Storytelling is for everyone

I often say that everyone should learn to tell a better story, for lots and lots of reasons.

My TEDx Talk from last summer offers five of those reasons.

My recent TEDx Talk – released later this summer – offers several more.

My next book on storytelling – whatever it may be – will offer many, many more.

Storytelling can enrich the lives of everyone, regardless of who you are and what you do.

This week someone challenged this assertion, arguing that because I’m so invested in the art and craft of storytelling, both on the page and on the stage, I see it as more relevant and important than it really is. So I made a list of the clients who I worked with just during the month of April.

That list includes:

  • A wildlife photographer
  • An app developer
  • Two YouTube personalities
  • A therapist
  • A podcaster
  • Amazon
  • Someone preparing for a wedding toast
  • An attorney
  • A fellow competitor in a Moth GrandSLAM competition in Boston
  • Several marketing, communications, and product executives in a large technology company
  • John Hopkins University
  • The Oregon bar association
  • The CEO of a manufacturing company
  • A minister
  • A high school student preparing to  apply for college
  • A college professor
  • The owner of a retreat center

These are all people or organizations who recognize that storytelling can help them achieve their goals, improve profits, and make stronger and more meaningful connections with the world around them.

Don’t see yourself represented in this list?

That’s just one month of consulting.

In 2022, I’ve already added several first-time professions to my list of clients, including rapper, Olympic athlete, toy designer, hair stylist, physical therapist, and interior designer.

There are probably others that I’ve already forgotten.

Whoever you are, no matter what you do, telling better stories can help you find greater happiness and success in your life. It can make you better known to yourself and others.

Tell stories.