In this episode of Second Nature Stories, Penny chats with clinical psychologist and app creator David Bakker—who also happens to be a stand-up comedian—about how to make habit-building less of a grind and more of a game. We dig into his insights on intrinsic motivation, the power of gamification, and how these ideas apply to building habits around storytelling and communication. David shares tips from his work on apps like Mood Mission, all aimed at helping us create habits that stick. Plus, he talks about what he’s learned about communication in his role as a clinical psychologist and supervisor. If you’re curious about how to make storytelling feel a little less tricky and a lot more fun, this episode’s for you!

You can find out more about David Bakker and his app Mood Mission here:

http://davidbakker.com.au

Imagine being able to share stories effortlessly and impactfully no matter your audience. To a group of parents or a group of policymakers. With 7-year-olds or with 70-year-olds.

In this half-hour episode of Second Nature Stories, Penny Terry chats with Tasmania's outgoing Commissioner for Children and Young People, Leanne McLean. Together, they explore Leanne's tips for having great conversations and the habits she’s developed to make storytelling both automatic and impactful.

So grab your earphones, and your notetaking device and get listening!

NOTE: Chances are this has ended up in your email. However, you can find Second Nature Stories on all the major podcasting apps making it easier for you to listen on the go. So open your podcast app, search for Second Nature Stories, click follow and each new episode will turn up automatically. You’re welcome!

Clear your diary!

Ok, that sounds a bit dramatic.

However, we want to give you plenty of warning so you can book our next live Zoom catch-up in your diary.

It’s happening on Tuesday the 15th of October, between 10am - 11am.

It’s an opportunity to connect with others in your industry, get some communication and storytelling tips, and troubleshoot any problems. You come armed with a question or story, or just turn up ready to listen and learn.

You can register now so it ends up in your diary.

Could you name three communication habits you have? Chances are we all have heaps more than three, yet most of us aren’t even aware of them. So, how many are helping us versus how many are hindering our efforts to influence the experiences and environments of children in the early years?

In this episode of our Second Nature Stories podcast, Penny Terry chats with habit expert and transformation coach Kate Krieg who runs us through the 101 of habit creation - because it turns out our habits are responsible for more than we realise. The challenge with this episode will be to stay focussed on your communication habits, and not every other little habit in your life! Enjoy.

Remember you can listen here or wherever you get your podcasts - just search for Second Nature Stories (and hit follow).

The next live Zoom session.

There is another week to vote for your preferred time…

For those who missed it - our last live Zoom session was fun, light yet insightful, with some actionable takeaways. Huge thanks to those who booked it in the diary and shared openly!

I’ll be hosting another in June. It’s a 1-hour live Zoom session where you can ask questions, share stories, or simply connect, listen and learn from others in the community. Please let us know your preferred time (you have one week to vote), and then we’ll send out a save-the-date.

If none of the options work for you, feel free to email me directly with your preferred days and times, and we'll do our best to accommodate them in future sessions.

Can’t wait to connect with you online again!

Imagine if you could supercharge the impact of your early years' stories, presentations, posters, and social posts by tweaking just a few words or phrases. Okay, so we don’t really want you just to imagine it - we want you to do it!

So does Nat Kendall-Taylor…

Nat is the CEO of the Frameworks Institute. For more than a decade, his organisation has been studying how people respond to the different words and phrases we use when we talk about early childhood. He knows that we don’t have to guess which words might be the most useful - there’s a science to it. In a recent visit to Tasmania, he sat down with Penny Terry to discuss what the research says are the most effective ways to frame our stories and talked her through some practical strategies to help us use these useful frames more often.

Register now!

A quick reminder that our next live Zoom catch-up will be next Wednesday the 17th of April between 4:30 pm and 5:30 pm AEDT.

Make sure you get this session in your diary and REGISTER NOW

Why should you come?

* Connect with others who share your passion for improving the lives of children in the early years

* Grow your professional network in a collaborative learning environment

* Experience the benefits of participating in a community of practice: professional growth, collaboration, and innovation

* Contribute to a collective wealth of knowledge on the transformative power of storytelling conversations to improve outcomes for children in the early years

What can you expect?

* Facilitated by me - Penny Terry - the session offers an "Ask Me Anything" format, where you can come along with a question, challenge or experience to share, or simply listen and learn from others

* Tap into the collective wisdom of the community to tackle common communication challenges and discover innovative solutions and fresh ideas

* Be inspired to think differently, sparking innovation and creativity in your own storytelling practice

* Collaborate and connect with like-minded professionals, fostering a sense of community and shared learning

* Leave the session feeling motivated and inspired, ready to apply new knowledge and storytelling strategies to improve outcomes for children in the early years

We can’t wait to ‘get the band back together’! Look forward to seeing you online soon.

It's coming! The podcast you need to help you build your storytelling habit so it becomes second nature. Each episode your host Penny Terry - along with experts and other community storytellers - will share the small shifts they've made to include storytelling in their day to day.