, we like to use the excuse "My work speaks for itself". But our audience is longing for more beyond the creative work. Humans want to dig deeper and learn the backstory of the project. Learn what you need to share in order to make a larger impact with your work in this week's #STORYCraft Episode.

To gain access to more resources, visit STORYCraft.co. To learn more about STORY, visit STORYGatherings.com.

Laura Youngkin on Navigating Social Media, Finding Identity in our Work and Being a Millennial

STORY — Thu, 22 Feb 2018 15:04:49 -0600

Laura Youngkin is a theatrical producer, creative consultant, and proud Millennial, but she’s also so much more….

During this conversation we talk about the tension of living in a culture inundated with social media and praises the amount that we work. We'll also talk about the stereotypes that have been given to millennials and how we can navigate through them in the workplace.

You can learn more about her organization The Brave Millennial here. Learn more about STORY and gain access to other resources visit www.storygatherings.com.

STORYCraft: Warm Up Your Mind

STORY — Sun, 18 Feb 2018 23:28:56 -0600

If you warm up your body before a workout, why not warm up your mind before a meeting or getting started on your next project? This week's creative tip will help you get your creative juices flowing when you need it the most.

For more resources from STORY, check out www.storycraft.co

STORYCraft: Give This a Try in Your Next Meeting

STORY — Mon, 12 Feb 2018 14:11:05 -0600

This week's #STORYCraft tip might help your team come up with the best idea you've ever had.

Listen to this week's creative tip and learn how this one thing can change how you brainstorm.

MacKenzie Huynh on How Shifting Your Perspective Can Change Everything

STORY — Thu, 08 Feb 2018 13:16:34 -0600

MacKenzie Huynh is a Creative Lead at Pinterest where she found a space where her storytelling abilities and creativity collided. She's been working on a campaign this year about stepping into a "What if" moment, to push people to embrace that thing that they want to do.

MacKenzie's "What if" moment happened on the STORY 2017 stage where she shared the fact that giving a talk was her one thing that she was scared to do. She ended up being one of our highest rated speakers. During this conversation you'll learn how to step into these moments and how shifting your perspective can change everything about your work and your life.

To learn more about STORY visit www.storygatherings.com.

STORYCraft: What We Can Learn From Abraham Lincoln

STORY — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 09:36:12 -0600

During this week's #STORYCraft episode, we'll talk about the one act that you have to make time for in your creative process. No matter what canvas you are creating with, this step will help make you're project better.

Learn more about the producers of STORY at www.storygatherings.com. To gain access to more resources and creative content, visit www.STORYcraft.co

STORYCraft: Are You Asking the Right Questions?

STORY — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 10:31:01 -0600

Each week, the STORY team is going to bring you a creative tip that will impact your work and life in five minutes or less. No matter what vein of work you are in or what kind of medium you use to tell your story, these five minutes will help you to create your best, most creative work.

This week will talk about how to ask the right questions and why this is the first step to discovering the right answers.

For more creative tips and resources, visit www.storycraft.co.

Matthew Luhn on How to Tell a Great Story and Why It Requires Taking Chances

STORY — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 10:56:50 -0600

Matthew Luhn is a 20 year Pixar veteran, who worked on some of their biggest films including Up, Finding Nemo, Toy Story, Monster’s Inc, Cars and so many others. He began as an animator, but most of his career at Pixar was in the key role of Story Supervisor. He now spends his time as a branding consultant, a creative writing instructor and a workshop leader.

During this conversation you'll learn about Matthew's journey to Pixar, how to bounce back from failure and how to create space for your best creative work.

Learn more about STORY at www.storygatherings.com. Learn more about our members-only platform STORY Craft at STORYCraft.co.

Your 2018 Pep Talk

STORY — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 11:39:19 -0600

To kick off 2018, we gathered some of the most successful and creative people that we know to talk about how they set their year up for success. It was two hours jam packed with incredibly useful information.

You can hear some of the insightful conversation during this first episode of Season 02 of the STORY Podcast. If you want to watch full replay of the interactive live stream with Jason Jaggard, Gillian Ferrabee, Jon Acuff, Brad Montague, Nikkolas Smith and Jim Krueger CLICK HERE.

You will need to sign up for a free membership on our brand new site, STORY Craft. When you create an account, you will gain access to other talks from our annual conference. We hope that you'll join us!

Carlos Whittaker on How to Tell Stories Filled with Hope

STORY — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 18:45:54 -0500

He calls himself a "Hope Slinger" and we couldn't agree more.

Carlos Whittaker is a People’s Choice Award winner, a former recording artist signed to a major label, a social media maven, and currently spends the majority of his time writing books and speaking on stages around the world.

On this episode we talk about what it means to "hope sling", how he became a storyteller on every medium, and how "Killing the Spider" can lead you to a fuller, more hopeful life.

Ed Nash on How To Navigate the Tension between Art and Commerce

STORY — Fri, 08 Sep 2017 12:22:33 -0500

If you've ever struggled between the tension of commerce and art, this episode is for you.

Ed Nash is a book salesman turned Art Dealer, Appraiser and Artist. His work can be found in collections across the US and UK and is represented in galleries in New York, Atlanta, Knoxville, Chattanooga and Nashville TN.

But this journey didn't happen overnight. Learn how a kid from the UK made his way to Nashville to become the successful artist that he is today.

Find out more about STORY at www.storygatherings.com.

Bethany Haley Williams on How Art Can Change the Impact of Trauma

STORY — Tue, 29 Aug 2017 18:07:26 -0500

Bethany Haley Williams has a Ph.D. in counseling psychology and masters and license in clinical social work, and she is a leader in the field of war-affected child rehabilitation.

In addition to her work through Exile International, the organization she founded, she also works with organizations like the United Nations. She is an activist, committed to amplifying the voices and stories of war-affected youth through art therapy.

We love that she had a moment where she knew that she couldn't not do it. And so she did something. Learn how she started an organization where her passions and skills met an unmet need and how you might be able to discover where you can use your art to do the same.

Learn more about STORY at www.storygatherings.com.

Steven Chaparro on Finding our Identity Outside of Our Work

STORY — Thu, 10 Aug 2017 12:43:13 -0500

Steven Chaparro is the Vice President of Strategic Design at Visioneering Studios where they envision and design spaces that matter and tell stories.

During this talk at STORY 2016, he discusses the importance of creatives to find our identity outside of our work and our job as storytellers.

This talk was given on stage at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, TN. If you would like to watch the talk, visit www.storygatherings.com.

Hannah Brencher on Defining Your Creative Process and Developing Your Own Voice

STORY — Thu, 27 Jul 2017 14:31:47 -0500

Author and entrepreneur, Hannah Brencher talks about the different stages of writing and the creative process.

During this talk you will learn about fighting with fear, insecurity, and comparison during the journey of starting something new. Hannah also shares why and how you should set boundaries around your creative process and how to stay authentic in your writing.

This presentation was given at #STORY2016 at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, TN.

Hank Fortener on How Color Can Affect Our Relationships, Our Lives and Our Work

STORY — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 15:54:14 -0500

Communicator and entrepreneur, Hank Fortener gave this talk about how moments in our life define us to close out #STORY2016.

In this presentation, he dissects different emotions that may effect how we view life and how we treat others. This insightful and creative talk will help you shift perspective and open your eyes to how moments have defined you and motivate your actions.

If you'd like to watch this talk, visit www.storygatherings.com.

This talk was given at STORY 2016 at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, TN.

Jason Jaggard on How to Shatter Boundaries in Order to Live Beyond Your Imagination

STORY — Fri, 30 Jun 2017 09:29:40 -0500

Executive coach and author, Jason Jaggard talks about how our imagination can sometimes rob of us of the life we were meant to live.

During this talk, you will learn how to see the boundaries that you create for yourself and discover how to break them in order to define new possibilities for your work and your life.

This captivating talk will challenge you to dream bigger, and give you the tools to reach those dreams. This talk was giving at STORY 2016.

Learn more about STORY at www.storygatherings.com.

BONUS: The Enneagram and How it Can Help You, Your Relationships and Your Work

STORY — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 12:04:26 -0500

Welcome to a special episode of our show, where we sit down with Ian Morgan Cron to walk through each of the 9 numbers of the Enneagram. Along the way, you’ll gain some insight into your potential number, how it might help you understand yourself better, and what it all means for how you interact with others both at work and at home. Learn more about STORY at www.storygatherings.com.

Ian Morgan Cron on Knowing Yourself as an Artist

STORY — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 08:38:09 -0500

We all have a contribution to make as artists…we just have to keep it within a reasonable idea of who we are. But who are we? Isn’t that a questions we as artists and storytellers so often struggle with?

We talk about that and so much more with best-selling author, artist, psychotherapist and priest, Ian Morgan Cron. It's pretty easy to say that he has a unique perspective on life and he wants nothing more than to invite you to live it to your fullest.

Learn more about STORY at www.storygatherings.com.

Casey Neistat on How to Use Digital Storytelling to Make an Impact

STORY — Wed, 17 May 2017 13:48:22 -0500

This week we take a journey into the past to learn about the future with critically acclaimed filmmaker turned over-the-top successful YouTuber, Casey Neistat.

We learn how his personal story shaped stories that he tells, then gain insight into his creative process, work ethic, and daily routine.

This talk was given at STORY 2016 in Nashville, TN. To learn more about STORY, visit www.storygatherings.com.

John Bucher on Why We Need to Embrace Conflict in Our Creative Work

STORY — Thu, 11 May 2017 23:56:35 -0500

Are you guilty of doing everything in your power to avoid pain and conflict? It’s something we all do. But as storytellers, we know that deep down that it’s actually conflict that makes a character’s journey interesting. So why don’t we embrace the same idea in the story that we’re each living out?

In this week’s conversation we talk about that idea, and a whole lot more... John Bucher is a mythologist, award-winning writer, and futurist.

His books include The Inside Out Story, Master of the Cinematic Universe, Story by the Numbers, and Storytelling for Virtual Reality. That explains why he is consistently tapped by companies like HBO to develop spiritually-themed content for their digital presence, and has served as a writer and consultant for numerous film, television, and VR projects. He's also a film instructor and it's clear from this conversation that he loves to talk about storytelling.

Learn more about STORY at www.storygatherings.com

Jeremy Casper on Transcendent Storytelling and Why You Should be Terrified of Your Work

STORY — Fri, 05 May 2017 14:24:52 -0500

Jeremy Casper is a writer, director, producer as well as a film instructor and guest lecturer. He currently teaches Narrative Storytelling at his alma mater, the Los Angeles Film Studies Center and has led screenwriting and directing seminars all over the world in partnership with The Global Short Film Network and The Visual Story Network.

He strongly believes in the power of story, and has a unique perspective as we dive into transcendent storytelling, what it means and what should be defined as story.

To learn more about STORY, visit www.storygatherings.com

Steve Daugherty on Why Stories Are Powerful

STORY — Thu, 27 Apr 2017 17:33:02 -0500

Steve Daugherty is a pastor, a powerful communicator, and a #STORY2016 featured storyteller. He's been seen on stages around the country where he simply tells a story and leaves the audience to draw the "moral of the story" for themselves. And it's incredibly compelling.

During this conversation we talk about why an honest story holds power, how it can change lives, and impact culture.

Scott McDaniel on the Power of Collaboration in the Creative Community

STORY — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 14:38:32 -0500

Scott McDaniel currently serves as Vice President of Creative for the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation, overseeing the creative team facilitating visual art for the city of Nashville.

It’s a new role for him that he is totally crushing. And that’s no surprise, because his new role is on the heels of 20 years experience in creating visual art within the entertainment industry. He has a ton of experience when it comes to storytelling and collaborating with others to make sure that the best possible story is told.

Learn more at storygatherings.com.

Dave Barnes on Fear, Spirituality, and Separating Your Identity from Your Work

STORY — Tue, 11 Apr 2017 23:40:40 -0500

Fear. It’s something that everyone faces, but it seems that fear has a huge stronghold on the creative community.

This week we sat down with Dave Barnes to talk about fear, spirituality within the creative process, and separating our identity from our art. While he has made a career as an artist in his own right, he’s also written songs for artists like Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Thomas Rhett and more, so he has a lot to talk about when it comes to creativity.

Learn more about STORY at www.storygatherings.com

Ruthie Lindsey on Saying 'Yes' and Getting Out of Bed to Create

STORY — Wed, 05 Apr 2017 15:44:44 -0500

Is there something that is holding you back from creating what you were meant to create? Do you find yourself making excuses to not press the post button or to not even embark on a project at all? It’s so easy to push back on opportunities out of fear or some other force that might be ruling your life, like pain. But what if we were able to persevere and create anyway?

This week, we sat down with speaker and stylist, Ruthie Lindsey to talk about just that. worked with brands like Free People, Urban Outfitters and West Elm. But that success didn’t happen overnight.

Listen in as we talk about the hurdles that she had to overcome to be able to produce the work that she was meant to create.

Learn more at www.storygatherings.com

Steve Feldman on Storytelling and Self-Esteem

STORY — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 11:57:45 -0500

Do we have a problem with self-esteem in creative industries? And what is the right balance of encouraging each other by building each other up to inspire growth and further creativity, while being honest with ourselves and each other about our strengths and weaknesses?

Steve Feldman is a multiple Emmy award-winning director. His credits are fascinating. His IMDB page is an impressive list of projects, ranging from children’s programing to TV documentaries. He event spent 8 years directing Sesame Street.

Steve is a veteran storyteller, who has an incredible amount of experience, and has a unique perspective on living a creative life. And his advice for all of us working towards his status? It may sound a lot different than you thought that it would. All of that and more on this week's episode.

To learn more about STORY, visit www.storygatherings.com.

Matt Wertz on Inviting Collaboration and Vulnerability into the Creative Process

STORY — Thu, 23 Mar 2017 11:17:23 -0500

How often do we get caught up in the end result or have a certain motive behind a project? We set some type of expectation upon it that can leave us disappointed. Whether it’s a book deal, a future speaking gig, or even just a certain amount of likes on Instagram. As artists and storytellers we can struggle to stay present in the journey of our art, but isn’t that where the magic happens?

A self-made singer-songwriter, Matt has spent years creating soulful, feel-good pop music on his own terms. He has toured the country with songwriters like Jason Mraz, Maroon 5, Parachute and Gavin DeGraw.

More than a decade into a career filled with commercial success and touring milestones, Matt remains proud to be an independent singer-songwriter. And there's a lot that we can learn from him when it comes to being vulnerable with our art, how to approach the editing process, and finding our identity beyond our project.

Learn more about STORY at www.storygatherings.com.

Branden Harvey on Storytelling and Sharing 'Good News' in a Digital Age

STORY — Wed, 15 Mar 2017 23:26:19 -0500

Branden Harvey is a storyteller and photographer who helps brands and non-profits tell their stories. He's worked with companies like Starbucks, Comcast, World Vision, and Southwest Airlines. Now, he's working a project of his own to will promote the "Good News" in the world. Listen in to learn how to tell stories in our digital world, and how to change the narrative, for the better, on various platforms. To learn more about STORY, visit www.storygatherings.com.

Amber Rae on the Power of Wonder over Worry in Your Work

STORY — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 08:32:56 -0600

Amber is an artist and writer who has worked with the likes of Seth Godin, Apple, and Google. She has set out on a mission to choose "Wonder over Worry" and to teach other's to do the same. Not only does she have some incredible things to say that will impact your work and life during this episode, but we also start spilling some secrets about #STORY2017. Learn more at http://storygatherings.com/ and http://choosewonder.com/.

Allen Clark on the Definition of 'Making It'

STORY — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 18:48:15 -0600

Allen Clark is a celebrity photographer who's portfolio includes photos of George W. Bush, Dave Matthews, Ethan Hawke, Ludacris, and so many more. During this conversation he talks about battling self-doubt, what it means to 'make it', and the importance of telling a story. Learn more about Allen at http://www.allenclarkphotography.com/.

Danielle Bennett on Poetry, Vulnerability, and the Tangibility of Your Art

STORY — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 12:00:30 -0600

Danielle Bennett is a poet, communicator, and educator who works as a freelance artist as well as in strategic planning for an organization in the public schools of Los Angeles, CA. As a spoken word artist, she has been seen on stages across the country for various events, including #STORY2016. Listen to this powerful conversation as we talk about vulnerability and the tangibility of your art. If you're living between the tension of being a full-time artist or working an office job, this episode is for you.

BONUS: Where Did You Fall In Love?

STORY — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 17:27:33 -0600

Over the past month, we have been asking the STORY community this question: "Where did you fall in love?". We received some beautiful stories, and we are excited to share them with you on this special Valentine's Day episode. We hope that you enjoy these real, raw, and beautiful stories! Learn more about STORY at www.storygatherings.com

Allison Fallon on Pursuing Ideas and the Creative Process

STORY — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 09:09:55 -0600

Allison Fallon is a writer, speaker, and expert coach who is passionate about helping you uncover your unique beauty, power and passion in the world. She’s written ten books and dedicated the last ten years of her life to helping people overcome fears, find healing and uncover their hidden gifts. Listen to this live podcast recording from our Winter STORY Gathering in Nashville, TN as she talks the creative process, setting goals, and discovering what you were meant to do. Learn more at www.storygatherings.com.

Lori McCreary on Chasing Your Best Idea

STORY — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 13:01:16 -0600

It's safe to say that the President of the Producers Guild of America knows a thing or two about great storytelling. She is the executive producer of the hit CBS series "Madame Secretary", one of the executive producers of the National Geographic Emmy-nominated hit series "The Story of God,” the network’s most-watched series of all time, AND the CEO of Revelations Entertainment which she co-founded with Morgan Freeman. She has some experience under her belt, and she was so gracious to talk shop with us while she was on set for "Madame Secretary". Listen in to learn how she got to where she is today, and how to decide which story to tell. Learn more about STORY at www.storygatherings.com.

Jon Acuff on Setting Goals and the Art of the Hustle

STORY — Tue, 24 Jan 2017 16:12:28 -0600

Jon Acuff is the New York Times Bestselling author of five books. For 19 years he’s helped some of the biggest brands in the world tell their story, including The Home Depot, Bose, Staples, and the Dave Ramsey Team. His blogs have been read by 4 million people, so he knows a thing or two about captivating an audience. During this conversation we talk about setting goals, finishing your current project, how to deal with haters, and so much more! This episode is full of practical advice for anyone as an artist, storyteller, or creator. Learn more about STORY at www.storygatherings.com.

Nikkolas Smith on Art that Sparks Cultural Conversations

STORY — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 15:12:42 -0600

Nikkolas Smith is an artist, author, activist, and Disney Imagineer who loves telling powerful stories through his art. His work has been featured on CNN and in Lionsgate films. He has used his gift as an artist and a Master of Architecture to assist in the construction of our favorite Disney parks in Florida, California, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. During this conversation you will learn how to spark important conversations with art and the importance of discipline while creating. Learn more about STORY at www.storygatherings.com

Sarah Dubbeldam on Balancing Art and Entrepreneurship

STORY — Tue, 10 Jan 2017 12:54:19 -0600

Sarah Dubbeldam, Editor-in-chief and Creative Director of Darling Magazine, has successfully launched a brand that has disrupted the conversation. Darling Magazine is a beautifully crafted publication that has turned into a lifestyle brand that is empowering women through carefully curated content every day. Sarah has a lot to say about the struggles of balancing her creativity with becoming an entrepreneur and leader of a company. She also has some incredible insight into what it takes to be a writer, create a lifestyle brand that aligns with a mission, and why the voice of Darling needs to be heard. Learn more about Darling at www.darlingmagazine.org and STORY at www.storygatherings.com.

Brad Montague on Wonder, Inspiration, and Sparking Ideas

STORY — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 12:53:15 -0600

As we walk into 2017, we couldn't think of a better guest to kick off this year on our podcast than the always inspirational, Brad Montague. During this conversation, we talked a lot about where our inspiration comes from, our creative process, and why we can't not create. Brad is the creative genius behind the viral sensation, Kid President, as featured on Rainn Wilson's SoulPancake. Brad is a writer, director, and father who believes that if kids and grown-ups work together, we can change the world. Learn more about STORY at www.storygatherings.com

BONUS: Stories of Christmas Past

STORY — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 15:19:05 -0600

“When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things - not the great occasions - give off the greatest glow of happiness.” ― Bob Hope We wanted to help you recall some special moments during this Holiday season, in hopes to awaken a child-like wonder for this season. Listen in as we share some of our favorite memories, and some of your stories from Christmas past. We hope that you and your family create more beautiful moments during the next week or so and that you keep re-discovering that child-like wonder throughout the year. Merry Christmas from all of us at STORY!

Matt Renner on Pushing Creative Limits

STORY — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 20:13:12 -0600

Vice President of Production at National Geographic, Matt Renner, knows a thing or two about finding a story. After spending time on the Bering Sea to film "The Deadliest Catch" and piecing an Emmy-winning storyline together, he is taking on his next project that will take viewers to space. While creatively pushing the limits, the new series "Mars", is part present-day documentary, part fictional futuristic storytelling. And it's inspiring imaginations everywhere. During this insightful conversation with Matt, you'll learn how to find a compelling story, how to push the boundaries, and what it means to hustle.

Rick Rekedal on the Future of Storytelling

STORY — Mon, 05 Dec 2016 11:40:40 -0600

Chief Creative of the Global Franchise Group at DreamWorks Animation, Rick Rekedal has quite a bit to say about storytelling. During this informative conversation you'll learn about the creative process that DreamWorks goes through during a film release, the strategy behind the way that stories are told, and where storytelling is going in the future as technology continues to change. This #STORY2016 presenter will have your wheels spinning as you think about how to put your next creative work out into the world.

Jason Jaggard on the Importance of Disruption and the Dark Side of Imagination

STORY — Wed, 30 Nov 2016 11:38:59 -0600

Author and entrepreneur, Jason Jaggard was voted one of #STORY2016's favorite presenters. He captivated and challenged the audience to tap into a life beyond their imagination. And this podcast is no different. Listen as we discuss the role of spirituality in creativity, setting goals and reaching your maximum potential in all aspects of your life.

Steven Chaparro on Spacial Storytelling and Discovering Your Identity Beyond Your Art

STORY — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 10:00:37 -0600

Steven Chaparro is the Head of Business Development at Visioneering Studios where they work with organizations to tell their story through architecture and design. During this conversation, you'll learn about spacial storytelling and how to showcase your company's DNA through architecture. We also talked about how to combat the struggle of comparison, dealing with criticism as an artist, and what it means to discover your "dream job". And if you're a coffee connoisseur, you'll love the conversation we have about the rise of the coffee culture. Learn more about the work that Steven does at https://stevenachaparro.com/

Micah Bournes on Poetry, Creative Writing, and the Role We Play in Racial Reconciliation

STORY — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 10:33:20 -0600

Micah is an extremely talented writer, poet, and communicator. If you were at #STORY2016, you witnessed him silence a room with his incredible work. We loved sitting down with him to talk about his creative process, the rules of writing, and the role that storytellers can play in our society's story as it relates to racism and justice. He even shared a couple of his incredible poems with us that are sure to inspire and challenge you.

Hank Fortener on Embracing Envy and Letting it Push You to Create

STORY — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 17:04:25 -0600

We got to sit down with Hank Fortener backstage at STORY 2016 to talk about his life as a communicator, entrepreneur, and podcaster. We loved hearing his insight to what pushes him to start something new. In this episode, you'll learn about the role envy plays in his life as a storyteller and what pushes him to constantly create new things. Be sure to check out World Adoption Day and how you can get involved on November 15th here: http://worldadoptionday.org/

Hannah Brencher on Creative Boundaries

STORY — Mon, 31 Oct 2016 22:49:01 -0500

Hannah Brencher is an author, TED speaker, and entrepreneur. We got to sit down with her backstage at STORY 2016, and it was a lot of fun. She has a way with words and we were exited to talk to her about her creative process, especially since she is in the middle of writing her second book. In this episode, you will learn how to create boundaries and what role social media should play in your creative process. Hannah also gives some great advice for anyone who is a writer.

Dan Goods on Making Your Art Memorable

STORY — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 18:08:49 -0500

Dan Goods is the "Visual Strategist" for NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab where he develops creative ways to communicate complex concepts by transforming them into meaningful stories that can be universally understood. His work can be seen in museums, airports, and outer space. In this episode, you'll learn what it takes to make stories meaningful and unforgettable and the best question to ask while creating a new project. Learn more about Dan at directedplay.com

Gary Foster on Integrity and Storytelling

STORY — Tue, 18 Oct 2016 23:14:33 -0500

Hollywood veteran producer, Gary Foster is known for his projects such as Tin Cup and Sleepless in Seattle. But we were really excited to have a conversation about how his latest project, Denial came to fruition. The movie recounts Deborah E. Lipstadt's legal battle for historical truth against David Irving, who accused her of libel when she declared him a Holocaust denier. It's a story that needs to be told, and we loved hearing how and why Gary fought for the movie to be made. He has so much great advice for producers who have a story to be told.

Brit Gilmore on Leading an Impact-Driven Brand

STORY — Sun, 25 Sep 2016 16:18:38 -0500

Join us for an enlightening conversation with President of The Giving Keys, Brit Gilmore, as we discuss the storytelling nature of The Giving Keys, and what she has learned by leading an impact-driven brand with over 70 employees, many of whom have transitioned out of homelessness. We love The Giving Keys story...don’t miss this opportunity to learn first-hand from Brit’s experience as the leader of a company changing the world.

Annie F. Downs on "Real Jobs," Becoming a Writer and Not Quitting

STORY — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 08:57:49 -0500

We got to have an incredible conversation with author, speaker, an entrepreneur, Annie F. Downs. We learned so much from her as she talked about how she became a writer, what it's like to lead a team, and why you shouldn't quit. If you want to hear more from Annie, check out her podcast called That Sounds Fun over on www.anniefdowns.com/

CJ Casciotta on Embracing Your Weirdness

STORY — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 11:01:32 -0500

We loved sitting down with CJ Casciotta to talk about what it means to embrace our weirdness. CJ is a creative director who has worked with brands like Whole Foods and charity:water to help them tell their stories. He now has his own podcast called "Sounds Like a Movement" where he has talked with people like Seth Godin, Krista Tippet, and Tony Hale. Listen to this episode and learn how to embrace your weirdness, because "in a sea of same, weird wins."

Cole NeSmith on Cultivating Art

STORY — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 16:33:25 -0500

We sat down with Cole NeSmith to talk about cultivating art, creating a community, and how Orlando used art to heal after the Pulse tragedy. Cole is an artist, actor, writer, producer, and the executive director of the Creative City Project, an annual arts event in Downtown Orlando featuring collaborations with Cirque du Soleil, Orlando Ballet, The CFCArts Orchestra, and over 1000 artists, performers, and musicians.

Nikki Giovanni on Finding Your Own Voice

STORY — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 18:34:36 -0500

We got to have a lively conversation with poet, activist, and educator, Nikki Giovanni to talk about storytelling, how to stay hopeful, and the importance of finding your own voice. Nikki is currently a University Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech where she continues to write and contribute to important cultural conversations.

Jeremy Cowart on Criticism, Fear, and Taking Risks

STORY — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 09:16:05 -0500

We sat down with Jeremy Cowart to talk about how he deals with criticism, his daily schedule and rhythm, his fears for the future, and what it's like to attempt to raise $2 million on Kickstarter for a hotel that could change the world.

STORY INTRO

STORY — Mon, 15 Aug 2016 16:03:56 -0500

Welcome to the STORY Podcast, a series of unique conversations to fuel the creative class and leave you inspired to do your best, most meaningful work.