Every person has powerful, personal stories within them that can be their secret weapon in gaining supporters and creating change. But too often leaders feel overwhelmed when it comes to telling their personal stories. What should they include or exclude? What is compelling and what is clutter? How much sharing is too much sharing? How to choose which story to tell? Your powerful, personal story is within you.

2. Share:
Why do you want to learn how to tell
powerful stories?
Do you have a goal/message/audience
in mind?
What do you struggle with when it
comes to story & what would you love
to be able to do?

6. I N A D E Q U A C Y N A R R AT I V E W A S
G I V E N TO M E B Y S O C I E T Y.

8. Only I get to write the story of who I am.
No one gets to write my story for me.

9. I AM THE HERO OF MY LIFE STORY.

10. WHO
AM I?
WHO
ARE WE?
HOW IS
THE WORLD?
WHAT
MAKES ME,
ME?
WHAT
MAKES US,
US?
WHY IS THE
WORLD
THE WAY IT IS?

11. WHATEVER ANSWER WE COME UP WITH TO
THESE QUESTIONS IS A NARRATIVE.

12. “Stories live in us,
but we also live in stories.
We often forget that.”
-Justine Musk

14. EXPERIENCE + MEANING = STORY

15. STORIES
STORIES
beliefs
beliefs
BELIEFS
What we believe creates our reality.
Beliefs are embedded, learned and transmitted as stories.
stories
STORIES beliefs
beliefs
OUR WORLD

16. When we consciously craft our
personal stories
we are empowered to create the
life we want for ourselves.

17. Our personal stories =
the key to creating a better world.

19. Our brains are addicted
to stories because
they teach us how
to overcome problems.

20. STORIES allow us to create
ORDER out of the chaotic.

21. “story is
the source code
of transformation.”
-Michael Margolis

23. And defining a cause
for each effect.

24. STORIES SYNCHRONIZE BRAINS
Our brain lights up, as it would if we were
experiencing the story ourself.

25. STORIES ARE SOCIAL GLUE.

26. Stories make us feel
connected to one another.
When we can relate to a story,
it makes us feel that
WE’RE NOT ALONE.

27. STORIES ARE HOW WE EXPRESS
MEANING AND SHARE VALUES.

28. COMMUNITIES ARE GROUPS
BOUND BY SHARED VALUES.
Through storytelling, you communicate
your values so your audience can say,
Hey! I
believe
that too!

29. Stories are your secret
weapon to
BUILD A MOVEMENT.

30. UNEARTHING YOUR STORIES
We are going to identify
your most powerful stories
to inspire people to join you
in changing the world.

31. PERSONAL TIMELINE EXERCISE
15 minutes
Plot the major turning points and experiences in your life.
Indicate at least 10 experiences that changed you.

32. EXPLORING YOUR PERSONAL STORY
I’M
BORN!
MOVE TO
PASO ROBLES
MOVE TO
LA QUINTA
MOVE TO
SACRAMENTO
RECEIVE FULL
SCHOLARSHIP
TO NYU.
GO TO
NIGERIA
OUTWARD MOMENTS
INNER SHIFTS
PARENTS BREAK UP,
START DATING Ex
I see injustice for
the first time.
Commit to
strengthening
humanity.
Leave Catholicism.
TRAVEL AROUND
THE WORLD WITH
SEMESTER AT SEA
Comparative
injustice.
Develop my
philosophy on
the world.
Beliefs and
worldview
rocked.
Ungrounded.
PALESTINE
I begin calling myself
a photographer“Failure” in school =
Proving mentality.

33. YOUR STORY PORTFOLIO
The story of how your organization came to be. The story of
your founder’s insight that led to your formation.
THE ORIGIN STORY
THE CALLING STORY
Each person in your organization has a calling story. The story of
when they knew they had to do this work. The person they met.
Stories about lessons that you’ve learned along your
changemaking path. “We realized we weren’t going to be
successful on our mission unless we....“
LESSON STORIES
Stories about how your supporters got inspired to take
action and what they did as a result.
MOVEMENT STORIES
Stories about someone whose life changed as a result
of your organization.
IMPACT STORIES

34. Think of:
-Challenges
-Moments you had to make tough choices
-Experiences when you felt ALIVE and powerful
-Important people you met
-Times you took a risk or tried something new
-When your worldview or perception of yourself
changed
INSPIRATION

35. HOW TO TELL A GREAT STORY

36. A protagonist faces a
challenging experience.
THE HERO’S JOURNEY
(archetypal story told in many cultures)

37. When beginning a story,
present a question in the mind of the
audience.
?
Ask: what will make someone want to
keep listening to this story?

38. GREAT STORIES...
have dramatic tension.
THE STAKES are high.
THEY MAKE the audience wonder,
“WHAT WILL happen next?
How will they overcome this challenge?
How will this end?”

40. They struggle to overcome the challenge,

41. But then they discover the
answer and strength within
themselves.

42. GREAT STORIES...
Make the audience have
an ‘A-Ha Moment’.
The moment the protagonist learns how to
get through the challenge.
Most emotional moment of the story.

43. THE AH-HA MOMENT
It’s when your audience
suddenly understands the
message within the story.
It reveals the purpose and
meaning of the story.

44. In your story, include two
PARTICULAR MOMENTS/SCENES,
where we are pulled into a specific place
and time.

45. GREAT STORIES...
Include memorable, sensory
details that are relevant to
the core message.
Paint a scene with words.

46. Their reward for overcoming the challenge
is the gift of the insight/lesson.

47. At the heart of every story is
A CHANGE IN PERSPECTIVE.
The protagonist is not the same at the end
as they were at the beginning.

48. GREAT STORIES
do not just describe a series of
events, they are about how that
series of events changed the way
the storyteller sees the world.

49. YOUR STORY SAYS,
“I WENT ON [THIS JOURNEY],
WHICH CHANGED ME IN [THIS WAY],
ULTIMATELY TO GAIN [THIS LESSON]
I’M SHARING WITH YOU.”

50. Stories describe the journey from:
PROBLEM SOLUTION
“I faced [this problem] which
affected me [in this way].
Then I had [this realization] which
led me to [this solution].”

51. Stories describe the journey from:
QUESTION ANSWER
“I was in [this situation],
which made me ask [this question],
I faced [these challenges] as
I searched for the answer,
then I had [this experience],
which made me realize [this answer].”

52. Stories describe the journey from:
MISCONCEPTION DEEPER TRUTH
“I had [this experience]
which led me to [this misconception],
which had [this cost],
then I had [this experience]
which made me realize [this deeper truth].”

53. GREAT STORIES...
teach us something about
how to be human
on this earth.

54. PRESENT LESSONS that
encourage people to pursue
their higher values.

55. GREAT STORIES...
Have an element of surprise or
something unexpected

56. When something makes us FEEL,
we remember it.
GREAT STORIES...
Are emotional.
They convey the internal
motivations and emotions of
the characters.

57. GREAT STORIES
Show vulnerability.
Vulnerability =
Emotional Exposure.

58. “VULNERABILITY IS THE ONLY
BRIDGE TO CONNECTION.”

59. GREAT STORIES...
Are simple- they only
include details that
illustrate the message.

60. Take out everything that
doesn’t serve the story.
ONLY include the details that
add up to the Ah-Ha moment.

61. HOW TO CRAFT YOUR
PERSONAL STORIES

62. Two Methods:
EXPERIENCE BELIEF
BELIEF EXPERIENCE

63. Start with an experience.
Something that happened- a trip you had,
a person you met, a project you started.
Reflect on what you learned from that experience and
how it changed the way you see the world.
Craft a story that adds up to that realization/belief.
EXPERIENCE BELIEF

64. Start with your core messages.
What do you want to say to the world?
What’s the message that you just have to share
as a result of your experiences?
Try to remember experiences you’ve had
that taught you or confirmed that belief in you.
Build a story that adds up to that belief.
BELIEF EXPERIENCE

65. DIGGING UP YOUR STORIES
WORKSHEET
Experience Belief
Work on first part of worksheet.
Questions to consider:
-When was a time when you were surprised?
-What challenges did you face?
-What did you discover within yourself?

66. CHOOSE 1 EXPERIENCE
that was particularly transformative
SHARE WITH A PARTNER IN 2 MINUTES:
1. The story of that experience
2. How it affected you.
3. What you learned from it.
PARTNER:
Be a story detective:
-What catches your attention?
-What makes the story powerful?
-What are the ingredients that make it work?

67. To spark you:
If you had a megaphone for one minute to say something to
the world, what would you say?
What do you wish other people would realize?
What lessons have you learned that you would like to share
with others?
What insights helped you overcome challenges in the past?
BELIEF EXPERIENCE

68. 5 STEPS TO A
POWERFUL STORY

69. STEP 1: IDENTIFY
YOUR AUDIENCE.

70. CREATE
AWARENESS
INFLUENCE
BEHAVIOR
CHANGE
ATTITUDES
What is your goal in telling this story?

71. STEP 2: IDENTIFY YOUR AH-HA! MOMENT
WHAT DOES YOUR
AUDIENCE NEED TO
REALIZE TO GET THERE?
WHERE IS YOUR
AUDIENCE AT
NOW?
(ASSUMPTIONS,
EXPERIENCES, BELIEFS)
WHERE DO YOU
WANT YOUR
AUDIENCE TO BE?

72. Think about the shift in perspective you
want the audience to have.
Do you have a story of when you had that
shift in perspective yourself?
STEP 3: BUILD A STORY AROUND
YOUR AH-HA! MOMENT

73. Instead of describing how you see the world,
tell a story about HOW you came
to see the world that way.
TIP:

74. THINK:
What story can I tell to make my
audience have [this] ah-ha moment?

75. “I HAVE POWER OVER MY PERSONAL
STORY AND MY STORY IS POWERFUL.”
“I’M BAD AT
STORYTELLING.”
“I AM GOING
TO SHARE MY
STORY.”
AUDIENCE: WORKSHOP ATTENDEES

76. I AM POWERFUL.
CHANGE IS POSSIBLE.
I CAN CREATE SOMETHING THAT MATTERS.
APATHETIC. THEY
DO NOT BELIEVE
THEY CAN CREATE
CHANGE.
TAKE ACTION.
CREATE A BETTER
SOCIETY.
EXAMPLE: YOUNG PEOPLE

77. THIS PROJECT IS CHANGING LIVES IN A
MEANINGFUL WAY.
THEY DO NOT
KNOW IF YOUR
PROJECT IS
WORTH THEIR
INVESTMENT.
THEY WANT TO
INVEST IN YOUR
PROJECT.
AUDIENCE: POTENTIAL FUNDERS

78. THIS WILL BE A POWERFUL EXPERIENCE. JUST
BY SHOWING UP, I WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
DO NOT KNOW IF
YOUR PROJECT
IS WORTH THEIR
TIME.
SCARED OF NOT
BEING GOOD
ENOUGH.
THEY WANT TO
VOLUNTEER FOR
YOUR PROJECT.
AUDIENCE: POTENTIAL VOLUNTEERS

79. STEP 4: BUILD THE STRUCTURE
OF THE STORY
CLIMAX
CH
ALLEN
GE
RESOLUTION
The Beginning Middle End
Ah-Ha Moment
Setting &
Introduction

80. STEP 5: MAP OUT
THE STORY.
Practice out loud
or write it out.

81. STEP 6: WRITE YOUR COMPLETED
STORY FROM BEGINNING TO END

82. STEP 7:
PRACTICE SAYING YOUR STORY
OUT LOUD

83. HOW TO STRUCTURE A
POWERFUL STORY

84. HOW TO STRUCTURE YOUR STORY:
STORY ARCH
CLIMAX
CLOSURE
CONCLUSION
The A-Ha Moment.
Ground it in a specific location.
How is life different because of
this realization? Include a detail
or anecdote about how the
impact was experienced.
Relate the story back
to your audience.
Empower them to
apply the moral
of the story
to their lives.
CONTEXT
The hook: set the
stage and introduce
who, what, when,
and where.
CONFLICT
Present the problem. Include
a detail or anecdote about
how the challenge was
experienced.
JOURNEY TO CHANGE
Struggle of the journey
makes the character change.

85. CONTEXT:
THE BEGINNING OF YOUR STORY
Set the stage and introduce
who, what, when and where.

86. CONFLICT:
PRESENT YOUR PROBLEM
Set up what the character wants, so the
listener wonders how they will get it.
Include a memory/scene at the moment of
realizing the problem/asking the question.

87. JOURNEY TO CHANGE:
Struggles on the journey that make
the character change.

88. CLIMAX:
THE MOMENT OF CHANGE
THE “A-HA MOMENT”.
Include a memory/scene at the moment of
realizing the solution/finding the answer.
Take people to where you were and what you
remember seeing, feeling, thinking, hearing,
smelling.

89. CLOSURE:
What happened as a result
of the Ah-Ha Moment?

90. CONCLUSION: FUTURE
State what the future looks like for
the protagonist. Relate the moral of
the story back to the audience.

93. www.AwakeStorytelling.com
Facebook.com/AwakeStorytelling
Annie@AwakeStorytelling.com