While there is no one right answer to this question, there are guidelines that will help you decide how long your story should be. Consider the situation, the time allotted for your presentation and adjust accordingly. You’ll find that there are times when a five-minute story is too long, and other times when a five-minute story is too short. The more emotional a story is, the more time it will take to develop. A more factual story will often be much shorter.

Doug Stevenson is a keynote and story coach basedin Tucson, Arizona.

Contact: [email protected]

Your storytelling superpowers are all the things that make you different from everyone else. They are your heart and soul and emotion, your quirky sense of humor and sparkling personality. Your superpowers come across in the way you present yourself as much as what you present. They are the most intimate and outrageous parts of you that you are willing to reveal to an audience.

Add to those superpowers your stories and content and you have something powerful to offer. And yet, standing up and standing out also makes you a target for those who don't like what you have to say and offer. How do you balance your need to be liked and accepted with your desire to speak up and be different?

Let's talk about that.

Sometimes is takes more than simply telling a story. Sometimes the story requires Radical Honesty to convey the truth being shared. Listen as Conrad Woody shared his story of rising from shyness and insecurity to becoming a managing partner and top talent advisor and C-Suite and Board Leadership Strategist.

His journey to self-empowerment and finding his purpose as a black man rising to the top in corporate America is inspiring and radically honest.

contact: [email protected]

Pete Hinojosa was tasked with developing a leadership development curriculum and helping Insperity expand from 40 to 100 offices. No small task. In order to achieve these impressive results, Insperity now has 98 offices, he had to hit the road and present his vision to stakeholders who had the power to say yes or no.

Pete uses personal stories in his keynotes, trainings and business presentations to make an emotional connection and to drive corporate change. In this episode, you’ll hear how he was inspired by his father to make every day a great day.

To learn more about Pete Hinojosa and his role as the Director of Thought Leadership for Insperity, you can follow him on LinkedIn where he publishes a thought provoking message every Friday. https://www.linkedin.com/in/pete-hinojosa-728 3355/

Contact Doug at: [email protected]

Thayer Willis grew up rich. She was born into a wealthy family and became, in her own words, an entitled brat. Her story is one of self-revelation and transformation. When she hit rock bottom, she knew she needed to do something to turn things around. In this episode you’ll hear how she summoned the courage to confront her pain and find her way to a meaningful life. Her origin story became the catalyst for a successful speaking and consulting business.

Here’s a preview of what you’ll learn in this episode…

• How Thayer realized her stories weren’t working as well as they should and did something about it.
• Why it took courage for her to get to the heart of her story and how that courage paid off.
• How her origin story became the foundational story for every speech and presentation.

Contact: [email protected]

Geeks, nerds and engineers spend much of their time sitting in front of a computer working on technical projects that most people around them need but don’t understand.

The challenge for many engineers is to communicate their ideas, products and processes to non-engineers. Learn how a self-described geeky nerd and her team learned how to use storytelling to close more sales and make technical training presentations more engaging.

Here’s a preview of what you’ll learn in this episode…

• How to make complex ideas and processes simple and understandable with a story.
• Why your brilliant PowerPoint slides and bullets are boring.
• The danger of getting bogged down in explaining how something works rather that why it’s important.

Contact Doug Stevenson at: [email protected] or call 1-719-310-8586 for information on private coaching and consulting.

Is there an actor hiding out inside you waiting to be cast in the role of a lifetime? In this episode, you’ll learn how to release your inner actor and use some simple acting techniques to make your story memorable, marketable and compelling. Your story is the play and you’re the leading actor or actress. It’s show time. Curtain up!

Here’s a preview of what you’ll learn in this episode…

• How to portray the emotions of your story with reactions and inner monologue.
• How to use tempo, volume, movement and gesture to create dynamic tension.
• How to stop being nervous by focusing in on yourself and what you’re saying and doing instead of out to your audience.

Watch how Doug uses these acting skills in his Bennett and Oscar stories as well as his TEDx Talk on How to Talk to a Bigot on you Tube. Search - Doug Stevenson Storytelling - to view a list of his You Tube Videos.

Contact Doug Stevenson at: [email protected] or call 1-719-310-8586 for information on private coaching and consulting.

Good leadership is easy to spot. You know it when you see and experience it. It’s the same with bad or toxic leadership. You’ve probably worked for both kinds of leader. I’ve worked for both and I’ve also had the opportunity to speak at conference where I’ve interacted with CEOs and presidents, VPs and sales managers. That’s where I have been able to find my leadership stories.

Listen and learn as I share four stories that illustrate good and bad leadership. And then, get to work crafting your leaderships stories.

Contact Doug Stevenson at: [email protected]

In this episode you'll learn the inside story of the TED and TEDx Talk process. It's not as simple as having something you want to talk about that YOU think is original and important.

What are the criteria TED Talk producers consider when choosing a speaker and a topic?  Does your sex, age, ethnicity or background play a part in being chosen?

Once you're chosen, what happens next? How much time are you given? How do you practice and get ready.?

What's it like on the day of the presentation? How many speakers are there? Will you go first, seventh or tenth?

Listen and learn before you submit your proposal.

contact: [email protected]

The foundation of every story is a journey, a quest, an adventure. It’s the action or activity of your story. It can be something big and dangerous or mundane and ordinary. With craft and development leading to a powerful lesson or point, your journey can illuminate my journey. When you take me along with you on your journey by telling me your story, I find the meaning I need to navigate my journey.

In this episode you’ll identify a number of possible journeys from your life. I’ll also share the harrowing and exciting journey I took over 50 years ago when I hitchhiked from Chicago to Hollywood to pursue my dream to be an actor in movies and TV. Come along with me on my journey and pay attention to how I craft my story to embed lessons along the way.

Contact: [email protected]