The moral of your story

1. Mindset

When you get up to speak in front of a crowd, you sometimes feel nervous. Maybe your heart starts to race or your palms feel sweaty. This might stop you from stepping onto the stage or speaking on a podcast.  Developing your own pre-performance ritual will help you feel grounded and harness the power of your nerves. After all, your nerves are there to serve you.

PATH TO TRY: Deep breathing triggers a relaxation response. My favourite breathing exercise is called 4-7-8. Inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds and exhale for 8 seconds.  

2. Core 7 Stories for Business

You might think you don’t have any stories to tell or you’re not sure what parts of your life are story-worthy. Crafting your Core 7 Stories for Business will build your story crafting skills and help you clarify your messaging. You will have a story for every occasion. Most importantly, crafting your Core 7 Stories will show you the many ways your story matters.

PATH TO TRY: Grab my FREE Core 7 Stories for Business guidebook and start crafting your stories!

3. Story Crafting

You know your message. You know your audience. You’re ready to step onto the stage—but wait! You still need to find the perfect story. The story that will amplify your message and make it stick. Learning to craft stories is like learning to ride a bike – you only have to do it once. Imagine having those skills in place. Craft a story for your next event or video and then when the next one comes: rinse and repeat. Stories forever and ever amen.

PATH TO TRY: Two of the keys to amazing stories are images and emotions. As you think about the next story you want to tell, write down the images and feelings that come to your mind.

4. Performer’s Glory

Maybe you haven’t pushed yourself much to take many storytelling opportunities. The next step in your story journey is stepping onto the stage! You know it’s a leap, but you gotta leap to learn.

PATH TO TRY:Maximize the value of your next performance opportunity by answering the following questions:

Pre-performance

1. My goal at this performance is to work on: _________

Post-performance

1. Two things I did an excellent job of at this performance were: _________
2. Two ideas I have that I want to try next time are: _________

5. Story Power

You want to start out in a safe space with a warm audience and expert feedback. A little recognition of your efforts (after all, you’re going to put yourself out there!) will help you to progress. Captivating, persuasive storytelling is truly multi-faceted. You’ll need everything above… and to be done in a way that opens hearts and minds, you’ll need expert guidance on EXACTLY how to make it happen.

PATH TO TRY: A skip-the-fluff, results-oriented, community-based container of awesomeness that will teach you to express yourself clearly and powerfully, gain real respect from the audience you’re trying to reach, and to feel at home on stage: STORY POWER™! If you’re reading this, you’re very likely meant to join us… so adventure on, hero.