379: Lessons in Curiosity and Storytelling

Guest Sarah Elkins is a keynote speaker, Gallup StrengthsFinder coach, and the author and podcast host of Your Stories Don't Define You, How You Tell Them Will. She is the principal at Elkins' Consulting. She is the organizing genius behind the annual No Longer Virtual Summit, a small business summit for those looking for a community of professionals to grow with - personally, professionally, and thoughtfully.

In her work with coaching clients, Sarah guides individuals to enhance their communication by using storytelling as the foundation of their collaboration. What she's realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don't realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they're sharing them with.

Her work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on her podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.

Summary

In this episode, Sarah and I discuss our key takeaways from her recent "No Longer Virtual Summit." We reflect on sessions that focused on finding a target audience and identifying one's "content personality type." We also explore how they've applied these concepts to their work. I share how I've narrowed the focus of my podcast to center on curiosity and innovation, while Sarah talks about incorporating storytelling and the StrengthsFinder assessment into her public speaking coaching. We both emphasize the importance of vulnerability, personal stories, and targeting a specific audience to build authentic connections and achieve career clarity.

Key Takeaways Narrow your focus to find your target audience. Instead of trying to appeal to a broad market, solopreneurs should "shoot with a rifle, not with a shotgun" by focusing on a specific audience based on their values and the problems they solve for clients.

Embrace your "content personality type" for business development. Identifying how you work best, such as in-person or through reflection, can guide how you build your business and get people to care about your services.

Use storytelling to build authentic connections. Sharing personal stories that demonstrate your skills and values can create a deeper, more memorable connection with others. This is particularly effective for leaders and professionals in networking situations.

Social Media: Your Stories Don't Define You, How You Tell Them Will Book: To support your local bookstore, visit Bookshop.org. Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-stories-dont-define-you-how-you-tell-them-will/id1329558957