Storytelling School

I’m running my software company in 2015 when this email comes in. As we open it, we’re beside ourselves with excitement because it represents the opportunity of a lifetime. We’ve been selected as one of the very few technology companies to present at the DEMO conference. I eagerly read the details, including how much time presenters have to speak. I’m looking for our company’s name, and I don’t see us among the slots for the 20-minute presentations… nor the 5-minute ones... nor the 3-minute ones. I get down to the 1-minute presentations and see us listed there.  Cue the freaking out.  We only have 60 seconds to get on stage and talk about our entire software company and everything we do to a roomful of the most influential people in the world! So what do we do? Something completely different of course.  My co-founder Mark and I get on stage and ask everybody in the audience to stand up. Then one by one, we ask for anyone belonging to certain groups of people to sit down until eventually only the investors in the room are left standing. Making a joke about how they’re the ones everyone else in the room wants to most meet, we quickly explain that that’s how our software works. It takes complex bits of data and narrows it down to the five people you need to meet. Our 1-minute presentation was a huge success! It opened so many doors afterward. And it happened because we chose to create an experience for our audience that built a relationship. My special guest today, Neal Bloom, knows all about relationship-building from both the entrepreneurial perspective and the investor perspective. In today’s show, he talks about story as it relates to the work he does and answers questions like: What deeper levels of connection can change the trajectory of your life or business? What money stories impact entrepreneurs when it comes to the investor industry (and vice versa)? And how does telling your story open up new avenues or doors of opportunity for you and others? What you will learn in this episode: How connections can be a life or business story game changer What makes for a great story in your business pitch How story pivots can make you more backable as an entrepreneur Who is Neal? Neal Bloom used to think he’d go into one of the family businesses. Instead, he graduated with an engineering undergraduate degree and worked on NASA’s Space Shuttle program. Since then, he’s obtained his M.B.A. with an emphasis on entrepreneurship and marketing. Neal co-founded a company to help new graduates visually brand themselves using their existing classwork as work experience. After selling the company in 2019, he went on to build Interlock Capital, an investment community of domain expert operators to close the gap between capital and subject matter experts. Now, Neal serves as the Managing Partner of the venture capital firm, in addition to being CEO of communication firm Rising Tide Partners. Additionally, Neal has launched multiple companies in the education technology and talent technology space, invested in over 50 startup technology companies, amplified the story of governments to help attract innovative businesses to their city, and mentored hundreds of founders to leap into or keep building quality businesses. Links and Resources: Rising Tide Partners Interlock Capital @NealBloom on Twitter Neal Bloom on LinkedIn Storytelling School Website @storytellingschool on Instagram @storytellingSchool on Facebook

It's 2014. As the year draws to a close, all of my friends come up with their New Year’s resolutions, ranging from dropping bad habits to losing weight. But while I create my list of resolutions on the eve of the new year, I realize it isn’t going to work. Sure, I write them out every year with the best intentions in mind, but I forget some of them by February and even blow by others in January. At the end of the year, when reflecting back, it’s the goals I haven’t reached that make me feel like I’m failing. Walking on the beach that morning with my matcha latte, I wonder, “What if there were a new way to set intentions for the year ahead? What if those intentions actually made a significant difference in our lives?”  Then it hits me. Instead of doing the usual thing, I’m going to give the upcoming year a short, memorable, spicy name. I’m going to name my year based on who I want to become, not who I am today.  No more lists, no more forgetting, no more failing. I will live into what I’ve named my year with every decision I make and every action I take. What happens as a result? Everything. Outcomes change based on what I name my year, and it has such a profound effect on me that I start teaching others to do it and have incredible transformations of their own. Now it’s your turn! In this short but very special episode, I talk about changing your year (and your life) with one, simple word or phrase and demonstrate why it works better than your typical New Year’s resolution. What you will learn in this episode: How to create a new story of yourself and your life by naming your year Why you shouldn’t keep this new story of yours a secret from others How to check in daily to ensure your story stays on track throughout the year 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

As a 14-year-old, I’d rather do a million other things than clean. So I’m not happy when my dad tells me, “Our renters just moved out, so it’s time to clean the house before the new renters move in.” He notices the look on my face and says, “When I moved to California after high school, I put a down payment on a rental house that turned into two houses, then three houses, and many more. One day, you’ll appreciate these rental houses because making smart choices with your money today will result in financial freedom tomorrow.” Fast forward to today, and Dad was right. The financial choices we make now do impact our future selves, something my special guest today also knows very well. Dylan Bain focuses his life’s work on the stories that happen as a result of the financial choices we make. In this episode, he tells us all about it. So if you’re curious to know: How can you tell the difference between you writing your money story and the story writing you? How can money stories from your childhood impact you as an adult, even if you have very different financial circumstances? How do you unpack the emotional charge from your financial story to get different results? And why does storytelling garner success or breakthroughs when you do it in your line of work? Then tune in as we touch on the emotional factor of money, other life area stories resembling your money story, the power of storytelling in your profession, and navigating (possibly opposite) money stories between couples. Along the way, Dylan shares stories about a pair of rotting shoes, generational food culture, a bored CFO, a fraudulent principal, an uncomfortable wife, and how all that can have an impact on your money story or the stories you tell others. What you will learn in this episode: Why your money story doesn’t actually start with you How to adopt a different money story to replace the old one Why you should think again if you think storytelling won’t work in your profession Who is Dylan? Dylan Bain is a financial coach who specializes in helping others rewrite their money stories. His own journey began eight years ago when he left his job teaching math to pursue an accounting career in grad school while raising his family. Wanting to leave his former life of welfare and multiple jobs behind, he rewrote the script of his life and found peace in financial security. He discovered others wanted to follow a similar path, too, so he began coaching in earnest. Since Dylan quit his math teacher job, he’s gone from food stamps to financial sovereignty. He believes that people view money, at its core, with fear and mystery when it doesn’t have to be that way. So he brings a holistic approach when it comes to financial relationships. Working through his company Fiscally Savage, he focuses on coaching clients on the emotions of money, seeing a budget as a statement of shared values, and finding ways to control their financial lives and live freely. Links and Resources: Fiscally Savage @fiscallysavage on Instagram @fiscallysavage on Facebook @fiscallysavage on Twitter Storytelling School Website @storytellingschool on Instagram @storytellingSchool on Facebook

I’m coaching a client on her TEDx Talk and she says, “Kymberlee, I don’t know if I can get through this story I’m telling. Every single time I get to a certain part, I start crying and I can’t even stop!” Having an emotional response like that means you’re very present in your storytelling - which is what you want! So I tell her, “Try refocusing on your audience while you’re telling the story. How can you serve them?”  In other words, focus on what the audience needs and take care of them instead of focusing internally on yourself. She tries it and… it changes everything! She can share her stories with minimal tears while in service to her audience.  My special guest today, Eric Hodgdon, is all too familiar with telling hard stories. In this episode, he’s here to share his incredibly valuable perspective on that side of storytelling and answer questions like: How do you know your story is the right one to tell? How can you conclude hard stories for your audience? And how can you prepare yourself to deliver a difficult story to an audience? What you will learn in this episode: How telling difficult stories can help you and others heal How to know when you’re ready to share a difficult story How to keep your story fresh and lively through repeated rehearsals Who is Eric? Eric Hodgdon is a speaker, author, and coach who knows first-hand the struggle after losing a loved one. After his 15-year-old daughter Zoi’s death to suicide in early 2014, he grew frustrated with grief support resources focused on survival as the endgame of a grief journey. So for the past 8 years, he’s made it his mission to change the way we approach grief support and coached and trained thousands of women and men on how to navigate one of the worst setbacks in life. Eric has spoken on a TEDx stage (with Kymberlee as his coach) and authored the Amazon bestselling book A Sherpa Named Zoi. Currently, he works 1-on-1 with clients to help them survive first, then get back up and ultimately live beyond the loss of their loved one. He’s most active on Instagram where he posts every week about how to move from struggle to strength in the face of loss. Links and Resources: Free Grief Support Guide A Sherpa Named Zoi by Eric Hodgdon @ericbhodgdon on Instagram @Getup8 on Facebook Free Facebook Grief Support Group: Let’s Walk Together Storytelling School Website @storytellingschool on Instagram @storytellingSchool on Facebook

As a storyteller and speaker, how you deliver your content is as important as what you write on the pages in front of you. And there are many things that can affect your delivery and enhance your story or speech and its message for your audience, regardless of the size of said audience or the method of delivery.  While working with speakers and storytellers over the years, I’ve seen many go through draft after draft after draft of their content. Yet, in the end, they don’t have as much time to work on the delivery side of things.  So in this very special episode, I want to take you through several techniques you can put into practice immediately to help you be the storyteller or speaker that people talk about weeks, months, and even years after! You’ll hear stories about delays, dancing maniacs, doctors who aren’t physically present, and get answers to questions like: What can you do to calm your nerves when giving a talk or telling a story? How do you interact with an imaginary person in your story who isn’t actually there? And how does being aware of your tenses and all of your senses in a story help your listeners? What you will learn in this episode: What areas you’ll always want to train as a speaker or storyteller How to smoothly transition from storytelling to teaching mode in your talks What to look for when you watch yourself delivering a speech or 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: Breathe: The Simple, Revolutionary 14-Day Program to Improve Your Mental and Physical Health by Dr. Belisa Vranich Storytelling School Website @storytellingschool on Instagram

In 2020, I launch Storytelling School with programs, courses, workshops, masterminds, and one-on-one training.  One of my colleagues notices that there’s something missing. She says to me, “Kymberlee, you also need a podcast.” I’m thinking, “Do I, though? I’m so busy already, and there are a TON of well-established podcasts out there. Does the world need another one? Plus, would anyone even bother listening to mine?” My colleague insists, “None of those podcasts have your unique perspective on storytelling or can highlight the incredible people you know, all in one place. None of them can give back and serve your audience… the way only you can.” Okay, we’re doing this.  And one hundred weeks later, what an adventure this has been. Sometimes what we resist is exactly what we need to move forward. And if I had succumbed to that resistance, we wouldn’t have heard the amazing voices and informative points of view from guests around the world who have all shared their perspective on storytelling. Now you’re in for a treat! In this special 100th episode of the Storytelling School podcast, you’ll hear the best “mic drop moments” from every previous guest… plus a couple of powerful ideas from yours truly as well. So grab your pen and paper and get ready for micro soundbites that just may inspire you to take action, challenge you to change your perspective, and even invite you to change your life! Enjoy.   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

A few years ago, I’m getting Morgan, a new client, ready for a high-stakes Talk. It’s a controversial one designed for a military audience. So we craft this Core Idea for his speech: The greatest epidemic of our time is one we can’t see. Morgan tells me, “In the military, you’re thought of as weak if you speak out about or admit any challenges about mental health. That’s why we have an epidemic of 22 veteran suicides a day in this country. I want to change that.” Woah. “Okay,” I respond. “Let’s build this Talk to change lives… and save some too.” His Talk goes on to be a huge success. Sharing his personal story about suicide and how to make other choices (thanks to a little-known option) has become his life’s work. If you’re curious to know: How can post-traumatic stress-causing events change your mental story? And why does sharing your vulnerable stories inspire others to share theirs? Then tune in as Morgan Watt joins me on the Storytelling School Podcast to talk about mental health and its effects on your story’s trajectory, how service dogs like his retriever Foley serve to change life stories, and the potential impact of very deep and dark stories on society-at-large. What you will learn in this episode: How unconditional love from a dog can completely change your story Why pauses are incredibly powerful in storytelling and how to use them How sharing a traumatic story can inspire hope and helpful action in others Who is Morgan? Based in Tampa, Florida, Morgan Watt is a speaker, advocate, U.S. Air Force veteran, and former airline captain. During the Gulf War, he handled detection dogs at U.S. Air Force bases worldwide. Eventually, he was invited to be part of the Secret Service detail for the President and other highly sensitive assignments with bomb dogs. As an airline transport pilot, Morgan earned multiple types of ratings and became an FAA check airman who later developed a curriculum to train pilots. He studied human services (with an emphasis on mental health and counseling) at Springfield College in Massachusetts following his 17-year career in the aviation industry. Having served as a spokesperson for Southeastern Guide Dogs since 2016, he weaves all of his experiences with a compassionate understanding of anxiety and trauma. Morgan’s mission is to end the silent suicide epidemic among the country’s veteran and active duty service men and women. Links and Resources: Morgan Watt Southeastern Guide Dogs Storytelling School Website @storytellingschool on Instagram @storytellingSchool on Facebook

My grandfather Joe is serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He isn’t married... yet. But he is head over heels for someone who’s there waiting for him in Seattle every single time his ship comes into port. That someone is my grandmother Beverly, who’s just as in love with him too. She moves from Hollywood to the Pacific Northwest to be there as he comes back from his deployments. Whenever he’s away, they write letters back and forth to each other constantly. Over 100 letters (and a marriage and a family) later, I inherit these letters and start reading them. Going through them, I discover incredible accounts of events happening in the war and feelings between my grandparents. I’m getting to know them better than when they were still alive. As I begin reading this one letter from my grandfather, I’m captivated by the details of being aboard the ship, his concern for the war, and his love for Beverly. However, there’s something unusual about this letter. Someone has, quite literally, cut out a paragraph! This paper has a hole in it. Sure, censorship during wartime happens, but my mind can’t help but race with curiosity. Why was it cut? What was in that missing paragraph? And did he ever tell my grandmother what it was? You know you have good writing when you want to know what’s missing, and you start imagining things and filling in the blanks for yourself. And that’s why I’m so excited for this week’s special guest! Ross Brown is an award-winning writer, producer, and professor. In this episode, he talks about comedic writing, shares stories from his sitcom writing days (including the writing process), and answers questions such as: How can you turn a dark situation into a comedic writing opportunity? What two things make a story a story, regardless of its format? And where can unpredictability cross the line and cause a negative reaction in your audience? What you will learn in this episode: Why the story still matters most, even in comedic writing What it takes to create good comedic stories without forcing the funny Why unpredictability makes for better comedy and stories Who is Ross? Ross Brown has created and produced comedies for The WB, CBS, and ABC. After beginning his career on The Cosby Show, he went on to work on the feature film National Lampoon’s Vacation as an assistant director. Next, he served as a tenured Assistant Professor of TV Writing & Production at Chapman University. Then from 2016 until June 2022, he was the founding director of the MFA in Writing & Contemporary Media at Santa Barbara’s Antioch University. In addition to his television and film work, Ross has had his short plays performed in theaters in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Minnesota, as well as readings of his full-length plays staged at The Pasadena Playhouse in California and The Barter Theater in Virginia. He’s also authored the book Create Your Own TV Series for the Internet which is an all-in-one guide to creating short-form TV series online. Links and Resources: rossgordonbrown@gmail.com @ross.brown.9440 on Facebook Create Your Own TV Series for the Internet by Ross Brown Storytelling School Website @storytellingschool on Instagram @storytellingSchool on Facebook

I’m at a dinner party in this cool, old house that belongs to one of my stepmom Sandy’s best friends. This castle-style home stands three stories tall and has winding staircases inside and trees surrounding it. And I’m a fourth-grader surrounded by adults at this get-together. So despite this cool house, I eventually get bored. I’m still sitting in my chair trying to behave, though. Just as we’re about to start on dessert, Denise (who lives there) notices my boredom. She takes a leftover dinner roll and chucks it out the window! We’re so high up that we never even hear it hit the ground. I look at her in shock as she takes another roll and throws that out the window, too! I ask, “Denise, why do you do that?”  She responds, “Oh, to feed the dragons, of course.” Dragons?!  “You have pet dragons?” I ask. “Yeah, three of them. And they love dinner rolls.” Right then and there, I decided that Denise is one of the world’s coolest people and that I too want to have pet dragons. This story has stuck with me ever since I was that 9-year-old because of the possibility. What if there were actually dragons or other magical creatures living among us? That’s the premise of the Sam London Adventure books series written by my special guest today, Todd Gallicano. In this episode, he and I talk about how you have your own hero’s journey, effective ways to open and close your story, plot twist predictability, and overcoming writer’s block. You’ll also get answers to questions like: How can you use truth as a springboard for a fictional story? In what way are you on your own hero’s journey right now? Should you leave a story open-ended or resolve it for your audience? And what’s really responsible for writer’s block anyway? What you will learn in this episode: Why the inner journey is so important in storytelling Why the precipitating or inciting incident is an essential element to open a story Why writing yourself into a corner might be the best thing to do for your story Who is Todd? Todd Gallicano is a book author, Hollywood screenwriter, and international speaker who graduated from New York University’s School of Film and Television. He began his film career with Italian-born producer Dino De Laurentiis. Since then, he’s sold screenplays to SKG, Netflix, and Dreamworks and had scripts developed with Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, and other major production companies. In 2023, Heather Graham, Brandy Norwood, Jason Biggs, and Matt Cedeño will star in the film Best. Christmas. Ever. based on his screenplay. Lovers of the Harry Potter books or Rick Riordan’s fictional works based on ancient Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology will appreciate Todd's Sam London series. His series has already garnered a reputation for encouraging readers to learn more about mythology and folklore, as well as visit and support national parks worldwide. Todd was a recent panelist at the International Congress of Arabic Publishing and Creative Industries and has spoken at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. His talks have touched on adapting books into films, games, and audio, and he’s introduced thousands of students to the universal storytelling components within ancient myth and modern fantasy. You may have also seen Todd’s appearances on TV or his articles in major publications. Currently, he hosts the podcast The Creature Files where he invites expert guests and eyewitnesses to talk about creatures from mythology and folklore. Links and Resources: Mythical Wildlife The Creature Files @mythicalwildlife on Facebook @mythicalwildlife on Youtube Storytelling School Website @storytellingschool on Instagram @storytellingSchool on Facebook

I’m nine and living in a wonderful residential neighborhood in southern California.  And someone has just broken into our house while I was at school and my Dad and Step Mom were at work! As I watch the police interview my parents outside, I know what I have to do.  I go into my Dad’s tool shed and look around until I find it: the caulking gun. I then traverse my backyard and cover everything I can see--the bushes, the furniture, all of it--with white caulking paste. Why does nine-year-old me do this? Because in my mind, I know that when the robbers come back, their feet will stick in this gluey paste and I’ll catch ‘em! Except that’s not exactly what happens...  Annie, our golden retriever, is not aware of my plan and finds herself covered in this thick white sticky paste after innocently wandering into the backyard. After multiple baths for her and deep breaths from my Dad, he suggests, “We leave the police work to the professionals.” My special guest on the Storytelling School Podcast this week, Pete James, is one of those professionals. Plus he takes it up a notch by protecting the people who protect us.  In this episode, you’ll hear him tell some shocking stories involving law enforcement, judges, and others (though not in the way you’re probably thinking) and get answers to questions like: What’s one thing that can change the trajectory of your story without you even being aware of it? And how can you ensure control of your story before some harmful, unforeseen circumstance influences it? What you will learn in this episode: Why you want to keep certain details of your personal story hidden from public view How certain private story details get exposed for everyone to see in the first place Why scrubbing your personal information online isn’t a one-time thing Who is Pete? Pete James is a former member of the U.S. Navy. He served on an aircraft carrier as an Intelligence Specialist. Then he moved on to a career in law enforcement where he worked for 25 years and rose to the rank of Lieutenant. As a skilled Open-Source Intelligence analyst and computer forensics expert, Pete has experience in investigating thousands of criminal, civil, and corporate cases and has testified in state, federal, and civil trials. His passion involves the protection of those who protect us. To that end, he combined his law enforcement experience and online investigative skills to create his company Officer Privacy. The business protects law enforcement officers, celebrities, and regular citizens by removing their private information from the Internet so that they and their families feel safe from criminals and others who want revenge. Links and Resources: Officer Privacy @petejames77 on LinkedIn @OfficerPrivacy on Facebook @officerprivacy on Instagram Storytelling School Website @storytellingschool on Instagram @storytellingSchool on Facebook