Good Storytelling Comes Down to These Three Things

90% of good storytelling is really just:

• one message
• one story
• one lesson you learned from it

The little stuff that makes all the difference.

I had a client who switched from a very ‘masculine’ life of boxing to a decidedly feminine profession of doula and coach for women seeking home births.

She had two challenges:

• How to connect the dots between her previous life and her current focus.

• She had too many stories.

This was our exchange:

Joya: What is the main message you want your clients to know today?

A: No one can birth your baby but you

Joya: What is a story that supports this message?

She recalled a long held dream of winning an amateur boxing competition. She trained for it for six years.

Each night, after a hard day’s sweat, she did one thing and one thing only: She visualized the outcome.

She would sink into the tub and see the organization putting a golden chain around her neck, announcing her the winner in front of 100 friends and family under the bright lights at Madison Square Garden.

Joya: What is the lesson?

She prepares for boxing the same way she prepared for birth.

She had to get her body in shape.

She had to eat foods to nourish, strengthen and support.

She committed to doing what others said ‘wasn’t possible, too dangerous, too risky.’

She visualized the outcome and believed it to be true.

Joya: And what is your conclusion?

“Above all else, boxing and birth required unwavering faith in myself. When I stepped into the ring, it was all on me. The same is true for my births. It was all on me.”

BOOM! She connected her previous life and current life

She started getting DM’s in her inbox, with asks for prospective clients to work with her.

Download my cheatsheet to become a more compelling storyteller here.

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One Public Speaking Tip

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One Adventure Tip

One of my clients is a chef. The culmination of our work together is him hosting his first supper club, April 20th. A concept he has been sitting on for 3 years.  I worked with him on his storytelling, which we get to witness while he serves up his amazing twists on Indian food.