Unconventional Leaders

Here are 3 Storytelling Myths DEBUNKED by Experts.

EPISODES MENTIONED:

1. How to be a Better Storyteller | @matthewjohndicks | Author of Storyworthy
2. Storytelling Tips for Personal Brands | @SunYiCo | Episode 39
3. Improve Your Short Form Video by Doing This | @BrendanKane | Episode 8

TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Why stories should be boring
• Why you don’t need powerful words
• Why you might NOT want to “change things up”

CONNECT WITH HEATHER:

• Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/ 
• Access full show notes here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/72

To make space for something new, we first need to clear the clutter.

In this episode, I connected with Tyler Moore, famously known online as Tidy Dad. An educator from New York, Tyler has built a massive following by tackling one universal topic: tidying up your life. But as Tyler reveals, this isn’t just about the mess in your home—it’s about the emotional and mental clutter that affects every aspect of your work and life.

By clearing out his personal space, Tyler found his voice and began using storytelling to help others find joy and order in the beautiful mess of life. In this conversation, Tyler shares how he not only cleaned up his life but also uses storytelling to help others do the same.

WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady 

TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Dealing with emotional and mental clutter that affects our work.
• Storytelling tips for conveying HUGE topics without the overwhelm.
• Taking the first step when you're stuck—finding clarity in chaos.

CONNECT WITH TYLER MOORE

• Order Tidy Up Your Life: https://www.amazon.com/Tidy-Your-Life-Rethinking-Declutter/dp/B0DG394ZV1
• Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tidydad/

CONNECT WITH HEATHER:

• Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/ 
• Access full show notes here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/71

Do you feel like you need to dumb down your message to grow your social platforms? Think again. In today’s episode, I’m breaking down why that thought pattern is totally wrong—and sharing exactly how to frame your deep, meaningful message in 60 seconds or less.

WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady 

EPISODES MENTIONED:

• How to Tell Your Personal Story (Like a Pro) | Irene’s Entropy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7A-XOR8a4k&t=9s
• How to be a Better Storyteller | ‪@matthewjohndicks‬ | Author of Storyworthy ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lohwMR56bvA&t=10s
• How to Captivate an Audience & Be More Confident | ‪@learnwithrene‬ | Episode 10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBcAws9Byss

CONNECT WITH HEATHER:

• Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/ 
• Access full show notes here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/70

Feeling behind in your business or creative work? As the year wraps up, it’s easy to feel down if you didn’t meet your goals or feel off track from where you want to be. If that sounds like you, here’s a little pep talk for ya.

WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady 

CONNECT WITH HEATHER:

• Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/ 
• Access full show notes here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/69

If you struggle with telling your story—whether it’s fear of being judged or labeled, or maybe exposing others that you love—this episode is for you. Today, I connected with Irene from Irene’s Entropy, a musician and content creator. She’s built a big ol’ community around her journey of leaving Mormonism and rebuilding her life and career after leaving literally everything behind and having to start all over.

Although her story is complex, she has mastered a way to communicate it through her music and short-form content.

And my guess is, maybe you have a complex story too. There is a way to communicate it effectively, but it’s going to require something. Like Irene says, “It really all comes back to self-awareness, emotional awareness, and understanding your goals and where you’re headed. And then being okay if the public doesn’t see you for who you are yet—knowing that they will if you keep moving toward your goal.”

Well, this is a good one, y’all. This is Irene.

WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady 

TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE:

• How to share your story despite fear of judgment or appearing like a victim
• How to share deeply personal experiences without exposing others
• How to keep your story engaging without it feeling gimmicky or repetitive

CONNECT WITH IRENE: https://www.instagram.com/irenes.entropy/

SERIES OF MUSIC VIDEOS SHARING HER STORY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj_qq_wDnHg&list=PLv49btAcOU0IMix14DxFZCpwlK9nCA-Y_

CONNECT WITH HEATHER:

• Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/ 
• Access full show notes here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/68

In today’s episode, we are answering a question from Conner: “How do you get your creative work ‘out there’?” I had a few thoughts and then brought in my friend Jay, who is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, to help answer this question.

WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady 

• Previous Interview with Jay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnKyZ92DXWo&t=1s
• Connect with Jay: https://www.instagram.com/jayworsley/

CONNECT WITH HEATHER:

• Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/ 
• Access full show notes here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/67

If you are ambitious, it can sometimes be challenging to relate to others who don’t share that ambition. You may also wonder how to maintain healthy relationships when you choose to work more than the average person.

In this episode, I sat down with Stefanos Sifandos, a relationships expert with an extensive background in psychology, philosophy, and ecology, to explore the delicate dance between ambition and connection. In this conversation, you’ll hear why Stefanos believes that "most people's ambition is a compensatory strategy to avoid the pain they don’t want to feel" and how "ambition doesn’t have to disappear, but it should evolve."

If you’re curious about how to reconcile the drive to build something amazing while maintaining healthy relationships, this episode is for you.

WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady

Topics from this Episode:

• Why ambitious people often feel misunderstood or unseen
• How to balance the energy required to build something big while nurturing relationships
• What to do when your partner doesn’t share your passion or enthusiasm

CONNECT WITH STEFANOS SIFANDOS: https://stefanossifandos.com/

CONNECT WITH HEATHER:

• Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/ 
• Access full show notes here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/66

One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced lately as a creator is finding the balance between “being consistent” and not putting out something I don’t fully believe in. How do we stay professional and "show up," as Seth Godin says, while keeping our work honest and meaningful?

TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Understanding why you're creating and who it’s for.
• Accepting that inspiration doesn’t come on demand—and that’s normal.
• Using structure and deadlines to create space for creativity.
• Reusing ideas in fresh, exciting ways to ease the pressure of constant innovation.

WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady 

Overview of the 4 Stages of Flow: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17xVsZbw3P/

CONNECT WITH HEATHER:

• Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/ 
• Access full show notes here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/65

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You might think content from a project management company would be dry, right? Think again.

Today I sat down with Chris Cunningham, a founding member of ClickUp and the head of their social media marketing, to explore their unconventional approach to content creation. Believe it or not, ClickUp isn’t just making business content—they’re breaking all the rules by taking inspiration from comedy and entertainment (think Saturday Night Live) while still delivering value to their audience.

Chris shared how their team takes their content strategy seriously—investing in talent, writing teams, and a creative vision that’s anything but boring. We also talked about how creators can adopt scrappier methods, why it’s important to “take bets off data,” and how reframing embarrassment can unlock your creative potential.

WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady 

TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Scrappy ideas for content creators
• Documenting your journey and leveraging that content
• How to “think in pictures” to spark better ideas
• Ryan Reynolds’ approach to newsjacking (and what you can learn from it)
• How to reframe “embarrassment” as a creator and push through doubt

CONNECT WITH CHRIS CUNNINGHAM:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cunningham/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisclickup/

CONNECT WITH HEATHER:

• Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/ 
• Access full show notes here: https://www.heatherparady.com/episodes/64

Jimmy asked for marketing advice, and I gave a couple of answers he might not have expected.

WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady 

CONNECT WITH HEATHER:

• Ask Heather a Question: https://www.heatherparady.com/ask 
• Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/ 
• Access full show notes here: https://www.heatherparady.com/episodes/63