Storytelling School

Think human trafficking is just a problem somewhere else? Think again. This modern-day form of slavery affects over 40 million people around the world with one in 10 of those victims being a child. My guest today, Than Baardson, makes the fight against human trafficking his life’s work. He and his team at Unseen have been leading the charge in accelerating the fight and its root causes around the world for over 10 years now.

During my interview with Than, he talks about the impact of human trafficking and shares stories you won’t want to miss. You’ll hear about how one company incorporated the mission against human trafficking in a completely unique way, a recent major triumph against trafficking in Central Asia, and how one woman escaped and fought back against her perpetrator. We also discuss the power of a simple thank you, how story is woven into everything Unseen does, and more before wrapping it up with Than’s thoughts about storytelling for organizations (whether profit or nonprofit).

What you will learn in this episode:

• How we can make a dent in human trafficking
• Why a thank you is such a powerful tool
• How stories are a must for nonprofits (and for profits)

Who is Than?

Than Baardson is the co-founder and CEO of the nonprofit organization Unseen who began his career as a firefighter. A former member of the North Dakota Air National Guard for over seven years, he’s also had careers as a broadcast journalist and photojournalist. In addition to Unseen, he continues his work in journalism and photography and also serves as a speaker, documentary filmmaker, writer, and communications specialist.

Than serves leaders around the globe who fight against some of today’s greatest injustices. Through Unseen, he collaborates with a broad spectrum of worldwide participants to help underwrite the efforts of partners to reduce human trafficking. He and everyone at the organization envision a world where exploiters get caught, vulnerable people have livelihoods, and trafficking survivors can live freely and have an impact on the world.

Links and Resources:

• Unseen
• @WeAreUnseen on Facebook
• @_weareunseen on Instagram
• @_weareunseen on Twitter
• @Unseen on LinkedIn
• Storytelling School Website
• @storytellingschool on Instagram
• @storytellingSchool on Facebook

My guest today, John Abbott, started with a quest to learn everything he could about the language of performers. What he didn’t know is that he’d become one. Ever since immersing himself in the improv world in 1999, he’s graduated from three improv training programs, founded several improv teams, seen several thousand performances, held performances of his own, and coached groups and workshops across the country.

In this episode, he and I discuss what inspired him to get involved in improv, his perspective on how story and improv intersect, unexpected reactions (or lack thereof) from your audience, and performing the same thing with different intentions. We also dive into what he thinks makes a great story and great characters, and what lessons he sees from improv that can apply to life.

What you will learn in this episode:

• What the hardest thing for people to do in improv is
• Why performers should rehearse with distractions
• Why well-written characters make story come alive

Who is John?

John Abbott graduated from Second City, Annoyance, and iO’s training programs. He’s a founding member of several improv teams at the iO and Playground theaters such as Pork, Calcutta, The Warehouse, and Wing Night. At iO alone, he estimates he’s seen over 5,000 improv performances in a 9-year period.

He’s performed at the Gainesville and Chicago Improv Festivals and with Sharon Kom in the duo Photo Shoot which was a feature of the New Orleans Improv Festival. John has also coached improv groups and taught workshops around the U.S. At The Playground Theater, he began the Improviser’s Studio workshop program and founded Individual Improv Intensive (I3) which provides performers with individual feedback.

In addition to performing and coaching, he has been the official photographer for the Chicago Improv Festival since 2001. Nowadays, John performs with the musical improv team Dirty Bars at WestSide Improv in Wheaton, Illinois in addition to a weekly radio show at the American Improv Theater in San Jose. John also coaches the Therapy Players in Chicago alongside An Embarrassment of Pandas in Santa Barbara and his improv team and Shade Tree in Wheaton.

Links and Resources:

• Westside Improv
• American Improv Theater
• Storytelling School Website
• @storytellingschool on Instagram
• @storytellingSchool on Facebook

Everything about voice ties into storytelling. From the tone expressed to even the decibel used in certain parts of a story, voice has a huge impact in giving meaning and feeling to the tales we tell. You’re in for a treat today as my guest Dan Teadt, a voice coach and performance expert, always provides an audience with plenty to chew on whether he’s working at Carnegie Mellon University, working with clients across the globe, or doing a podcast interview.

In this episode, Dan and I cover a ton of information in such a short amount of time. Among the topics we tackle: sound ethics and embracing the flaws and faults in our voices, the effect of vocal work and sound on communication, the importance of using breathwork as part of voice training, and finding the little things you enjoy doing as a storyteller. You’ll hear about the advice Dan gives to people who aren’t fond of the sound of their own voices. Along the way, he provides several exercises and tips for warming up and helping to sustain your voice.

What you will learn in this episode:

• How someone finds their authentic sound
• How to warm up your vocal instrument
• How to take smart care of your voice

Who is Daniel?

Daniel Teadt is a voice practitioner and assistant teaching professor of voice at Carnegie Mellon University. He’s worked for decades in operas, concerts, and recitals as an internationally-acclaimed vocal artist and has been a highly sought-after voice and performance coach on four continents. His clientèle includes experienced executives at major corporations, globally-recognized classical singers, and anyone wanting to authentically communicate with credibility and authority.

As a believer in the human voice as one of our greatest natural resources, Daniel aspires to make communication sustainable and authentic so that it reveals the intimate vocal lines that connect everyone. His work has led him to guide others toward a better understanding of their voice and potential, discover their true sound, and become voice leaders in their fields. For him, a credible voice can become incredible and what’s epic about the voice is available for use every day.

Links and Resources:

• Daniel Teadt
• @danielteadt on Twitter
• @danielteadtvoice on Instagram
• @danielteadtvoice on Facebook
• @danielteadt on Soundcloud
• @danielteadt on YouTube
• Storytelling School Website
• @storytellingschool on Instagram
• @storytellingSchool on Facebook

Get ready for a different kind of episode! As a speaking strategist, I’ve had the opportunity to work with people all over the globe in just about every industry you can imagine. What’s fascinating is there are certain questions they all ask, no matter what their professional background is. Therefore, this week I’m doing something I’m calling, “Client Confidential”-- tackling those tough questions so you can benefit from knowing the answers too. In this action-packed episode, you’ll hear my insights, strategies, and tactics you can put to use immediately as we look at topics such as finding ideas, selecting lessons to teach and stories to tell for your talk, inspiring people to take action, becoming more disciplined, leaving an impression, and earning a speaking invitation.

Here’s just a taste of what you’ll learn in this episode:

• How to unlock your creativity and ideas
• Why stories of struggle can be gold
• How visibility attracts speaking invitations

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 300 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 and 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 affect change in our world, you’ve come to the right place.

Links and Resources:

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

Stories have the power to transform our lives in unexpected ways. My guest today, Jonathan Altfeld, is a dear friend and an absolutely fascinating person with one of the best jobs on the planet: he focuses on the language of story in his work. He has a decades-long fascination with the power of story to inspire us, help us wire around problems, and create new options for ourselves. That’s one of the biggest outcomes that he gets with his students--getting them unstuck and creating new possibilities for people.

In this episode, Jonathan and I dig into many powerful aspects of story  including why human beings are experts at getting in our own way, how Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) can influence your storytelling, what the impact of hypnotherapist Milton Erickson is on the field as a storyteller and so much more. Jonathan also unpacks his pattern matching process (You won’t want to miss this!) with plenty of stories to highlight throughout.

What you will learn in this episode:

• How stories can bypass our conscious resistance
• Why you should always start with the outcome in mind
• How to implement active language in your communication

Who is Jonathan?

Jonathan Altfeld is a Neuro-Linguistic Programming trainer who has had a fascination for how stories connect and move us to grow and change for 30 years. He’s explored the works of Carl Jung, Joseph Cambell, hypnotherapist Milton Erickson and other NLP experts, mythology, and other literary influences in the process.

He’s had two career paths: one in artificial intelligence before starting to train and coach people globally in 1997. These days, he serves as a communication skills expert’s expert, a business and personal coach, and a consultant and is the author of several unique professional and personal development programs.

Jonathan’s focus mostly lies on the practical business use of NLP for more effective and influential training, coaching, scriptwriting, copywriting, and email crafting, along with his process for mapping expertise for knowledge mining and transfer. He remains deeply passionate about and fascinated with creating teaching stories and metaphors that help people, consciously and subconsciously, achieve extraordinary results that help evolve them to their next level.

Links and Resources:

• Neuro-Linguistic Programming
• Mastery InSight Institute
• GeniusMapping™
• @jonathanaltfeld on Twitter
• Jonathan Altfeld on LinkedIn
• @masteryinsight on Facebook
• @storytellingschool on Instagram
• @storytellingSchool on Facebook

From Carnegie Mellon to Juilliard to CalArts, my guest today has served on the faculties of some prestigious institutions. Peter Frisch, is a nationally-recognized director, producer and instructor, teaching hundreds of actors across the U.S. and has poured many hours into television work and theater productions. With that type of background, you know he has plenty of juicy storytelling insights and anecdotes to share.

During my discussion with Peter, we examine the concept of play when practicing the storytelling craft. He also takes us on an exploration through static and dynamic perspective, two different acting styles and which is directly related to effective storytelling. We also dig into storytelling through the lens of personality versus transformational actors (even naming some names). Along the way, he peppers his own stories from the stage which you won’t want to miss.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why story can serve as a medium for guidance and change
• How non-actors can apply stage principals to enhance storytelling
• How play becomes essential in the craft of storytelling

Who is Peter?

Peter Frisch’s work has taken him from coast to coast and across borders. He’s directed 160 regional theater and New York-based productions, as well as produced 150 hours of network television. He was Head of Drama at Carnegie Mellon and has served on the conservatory faculty of The Juilliard School, CalArts, Harvard University, and Boston University.

Peter served as Producer of the CBS soap The Young and the Restless and Fox Network’s Tribes in Los Angeles. He was also the Executive Director of The Granada Theater and the Granada Restoration in Santa Barbara, Resident Director with the Berkshire Theatre Festival and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and Artistic Director of American Playwrights Theatre in Washington D.C. Along with Studs Terkel, he co-authored American Dreams which played in New York and across the U.S. and Canada.

Aside from being widely published in journals, Peter’s accolades include Joseph Jefferson, Outer Circle, Helen Hayes, and American Express/Kennedy Center Awards. He even won a “Best of the Fest” Award at the Seattle Film Festival for his macabre comedy Deadication.

Currently, he has a private practice that has taught hundreds of actors in Boston, New York, and L.A. and now offers actor classes in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. He also directs a theater company in Santa Barbara and has a book, The Transformational Actor, coming soon which will be available on April 1, 2021.

Links and Resources:

• The Frisch Approach: Transformational Acting
• Peter Frisch on Facebook
• @storytellingschool on Instagram
• @storytellingSchool on Facebook

Against overwhelming odds and improbable beginnings, anything is possible when you have the will to succeed. That’s a lesson my guest today lives by. I’m talking to a dear friend, TEDx Speaker and Fire Captain, Shelli Varela, who lives her life redefining what is possible over and over again. Formerly, she was an artist unclear about her life’s path. While meeting a firefighter, she discovered the chance to not only learn about the job but ignite something magical within herself. She would use that magic to correct some of the teachings she’d been given and help transform her fire department. 

During my interview with Shelli, we explore many topics including: How do you know what really lights you up? Which three words changed the trajectory of Shelli’s life? Why was her story of her 8-year old bullied self more effective than her firefighter story? What is Shelli’s definition of story and what nuggets can you walk away with that can change your perception?

What you will learn in this episode:

• How different stories can affect your audience
• Why vulnerability makes for better storytelling
• How you can create memories for others

Who is Shelli?

In 1994, Shelli Varela became the first female firefighter in Canada’s 6th largest city. She had to overcome the physical odds of her 108-pound body, and after initial failure and months of work, she succeeded. She not only went on to become its first and only female Fire Captain but also twice won the Firefighter of the Year Award.

At first, Shelli hesitated to apply for a firefighter position. But then, she heard three words whispered in her ear that forever changed the course of her life. Ever since, she’s been teaching others to uncover and tell their stories in powerful ways, in addition to still fighting fires. She’s even authored a children’s book to teach readers that everything is possible and you can accomplish anything you choose.

Shelli has the gift of seeing the gift in other people. Her life path now involves using this gift to help her clients re-frame their stories so they can change the world with it. Her motto: a well-told story serves, spreads, and sells.

Links and Resources:

• @shellivarela on Instagram
• @shelliraevarela on Facebook
• @shellivarela on Twitter
• Peanut Meets the Pigtailed Firefighter by Sheila Varela
• @storytellingschool on Instagram
• @storytellingSchool on Facebook

From being the musical director of one of the most well-known productions in the history of Broadway to now changing the world through story and our view of ourselves, my guest today has a well of wisdom to share with us. During his career and working on Hamilton as its musical director, Julian Reeve brought story to life through music and emotion. In this episode, he talks about the success of Hamilton and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s gift as a storyteller, being better as a performer the freer you feel, and becoming aware of perfectionism’s effect on him and using self-compassion as a tool to manage it.

In our interview, we explore such questions as: Why is Hamilton such a success? What did Julian newly discover that he could dive into, years after conducting the show? What happened in Puerto Rico that forced him to stop and essentially ended his career? What would he say to someone who acknowledges that their perfection prevents them from getting their story out there?

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why moral leadership is a powerful tool
• How to keep repeated storytelling fresh
• How to approach managing perfectionism

Who is Julian?

Julian Reeve was born in Cambridge, England and has enjoyed successful careers in music, business, and education. Before moving to the United States and becoming the Music Director for Hamilton on its first national tour, he traveled the world as a musician and worked on over 25 major musical theater productions across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. 

In business and education, he produced and promoted the Oleta Adams in Concert UK tour, co-founded a London-based boutique talent agency representing over 100 performers, and worked extensively as a performance specialist in leading performing arts schools across the UK. He’d go on to become a faculty member of The Broadway Experience in Tokyo and New York and create an educational company that provides Broadway workshops to schools and theater communities worldwide.

At age 43, Julian suffered a mild heart attack after a performance of Hamilton in San Francisco. Identifying the root cause as perfectionism, he realized that having a better understanding of his perfectionism at an earlier age could’ve prevented this experience. He quit performing and started striving to change the way people perceive and manage perfectionism to ensure that perfectionists (and those who employ them) can still thrive.

To that end, he recently invented a superhero for younger perfectionists, Captain Perfection, and published a self-help book featuring the character. Julian aims for his creation to empower kids to develop healthy management techniques for their perfectionism through self-compassion. His book leans heavily on research that states that interventions with self-compassion moderate the link between depression and perfectionism, which he also talks about in his 2019 TEDx Talk and his work with businesses.

Links and Resources:

• Julian Reeve
• Julian Reeve @Instagram
• Julian Reeve on LinkedIn
• Julian Reeve on Facebook
• “TEDx Talk: Reframing Perfection - the vital need for change”
• Captain Perfection
• Captain Perfection & the Secret of Self-Compassion: A self-help book for the young perfectionist by Julian Reeve
• @storytellingschool on Instagram
• @storytellingSchool on Facebook

How do you go from a start-up business by a young, orphaned boy to an organization that takes care of each other like family, three generations later? My guest today, Greg Smith, is a 3rd generation business owner and quite the storyteller. In this episode, he talks about inheriting a business begun by his grandfather over 67 years ago, a $300,000 mistake, caught just in time, that turned out well for the company in the long-run, and so much more.

Greg and I explore questions such as: How has story played a role in the culture of his entire organization? How can telling stories help in fundraising? And what’s a significant lesson you can put into action immediately?

What you will learn in this episode:

• How storytelling fits into legacy and culture
• Why timing is critical no matter the situation
• How you can be vulnerable yet not afraid

Who is Greg?

Greg Smith was born into an entrepreneurial family in Youngstown, Ohio, where he first learned about leadership from his grandfather’s and father’s stewardship of the family business. He watched as they successfully managed a diverse workforce in both good and bad economic times. Now, he serves as the Chairman of the Board and Chief Culture Officer at the steel products company his grandfather founded.

Also, Greg is an accomplished TEDx speaker and author of Speak Like a Pro without Looking Like a Jack@$$. His education includes a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Marketing from Miami University and a Masters in Business Administration in Strengths Leadership from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln/Gallup University. He’s currently a communications doctoral student at Liberty University. 

Greg loves helping people make a more significant impact on leadership and communication. He believes in and studies best practices in communication, having been personally coached by several industry leaders. For him, authentic leaders must communicate clearly and persuasively if they hope to inspire outstanding achievement. 

Outside of the family business, he enjoys coaching others on public speaking and is a business collaboration catalyst with specialties in personal/team development and leadership expertise. He has served three years as an instructor in the School of Communication at Youngstown State University. Currently, Greg resides in Ohio with his wife, Nancy, and four kids.

Links and Resources:

• Greg Smith Leadership
• Greg Smith on LinkedIn
• Compco Quaker Manufacturing Inc.
• Honesty – Self-Righteousness + Vulnerability = Authenticity from Bring Your Whole Self to Work by Mike Robbins
• Speak Like a Pro without Looking Like a Jack@$$ by Greg Smith
• @storytellingschool on Instagram
• @storytellingSchool on Facebook

My guest, Mo Barrett, has a remarkable way of bringing her stories to life. In today’s episode, she and I talk about telling stories simply through living and being yourself, even if you can’t always outwardly express it to others. We dive into her 25-year career in the military, the nuances of storytelling that helped propel her speaking career, and her insistence on everyone being able to find their tribe.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Living your truth as your story
• Unapologetically embracing your true self, quirks and all
• Having a medium through which to tell your story

Who is Mo?

Michelle “Mo” Barrett went from failing the Air Force Academy, being the first member of her pilot training class to receive an “Unsatisfactory” grade in the process, to retiring as an Air Force Colonel 25 years later. As an Air Force pilot, she flew the Alenia C-27A throughout Central and South America. Then she moved to Northern California to fly the Lockheed C-5 around the world. After 9/11, Mo deployed to bases in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan with a small team and converted them from empty fields to airlift hubs.

Mo has also dealt with the stigma, strain, shame, and success of being a life-long, non-conforming gay woman in the military’s structured environment. As a lesbian, she experienced the rule-changing gamut of gays being banned to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to that policy’s repeal and acceptance of gays in the military. During her career, she leveraged hard work and an ability to view the world with a sense of humor, optimism, and perspective.

Now in retirement from the Air Force, Mo uses those skills as a professional speaker. She thrives as a multi-minority woman and connects with audiences across all ages and walks of life, entertaining them with her unique presentation style and contagious energy. Her mission in life right now: to chart a course for people who want to laugh, learn, and think.

Links and Resources:

Mo’s Website

Storytelling School’s Website

@storytellingschool on Instagram

@storytellingSchool on Facebook