Storytelling School

It’s 2003. I’m sitting in the audience of my first TED event. TED, which stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, is a once-a-year, invite-only private event in Monterey, CA. 

As I look at the speaker list, I recognize… no one on it. Then I gaze through the descriptions of the talks scheduled--one on nanotech, another on robotics, another on anthropology…

I find myself thinking, “Is this event really for me?” 

These topics have nothing to do with my business, so I’m not sure I even belong here. 

As the speakers begin, one after another, I find myself captivated. Not just with one Talk - with all the Talks. So much so, that the TED experience changes the way I think. 

Listening to those Talks (eighteen a day for five days straight!) exposes me to a cross-pollination of ideas that not only influences how I run my software company, it cements lateral thinking, something critical in both business and storytelling.

Today, I’ve invited a special guest who uses his own special sauce of lateral thinking each day. In this episode, Mike Wald and I talk about the power of stories when it comes to making your business and brand stand out, especially in a crowded market. He provides so many wonderful tips for storytellers and business owners while answering questions like:

Where does the danger lie in researching the market for stories that’ll land with your potential audience? Where do people often have to be corrected in telling the story of their brand? What investment can you make that’ll have people loving your brand?

What you will learn in this episode:

• How to make stories in your marketing more relatable for your audience
• How to ethically use data gathering online for storytelling and marketing purposes
• How to mitigate the risk of turning off your audience with your stories

Who is Mike?

For over 20 years, Oniracom’s Chief Marketing Officer Mike Wald has developed campaigns and launched products for a wide-breadth of verticals. He considers himself a technologist and a futurist with expertise and affection in ecological anthropology which brings a thoughtful, innovative blend of science, tech, and sociology to the company’s work. Since 2018, he has worked on over 50 projects studying hospitality mobility, gentrification patterns, sustainability goal measurement, social listening indicators, and the effect of sharing economies on urban and suburban landscapes.

International governments, mass-focused businesses, and first-mover firms enjoy effective solutions through a wide array of industries and platforms thanks to Mike’s background in driving successful conversions across mixed media. You can see his work everywhere, from Disney movie campaigns to government infrastructure dashboards in Australia.

Links and Resources:

• Oniracom
• @dlawekim on Facebook
• @mikewald on LinkedIn
• Storytelling School Website
• @storytellingschool on Instagram
• @storytellingSchool on Facebook

I’m working with CEO “Tom” on his origin story. He says he hasn’t thought about the details of it for years, and he’s getting a little teary-eyed at the thought. 

When it comes time to share it publicly, Tom declares it’s a non-starter. (Read: What will his employees think of him?)

To ease his fears, I tell him, “What if one person is changed by hearing your story? Is it worth it now?” 

After contemplating that scenario carefully, he agrees. And {spoiler alert!} not only does his personal story resonate like crazy throughout his organization, he gets such good feedback from it that he starts sharing it with his prospects too.

Many times it’s us who get in our own way and block ourselves due to fear of being judged. And all the while, we prevent what could be a beautiful experience on the other side. If we share the stories that matter deeply to us instead, it just may help someone hear it who needs it the most in that exact moment. Not to mention, the vulnerability of sharing our true, personal story allows others to like and trust us faster.

So in this latest installment of the “So You Think You Want to Become a Storyteller” series, I focus on powering through problems as related to storytelling. You’ll hear about my philosophy on perfection, how to condense your stories down, and how a story arsenal prepares you for different storytelling opportunities and scenarios. I also answer questions like:

How do you fix any tendency to ramble in your storytelling? What dictates the length of your story? What do you do when you’ve prepared your story but when it’s time to tell it, your mind goes blank?

What you will learn in this episode:

• What you should strive for in lieu of perfection in your stories
• How to know which story details to keep and which ones to cut
• Why you always want to start with a story

A little about me:

Hi there. I’m Kymberlee.

As a Speaking Strategist and founder of Storytelling School, I’ve had the pleasure of working with over 500 speakers, business leaders, and entrepreneurs worldwide for over a decade. No matter if those folks were getting ready to take the TED or TEDx stage or preparing for a high-stakes presentation with everything on the line, my specialty is High Stakes Short Form Communication. I’ve seen what works when influencing change and what doesn’t. It turns out storytelling is one of the most powerful tools you can have in your arsenal. That’s why I’m building a movement of master storytellers to affect change in the world on a global scale to help people tell real stories that have influence and impact. With effective storytelling, you change people’s lives.

Since competition for potential client attention is fierce, a story can make the difference between being memorable or irrelevant. You’ll find me sharing my matcha tea mishap to discuss perfectionism, my quest for Bruce Lee and Hello Kitty art to explore kindness, or the six months of live blade training I underwent to illustrate presence. I spend my days showing the power of using stories to help cement ideas and bring lessons to life and teaching my clients to do the same.

If you think business owners can’t tell stories or don’t have stories to share with their clients, staff, donors, followers, or investors, I invite you to reconsider your perspective. There’s no better place than in business to tell your stories so audiences, no matter how big or small, can understand how you think and what you value.

Now it’s your turn... If you’re ready to become a master storyteller and effect change in our world, you’ve come to the right place.

Links and Resources:

• Storytelling School Website
• @storytellingschool on Instagram

As my grandma Moo approaches her 100th birthday, she tells me she wants a kitty. What grandma wants, grandma gets. So I start my kitty hunt, deciding that an older feline will do the trick.

After hours of searching, I come across the dream kitty at Santa Barbara Humane. Her name’s Maribel, and I fall in love with her immediately. But I can’t get out that day to adopt her because of an Improv show I have to do that night. So I call and ask them to please hold on to this cat until the next morning.

The person on the other end, however, lets me know that they have a first come, first served policy for adoptions. And she can’t break the policy even after I explain that it’s for my 100-year-old grandmother. 

“If the kitty isn’t adopted, she’s yours first thing in the morning,” she says.

So the next morning, my husband Mark and I get in the car in the pouring rain and make a stop at Petco for supplies on the two-hour drive to Santa Barbara Humane’s Santa Maria Campus. When we get there I announce, “We’re here to adopt Maribel.” Just then I notice another couple in the waiting area who says, “Oh, we’re here to adopt Maribel too.” My heart sinks. We’re five minutes too late from being first.

This other couple goes into the room to meet Maribel. We wait. When they reemerge they share that she won’t come out from under her chair to greet them, so they’ve decided to adopt another cat! 

Hurray! Mark and I still have a shot at this and rush into the room. And wouldn’t you know it? Just as we sit down on the floor, this dream kitty for Moo instantly comes right out, plops herself down in Mark’s lap and starts purring away. (I secretly think she was hiding from the other couple on purpose because she knew we were the right humans to adopt her.)

Happy endings to stories like that happen every day, and today’s special guest gets to witness them personally. Kerri Burns is the CEO of Santa Barbara Humane. In this episode, she talks about what the Humane Society is all about, shares stories of some of the pets she’s fostered, reveals the three different types of cats, and discusses how the organization in Santa Barbara works with animals and people to make sure adoptions are a great fit for both. She also answers curious questions like:

How does a chihuahua in dire straits show the good intentions people can have? How is the Humane Society part of a bigger whole? And what amazing things does Santa Barbara Human do for animals (and humans)? 

What you will learn in this episode:

• What it means to think from the paws up
• What misconception always comes up regarding stories of sheltered animals
• How you can help change the story for animals in shelters

Who is Kerri?

Kerri Burns has served several roles in the Humane Society and other animal rights organizations across the country. She was the Interim Chief Executive Officer and President of the Humane Society of Southern Arizona in Tucson. Then she served as the President of Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando before moving on as Interim Executive Director of the Tree House Humane Society in Chicago, Illinois.

Previously, Kerri also assisted animals through some of the country’s greatest animal disasters through Animal Emergency Services Programs for the American Humane Association. She’s been recognized for her educational outreach on various animal welfare topics with the American Humane Association’s Dennis White Award and for her management of charitable giving for PetSmart Charities®. Currently, she’s the Chief Executive Officer for Santa Barbara Humane.

Everything is dark. I’m walking around on stage, selling the idea that I can’t see anything. And it’s giving me a golden opportunity to find the truth of the story.

You see, I’m playing Carol, the lead in a play called Black Comedy by Peter Shaffer. In it, a sculptor and his fiancée (me) borrow expensive antique furniture from our out-of-town neighbors to try and impress an art collector. But then the power goes out (hence the black), and everything goes wrong (hence the comedy).

What’s really cool about the experience, though, is that the lighting is transposed. When the stage is lit, the cast is seemingly in darkness, and the characters can’t see anything. But only when the stage goes dark can the characters finally be able to see themselves and their surroundings.

This ended up being my favorite play to perform because I got to embody a character so far removed from what I’m used to. My special guest Brittany Ishibashi is no stranger to this experience. She lives her life immersed in story and has been a working actress since high school! 

In this episode, she and I talk about playing characters, effective elements to enhance storytelling, and discuss questions like:

What’s the inside-out vs. outside-in approach to playing a character, and why is it crucial to gaining audience empathy? Why is an audience of just one person all you really need? And how can you easily and effectively open a story?

What you will learn in this episode:

• How characters and story (in all its forms) can truly change or save lives
• How to encourage the spirit of play in your life and business
• Why music is such a universal part of the human experience in storytelling

Who is Brittany?

Born in Orange County, California, Brittany Ishibashi was raised by musical parents. Seeing her love for the arts, they encouraged her to try out the different facets of the entertainment world. Her passion for musical theater emerged at a young age, and she became a triple threat in dance, music, and acting.

Brittany got her first big break right after graduating from high school when she was cast on J.J. Abrams’ Felicity. She continued her education in Theatre, Film, and Television at UCLA while establishing her career and has gone on to work consistently over the years on numerous TV series. She’s been on shows such as This Is Us, Political Animals, Grey’s Anatomy, Grace and Frankie, The Office, Supernatural, and more.

Most recently, you can watch Brittany play the villainous Tina Minoru on Marvel’s Runaways, Claire Cormier on the CW’s Tom Swift, and Tamiko Masuda on CBS’ Hawaii Five-0. She also played the villain Karai in Paramount’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Jeff, and their three children.

Links and Resources:

• @BrittIshibashi on Instagram
• @BrittIshibashi on Twitter
• Storytelling School Website
• @storytellingschool on Instagram
• @storytellingSchool on Facebook

I’m at one of my favorite theaters at the end of a long day rehearsing speakers for the TEDx stage. I’m packing up my stuff when Asa, the artistic director of the theater, says to me, “You should try out for our upcoming play this season. We have auditions next week.”

Sure, I love the theater. But the last time I was in a play was back in elementary school. I am not an actor! I don’t have any acting experience or training or know the first thing about auditions!

I tell Asa that I’m planning on sticking to my speaking career. However, she insists that I’d be really good at it and to at least give it a try.

One of my favorite things to say - which longtime listeners have heard several times - is, “Things will either go well, or you’ll have a story to tell on the other side.” 

And that’s what I had to remind myself of at that moment. With my heart racing, I tell Asa I’ll give it a go... and {spoiler alert} I’ve been performing ever since.

My gentle (or not-so-gentle, depending on your perspective) encourager Asa is my special guest on today’s episode. We answer questions such as:

What aspects of bringing a character to life are important to storytelling? What small things incorporated into character portrayals can make them unique and identifiable? How can you ensure you always win at storytelling?

Along the way, she also shares a “when I got in trouble” story involving her childhood fictional hero Pippi Longstocking, the play she did that necessitated a psychiatrist and the incarcerated to pull it off successfully, and a motto about failure you might want to adopt yourself.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why it’s so important for a character to have an “alibi”
• Why the way you portray a character can be such a powerful story element
• What makes a character so much more visible in an audience’s mind

Who is Asa?

Swedish-born actress, writer, and director Asa Olsson has had a passion for the theater since she appeared in Sleeping Beauty as a kindergartener. In her homeland, her long stage and TV career focused on issues around equality and social and political issues. It wasn’t long before she realized that experience could serve to help girls and women get their voices heard.

Asa immigrated to the U.S. in 1980 where she, her husband Randy, and their five-year-old daughter made the city of Carpinteria, CA their home. She spent over 30 years promoting the performing arts as a board member and the Artistic Director of the Carpinteria Community Theater (now called The Alcazar Theatre), including promoting female voices by building a drama program for girls aged 5 through 18.

In addition to promoting the performing arts in her community, Asa has enjoyed working sporadically as an actress in Santa Barbara, College City, and even in her native Sweden. She’s also served her community on the socio-political level, spending 10 years as a member of the Santa Barbara Public Health Department which resulted in a public smoking ban in Carpinteria.

Links and Resources:

• The Alcazar Theatre
• [email protected]
• Storytelling School Website
• @storytellingschool on Instagram
• @storytellingSchool on Facebook

I’m in the middle of rebranding my business. There are so many things I can do, so many things I want to do, yet I also want my brand positioning to be clear and attractive. I want others to love my brand as much as I do. As I’m working on this, I see a cartoon by Gaping Void that says, “Don’t be the best in the world at what you do. Be the only person in the world at what you do.”

Seeing that makes everything click. I think, “Yes! That describes my work which is unique in so many ways.” I already kind of am the only person doing what I do. And I really want to highlight that… but I need help. So my husband Mark, who I’ve grabbed in my excitement, says to me, “We gotta talk to Peter. This is his zone of genius.”

That first conversation with Peter changes everything. What he does is revolutionary in so many ways. And I’ve brought him onto the show today to discuss exactly what it is that he does and how he helps redefine business.

If you want to know:

What is category design, how does it help you understand your audience better, and what is the most common challenge when people start approaching business with this new way of thinking? How do you use it to attract potential customers or clients? And how did a customer survey company use category design and find itself worth several billion dollars more than competitors like Survey Monkey?

Get a pen and your replay button ready because this episode is chock full of priceless lessons you’ll want to listen to again and again! 

What you will learn in this episode:

• How to rethink your business positioning and make it unique
• How POV storytelling in marketing messages differs from conventional marketing
• How to use category design to spark intrigue in your business

Who is Peter?

As a graduate of Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, Peter Goldie has spent the past decade as an angel investor and used his knack for creating and launching market-dominating products to advise on business, strategy, and marketing. He honed his marketing expertise while in Brand Management at Procter & Gamble where he built revenue for brands such as Crisco, Pringles, and Ivory. Now his firm advises companies on the emerging concept of category design for business.

In addition, Peter founded two startups and has held several operational roles at different companies over the years. He served as GM and SVP at the top digital e-commerce agency Fluid and was the GM and VP at Macromedia where he helped make Flash the most distributed software worldwide. He also took on the position of GM at Alias/Wavefront where he assisted in the creation of the Computer-Aided Industrial Design (CAID) category and the launching of the world’s leading 3D animation product, Maya (which won an Oscar for scientific and technical achievement).

Links and Resources:

• Category Design
• [email protected]
• @pgoldie on LinkedIn
• Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers, and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets by Al Ramadan, Dave Peterson, Christopher Lochhead, and Kevin Maney
• Niche Down: How to Become Legendary by Being Different by Christopher Lochhead and Heather Clancy
• Storytelling School Website
• @storytellingschool on Instagram
• @storytellingSchool on Facebook

It’s knife training time in my martial arts class. I’m on the mat when Grandmaster says, “Master Kymberlee, I want you to be my partner for this demonstration.” 

Oh boy. I know what this means. Usually, demonstrations with me as his partner don’t turn out well… for me, that is.

But I can’t say no to Grandmaster, so up I go. I meet Grandmaster in front of the class, and he executes this flawless knife technique. During multiple demonstrations, no matter what I do, no matter how many counter-moves I try, it doesn’t work against him!

My turn. It’s time to try the technique on someone else in class. Except I can’t replicate what Grandmaster just did, either.

Sensing my frustration, he comes over and tells me, “Make this your own Master Kymberlee. There’s always a way.” 

Aha! So I turn the knife over, reverse my direction, and come in with a completely different series of moves. And guess what - it works!

There’s always a way. And my special guest today has used that concept to change perspectives, outcomes, and even laws. As a writer and actor, Matthew-Lee Erlbach also advocates on behalf of the Arts and those who work in them.

If you’re curious to know:

How do you help others view advocacy as on behalf of an industry instead of a cause so that it’ll get economic and legislative priority? How did the sitcom Will & Grace influence the unfolding story of gay rights (while displaying an essential storytelling element)? Why are 1922 and 2022 synonymous, and how were Arts and Culture at the forefront of the aftermath of events 100 years ago?

Then tune in as we discuss the power of influencing where the story goes and how doing so can make history!

What you will learn in this episode:

• How personal stories of American workers have changed the country
• Why we as human beings crave stories so much
• What one thing you want to ensure you include in your story

Who is Matthew-Lee?

Matthew-Lee Erlbach is an actor, writer, and labor activist from Chicago and New York. He has written for Adam McKay's Kings of America, starring Amy Adams (Netflix); Masters of Sex (Showtime); Gypsy (Netflix); We Are the Champions (Netflix), for WWE, MTV, and Nickelodeon. As a playwright, his work has appeared Off-Bway, regionally, and at Steppenwolf, where he is currently under commission, and where his play The Doppelgänger (An International Farce) premiered. 

He has received support from the National Endowment for the Arts, Laurents/Hatcher Foundation, Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, Puffin Foundation, and is a HUMANITAS New Voices recipient. Beyond his work with Habitat for Humanity and individuals who are houseless, he is a proponent of ethical AI and ethical transhumanism. A Co-Founder of Arts Workers United and their national Be An Arts Hero campaign, he has co-authored legislation, built national campaigns, and works with Congress to make Arts and Culture Workers an economic and legislative priority. 

Links and Resources:

• Be An Arts Hero
• Matthew-Lee Erlbach
• @thismatthewlee on Instagram
• @thismatthewlee on Twitter
• @Matthew-LeeErlbach on Facebook
• Storytelling School Website
• @storytellingschool on Instagram
• @storytellingSchool on Facebook

Growing up, every summer my family and I’d go off the coast of Seattle to Bainbridge Island to stay with family friends Bob and Denise. One summer, Denise shares with me that she and Bob are in a play while we’re in town. This means I’ll be on my own - unless, “You want to usher?” she asks. 

As a 14-year-old kid, I’m thinking, “Yeah, right! I’m not here to work! I’m here to relax and play!” Yet Bob convinces me to go to the rehearsal that night before making my final decision.

Off we go. When we arrive and I walk up to the theater, open the doors, and proceed to… have my breath taken away! 

I’m standing in front of this huge set for Fiddler on the Roof. People are running around in costumes with music playing, warming up their voices, and practicing their lines. I’m immediately hooked!

I turn to Denise and say, “Not only am I going to usher, I’m doing it for every performance until I have to board the plane home.” 

Walking into that theater for the first time was like a dream. And dreams are often inspired by reality because my special guest today on the Storytelling School Podcast is an actress, singer, performer, and advocate. Brooke Ishibashi has been part of the arts and culture sector for her entire life and she joins me this week to share tremendous insights and ideas on stories and storytelling.

In this episode, we discuss her huge mobilization effort for protecting the arts and culture sector of the U.S. through the grassroots campaign she co-founded, as well as answer questions like:

Why is storytelling so critically important in our society today? What’s happened to the arts and culture sector of the economy due to the pandemic? Why is truth such an essential storytelling ingredient?

What you will learn in this episode:

• How COVID has impacted arts workers and the domino effect on the economy
• How a grassroots campaign pivoted when faced with a story problem
• How to tell a truthful story that isn’t yours

Who is Brooke?

Brooke Ishibashi is a singer, actor, and advocate. Her recent work includes to the yellow house at La Jolla Playhouse, Cambodian Rock Band at South Coast Repertory Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and La Jolla Playhouse (where she developed and originated the role of Neary), and the critically-acclaimed NYCC Encores! production of Into the Woods, which will be transferring for a limited Broadway run this summer.

She is also the National Councilor for the Actors’ Equity Association, a NYCLU Artist Ambassador, a core member of Fair Wage Onstage, and the co-founder of Be an #ArtsHero/Arts Workers United, an intersectional grassroots campaign for proportionate relief to the Arts & Culture sector of the American economy. *Arts & Culture contributes over $919 billion to the U.S. economy and employs over 5.2 million arts workers. You can learn more about the campaign at BeAnArtsHero.com.

Links and Resources:

• Be An Arts Hero
• Into the Woods
• @BeAnArtsHero on Instagram
• @BeAnArtsHero on Twitter
• @BeAnArtsHero on Facebook
• @BeAnArtsHero on TikTok
• Storytelling School Website
• @storytellingschool on Instagram
• @storytellingSchool on Facebook

An email pops into my inbox with an opportunity I want to jump at right away. A very seasoned Improv performer is coming to town to do a workshop. Since I love attending workshops, I don’t even hesitate. Without reading past the first sentence, I sign up.

On the day of the workshop, I get there just as it’s starting. The Improv instructor sitting at the piano sees me and says, “Hi, are you here for the musical Improv class?” as everyone else in the room turns around to look at me too. 

Gulp... musical Improv? I have many skills, but music isn’t one of them. He invites me to sit down yet what I really want to do is turn around and run out the door. However, with all eyes on me I feel I have no choice. I sit.

Despite my several years of training in Improv comedy, that workshop still ranks among the most terrifying experiences ever! But I learn something important that day: If you don’t have the talent to sing, your *attempts* can make for some good Improv scenes. {Read: guaranteed hilarity.}

Speaking of unexpected performances, my guest today knows how to take risks and take control of where he wants his story to go, despite a perceived lack of talent. In 2004, William Hung managed to capture the support of fans of American Idol with his rejected audition of Ricky Martin’s hit song, “She Bangs”. And now, he’s here to talk about how to live a bold and confident life on the Storytelling School Podcast!

In this episode, we discuss taking control of your story, containing your fear, sharing your unique point of view with others, and more. We also answer questions like:

How can you adapt to different situations and turn a negative into a positive story? How do you take that first step when trying to do something outside your comfort zone? What should you keep in mind when invited to speak in front of an audience? What needs to be present in any story you share with an audience? And why is storytelling so important in our world today?

What you will learn in this episode:

• How to take the reins of your own story in any given scenario
• How to stand behind your unique perspective and let go of the fear of judgment
• How a Toastmasters technique can help you uplevel your storytelling

Who is William?

William Hung is someone who’s willing to bet on himself. In 2004, he was just a college kid with a Hollywood dream, like so many others. So he auditioned on American Idol and received a resounding rejection from the (in)famous Simon Cowell.

Instead of letting that rejection define him negatively, William took that gamble of an audition and turned it around into a positive. He became a symbol of hope for people who desired to chase their dreams. Since then, he has become an entertainer, speaker, and professional poker player who tells his story (beyond what you’ve seen on TV) in hopes that it helps others to live life more boldly and confidently.

Links and Resources:

• William Hung
• @williamhungofficial on Instagram
• @williamhung2022 on Twitter
• Storytelling School Website
• @storytellingschool on Instagram
• @storytellingSchool on Facebook

My client arrives to rehearse her high-stakes keynote. She’s giving this speech in front of thousands upon thousands of people. Before she begins, I say to her, “Today, we’re going to start at the end. So go ahead and run through your closing paragraph now.”

That throws her off. She responds, “I’ve memorized my talk in a very specific order. Isn’t that going to mess me up?” 

Then I ask her how many times she’s rehearsed her opening paragraph. 

“I don’t know, maybe at least 75 times?” 

And the closing of her talk? 

“Oh. Maybe a handful--five?”

Aha! Speakers tend to focus on the opening. They go through it from the beginning, make a mistake before getting to the end, start over, make a mistake again, start over, and over. And over. And over. It’s like a pilot focused on getting the takeoff right but not the landing! And it goes on this way for days or weeks.

When I explain this to my client, she says, “Kymberlee, I never thought of it that way,” which segues nicely with my special guest today. Sun Yi runs an award-winning digital agency that focuses on helping personal brands tell their story by challenging their thinking. And his actual tagline is “I never thought of it that way.” In this episode, he and I discuss things like:

What elevates a story (and how is a narrative different from a story)? How do you know you’re being as vulnerable enough in your storytelling (and what’s the difference between vulnerability and a sob story)? Where do people using stories for business purposes tend to screw up? And how can you use storytelling in your brand when there’s no conflict in your personal story?

What you will learn in this episode:

• How to correctly set up your story for an emotional payoff
• What mistakes entrepreneurs make when telling personal branding stories
• How to engage in “micro-storytelling” for social media audiences (and algorithms)

Who is Sun?

Sun Yi founded Night Owls, an award-winning digital branding agency based in New York City. For over 12 years, he’s used his passion for personal branding to help brands go from zero to over a billion dollars in revenue. His company has a well-earned reputation for its expert branding, marketing, and copywriting knowledge, as well as its high-quality website design and client service.

Sun built his firm with culture in mind. After starting and quitting so many times, he decided to put community first and create a collaborative environment where he and his employees felt passionate about putting love and care into their work. As a result, Night Owls has attracted household names like Spotify, Columbia University, and the American Red Cross as well as best-selling international speakers and authors like Mel Robbins, Gabby Bernstein, and Jay Shetty as part of their clientele.

Sun also loves teaching and creating educational content on Instagram for personal brands. In his spare time, he enjoys motorcycles, listening to audiobooks, watching Youtube videos, and doing yoga. You can learn more about him and Night Owls at his website.

Links and Resources:

• Sun Yi and Night Owls
• @SunYiCo on Youtube
• @sun.yi and @nightowls on Instagram
• @sun.yi.nightowls and @nightowls on Facebook
• @sun_yi and @nightowls on Twitter
• @sunyi-nightowls and night-owl-interactive on LinkedIn
• Storytelling School Website
• @storytellingschool on Instagram
• @storytellingSchool on Facebook