Lead with Storytelling

In this episode of Lead with Storytelling, Sochi Azuh sits down with Gigi Pandian, USA Today bestselling mystery author and locked-room mystery enthusiast, for a wide-ranging conversation about travel, puzzles, food, research, and the craft of creating mysteries that keep readers guessing.

Gigi shares how being the child of anthropologists from New Mexico and southern India—and travelling with her parents from a young age—shaped how she sees the world and eventually inspired her fiction. She recalls a formative summer in Scotland at age ten, exploring ruined castles, discovering Scottish ghost stories, and learning to experience the world with curiosity.

We get into her love of locked-room mysteries, from childhood fascination with Scooby-Doo to discovering John Dickson Carr, and what these seemingly impossible puzzles can teach us about storytelling. For Gigi, the puzzle only works when the characters genuinely care about solving it—and when readers care about the characters.

Gigi also takes us behind her writing process, including the four notebooks she filled while researching one novel, why she writes her first ideas on paper, and how simply walking through the world can spark the seed of a story.

And because food is another important part of Gigi’s storytelling, we talk about cooking, travel, family, and the ways food can deepen characters and relationships. From her father’s cooking and his habit of feeding neighbourhood children to the chef character she developed while learning to cook herself, food becomes another way into the stories we tell about ourselves.

We also talk about:

Writing across multiple mystery series

The evolution of the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries

Why Gigi alternates between series

Theatre, set design, and her cinematic imagination

Why she wants the writing itself to become “invisible” so the story can take centre stage

Discovering story ideas close to home

Art crime and museum visits

Mystery recommendations and the global world of locked-room fiction

Her anthology All the Crime in the World: Locked Room Mysteries and Impossible Puzzles from Across the Globe

Why stories matter as a way of connecting with people

And we finish with a rapid-fire round covering ruined castles, morning writing, pancakes, favourite fictional mysteries, and the question we ask every guest:

Why do stories matter?

Watch the full conversation and join us down the mystery rabbit hole. 🎙️📚

Connect with Gigi Pandian:

More Books by Gigi Pandian: https://www.gigipandian.com/about

Subscribe to her Newsletter: https://www.gigipandian.com/subscribe

What is narrative strategy—and how can organisations use stories to create change, build connection, and understand their culture?

In this episode of Lead with Storytelling, host Sochi Azuh sits down with Megan Davis, Managing Director of Future Skills Academy Australia and founder of Spendlove and Lamb, a narrative strategy consultancy that works with governments, teams, and organisations around the world.

Megan shares how her passion for storytelling began as a child through acting and writing, and how that passion eventually led her into narrative strategy.

In the conversation, Megan explains narrative strategy as a collection of stories, finding the common themes that run through them, and elevating real stories from real people so they can become a powerful force for change.

Sochi and Megan explore:

• What narrative strategy actually means

• How culture and strategy work together

• Recognising a narrative or narrator problem within an organisation

• Why real stories from real people matter

• Using storytelling to identify commonalities and gaps across teams and cultures

• How stories can reinforce organisational culture

• The difference between compelling organisational narratives and corporate messaging

• Why business communication is more emotional than we often admit

• The importance of listening to stories beyond our own experience

• Creating repeatable frameworks for storytelling

• How narrative evolves over time

• Megan's work gathering stories at scale

• The Storytelling Challenge and using storytelling in conferences

Connect with Megan Davis:

The Storytelling Challenge for conferences: https://deckle.app/spendloveandlamb

Social Links :

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/megandavisstoryteller/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/spendloveandlamb/

TikTok - @megan_davis_actor

What happens when a journalist who spent years covering tragedy, crime, and community life finally sits down to write her own story? In this episode of Lead with Storytelling, host Sochi Azuh talks with journalist, storyteller, and author Penelope Alonso about her journey from newspaper and magazine reporting to publishing her own fiction — including her deeply personal novel, A Walk with Everyone, written in memory of her late mother, Sharon.

Penelope opens up about the discipline she had to unlearn from her newsroom years ("unlearning urgency"), her lifelong love of Jane Austen and Regency romance, the magical realism woven through A Walk with Everyone, and what it's really like to self-publish on Amazon KDP — including seeing her books downloaded by readers in 13 countries. She also shares the books currently on her nightstand, from Team of Rivals to Atomic Habits.

In this conversation:

Penelope's 8 years as a newspaper reporter, from hot-air balloon rides to covering tragedy with compassion

Why she had to "unlearn urgency" moving from journalism to fiction

Her love of Jane Austen and how it shaped her Regency stories, Princess of the Orchard Ball and Davonshire

The story behind A Walk with Everyone — a novel she began writing with her mother before her mother's passing

Grief, memory, and walking with the people we've lost

Self-publishing on Amazon KDP: what it's really like, and why you don't need traditional validation to tell your story

A rapid-fire round on favorite fictional couples, writing rituals, and what makes a good story

About the guest:

Penelope Alonso is a journalist and storyteller with a career in newspaper reporting, magazine writing, and public and media relations. She is the author of A Walk with Everyone, Princess of the Orchard Ball, and Davonshire.

About the podcast:

Lead with Storytelling is a podcast exploring why stories matter and the people who bring them to life, hosted by Sochi Azuh. New episodes feature writers, journalists, and cultural leaders on the craft and power of storytelling.

Subscribe for more conversations with storytellers: https://www.youtube.com/@LeadWithStorytellingpodcast

Read A Walk with Everyone: https://www.amazon.ca/Walk-Everyone-Penelope-Alonso/dp/B0D4ZHHXCK

Follow Penelope Alonso: https://penelopealonso.com/

If this episode moved you, share it with someone who's grieving, someone who loves a good story, or someone who has a book in them waiting to be written. Comment below: who would you want to take a walk with?

What guides our creativity?

In this episode of Lead with Storytelling, Sochi Azuh sits down with artist, award-winning graphic designer, consultant, creative director, and author Nathan L. Nicholson to discuss his book, In the Beginning We Create.

The conversation explores creativity as more than a skill or profession. Nathan shares how creativity, faith, leadership, collaboration, and rest have shaped his own creative journey and why he believes the different parts of who we are can work together rather than exist as separate identities.

We also talk about:

The journey behind In the Beginning We Create

Creativity as a calling and a form of purpose

Creative responsibility and faith

The influence of Nathan's mother on his creative life

Collaboration, humility, feedback, and letting go

Why leaders should welcome creativity from the people they lead

Graphic design as a form of storytelling

Abstract art, freedom, and interpretation

The role of AI in creative work

Separating creative work from the imperfections of its creator

Developing a consistent creative practice

The importance of exposing ourselves to as much art as possible

Nathan also shares the story behind some of the artwork in the book, his creative influences, and a short film he is currently working on.

📖 In the Beginning We Create by Nathan L. Nicholson: https://www.ivpress.com/in-the-beginning-we-create

If this conversation made you think differently about creativity, leadership, or your own creative practice, share it with someone who believes that stories matter.

In this episode of Lead with Storytelling, host Sochi Azuh sits down with leadership coach, author, and University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership Fellow Zoë Arden to discuss her book, Story-centred Leadership.

Together, they explore why leadership begins with listening, how stories create trust and shared purpose, and why authentic leadership is about living the stories we tell—not simply communicating them.

In this conversation, you'll hear about:

📌 Zoë's personal journey and the inspiration behind Story-centred Leadership

📌 Why empathy and story listening are foundational to leadership

📌 The difference between authentic and performative storytelling

📌 Aligning personal values with organisational purpose

📌 The five-stage Story-centred Leadership framework

📌 Why curiosity and meaningful conversations create lasting influence

📌 Leadership in an age of information overload and AI

If you're interested in leadership, communication, storytelling, or creating meaningful change, this conversation offers practical insights and thoughtful reflections for leaders at every level.

📘 Story-centred Leadership by Zoë Arden: https://zoearden.com/

🎙️ Subscribe to Lead with Storytelling for more conversations with authors, scholars, and creative leaders exploring why stories matter.

If you enjoyed this episode, please like, comment, subscribe, and share it with someone who believes that storytelling matters.

How do stories help us make sense of ourselves, our experiences, and the world around us?

In this episode of Lead with Storytelling, host Sochi Azuh sits down with writer and educator Simone Dalton for a thoughtful conversation about writing, identity, migration, memory, and the role of storytelling in helping us understand our lives.

Together, they explore how voice is shaped by experience, culture, and place; the complexities of truth in life writing; and the ways stories allow us to metabolize experience, navigate change, and bridge personal and collective histories.

In this conversation, Sochi and Simone discuss:

• Writing as a way of understanding self and making sense of experience

• Immigration, identity, and the evolution of voice

• Truth and memory in life writing

• Storytelling as a means of reflection and connection

• The relationship between personal experience and narrative

• The role of culture, upbringing, and lived experience in shaping writers

• Why stories matter in helping us process and understand the world

Whether you're a writer, reader, educator, or simply someone who believes in the power of stories, this conversation offers a compelling reflection on the human need to tell, share, and interpret our experiences.

Thank you for watching. Please like, comment, subscribe, and share this conversation with someone who believes that storytelling matters.

Guest Links:

Website: https://islandscriberetreats.com/

Personal Website: https://simonedalton.com

LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/simone-dalton

What happens when a writer follows intuition, asks difficult questions, and builds worlds where horror and science fiction become vehicles for exploring human nature?

In this episode of Lead with Storytelling, I sit down with author Mandie Dufour to discuss her debut novel, Devour, a sci-fi horror story that blends worldbuilding, Norse-inspired spirituality, psychological tension, and unforgettable characters.

Our conversation explores:

• The inspiration behind Devour

• Writing science fiction, horror, and fantasy

• Worldbuilding and character-driven storytelling

• How intuition shapes the writing process

• Horror as a lens for understanding human nature

• Norse paganism, folklore, and mythology

• Writing communities and creative growth

• Revision, feedback, and becoming a better writer

• The stories and authors that have influenced Mandie's work

Whether you're a reader, writer, or lover of speculative fiction, this conversation offers a fascinating look into the creative process behind imaginative storytelling.

📖 Buy Devour on Amazon:

https://a.co/d/01tEFQll

📱 Follow Mandie:

Instagram & Threads: @Mandiewritesfiction

🎙️ Listen to more conversations on Lead with Storytelling.

If you enjoyed this episode, please like, comment, subscribe, and share it with someone who believes that storytelling matters.

🎙️ What happens when people gather to listen deeply across histories, cultures, and lived experience?

In this special conversation on Lead with Storytelling, we sit down with Shirley N. Hager, Willow Anderson, and Barb Martin to reflect on The Gatherings — a powerful exploration of relationship-building, truth-telling, healing, and Indigenous-settler dialogue.

Together, they discuss:

🌿 The importance of listening across difference

🌿 Community, memory, and reconciliation

🌿 What meaningful gathering looks like in practice

🌿 The emotional labour of storytelling and social change

🌿 How stories can help reshape the future of relationships in Canada

This is a reflective and deeply human conversation about what it means to come together with honesty, humility, and care.

🎧 Watch the full conversation here: [Insert YouTube Link]

⏱️ SHOW NOTES

00:00 – Introduction

03:12 – What inspired The Gatherings

10:25 – Building relationships across communities

18:47 – The role of listening in reconciliation

28:10 – Storytelling as healing and witness

39:45 – Indigenous knowledge and community care

50:20 – What gathering means today

58:34 – Final reflections

📘 Book Website: https://www.thegatheringsbook.com/

🎧 Get the Audiobook:

https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Gatherings-Audiobook/B0D9WJ2GF7

📚 Download the Teacher’s Guide:

https://www.thegatheringsbook.com/teachers-guide

#LeadWithStorytelling #TheGatherings #Storytelling #Reconciliation #CommunityDialogue #IndigenousVoices #SocialJustice #Podcast

In this episode of Lead with Storytelling, I sit down with Karina Fabian—a multi-genre writer whose work spans science fiction, fantasy, devotional writing, and comedic storytelling. From dragons and nuns in space to the discipline of writing through doubt, Karina shares how stories become a form of connection, meaning, and even joy.

We explore how humor sharpens storytelling, how speculative fiction opens up deeper moral questions, and why writing might just be a conversation—across time—with your reader.

✨ Episode Highlights

🐉 How a dragon detective was born from improv comedy

🎭 The surprising link between stand-up comedy and storytelling craft

🌌 Writing “nuns in space” and building believable speculative worlds

✍🏽 Why writing is really about communication and connection

📚 Turning writing workshops into practical, accessible books

💡 Finding meaning in the stories we tell—and the ones we almost don’t share

🔗 Show Notes & Links

🌐 Karina Fabian’s Website

👉 https://karinafabian.com

📖 The Writer Boost Series

👉 https://karinafabian.com/writeboost

📘 Persevere in Your Writing (Book 1 – out March 2)

Part of the Writer Boost series focused on staying consistent and overcoming doubt.

🎓 Live Class: Publishing on Amazon (KDP Demo)

👉 https://www.bigmarker.com/catholic-writers-conferences/ask-an-expert-kdp-with-karina-fabian

💲 $25 | FREE for Catholic Writers Guild members (check #member-bennies for coupon)

🖊️ Catholic Writers Guild

👉 https://catholicwritersguild.com

#LeadWithStorytelling #KarinaFabian #WritersLife #Storytelling #SciFi #Fantasy #WritingTips #CreativeProcess #CatholicWritersGuild #AuthorInterview

In this episode of Lead with Storytelling, I sit down with Rufina Ajalie to talk about her beautiful and expansive book, Open Roads, Open Hearts.

This conversation explores what it means to travel not just across geography, but across identity, memory, and belonging. Rufina shares the deeper story behind the book — the moments of uncertainty, discovery, and human connection that shaped its pages.

We talk about:

• The emotional landscape of movement and migration

• How travel changes the stories we tell about ourselves

• The courage it takes to remain open in unfamiliar places

• Writing as a practice of reflection and return

Open Roads, Open Hearts is ultimately about curiosity — about meeting the world (and ourselves) with attention and generosity.

If you’ve ever felt transformed by a place, a journey, or a conversation with a stranger, this episode will resonate.

—

📖 About the Book

Open Roads, Open Hearts is a deeply reflective exploration of travel, connection, and the stories we carry with us. Rufina invites readers to see movement not as escape, but as encounter — with landscapes, cultures, and the inner self.