Storytelling School

I’m lying in a hospital bed after my cement truck accident in Hawaii. While I survived, the doctor comes into the room and tells me that something didn’t: “Kymberlee, I’m sorry to tell you this, but you’ve lost your taste and smell forever.” When I get released, I’m craving everything you can imagine. I want to smell and taste it all, especially chocolate chip cookies. But I can’t, and my friend says to me, “Why don’t you just eat rice cakes from now on? Doesn’t matter what you eat.” So that’s what I do, for years and years. I kind of give up on the pleasure of food and eating. But then I start dating a guy who happens to be a chef. He comes over to my house and is horrified at the contents of my fridge: Red Bull, PowerBars, and vodka. That’s all that’s in there! That was my diet at the time. In the months and years to follow, he completely transforms my relationship with food. Instead of eating to survive, I learn to appreciate food again... But not just any food. I notice how my body feels when I eat certain kinds of food and realize that what I put into my body matters. I start eating healthy food because I feel it nourishing my body in a way food hadn’t before. My special guest today, Michael Kuech, also had a health scare that precipitated a change in his experience with food. Now, he has an entire business based on what you put on your plate. In this episode of the Storytelling School Podcast, we talk about food as a risk factor, why healthy eating can be easier (and more fun) than you think, and the emotional connectivity of the foods you choose. If you’re curious to know: How can you enjoy eating healthy as a measure to restore or keep your health story on the right track? What simple thing can you do right now to start rewriting your current eating story into a more healthy one? And how soon will you be able to tell the difference in your body and how you feel? Then tune in to hear about the doctor visit that changed everything, the woman whose wedding ring wouldn’t fit, and much more! What you will learn in this episode: How stories you tell yourself can influence your eating habits  Why adding a healthy eating story into your daily life can be quick, easy, and fun What you can do to break down your emotional connectivity to what you eat Who is Michael? Michael Kuech is a sought-after speaker who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 24. While recovering, his then-girlfriend Kristel helped boost his immunity with superfoods and a plant-based eating plan. Together, they started their B corp company Your Super--a company with a mission to improve people’s health with the power of super plants. Your Super went from just the two of them in Kristel’s kitchen to an international community of over a million health-conscious enthusiasts that has sold products worth over $200 million. They work with small farmers to provide the cleanest superfood mixes, plant-based proteins, and organic snacks for everyday health, detoxing, immunity, hormone health, and gut support. Michael has been featured on shows and in publications like The Doctors, Good Day L.A., CheddarTV, People, Well+ Good, Real Simple, Parade, InStyle, and more. Recently, he and Kristel were married and just welcomed their first mini-plant lover, a baby boy they named Leo. And when not residing in Los Angeles, they go wherever their farmers have an extra hammock. Links and Resources: Your Super Your Super Life: 100+ Delicious, Plant-Based Recipes Made with Nature’s Most Powerful Superfoods by Kristel de Groot & Michael Kuech @kristelandmichael on Instagram @yoursuperfoods on Instagram Michael’s TEDx Talk - “One Big Threat to Humanity Is What’s On Our Plates” Storytelling School Website @storytellingschool on Instagram @storytellingSchool on Facebook

At eight years old, my Dad is living on a farm in Illinois. It’s Christmas morning and time to open presents. His brother opens his first; it’s a new train set and he’s ecstatic! But my Dad notices that there’s no gift with his name on it under the tree. Did he do something wrong? Are his parents upset with him? These thoughts run through his head when his parents tell him, “Your gift is outside by the barn. Go ahead!” So my dad goes outside, and there’s a Shetland pony waiting for him! Now, he’s never been around ponies. They don’t even have horses of any kind. Yet dad and this pony (who he names Captain) become the best of friends. They’re inseparable! He even teaches Captain how to shake hands! Sixty years later, my Dad still tells me stories about the antics he and Captain got up to and the lessons he learned that still affect him to this day. My special guest today is a pioneer in so many ways, and his own bond with a four-legged friend provided the spark to change his life and the lives of others. Duey Freeman is a licensed therapist and “horse whisperer” who not only has amassed stories through his own incredible life but is also changing the life stories of his clients. In this episode of the Storytelling School Podcast, he talks about how his work helps those with stories involving attachment issues, we explore the relation between storytelling and relationship development, and he answers questions like: Why are horses so good at helping those suffering from stories of traumatic events? And how are we physiologically affected by the stories we tell (or hear from others)? What you will learn in this episode: How relationships in the wild affect stories of survival How storytelling can influence your nervous system What primarily causes attachment between two beings (in stories and real life) Who is Duey? As the co-founder of the Gestalt Equine Institute of the Rockies, Duey Freeman is a sought-after teacher, trainer, licensed therapist, and equine professional worldwide. He developed and taught practical attachment and human development theories to thousands of university students. He also has nearly 80,000 direct client hours, supervises therapists and graduate students, and has people from all over the world come to study with him. It was Duey’s bond with his beloved horse Jake (who passed away in 2015) that helped him embody tenderness, strength, and authenticity in his relations and work. He’s exploring new horizons in facilitating men’s growth work because, for him, Gestalt and Relational Horsemanship aren’t just approaches; they’re how he walks through the world. In addition, Duey does business and land consultations for new equine therapy sites. Links and Resources: Duey Freeman Gestalt Equine Institute of the Rockies Colorado Ecotherapy Institute @dueyfreeman on Instagram Storytelling School Website @storytellingschool on Instagram @storytellingSchool on Facebook

I’m running TEDxSantaBarbara in 2017 with my husband Mark. Our committee is gathering to select the speakers for the upcoming event, and we’re going through hundreds of applications. One particular application stands out with a bold statement. It claims that half of all blindness in the world is just a 10-minute surgery away from being cured. That’s an idea that absolutely deserves to be heard far and wide. But is it real? Is it actually possible? To find out, we interview the doctor behind the idea and discover that not only is it real, but it’ll change cataract surgery as we know it! We unanimously invite him to speak at our TEDx. And now, I’ve invited that doctor onto the Storytelling School podcast. In this episode, I talk with special guest Dr. Jeffrey Levenson about what has changed since his TEDx Talk in 2017, how one person who watched his Talk was inspired to fund 10000 eye surgeries, and the remarkable story behind his passion for affordable and accessible cataract surgery to all. He answers questions like: How does the rate of blindness in poor communities affect the story of those around them? What happened to him recently that changed the trajectory of his story and that of a thousand people (and potentially more)? What are doctors doing overseas for just $50 to change the story for blind people in poor countries (and is it happening in the U.S., too)? What you will learn in this episode: What the essence of a story is  Why you should never give up on telling your story What makes for the most impactful stories Who is Dr. Levenson? Jeffrey Levenson, MD is a Florida based eye surgeon and the founder of Jacksonville's Gift of Sight Program, a program that has for over 30 years assured that no one in North Florida is blind for want of a cataract surgery, regardless of their ability to pay. He's also the Chief Medical Officer of SEE International, a Santa Barbara based charity dedicated to the end of needless blindness around the world. He has spent the last ten years working around the globe to promote a re-engineered variant of cataract surgery that's less expensive, equally effective, and suitable to low resource communities. Half of all the blindness in the world is people who need a 10 minute surgery. It doesn't have to be that way. His TEDxSanta Barbara Talk points the way.   Links and Resources: Ending Preventable Blindness: reinventing cataract surgery | Jeffrey Levenson | TEDxTalk SantaBarbara 1,000 Blind People See For The First Time | MrBeast | Youtube SEE International Gift of Sight Levenson Eye Associates Storytelling School Website @storytellingschool on Instagram @storytellingSchool on Facebook

It’s 2015, and I’m ready to take the next leap. I’ve been working with speakers one-on-one for a while and want to try my hand at hosting my own event. Except, I’ve never done this before, and if I do it… will anyone even come to it? How long should it be? What content should I cover? And what about the whole performance aspect of speaking? These are the questions going through my mind when I realize that I need to ask my Improv mentor, Alan Irwin, to join me in co-hosting this event. So I reach out to him: “Hey, Alan. Want to play? This is what I’m thinking. What do you think?" He loves the idea and soon we’re planning all the details for our dream speaker power event on napkins and stickie notes.  On June 12th 2015, we host our very first live event and haven’t stopped since. And today, I’ve invited my event co-hosting partner in crime back on the Storytelling School Podcast. He and I have gained many insights and fielded many questions after years of running these events.  So in this episode, we talk about how these workshops help you, as a speaker or storyteller, effectively express your message to an audience. We touch on developing and refining your ideas on your terms, including humor in your speech, and overcoming fear related to public speaking by answering questions like: How can you effectively dig deep into exploring the ideas and stories you want to share with an audience? What’s the formula for adding humor to your Talk, and how does humor benefit you as the speaker or storyteller? How can you work on the fear you feel when telling a story or sharing your ideas in a presentation? And how does Improv influence you as a communicator or storyteller? What you will learn in this episode: How immersion helps you embody your stories and ideas What approach to take if you want to incorporate humor into your speech How to take on a character when you’re afraid of giving a Talk or sharing your story Who is Alan? Storytelling has played a role in both of Alan Irwin’s careers in different ways. He recently retired from a career spent in the infrared industry as a senior software engineer by day. However, he stumbled into Improvisational Comedy in his 30s and by night has performed it for over 30 years, while also spending most of that time teaching Improv. Improvisation has transformed Alan’s teaching. His secret weapon lies in his penchant for making complex subjects accessible and fun. It has served him well worldwide in speaking engagements on a wide range of other topics, from robotics to crisis intervention (including suicide prevention). He’s taken on the task of communicating very complex ideas to others in tech (and his interests, like geek culture and cheesemaking). Links and Resources: Santa Barbara Improv Story to Standing Ovation - Speaker Bootcamp Storytelling School Website @storytellingschool on Instagram @storytellingSchool on Facebook

“Black belt, don’t think!” Those deep, stern words from the Grandmaster echo across the dojo and ring in my ears like a loudspeaker at full volume. Eight fellow black belts surround me in a circle with weapons in their hands while I have none. We’re doing a dynamic circle knife drill exercise where, one by one, they attack and I have to disarm each weapon and take the attacker down while avoiding injury myself. When the exercise begins, I’m full of adrenaline and can feel my heart racing like a race car at the Indy 500. I’m trying to outthink my opponent, contemplating their next move, pre-planning my next move, and overthinking the entire scenario. I’m not trusting myself or my instincts.  While I manage to avoid what would be serious injury on the street, my movements aren’t fluid at all! Grandmaster calls me out and starts the exercise over. I take a slow breath and turn around in a circle to look at each of my eight opponents. “Begin!” the Grandmaster orders.  I… close my eyes.  Now that I’ve removed my sense of sight, I’m relying solely on sound, touch, and trust in myself.  Each black belt yells “Ki-ai” and initiates their attack. I respond and disarm the first one, then the next, and the next. The disarming goes significantly better, and I’m reminded of how powerful the senses are and how harder the others work when you take one away. In this next episode of the “So You Think You Want to Become a Storyteller” master series, I talk about how the five senses can enrich your storytelling. Once again, I have my interviewer extraordinaire (Mark) ask me some tough questions on this topic such as: How do you incorporate the senses into your storytelling and make your stories come alive? Do you even need all five senses, or will just one or two do fine? And can you overuse senses in your stories? What you will learn in this episode: -How you can use the senses to describe anything in a story -What sense tends to get overused and underused by storytellers -How you can use the five senses to evoke specific emotions in your story A little about me: Hi there. I’m Kymberlee. As a Speaking Strategist and founder of Storytelling School, I’ve had the pleasure of working with over 500 speakers, business leaders, and entrepreneurs worldwide for over a decade. No matter if those folks were getting ready to take the TED or TEDx stage or preparing for a high-stakes presentation with everything on the line, my specialty is High Stakes Short Form Communication. I’ve seen what works when influencing change and what doesn’t. It turns out storytelling is one of the most powerful tools you can have in your arsenal. That’s why I’m building a movement of master storytellers to affect change in the world on a global scale to help people tell real stories that have influence and impact. With effective storytelling, you change people’s lives. Since competition for potential client attention is fierce, a story can make the difference between being memorable or irrelevant. You’ll find me sharing my matcha tea mishap to discuss perfectionism, my quest for Bruce Lee and Hello Kitty art to explore kindness, or the six months of live blade training I underwent to illustrate presence. I spend my days showing the power of using stories to help cement ideas and bring lessons to life and teaching my clients to do the same. If you think business owners can’t tell stories or don’t have stories to share with their clients, staff, donors, followers, or investors, I invite you to reconsider your perspective. There’s no better place than in business to tell your stories so audiences, no matter how big or small, can understand how you think and what you value. Now it’s your turn... If you’re ready to become a master storyteller and effect change in our world, you’ve come to the right place. Links and Resources: Storytelling School Website @storytellingschool on Instagram

I’m in high demand as a high school softball pitcher. Colleges want to recruit me like crazy to come play for their school. The all-expense-paid recruiting trips begin. There’s one to a college with snow on the ground which appeals to me because I’m a snow skier, too. There’s another college where the coaches are amazing, and another one with an unstoppable team. Then I get an invitation from a college coach I’m not familiar with. I’m a Southern California girl thinking of sticking close to home on the West Coast, and this school is a little far away. Yet since these recruiting trips consist of people wining and dining you - so to speak - for a couple of days, I figured there’s no harm in at least going out there for a visit. I’m thinking, “I’ve never been to the islands, so it’s fine. It’ll be a fun weekend.” When the plane lands and I get off, though, my body is tingling. I love the smell of the air, the flowers, the palm trees and the ocean, and right then and there, I decide, “Yes, I’m ready to sign and I’m going to the University of Hawaii.” Plot twist!  I was going in one direction, playing it safe. Then I had this opportunity to step out in another direction. I knew nobody in Hawaii and was hours (and an ocean) away from home… and I was willing to take the risk. Doing so changed my life! My guest today, Candice Michelle, has lived her own life full of plot twists. And in this episode, she talks about the many facets of her story including acting out a story live in front of 100,000+ people, a lesson learned from pro wrestler Ric Flair, and more! Plus, she’ll answer questions such as: How does listening to your gut drastically affect or change the course of your life story? How does the professional wrestling world create stories and characters for its audience? And why does winning a WWE title mean so much, even in an industry like sports entertainment where the ending to the story is planned? What you will learn in this episode: How your intuition can throw plot twists into your story How the philosophy of wrestling matches resembles storytelling Why struggles are the best story gifts Who is Candice Michelle? Candice Michelle had to overcome the odds even before she was born. Due to complications from her father’s health, her mother’s doctors urged her to abort her pregnancy. But her mom braved the pregnancy anyway and gave birth to a healthy baby girl who grew up in Milwaukee as a Green Bay Packers fan. At 18, Candice Michelle followed her heart and moved to Hollywood to pursue modeling. She became a WWE Diva Search Contestant, was the first to win the wrestling organization’s Women’s Championship title, and even got to pose on the cover of Playboy. She also went on to become a WWE 24/7 Champion. You might have seen her in Super Bowl commercials every year, too, as the GoDaddy Girl. An injury ended Candice Michelle’s wrestling career, but it wasn’t the end of her championship reign. Now happily married for 20 years and a mother to three beautiful girls, she’s a champ coach who lives, eats, and trains 24/7 and focuses on helping others through crises and regaining their joy. Links and Resources: Candice Michelle @mrs_candice_michelle on Instagram Storytelling School Website @storytellingschool on Instagram @storytellingSchool on Facebook

I’m preparing to teach my Mastermind class about being a premium brand. But there’s one issue: I’m tired of using the same old Apple, Ritz Carlton, Mercedes types of examples… As I’m sipping on my homemade matcha latte, it hits me. I have the answer right in the palm of my hand!  I remember being out of matcha and scouring the Internet looking at one site after another to find one that stands out. As I land on a particular matcha website, I see it has a STORY around the product. As I continue reading, I learn about matcha: all the different varieties, where a particular grade of matcha comes from, and the actual people who grow it. I’m hooked and I purchase it. When it arrives on my doorstep, I realize that everything about this experience is different. Right from the get-go, I’m unboxing this very carefully, noticing the beautifully tissue-wrapped product, and the invoice even has a handwritten thank you note on it. I can’t remember the last time a company hand wrote a thank you note on their invoice. This kind of detail, service, and interaction really illustrate what premium brand experiences are made of! Premium brands aren’t just selling products; they’re truly selling an experience. And this particular one changed my relationship with matcha forever. If you’ve listened to my show for a while, you know I can’t live without my matcha latte. So it should be no surprise that I’d eventually bring a matcha expert onto the show. This week, I talk with Eric Gower, the founder of the very company I just described, Breakaway Matcha!  Eric and his matcha business have certainly made me a customer for life! In this episode, he discusses how story infiltrates everything he does in his business and takes us on a deep dive into matcha tea. If you’re curious to know: What is matcha? How does it affect your external and internal story? And what about storytelling makes it one of the most effective things you can do for sales? Then tune in as Eric talks about how his introduction to matcha has influenced his life story, explains how metaphors helped him finally understand Bitcoin, demonstrates how he uses storytelling to sell matcha tea, and so much more! What you will learn in this episode: How metaphor makes the message of your story go deeper What two storytelling factors in sales provide the basis for repeat customers How all-around trust serves you in telling an effective story Who is Eric? Eric Gower is an author, editor, private chef, cooking teacher, and the founder of Breakaway Matcha. He developed an obsession with extreme-grade matcha while living and working in Japan for 16 years. He thought it should be much easier for people to find. A decade later, his determination paid off as he opened the doors to his company. The main goal of Breakaway Matcha is making great matcha accessible to anyone. Eric has formed close relationships with those in Japan who cultivate and process it. The company specializes in sourcing exceptional matcha, blending and distributing it worldwide, and educating consumers and food service professionals on matcha preparation and service. In addition, he works with local ceramicists and artists to create beautifully-designed, special teaware that brings the best out of matcha and enhances its enjoyment. So if you’re looking for a transcendent matcha experience, Breakaway Matcha stops at nothing to keep you as happy and healthy as possible! You can access it along with ceramics and other teaware through Eric’s website. Links and Resources: Breakaway Matcha @breakawaymatcha on Instagram Storytelling School Website @storytellingschool on Instagram @storytellingSchool on Facebook

It’s showtime. I’m wickedly nervous as I prepare to deliver my monologue in my very first acting class. I’ve been rehearsing relentlessly and memorizing my script so that I don’t forget any of my character’s dialogue. I begin. And not two minutes into it, my teacher Peter stops me.  What he says next changes me--not just as an actor, but as a speaker, storyteller, and communicator. He tells me, “Kymberlee, I want you to live in the line you are in. Don’t worry about what’s going to happen. Good acting is when you risk losing the next line.” Whoa. What if we all lived in the line we’re in during conversations with loved ones at home or associates in everyday life? As a voiceover artist and actress, my special guest this week, Kate Marley, does this in spades. And in this episode, she’s here to talk all about it and answer questions like: What can anyone bring into a story character to give it life? How powerfully do shared stories affect you emotionally, both inside and outside of a community? What you will learn in this episode: Why purpose is such an essential storytelling element How story and art help you reconnect to your authentic self How shared stories shift previously-stuck perspectives and help others Who is Kate? Kate Marley is a full-time artist in visual art, acting, and photography in Los Angeles, California. She graduated and obtained her degree from Ithaca College’s Musical Theatre program and is a proud member of the Actors Equity and SAG-AFTRA. Despite her musical days feeling far away, she still has a lifelong goal of telling stories and communicating with various audiences in her current fields of work. Currently, Kate spends most of her time acting and directing in voiceover and selling her artwork locally, always meeting new people and sharing new stories in the process. You can connect with her and find her work through her websites, Kate Marley and Jungmisul. Links and Resources: Kate Marley Jungmisul Storytelling School Website @storytellingschool on Instagram @storytellingSchool on Facebook

I’m at The Groundlings Theatre for an Improv class. We’re doing two-person scenes when our instructor says it’s time for a drill. “This next exercise is a way to go deeper into your characters, fast.” For each pair, he instructs one person to start with a mundane statement about the other. The second person repeats the statement and adds something about what it means. Then it goes back to the first person to repeat the added-on part of the statement and add something else about what that means. Kymberlee: Carl, you look lonely standing here by the punchbowl all by yourself. Carl: I look lonely standing here by the punchbowl all by myself, and what that means is I’m not very good at social events. K: You’re not very good at social events, and what that means is you prefer to have fun where you don’t have to talk to people. C: I prefer to have fun where I don’t have to talk to people, and what that means is I’m really into gaming. And so on it goes, until the instructor says, “Scene!” to end the exercise. That simple made-up scene gives us lots of information about our characters in only a couple of sentences. In our world, we as communicators have so much we want to share. But sometimes we get stuck in expressing the meat of it in a way that resonates with our audience. When you tap into your feelings, you get to the heart of your story faster! My guest today, Jane Lui, knows all about storytelling in a variety of ways. She does it through singing, composing, acting, producing, and so much more. In this episode, she talks about how she brings stories to life through her work with emotion leading the way and answers questions like: In what ways can you start to build your story if you’re stuck? And how can you make your story more interesting for your audience? What you will learn in this episode: What really lies behind the magic of storytelling How you can structure your story to get people’s attention How you can bring out the layers and multiple facets of your story Who is Jane? Jane Lui is a singer, songwriter, composer, and actress who goes by the stage name Surrija (sur-rye-ya). Originally from Hong Kong, she grew up playing piano. She immigrated to the Bay area and started listening to everything from 1930s oldies to 1990s Bjork. After obtaining her Bachelor of Music in Choral Conducting, Jane released three albums on Youtube that gained a strong following. Then she evolved into her self-titled concept album SURRIJA based on Picasso’s lovers and demonstrated her own growth as both a woman and musician, from classical training to electro-pop artistry. The album, which received a 2021 Best Pop Album nomination at the San Diego Music Awards, features drummer Matt Chamberlain who has also worked with artists such as David Bowie and Fiona Apple. In addition to Chamberlain, Jane also collaborated with Kate Earl, Melissa Polinar, Son Lux, Tom Brousseau, Vienna Teng, and more. Currently, she’s a cast member and co-music director of Lauren Yee’s Cambodian Rock Band. She also composed for the theater productions All’s Well That Ends Well and Secret in the Wings. Links and Resources: SURRIJA @janelui on Twitter @surrija on Instagram @surrija on Facebook Storytelling School Website @storytellingschool on Instagram @storytellingSchool on Facebook

I’m about to deliver a Talk, and I want to open it with a really good story I remembered from a couple of months ago. The problem is I can’t find it anywhere! I look at my whiteboard, thinking, “Surely, I scribbled a little message about it somewhere there.” Nope.  I search my notebooks. Zip. I sort through my stacks of sticky notes, and still nothing. After spending over two hours hunting for this story, I decide, “That’s it! From now on, I’m putting all my stories in one spot, once and for all!” So I create a story arsenal where I can find all of my stories and never run out of ideas. Today, that arsenal is one of my most valuable business assets. How did I do it? Find out in this episode of the “So You Think You Want To Become a Storyteller” master series as I also answer questions such as: Why do you need a story arsenal? How do you use it? When do you add to it? And how do you keep it organized? What you will learn in this episode: How to record story ideas in your arsenal How to organize story ideas to find them as you need them What to do when you can’t immediately record a story idea in your arsenal A little about me: Hi there. I’m Kymberlee. As a Speaking Strategist and founder of Storytelling School, I’ve had the pleasure of working with over 500 speakers, business leaders, and entrepreneurs worldwide for over a decade. No matter if those folks were getting ready to take the TED or TEDx stage or preparing for a high-stakes presentation with everything on the line, my specialty is High Stakes Short Form Communication. I’ve seen what works when influencing change and what doesn’t. It turns out storytelling is one of the most powerful tools you can have in your arsenal. That’s why I’m building a movement of master storytellers to affect change in the world on a global scale to help people tell real stories that have influence and impact. With effective storytelling, you change people’s lives. Since competition for potential client attention is fierce, a story can make the difference between being memorable or irrelevant. You’ll find me sharing my matcha tea mishap to discuss perfectionism, my quest for Bruce Lee and Hello Kitty art to explore kindness, or the six months of live blade training I underwent to illustrate presence. I spend my days showing the power of using stories to help cement ideas and bring lessons to life and teaching my clients to do the same. If you think business owners can’t tell stories or don’t have stories to share with their clients, staff, donors, followers, or investors, I invite you to reconsider your perspective. There’s no better place than in business to tell your stories so audiences, no matter how big or small, can understand how you think and what you value. Now it’s your turn... If you’re ready to become a master storyteller and effect change in our world, you’ve come to the right place. Links and Resources: Storytelling School Website @storytellingschool on Instagram