A Crucible is defined as a severe test. Crucible stories are stories of great loss, hardship, or pain. W. Mitchell was burned over 60% of his body in a motorcycle accident, and then was paralyzed in a plane crash. His keynote is based on the stories of his recovery and overcoming adversity.

Some keynotes are basically one story after another, with each story making a relevant point. In this episode, W. Mitchell shares how he got started in the speaking business and how, over time, his keynote evolved. You’ll be inspired by his journey from pain to personal empowerment.  

Contact W, Mitchell at: [email protected]

Contact Doug Stevenson at: [email protected]

Also: www.storytelling-in-business.com

If you believe in yourself and that you have something of value to offer, you need to know how to promote yourself. “Buyers” won’t say yes, if they don’t know you are asking. And how do you get to YES, when people keep telling you NO? The ability to promote yourself, to persevere even in the face of rejection, is an essential skill on the road to success.

In this episode, you’ll hear five strategies for getting from where you are to where you want to be through courageously creative self-promotion. Whether you want to get paid to speak or to get the job or promotion you want and deserve, these strategies will accelerate the process. Someone is out there waiting to say yes. Your mission, should you accept it, is to seek them out and courageously ask them to say yes.

http://www.storytelling-in-business.com

For your free 30-minute coaching call contact: [email protected]

In 1975, during the last days of the Vietnam War, Leann Thieman, a nurse in Iowa, volunteered to fly to Vietnam to rescue 300 orphan babies as the bombs were falling on Saigon. The story of that harrowing experience became the springboard for her to become a professional speaker. When someone agreed to pay her $100 to tell her story, she began her speaking career.  She now charges $15,000 per speech.

In this interview, Leann shares with Doug the incremental steps she took in the first couple of years, to market and sell her speech. These steps are the basics of how to get started in the speaking business and get people to pay you to speak. If she can do it, you can do it.

Learn how to leveage your story into a lucractive speaking business. 

Contact: [email protected]

http://www.storytelling-in-business.com

http://www.storytelling-in-business.com

Have you ever watched a professional speaker and thought, I can do that? But HOW? How do you get paid to speak? You’ll find some of the answers in this podcast episode. If you have a story to tell that makes a relevant point or teaches a powerful lesson, you can become a professional speaker. You can make a difference and make a lot of money at the same time.

This is episode one in the professional speaker series. In the following episodes, you’ll learn valuable lessons and gain insightful tips on what you need to do to get paid to speak.

Link to The National Speakers Association: https://nsaspeaker.org

Contact: [email protected]

Pattern stories are fun to craft and even more fun to tell. They’re like a good Whodunit mystery novel where the plot unfolds over time. They are constructed with a series of mini-stories or segments that illustrate how the same problem keeps happening over and over, while the person or organization experiencing the problem fails to learn the lesson. In the end, the pattern is recognized, and the lesson learned.

If you’ve ever made the same mistake multiple times or experienced a similar recurring problem in your life or career, you have a pattern story in the making. In this episode, learn how to identify and craft your pattern story.

For your free no obligation 20-minute coaching call, contact [email protected]

www.storytellling-in-business.com

It’s not always appropriate to tell a story. Different stories work in different situations and sometimes, you shouldn’t tell a story at all. If the story doesn’t fit, you must omit.

For your free no obligation 20-minute coaching call, contact [email protected]

www.storytellling-in-business.com

In this episode, Doug coaches Dave on the Phrase That Pays for one of his stories. Dave shares how he uses stories in his training courses and how The Story Theater Method has helped him to be more deliberate with his stories. He also says that the stories that he tells improve the bottom- line revenues for his company.

There is a strong emphasis on The Phrase That Pays in this episode. Learn more about the Phrase That Pays and how to make the point of your story stick in Episode 5. What’s the Point.

For your free no obligation 20-minute coaching call, contact [email protected]

www.storytellling-in-business.com

1-719-310-8586

TED talks opened the door to short speeches, and now, 20-minute speeches are here to stay. Conference planners are scheduling more speakers with shorter time slots. In my experience, designing a short speech is more challenging than crafting a long one. What stays in? What do you cut? I’ve got you covered. Follow these ten steps and you’ll look like a pro.

To get 30% off on the downloadable version of the Dynamite Speech System, go to https://www.storytelling-in-business.com/shop/#dynamite-speech-system-downloadable  and enter the coupon code PODCAST-DYN during checkout. Regular price is $129. The coupon code is not case-sensitive. You’ll be directed to a User Registration page and watch your email for the confirmation link.

Contact: [email protected]

Dr. Alyx Porter Umphrey is the first black female Neuro Oncologist in the United States. Her personal story of success in the face of adversity is a story that inspires others to donate to Elevate Med, a non-profit dedicated to supporting black and brown medical students with scholarships, mentoring and leadership training.

In this episode you’ll learn how your story, and the story of those who benefit from your cause, can be the most powerful element of your fundraising strategy. When you invest in storytelling, others will invest in your organization.

As a speaker and storyteller, getting a laugh is pretty important. It's not enough to get lucky with an ad-lib, you need to know how to get a laugh on demand. That requires an understanding of the dynamics of comedy. In this episode, you'll discover the three elements that are necessary to get predictable laughs. 

After listening to this episode, go to You Tube and search for the videos listed below. Study them. They are a master class in comedy.

Bill Cosby – Noah’s Ark  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bputeFGXEjA

Rowen Atkinson – The Devil  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGxG7QmPQ44

Robin Williams on Fatherhood  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykq8IkiCgFw

Steven Wright – Deadpan and One-Liners  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiGag5emLJg

Tim Gard – 8 Minutes of Fun - htps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KMqILkRXdQ

Jeannie Robertson – Don’t Send a Man to the Grocery Store - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YFRUSTiFUs