I used these slides to teach the writing of a business origin story.
Business origin stories explain where you came from and why it's important.
Follow the template in this deck to draft your own business origin story quickly.
Write your Big Idea Text. Crash Course by Rhea WesselRhea Wessel
A Big Idea Text:
-Addresses a problem with a solution that can lead to a transformation or mindset shift
-The solution is simple, surprising and inevitable
-Both the problem and the solution are attached to broader themes that are hinted to in the text
-The idea has a deeper truth as an ending payoff
Nan-in, a Japanese Zen master, received a visit from a university professor who wanted to learn about Zen. To demonstrate his teaching method, Nan-in served tea to the professor. He poured the professor's cup full, and kept pouring until the tea overflowed. The professor watched until he could no longer restrain himself, saying "It is overfull, no more will go in!" Nan-in responded "Like this cup, you are full of your own opinions and cannot learn Zen until you first empty your cup."
This document provides guidance to speakers preparing a talk for TEDxXiguan on developing an idea, outlining the talk, and creating a script. It discusses the TED Talk format of being under 18 minutes and focusing on communicating one clear idea. The speaker is advised to craft an introduction that draws the audience in, use evidence to explain their idea in the body, and conclude by addressing how the idea could impact the audience. Creating an outline and script will help refine the talk and ensure it has a clear structure that gets the idea across effectively. The speaker should reach out for feedback before moving to the next step in preparation.
This document provides an agenda for a class on finding solutions and eliminating wordiness. It includes strategies for reducing wordiness in writing, such as reducing clauses and phrases, avoiding empty openers, and not overusing modifiers. Students participate in a team quiz on MLA style and discuss their essay assignments, which involve proposing a solution to a defined problem. They are guided to explore multiple potential solutions and choose one to research further by developing a list of questions to investigate. The next class will involve library research and students are assigned reading and discussion posting for homework.
This document provides guidance and best practices for creating effective presentations. It discusses keeping slides concise with limited text, using visuals like images and diagrams to reinforce messages, and designing slides to guide the audience through the presentation. The document also recommends extensively preparing and rehearsing the presentation, understanding the audience, and collaborating with others to improve the content and delivery.
Making the Jump from Contributor to Community ManagerAll Things Open
The document discusses the role of a community manager and making the transition from being a contributor to taking on community management responsibilities. It describes that community managers prioritize the community and its interests above the company and their own interests. Their key responsibilities involve listening to the community, gathering information, and acting as a "cruise director" by introducing community members and helping foster relationships between contributors working on similar topics. Ultimately, community managers are responsible for representing the community's perspectives and needs to the company.
I was asked by Geelong College to present on Sustainability. I am not a scientist or climate change expert, so I decided to focus my presentation on the stuff I know best. This is a presentation about learning to make the transition to a more more sustainable lifestyle, business, school community or wahtever. In advance, apologies for the 'clutter' on a few of the slides.
What does it take to get a TEDx talk? What are organizers looking for? In this presentation, originally delivered to the Boston Women in Media and Entertainment group, offers insights and takeaways for anyone who aspires to the TEDx stage.
Write your Big Idea Text. Crash Course by Rhea WesselRhea Wessel
A Big Idea Text:
-Addresses a problem with a solution that can lead to a transformation or mindset shift
-The solution is simple, surprising and inevitable
-Both the problem and the solution are attached to broader themes that are hinted to in the text
-The idea has a deeper truth as an ending payoff
Nan-in, a Japanese Zen master, received a visit from a university professor who wanted to learn about Zen. To demonstrate his teaching method, Nan-in served tea to the professor. He poured the professor's cup full, and kept pouring until the tea overflowed. The professor watched until he could no longer restrain himself, saying "It is overfull, no more will go in!" Nan-in responded "Like this cup, you are full of your own opinions and cannot learn Zen until you first empty your cup."
This document provides guidance to speakers preparing a talk for TEDxXiguan on developing an idea, outlining the talk, and creating a script. It discusses the TED Talk format of being under 18 minutes and focusing on communicating one clear idea. The speaker is advised to craft an introduction that draws the audience in, use evidence to explain their idea in the body, and conclude by addressing how the idea could impact the audience. Creating an outline and script will help refine the talk and ensure it has a clear structure that gets the idea across effectively. The speaker should reach out for feedback before moving to the next step in preparation.
This document provides an agenda for a class on finding solutions and eliminating wordiness. It includes strategies for reducing wordiness in writing, such as reducing clauses and phrases, avoiding empty openers, and not overusing modifiers. Students participate in a team quiz on MLA style and discuss their essay assignments, which involve proposing a solution to a defined problem. They are guided to explore multiple potential solutions and choose one to research further by developing a list of questions to investigate. The next class will involve library research and students are assigned reading and discussion posting for homework.
This document provides guidance and best practices for creating effective presentations. It discusses keeping slides concise with limited text, using visuals like images and diagrams to reinforce messages, and designing slides to guide the audience through the presentation. The document also recommends extensively preparing and rehearsing the presentation, understanding the audience, and collaborating with others to improve the content and delivery.
Making the Jump from Contributor to Community ManagerAll Things Open
The document discusses the role of a community manager and making the transition from being a contributor to taking on community management responsibilities. It describes that community managers prioritize the community and its interests above the company and their own interests. Their key responsibilities involve listening to the community, gathering information, and acting as a "cruise director" by introducing community members and helping foster relationships between contributors working on similar topics. Ultimately, community managers are responsible for representing the community's perspectives and needs to the company.
I was asked by Geelong College to present on Sustainability. I am not a scientist or climate change expert, so I decided to focus my presentation on the stuff I know best. This is a presentation about learning to make the transition to a more more sustainable lifestyle, business, school community or wahtever. In advance, apologies for the 'clutter' on a few of the slides.
What does it take to get a TEDx talk? What are organizers looking for? In this presentation, originally delivered to the Boston Women in Media and Entertainment group, offers insights and takeaways for anyone who aspires to the TEDx stage.
Complexity, Collaboration and UnconferencingGeoff Brown
Geoff Brown discusses focusing on solutions rather than problems to enable change. He advocates using new approaches like "unconferencing" conferences to invite collaborative content and value non-experts. Understanding complexity is also important, as is recognizing that human behavior is complexly influenced by social networks. Solutions should be the focus through approaches like appreciative inquiry and positive psychology.
How to Develop Discussion Materials for Public DialogueEveryday Democracy
Good discussion materials help people explore a complex, public issue from a wide range of views, and find solutions that they can agree to act on and support. Discussion materials don’t have to provide all the answers; instead, they provide a framework and a starting place for a deep, fair discussion where every voice can be heard.
The step-by-step instructions provided here mirror the order that many discussion guides follow. They are designed to help the writing team move through a series of meetings and tasks to produce the discussion materials.
5 Ways to Wake Up Your Creativity While Waiting In LinesSam Harrison
We all have to wait in lines -- but we don't have to waste our time. Use these five tips and exercises to fire-up your creativity at the supermarket, airport or even the DMV!
The document provides tips for becoming a good public speaker. It discusses developing speaking skills like verbal delivery, vocal tone, and visual presence. It emphasizes choosing an engaging key point, organizing the talk around a logical flow, and designing simple graphics to support the presentation without distracting from the content. The document stresses the importance of enthusiasm, clarity, eye contact, gestures, and ending strongly.
The document provides tips for becoming a good public speaker. It discusses developing speaking skills like enthusiasm and clear communication. It emphasizes organizing talks around a key point and main themes. It also covers designing simple, visually appealing presentation slides that follow principles of psychology. The overall goal is to influence and persuade audiences through effective speaking.
The document provides tips on how to become a good speaker. It discusses developing key points, organizing stories with openings, bodies and endings, designing graphics, practicing talks, delivering talks confidently, and handling Q&A. The goal is to influence and persuade audiences through enthusiasm, clear communication, and audience engagement. Effective speaking requires practice and incorporating skills like eye contact, gestures, and vocal tone.
The document provides tips for becoming a good public speaker. It discusses developing speaking skills like verbal delivery, vocal tone, and visual presence. It emphasizes choosing an engaging key point, organizing the talk around a logical flow, and designing simple, visually appealing slides to support the speech. The document stresses the importance of enthusiasm, clear communication, and connecting with the audience.
The document provides tips on how to become a good speaker, including developing key points, organizing stories, designing graphics, practicing talks, and handling Q&A sessions. It emphasizes keeping presentations simple, clear, and focused on the audience. Specific advice includes using an opening to introduce the key point, repeating the point throughout, and ending with a impact. Visual aids should complement rather than distract from the talk. Rehearsal and customizing presentations for each audience are important.
Conference presentations are the moment to share your results, and to connect with researchers about future directions. However, presentations are often created as an afterthought and as a result they are often not as exciting as they could be.
In this slidedeck Felienne Hermans shares hands-on techniques to engage an audience.
The talk covers the entire spectrum of presenting: we start with advice on how to structure a talk and how to incorporate a core message into it. Once we have addressed the right structure for a talk, we will work on adding stories and arcs of tension to your presentation. Finally, to really perform as a presenter, we will talk about how slide design and body language can support your presentation.
This document provides 9 techniques for brainstorming ideas for an essay: 1) Freewriting, 2) Making a cube, 3) Clustering, 4) Listing/bulleting, 5) Venn diagram, 6) Tree diagram, 7) Acting like a journalist, 8) T-diagram, and 9) Spoke diagram. It also outlines 4 rules for effective brainstorming: do not criticize ideas, aim for quantity over quality, build on others' ideas, and allow any idea regardless of how unusual. The goal of brainstorming is to generate as many ideas and questions about the topic as possible before writing the essay.
This document provides guidance on how to create engaging presentations that avoid being boring ("death by PowerPoint"). It recommends focusing on understanding the audience's needs and problems, crafting a narrative structure for the presentation with a clear beginning, middle and end, and using interactive formats to actively involve the audience such as polling, group activities, demonstrations and speed pitches. The goal is to help speakers connect with audiences and deliver their message in the most impactful way.
Design Thinking for Startups - Are You Design Driven?Amir Khella
This document discusses design thinking and how startups can integrate it into their process. It defines design thinking as combining creative and analytical thinking to solve problems. It recommends that startups (1) involve everyone in design thinking, not just designers, (2) deeply understand the problem to be solved, (3) create prototypes and get feedback to refine the solution, and (4) hire "T-shaped" individuals with skills across disciplines and encourage cross-training. The document emphasizes that design thinking is about understanding people and that anyone can be a good design thinker.
Speaker GuideYou’ve been selected to give a TEDx Talk. Cong.docxAASTHA76
Speaker Guide
You’ve been selected to give a TEDx Talk. Congrats! You’re doing great so far. Now what?
Over the years we’ve come up with a few dos and don’ts on how to give a great talk.
Though these steps are in no way comprehensive, they contain some guiding principles
that have been known to work.
Step 1: Get familiar with the form »
Step 2: Develop an idea »
Step 3: Make an outline and script »
Step 4: Create slides »
Step 5: Rehearse »
Step 6: Give your talk »
Step 7: Savor the glory »
1) Get familiar with the form
What is a TEDx Talk?
TEDx Talks are a showcase for speakers presenting well-formed ideas in under 18
minutes. If you haven’t seen a TEDx Talk, go to TED.com and watch at least one. Like this
one: Phil Plait: How to defend Earth from asteroids
Why 18 minutes?
Because it works. An audience is good at focusing on one subject at a time in relatively
short chunks.
But, really, can I go over 18 minutes?
No -- it wouldn't be a TEDx Talk. The time limit is part of what makes TEDx Talks work.
And remember: Shorter talks are not lesser talks. It may only take 5 minutes to make your
point unforgettably. Like this one: Joe Smith: How to use a paper towel
2) Develop an idea
What makes a good idea for a talk?
Like a good magazine article, your idea can be new or surprising, or challenge a belief your
audience already has. Or it can be a great basic idea with a compelling new argument
behind it.
An idea isn’t just a story or a list of facts. A good idea takes evidence or observations and
draws a larger conclusion.
Do I need to be an expert on my topic?
You do not need to be the world’s foremost expert on the topic, but you do have to be an
expert. Please remember that the audience relies on you to give accurate information, so
whatever you say in your talk, please fact-check — especially facts you may take for
granted: statistics, historical anecdotes, scientific stats. If you're drawing an example from
a discipline that is not your main area of knowledge, use research from widely accepted
and peer-reviewed sources, and, if at all possible, consult with experts directly.
Is my idea ready?
http://www.ted.com/talks/phil_plait_how_to_defend_earth_from_asteroids.html
http://www.ted.com/talks/phil_plait_how_to_defend_earth_from_asteroids.html
http://www.ted.com/talks/joe_smith_how_to_use_a_paper_towel.html
http://www.ted.com/talks/joe_smith_how_to_use_a_paper_towel.html
Write your idea down in one or two sentences. Ask yourself three questions:
Is my idea new?
Are you telling people something you're pretty sure they have not heard before?
Is it interesting?
Think about how your idea might apply to a room full of varied kinds of people. Who might
be interested in it?
Is it factual and realistic?
If you are presenting new research, make sure your idea is backed by data and peer-
reviewed. If you are presenting a call to action, make sure it can be executed by members
of your audience.
If you ans.
This document provides advice on how to build an economic model in one's spare time. It outlines an 8-step process: 1) Get an idea from outside academic journals by observing real-world phenomena. 2) Evaluate if the idea is worth pursuing by seeing if it is understandable and interesting. 3) Avoid reviewing the literature initially to incubate ideas. 4) Build the model through examples and simplification. 5) Generalize the simplified model using economic theory. 6) Expect to make mistakes through iterative modeling. 7) Review the literature once the model is developed to avoid duplication. 8) Get feedback by presenting the model in a seminar to improve communication. The overall goal is to distill models down to their essential elements
Top 10 Powertips for Speaking with PassionRae Stonehouse
Have you noticed audience members snoring during your presentations?
Have you been thinking that your audience has been agreeing with you when they are really dozing off?
Have you been advised that your presentations need more life?
Rae Stonehouse DTM aka Mr. Emcee provides sage advise on how to add passion to your presentations.
This document discusses tools and techniques for managing creativity and innovation. It covers:
1) Conceptual blocks that can stifle creativity like rigid thinking patterns and complacency.
2) Three components of creativity: expertise, motivation, and creative thinking skills.
3) Paradoxical traits of creative groups like beginner's mind and experience.
4) Tools for defining problems creatively like the Kipling Method and challenging assumptions.
How to Pitch Your Shareholders Like the Media (and get support for your ideas) Terri Trespicio
The document provides tips for pitching ideas to shareholders or other stakeholders in a way that engages their attention and meets their needs. It advises framing the pitch around what the stakeholder wants, not what you want, by highlighting how the idea solves their problems or helps them achieve their goals. Pitches are more likely to succeed by making the idea intriguing rather than complicated, focusing on benefits for the stakeholder rather than your own efforts, and offering a range of solutions rather than a single idea.
Explore the key differences between silicone sponge rubber and foam rubber in this comprehensive presentation. Learn about their unique properties, manufacturing processes, and applications across various industries. Discover how each material performs in terms of temperature resistance, chemical resistance, and cost-effectiveness. Gain insights from real-world case studies and make informed decisions for your projects.
More Related Content
Similar to The Business Origin Story Crash Course Rhea Wessel for Harvard April 2022
Complexity, Collaboration and UnconferencingGeoff Brown
Geoff Brown discusses focusing on solutions rather than problems to enable change. He advocates using new approaches like "unconferencing" conferences to invite collaborative content and value non-experts. Understanding complexity is also important, as is recognizing that human behavior is complexly influenced by social networks. Solutions should be the focus through approaches like appreciative inquiry and positive psychology.
How to Develop Discussion Materials for Public DialogueEveryday Democracy
Good discussion materials help people explore a complex, public issue from a wide range of views, and find solutions that they can agree to act on and support. Discussion materials don’t have to provide all the answers; instead, they provide a framework and a starting place for a deep, fair discussion where every voice can be heard.
The step-by-step instructions provided here mirror the order that many discussion guides follow. They are designed to help the writing team move through a series of meetings and tasks to produce the discussion materials.
5 Ways to Wake Up Your Creativity While Waiting In LinesSam Harrison
We all have to wait in lines -- but we don't have to waste our time. Use these five tips and exercises to fire-up your creativity at the supermarket, airport or even the DMV!
The document provides tips for becoming a good public speaker. It discusses developing speaking skills like verbal delivery, vocal tone, and visual presence. It emphasizes choosing an engaging key point, organizing the talk around a logical flow, and designing simple graphics to support the presentation without distracting from the content. The document stresses the importance of enthusiasm, clarity, eye contact, gestures, and ending strongly.
The document provides tips for becoming a good public speaker. It discusses developing speaking skills like enthusiasm and clear communication. It emphasizes organizing talks around a key point and main themes. It also covers designing simple, visually appealing presentation slides that follow principles of psychology. The overall goal is to influence and persuade audiences through effective speaking.
The document provides tips on how to become a good speaker. It discusses developing key points, organizing stories with openings, bodies and endings, designing graphics, practicing talks, delivering talks confidently, and handling Q&A. The goal is to influence and persuade audiences through enthusiasm, clear communication, and audience engagement. Effective speaking requires practice and incorporating skills like eye contact, gestures, and vocal tone.
The document provides tips for becoming a good public speaker. It discusses developing speaking skills like verbal delivery, vocal tone, and visual presence. It emphasizes choosing an engaging key point, organizing the talk around a logical flow, and designing simple, visually appealing slides to support the speech. The document stresses the importance of enthusiasm, clear communication, and connecting with the audience.
The document provides tips on how to become a good speaker, including developing key points, organizing stories, designing graphics, practicing talks, and handling Q&A sessions. It emphasizes keeping presentations simple, clear, and focused on the audience. Specific advice includes using an opening to introduce the key point, repeating the point throughout, and ending with a impact. Visual aids should complement rather than distract from the talk. Rehearsal and customizing presentations for each audience are important.
Conference presentations are the moment to share your results, and to connect with researchers about future directions. However, presentations are often created as an afterthought and as a result they are often not as exciting as they could be.
In this slidedeck Felienne Hermans shares hands-on techniques to engage an audience.
The talk covers the entire spectrum of presenting: we start with advice on how to structure a talk and how to incorporate a core message into it. Once we have addressed the right structure for a talk, we will work on adding stories and arcs of tension to your presentation. Finally, to really perform as a presenter, we will talk about how slide design and body language can support your presentation.
This document provides 9 techniques for brainstorming ideas for an essay: 1) Freewriting, 2) Making a cube, 3) Clustering, 4) Listing/bulleting, 5) Venn diagram, 6) Tree diagram, 7) Acting like a journalist, 8) T-diagram, and 9) Spoke diagram. It also outlines 4 rules for effective brainstorming: do not criticize ideas, aim for quantity over quality, build on others' ideas, and allow any idea regardless of how unusual. The goal of brainstorming is to generate as many ideas and questions about the topic as possible before writing the essay.
This document provides guidance on how to create engaging presentations that avoid being boring ("death by PowerPoint"). It recommends focusing on understanding the audience's needs and problems, crafting a narrative structure for the presentation with a clear beginning, middle and end, and using interactive formats to actively involve the audience such as polling, group activities, demonstrations and speed pitches. The goal is to help speakers connect with audiences and deliver their message in the most impactful way.
Design Thinking for Startups - Are You Design Driven?Amir Khella
This document discusses design thinking and how startups can integrate it into their process. It defines design thinking as combining creative and analytical thinking to solve problems. It recommends that startups (1) involve everyone in design thinking, not just designers, (2) deeply understand the problem to be solved, (3) create prototypes and get feedback to refine the solution, and (4) hire "T-shaped" individuals with skills across disciplines and encourage cross-training. The document emphasizes that design thinking is about understanding people and that anyone can be a good design thinker.
Speaker GuideYou’ve been selected to give a TEDx Talk. Cong.docxAASTHA76
Speaker Guide
You’ve been selected to give a TEDx Talk. Congrats! You’re doing great so far. Now what?
Over the years we’ve come up with a few dos and don’ts on how to give a great talk.
Though these steps are in no way comprehensive, they contain some guiding principles
that have been known to work.
Step 1: Get familiar with the form »
Step 2: Develop an idea »
Step 3: Make an outline and script »
Step 4: Create slides »
Step 5: Rehearse »
Step 6: Give your talk »
Step 7: Savor the glory »
1) Get familiar with the form
What is a TEDx Talk?
TEDx Talks are a showcase for speakers presenting well-formed ideas in under 18
minutes. If you haven’t seen a TEDx Talk, go to TED.com and watch at least one. Like this
one: Phil Plait: How to defend Earth from asteroids
Why 18 minutes?
Because it works. An audience is good at focusing on one subject at a time in relatively
short chunks.
But, really, can I go over 18 minutes?
No -- it wouldn't be a TEDx Talk. The time limit is part of what makes TEDx Talks work.
And remember: Shorter talks are not lesser talks. It may only take 5 minutes to make your
point unforgettably. Like this one: Joe Smith: How to use a paper towel
2) Develop an idea
What makes a good idea for a talk?
Like a good magazine article, your idea can be new or surprising, or challenge a belief your
audience already has. Or it can be a great basic idea with a compelling new argument
behind it.
An idea isn’t just a story or a list of facts. A good idea takes evidence or observations and
draws a larger conclusion.
Do I need to be an expert on my topic?
You do not need to be the world’s foremost expert on the topic, but you do have to be an
expert. Please remember that the audience relies on you to give accurate information, so
whatever you say in your talk, please fact-check — especially facts you may take for
granted: statistics, historical anecdotes, scientific stats. If you're drawing an example from
a discipline that is not your main area of knowledge, use research from widely accepted
and peer-reviewed sources, and, if at all possible, consult with experts directly.
Is my idea ready?
http://www.ted.com/talks/phil_plait_how_to_defend_earth_from_asteroids.html
http://www.ted.com/talks/phil_plait_how_to_defend_earth_from_asteroids.html
http://www.ted.com/talks/joe_smith_how_to_use_a_paper_towel.html
http://www.ted.com/talks/joe_smith_how_to_use_a_paper_towel.html
Write your idea down in one or two sentences. Ask yourself three questions:
Is my idea new?
Are you telling people something you're pretty sure they have not heard before?
Is it interesting?
Think about how your idea might apply to a room full of varied kinds of people. Who might
be interested in it?
Is it factual and realistic?
If you are presenting new research, make sure your idea is backed by data and peer-
reviewed. If you are presenting a call to action, make sure it can be executed by members
of your audience.
If you ans.
This document provides advice on how to build an economic model in one's spare time. It outlines an 8-step process: 1) Get an idea from outside academic journals by observing real-world phenomena. 2) Evaluate if the idea is worth pursuing by seeing if it is understandable and interesting. 3) Avoid reviewing the literature initially to incubate ideas. 4) Build the model through examples and simplification. 5) Generalize the simplified model using economic theory. 6) Expect to make mistakes through iterative modeling. 7) Review the literature once the model is developed to avoid duplication. 8) Get feedback by presenting the model in a seminar to improve communication. The overall goal is to distill models down to their essential elements
Top 10 Powertips for Speaking with PassionRae Stonehouse
Have you noticed audience members snoring during your presentations?
Have you been thinking that your audience has been agreeing with you when they are really dozing off?
Have you been advised that your presentations need more life?
Rae Stonehouse DTM aka Mr. Emcee provides sage advise on how to add passion to your presentations.
This document discusses tools and techniques for managing creativity and innovation. It covers:
1) Conceptual blocks that can stifle creativity like rigid thinking patterns and complacency.
2) Three components of creativity: expertise, motivation, and creative thinking skills.
3) Paradoxical traits of creative groups like beginner's mind and experience.
4) Tools for defining problems creatively like the Kipling Method and challenging assumptions.
How to Pitch Your Shareholders Like the Media (and get support for your ideas) Terri Trespicio
The document provides tips for pitching ideas to shareholders or other stakeholders in a way that engages their attention and meets their needs. It advises framing the pitch around what the stakeholder wants, not what you want, by highlighting how the idea solves their problems or helps them achieve their goals. Pitches are more likely to succeed by making the idea intriguing rather than complicated, focusing on benefits for the stakeholder rather than your own efforts, and offering a range of solutions rather than a single idea.
Explore the key differences between silicone sponge rubber and foam rubber in this comprehensive presentation. Learn about their unique properties, manufacturing processes, and applications across various industries. Discover how each material performs in terms of temperature resistance, chemical resistance, and cost-effectiveness. Gain insights from real-world case studies and make informed decisions for your projects.
3. • A bit of theory on the origin story
• Writing
• Breakout after the writing – tell your origin story to your partner – record
it on your phone as you speak for transcription later
By the end of this mini-workshop: Capture a very rough
draft of your short-form business origin story
5. Tells people how you got where you are now AND where you’re going
It is mostly backward-looking but does open possibility for the future
Imagine a networking event… Rhea’s answer to the question of what do you do: “I help subject-matter experts
articulate their best ideas and make their own work more accessible to a wider audience.”
In an origin story, you answer these questions related to the above:
1) How did you get into that?
2) And what do you want to achieve?
5
An origin story…
7. Rhea’s possible origin story:
Subject-matter experts with solutions to problems in society and business are
not being heard because they present their knowledge as a set of facts and
not as a story with a fresh angle. Yet if they find the right story angle, they can
bring their ideas and the conversation forward to solve major problems in
business and society.
I have worked as a writer for many years for companies and I kept seeing the
same problem in texts from experts – they were stories with the wrong
angles. Then one day, I:
7
8. Spoke to Sascha, a German engineer who had a solution for clean power that
I’d never heard of. I said, “Wow!”
Similarly, I discovered a scientist at Max Planck Society had an amazing idea
for clean energy
Then a doctor called me who wanted help with her stories. Huh a doctor?
After that conversation, I realized I can help all subject matter experts
So, I created my methodology
And I built my business around that intellectual property
8
9. That’s how I started helping invisible experts become more visible.
The work I’m doing helps them grow their businesses, have a bigger impact and become a
better version of themselves.
It’s based on a belief that we already have all the solutions we need to this world’s biggest
problems. Many of them are just buried.
I want to help get these solutions out into the world and help these amazing people have
impact with their ideas.
9
10. How you will
write your
business origin story
Process
15 min. of list-making and writing. (On
mute. Cameras on.)
5 min. each of talking it out in breakout (10
min total). Record yourself!
Back to the group for debrief
12. 12
Minute 1-3 (of 15 minutes)
Make a list of turning point events that led you to do what you do today (e.g.
Rhea’s conversation with Sascha, the German engineer.)
Look for:
Personal events/situations/conversations – not necessarily glory
moments
Career events /situations/conversations – not necessarily glory
moments
Observations of your subject matter
13. 13
15 min. writing session –
After list-making,
move to writing
Min. 3-15
Write following the template of Rhea’s story
14. 14
This is the problem I’m addressing – Write 1 sentence like the below
Subject-matter experts with solutions to problems in society and business are not being heard because they present their knowledge as a set of facts and not as a
story with a fresh angle.
This is how I’m solving the problem – Write 1 sentence like the below
Yet if they find the right story angle, they can bring their ideas and the conversation forward to solve major problems in business and society.
This is how I discovered the problem – Write 1 sentence like the below
I have worked as a writer for many years for companies and I kept seeing the same problem in texts from experts – they were stories with the wrong angles. Then one
day, I met a German engineer named Sascha and was shocked to hear about his clean energy solution using river turbines that sounded so good but was hardly
known. I had a few other conversations like this and realized that smart people are sometimes too smart for their own good. I saw that smart people need help
framing their ideas.
This is what I did to start my business – Write 1 sentence like the below
So I deconstructed my journalistic processes, came up with my intellectual property and started my business.
This is how I’m getting there/ the benefits to my audience – Write 2 sentences like the below
That’s how I started helping invisible experts become more visible. The work I’m doing helps them grow their businesses, have a bigger impact and become a better
version of themselves.
This is why it matters in the big scheme of things (and where I’m going with my solution)
My work is based on a belief that we already have all the solutions we need to this world’s biggest problems. Many of them are just buried. I want to help get these
solutions out into the world and help these amazing people have impact with their ideas.
Template based on Rhea’s story:
16. Just write. Try not to self-edit or criticize too much. This is about
generating your ideas and getting word volume. It doesn't
matter how unpolished your text is right now.
Write in your own language (unless you know you want to use your
material in English).
If you're writing on your computer, close all other apps.
Silence your phones and have them ready to record your voice in
the breakout.
While writing, mute your microphone but leave your camera on.
Please avoid moving around during the writing session.
instituteforthoughtleadership.com
17. 17
Rhea Wessel
Author of Write Like a Thought Leader
+49 170 814 2488
+1 (917) 957 7475
rhea@instituteforthoughtleadership.com
instituteforthoughtleadership.com
Founder and Head
The Institute for Thought Leadership
18. Links
LinkedIn post about this event for Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs
Connect with Rhea on LinkedIn
Buy Rhea’s book on your Amazon storefront
Sign up for Rhea’s newsletter on writing in the thought-leadership style
Join Freewriting Fridays via Eventbrite
instituteforthoughtleadership.com
19. Business Origin Story – Alternate Freewriting
Prompt
Write about the moment
you knew you just had to
pursue the business or
career you have today
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