A Crazy Thing That Happened
Feb
7
1:00 PM13:00

A Crazy Thing That Happened

STORY HOUR

Today’s prompt: A Crazy Thing That Happened

Some of the best stories are the exciting, dramatic and memorable moments in our lives. For this Story Hour, we invite our speakers to bring a story about “a crazy thing that happened.” Stories can be about the personal, the professional or anything in between. Speakers should come prepared to share a 5-min or less story.

Register for invitations to receive calendar invites with the Zoom meeting links every month.

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Story and a Slide
Mar
7
1:00 PM13:00

Story and a Slide

STORY HOUR

Today’s prompt - Story and a Slide

We are huge champions of integrating stories into your presentations at work. For this Story Hour, we invite our speakers to bring an actual slide from a presentation (past, present or future). They will present their slide, including a story as part of the talk track (5 minutes or less).

Register for invitations to receive calendar invites with the Zoom meeting links every month.

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Stories that (Actually) Work
Mar
20
2:00 PM14:00

Stories that (Actually) Work

WEBINAR

A key buzzword of the past decade has been “storytelling.” Most of us have an intuitive understanding that stories can be powerful tools for influence: they simplify complex concepts, they bring data to life, and they compel us to take note and pay attention. But not all stories are created equal. What is it, exactly, that gives a story its magic? How do we know when we tell a story that we will impact our audience?

In this webinar, we’ll explore the 4 key qualities that make a story influential. These qualities are informed by studies in social psychology, behavior change, cognitive science, and more. Join us for this free webinar and walk away with a clear framework that you can use to tell more impactful stories.

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Data with a Soul
Apr
4
1:00 PM13:00

Data with a Soul

STORY HOUR

Today’s prompt - Data with a Soul

Brené Brown says, “Stories are data with a soul.” But we are often in situations where we need to present numbers or data, and we forget to tell a story. Numbers and data are often mind-numbing and easy for your audience to disregard… but stories captivate and stick. For this Story Hour, we invite our speakers to bring actual or imagined data they may need to communicate to an audience, and then bring it to life for us via a story.

Register for invitations to receive calendar invites with the Zoom meeting links every month.

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Q&A Stories
May
2
1:00 PM13:00

Q&A Stories

STORY HOUR

Today’s prompt - Q&A Stories

Most presentations are followed by a Question & Answer discussion. Stories are a great tool for this section, especially when the same questions come up often. For this Story Hour, we invite our speakers to think of an upcoming or recurring presentation they have to deliver, and identify one of the questions they may have to answer during the Q&A.. At Story Hour, they will share the question and then answer the question with a 5 min (or less) story.

Register for invitations to receive calendar invites with the Zoom meeting links every month.

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Presentations: Go From Information Overload to Strategic and Effective
May
15
2:00 PM14:00

Presentations: Go From Information Overload to Strategic and Effective

WEBINAR

In this webinar, our focus is on step one of taking your presentation from dense and dry to dynamic… How to set yourself up for success before you even start building it. We discuss why you should consider context, audience, key messages, narrative structure and more, and give you a framework you can use to approach your presentation development strategically. 

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Land Your Point With Stories
Jun
5
2:00 PM14:00

Land Your Point With Stories

WEBINAR

Stories are exceptionally powerful at driving home your point; they simplify complex concepts, they bring data to life, and they compel us to take note and pay attention. During this webinar we’ll discuss how you can pinpoint the key story opportunities within your presentation and offer a basic story template that you can use to develop the stories that will work for you.

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Like a Moth to the Flame
Jun
6
1:00 PM13:00

Like a Moth to the Flame

STORY HOUR

Today’s Prompt - Like a Moth to the Flame

Sometimes attraction is so inevitable and powerful, one is captured like a moth to the flame. For this Story Hour we invite our speakers to share a 5 min (or less) story that showcases a time when they were the moth or the flame or even just witness to this magnetic attraction.  These experiences are great fodder for story as they are often the making (or breaking) of us. 

Register for invitations to receive calendar invites with the Zoom meeting links every month.

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Lightning Talks
Sep
5
1:00 PM13:00

Lightning Talks

STORY HOUR

Today’s Prompt - Lightning Talks

One of the hardest things to do is to deliver a clear and coherent message in a short amount of time, and yet we see more and more of our clients are asked to put together a succinct talk. We thought it would be fun to invite our community to give it a shot as Story Hour is a place of practice and learning. Instead of a 5 min or less story, speakers are challenged to deliver a 5 min or less talk. Slides or another version of visual aid is allowed but certainly not required.

Register for invitations to receive calendar invites with the Zoom meeting links every month.

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Sell Me This Pen
Oct
3
1:00 PM13:00

Sell Me This Pen

STORY HOUR

Today’s Prompt - Sell Me This Pen

In the movie, Wolf of Wall Street, Leonardo DiCaprio's character, Jordan Belfort, asks a room full of salespeople to sell him a pen. The ask tests a salesperson's ability to understand a client's needs and demonstrate why a solution would be of value. The scene illustrates a fundamental selling point: that it's not enough to have a great product or service, you also have to know how to sell that product or service.

Part of effective selling is telling a compelling story… one that will shift how a prospect thinks or acts. In this Story Hour, we invite our storytellers to tell a story that will convince us that we need something we don’t have, or should do something we otherwise wouldn’t. Learning to develop a story like this is helpful for anyone in any function—sales or not—because invariably we’ll find ourselves in moments where we need to influence others to think or act a certain way.

Register for invitations to receive calendar invites with the Zoom meeting links every month.

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Safe At Last
Nov
7
1:00 PM13:00

Safe At Last

STORY HOUR

Today’s Prompt - Safe At Last

Safety (and lack of safety) can mean a million things…and that’s why it’s a great metaphor and potential story prompt. Do you have an exciting outdoor adventure story where you were worried about your physical safety that could be a metaphor and help you share a lesson about courage or trying something new? Do you have a story about a leader that risked your psychological safety and how another leader or peer was able to help you navigate that space?

At this Story Hour, we ask our speakers to share their stories of safety (or lack of safety) and what they learned as a result of that experience.

Register for invitations to receive calendar invites with the Zoom meeting links every month.

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Short Stories
Dec
5
1:00 PM13:00

Short Stories

STORY HOUR

Today’s Prompt - Short Stories

At Story Hour, we typically hold our speakers to a 5 minute time limit so we can have 3 speakers at each event. And it’s surprising how often they go over! It’s hard to craft and share a “short” story. It takes work to figure out what you can leave out and still have your story land. For this Story Hour, we invite folks to bring a 1 - 2 minute story. It can be a shorter version of one shared at a previous Story Hour or something new.

Register for invitations to receive calendar invites with the Zoom meeting links every month.

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Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone
Dec
6
1:00 PM13:00

Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone

STORY HOUR

Today we will share stories all about Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone.

These are stories of learning, of change, sometimes of failure, and of vulnerability. These are also stories that may come up in lessons learned, interviews performance conversations.

Register for Invitations to receive calendar invites with the Zoom meeting links every month.

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Prepare Your Speakers for Success: Make your conference win with presenters that wow
Dec
5
2:00 PM14:00

Prepare Your Speakers for Success: Make your conference win with presenters that wow

WEBINAR

Are you responsible for coordinating the speakers and presenters for a conference? This webinar is for you!

In this session, we’ll offer tips on how to  best support your speakers to ensure that their talks are compelling and your conference experience feels cohesive and meaningful to the attendees.

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Sustenance: Stories about the things that keep us going
Nov
1
1:00 PM13:00

Sustenance: Stories about the things that keep us going

STORY HOUR

Today we will share stories inspired by “Sustenance: Stories about the things that keep us going”

As we hear more and more about overwhelm, burnout, and the need for people to simply check out just to survive, we recognize the power of the little things that help us keep going. Today we’ll share stories about the thoughts, moments, rituals, or tokens that help us along every day.

Register for Invitations to receive calendar invites with the Zoom meeting links every month.

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Transform Your Next Gathering: Why (and how) you should replace presentations with interactive sessions
Oct
17
2:00 PM14:00

Transform Your Next Gathering: Why (and how) you should replace presentations with interactive sessions

WEBINAR

When was the last time you were excited to show up to a presentation?...Presentations are an overleveraged tool for every type of meeting. They make it easier for the presenter to prepare, but MUCH harder for your audience to pay attention.

In this session we’ll share key tips to transform your conference, retreat, or sales kickoff into a next-level, interactive experience that inspires your audience while still communicating all the information that matters.

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Storytelling Tool: Pause
Oct
4
1:00 PM13:00

Storytelling Tool: Pause

STORY HOUR

Today we will share stories inspired by “Storytelling Tool: Pause”

In storytelling, silence is often just as important as the words we say. Pause is one of the most dramatic tools of story delivery, and worth experimenting with. Today we’ll explore ways to leverage pause in our storytelling. We’ll discuss how it invites curiosity, how it amplifies emotional impact, and gives weight and meaning to specific moments. Bring a story that lets you stretch into your own use of pause, or one that illustrates what can go wrong when pause is misused.

Register for Invitations to receive a calendar invite with the Zoom meeting link.

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Your Odyssey: A career journey story
Sep
6
1:00 PM13:00

Your Odyssey: A career journey story

STORY HOUR

Today we will share stories inspired by “Your Odyssey: A career journey story”

One of the most important stories that you can craft is the story of your career. You’ll need this story for interviews, networking events, keynotes, and other crucial moments. Today we’ll hear “career journey” stories. Can our storytellers keep the audience engaged? Will they be able to build a through-line that keeps the story pieces connected?

Register for Invitations to receive calendar invites with the Zoom meeting links every month.

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Storytelling Tool: Metaphor
Jun
7
1:00 PM13:00

Storytelling Tool: Metaphor

STORY HOUR

Today we will share stories inspired leveraging Metaphor as a storytelling tool. 

Metaphors are helpful in simplifying and organizing information. They also often carry emotion and meaning. For those reasons, metaphor is a valuable tool for data stories, personal stories, career stories and more. Bring a story where you use a metaphor or metaphors to make your point or illustrate the concepts in your story.

Register for Invitations to receive a calendar invite with the Zoom meeting link.

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Stories (Th)At Work: A company, product or service story
May
3
1:00 PM13:00

Stories (Th)At Work: A company, product or service story

STORY HOUR

Today we will share stories inspired by “Stories Th(at) Work: A company, product or service story.”

How do you tell the story of your company, product or service?

Today we’ll hear stories that illustrate the why or the what of our work. If you’re a founder, share why you’re in the business you are. If you are a product or sales leader, share a story that illustrates the impact on your users or customers.

Register for Invitations to receive a calendar invite with the Zoom meeting link.

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Childhood Dreaming: When you discovered what you want to be when you grow up
Apr
12
1:00 PM13:00

Childhood Dreaming: When you discovered what you want to be when you grow up

STORY HOUR

Today we’ll hear stories of when you discovered what you want to be when you grow up. These formative stories are powerful in sharing who we are with others. Feel free to choose a story from your childhood or early in career. Think about what moments or experiences helped you figure out what you could be as a “grown-up.”

Register for Invitations to receive a calendar invite with the Zoom meeting link.

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Storytelling Tool: Pitch and Pace
Mar
1
1:00 PM13:00

Storytelling Tool: Pitch and Pace

STORY HOUR

Today we will share stories inspired by “Storytelling Tool: Pitch and Pace”

Pitch and pace are vocal tools that help us elevate stories through dramatization. Today we’ll explore ways to leverage pitch and pace in our storytelling. Dialogue, emotional shifts, and high stakes all offer opportunities to play with pitch and pace. Bring a story that lets you stretch into your own use of pitch and pace, or one that illustrates what can go wrong when pitch and pace are misused or misinterpreted.

Register for Invitations to receive a calendar invite with the Zoom meeting link.

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Moments that Make Us
Feb
2
1:00 PM13:00

Moments that Make Us

STORY HOUR

Pivotal moments in our lives are excellent fodder for stories. These are the moments when our values are challenged, or our mettle is put to the test. They’re the moments that redirect the trajectory of our lives—for better or for worse. Sometimes they’re as small as a poignant comment or a single phone call. Sometimes it’s the moment someone enters or leaves our lives. Sometimes it’s a seismic event that radically transforms everything around us. What are the moments that made you?

Register for Invitations to receive a calendar invite with the Zoom meeting link.

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Surprise!
Jan
12
1:00 PM13:00

Surprise!

STORY HOUR

Today we will share stories inspired by “Surprise!”

We choose this prompt because the surprises of our lives easily lend themselves to great storytelling. Surprises are rooted in the unexpected, so they are coupled with meaning making. Consider the last time you were surprised. What did it mean to you? What happened as a result?

Alternatively, stories can be engineered to surprise an audience. Consider a story you tell often. How might you restructure or reframe it to surprise your audience?

Register for Invitations to receive a calendar invite with the Zoom meeting link.

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Revisit: Retell a story you’ve told at Story Hour before
Dec
1
1:00 PM13:00

Revisit: Retell a story you’ve told at Story Hour before

STORY HOUR

Today's theme is Revisit: Retell a story you’ve told at Story Hour before. We choose this prompt because although we welcome repeat stories, we don’t often get them! Choose a story you’ve told before, and try to give it another spin. Imagine a different audience or context in which you might tell the story, or tweak your theme to be slightly different. We’re curious to see how stories evolve and where you’re able to take your story after a feedback session.

Register for Story Hours to receive a calendar invite with the Zoom meeting link.

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Make it relatable: A story that embeds data
Nov
3
1:00 PM13:00

Make it relatable: A story that embeds data

STORY HOUR

Today's theme is Make it relatable: A story that embeds data. We choose this prompt because weaving data into a story is a skill unto itself. Consider questions that are best answered with some hard data or information, and figure out how to carry that information through a narrative storyline that appeals to the head AND the heart. We’ll use this Story Hour to focus on how data can effectively be wrapped into storylines so that the information is more easily remembered and better contextualized.

Register for Story Hours to receive a calendar invite with the Zoom meeting link.

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Unleash Your Voice: Empowering Women for Success through Influential Storytelling (Workshop)
Oct
20
12:00 PM12:00

Unleash Your Voice: Empowering Women for Success through Influential Storytelling (Workshop)

This is our foundational workshop with a twist. The story prompts will focus on the contexts where women feel the greatest need to show up powerfully; salary negotiations, asking for a promotion, presenting to executive leadership, landing a new client, (whatever that means to you), etc.

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