Storytelling School

How Unforgettable Experiences Make for Unforgettable Stories

May 15, 2024

33:06

I’m in prep mode, getting ready to host a standup comedy night. I ask myself:

“What’s it going to take to move this event from good to unforgettable?

Sure people are coming to see comedians who they love and may have been following for years… What can we do to make this experience last and earn a permanent memory in every audience member’s mind? What can we do to make this experience last and earn a permanent memory in every single audience member’s mind?”

The answer? It’s all in the details. From eye contact and smiles, to the welcoming and fun atmosphere being directed at each guest from every angle–box office volunteers and snack bar workers, old-time comedy posters and fresh flowers… even the cleanliness of the theater plays a subtle and important role.

In other words, it’s in making this entire evening feel like every single detail matters and producing an unforgettable experience in the process.

My special guests today, Mo Barrett & Katy Stevens, have made creating unforgettable experiences into an entire business. In this episode of the Storytelling School Podcast, they’ll share how the monotonous and mundane can be disrupted and generate stories that entertain and empower, as well as answer questions such as:

How can seeing and appreciating the stories of others deepen your understanding and connection? What effect does allowing your mind to rest have on your story creation and productivity? And how can taking an unconventional approach with your story or Talk produce an experience for your audience that only you can deliver?

What you will learn in this episode:

Why you need to trust the story your body is trying to write for you
How the mundane can make for better stories than grandiose events
How you can generate creative story ideas and reconnect with forgotten stories

Who are Mo & Katy?

Mo Barrett & Katy Stevens are unlikely best friends from two separate worlds who collided at a barbershop brigade singing event. Mo is a retired Air Force Colonel turned public speaker, and Katy is a music and performance instructor turned Mo-wrangler. Together they take stages as corporate entertainers and educators.

Despite all the ways they’re different, they choose to lean into the strength of the things they have in common, recognizing, acknowledging, appreciating and leveraging their respective quirks. Together Mo & Katy disrupt monotony and are building a world filled with unforgettable experiences that entertain and empower by using humor in unexpected ways.

Links and Resources