Storied, Inc.’s Post

We're hiring for an Instructional Designer / Learning Designer (1099)! This is for you if you're an analytical creative, detail oriented, strong writer, and passionate about the learner's journey, end to end. You're known for your ability to ship work/take action/move fast. You have a ton of experience creating: - Workbooks and templates - Slides and run of shows - Case study examples - Interactive exercises - Facilitator guides You'll be asked to optimize and up-level our new learning stack at Storied. 3 online cohort programs that we ran twice last year as betas on Maven.com. With 194 alumni and a 4.7/5 star average rating to date. Our cohort programs include: - Narrative Influence / Storytelling ROI / Playbook (5 week sprint) - Change the Narrative / 1-slide Method (2-part series) - Narrative Authority / Personal Brand Story (2 hour program) + Plus....something bigger in the works for H2 of this year.... At Storied, we're on a mission to turn tech leaders into master storytellers. We serve mid-career leaders caught in the messy middle, who are looking to level-up their role, contribution, and impact in a AI world. Our programs accelerate people's careers, and their ability to get executive buy-in, communicate their value, lead change, and get agreement with any stakeholder. We teach people how to "think in narrative": a first-principles approach to leading thru complexity and exponential change. After 20 years, we are now productizing the IP and democratizing the methods. This is a contract/hourly position, ideal for early/mid-career L&D pro. Perfect if you already believe that "storytelling is everything". Interested? Please DM me 👋 And share links to examples of your work. Or if you can tag someone who might be the perfect! Thank you 🙏 #job #instructionaldesigners #learningdesign #storytelling

I started keynote speaking when I was 22 years old. Since then, I've... • Delivered 500+ keynotes and trainings • Spoken at Google, Meta, SXSW, TEDx, NASA • Provided keynotes for leadership summits, all-hands, SKOs • Been invited to speak in 18 countries + 4 continents • Become obnoxious about my Delta medallion status 😆 If I had to do it all over again, here are 4 things I wish I learned earlier. 1️⃣ Never force the right message on the wrong audience 🤥 I once bombed in front of 300 farmers turned business leaders. At a convention in Hawaii. For a 124-year old trade association. Audience: male, average age: 62 years old. Lets just say "storytelling for disruption" wasn't an ideal fit. It didn't help that I spoke past my audience, overwhelmed them with a firehose of info, and offered strategies that didn't match their narrow lens. Next time, I would pick 3 universal ideas, and tell lots of personal stories. 2️⃣ Don't memorize your speech 🥸 They say: learn your speech word for word. The worst speeches I've ever given are the ones I tried to memorize. This includes 2 TEDx talks and a 10-min keynote for a tech giant. When the format is short, I've felt pressure for word for word precision. Ends up, I come off as wooden and insecure. More in my head (than in my heart). I'm no Broadway performer. And odds are, you aren't either. There's nothing worse than bad theater. Especially, a less than fully authentic delivery. Instead, I recommend memorizing your beats: - Know the spine or arc of your presentation - It shouldn't be more than 7 bullet points (and can fit on a single notecard) - Memorize your opening and closing lines 3️⃣ Talk to strangers like they're your BFF 😻 The best talks feel like an intimate conversation amongst close friends. Straight talk. Vulnerable. Unfiltered. The real deal. Presence over perfection. With the occasional swear word. Cause that's how real friends talk. ;) In contrast, my younger self was nerdy, awkward, and stiff. Like the caricature of a white guy that Black comedians make fun of. I've come to the conclusion, if "I'm having fun, the audience is having fun." 4️⃣ Always remember, "have a story worth telling." 🎤 Its more important to have a story worth telling, than how you tell it. It took years for me to realize this is what matters most. Don't worry about what outfit you're going to wear. Don't fret about having the perfect slides. Don't sweat it if you're not a native-born English speaker. If you have a story worth telling: - People will lean in, and cheer you on - People will give you the benefit of the doubt - People will forgive the imperfect delivery Focus on having a story worth telling and the rest will take care of itself. TL;DR: 4 things I'd do differently to become a better speaker, faster: • Never force the right message on the wrong audience 🤥 • Don't memorize your speech 🥸 • Talk to strangers like they're your BFF 😻 • Always remember, "have a story worth telling." 🎤

Over the past 6 months, I have: - Beat cancer - Pivoted my business - Become a first-time dad All of these things have taught me a tremendous amount about what matters in life, and what doesn’t. These are my new 5 rules for life: 1️⃣ My body is my greatest teacher 💪 Two weeks before my daughter was born I had cancer surgery. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t terrified. So many sleepless nights. Bringing a new life into this world, amidst fears, instability, and poor health. Thankfully, we caught the melanoma before it spread to my lymph nodes. This isn’t the first time my health has humbled me, but every time I treat it like a “shadow initiation.” I wouldn’t wish this upon anyone. Yet since this is here, what is it inviting me to pay attention to that I might not otherwise? Between cancer and fatherhood, both of these have softened me, in the best ways possible. 2️⃣ Choose the path of least permission ⛔️ Instead of depending on others approval, I prefer the Samurai's code, "decide and go." To recognize when external conditions have changed. To embrace reinvention. To adapt to new circumstances. Rather than fight or resist against presenting reality. You just can't push the river. But you can follow the current. 3️⃣ Create the life you're built for 🧙🏻♂️ I was running a 7-figure consulting business, and I was miserable. Stressed to the max, hating all the management responsibilities, and not enough in my zone of genius. So I downsized. It hasn't been easy or pretty. But by pivoting to storytelling courses, coaching, and community I now feel liberated. Still stressful as we get the new business model sorted out. But everyday I teach or coach is a happy day. 4️⃣ Process is freedom 🏗️ Look, I'm a messy creative. More of a non-linear thinker and than a straight line in a square box. But I do find the more I focus on process, systems, and structure the easier things get. Its both stabilizing and liberating. Whether its Notion pages for my health routines, a spectacular EA via Athena, or new workflows and tools. Just like tending to a garden, training my mind, my habits, and my time. Structured thinking, structured frameworks are how I bring clarity to complexity and overcome the chaos and uncertainty of my life. 5️⃣ Devote yourself to who/what truly matters 💕 When life goes sideways, relationships are who/what matter. My wife, my newborn daughter, my team members, my dearest friends, my advisors, my learning community. They have all been stabilizing forces amidst the turmoil. I've also relied on my faith and a deepened spiritual practice. Buddhist teachings are my refuge. Everything is creation of mind. I also keep reminding myself: The struggles are real, but suffering is a choice. When I forget this or get overwhelmed... My 6-week old daughter keeps showing me - how much I love pumpkin pie. 🥰 Curious about my cohorts? NorthStar Narrative: 12 week sprint starts June 11 https://bit.ly/3WmTdEC

LAST CHANCE: JOIN ME AT 1PM TODAY In case you somehow missed me shouting from the mountaintop...😆 It's not too late to sign-up for Narrative Authority. Happening today: Thurs, Aug 17 from 1-3pm PT / 4-6pm ET A 2-hour super-interactive workshop via Zoom video. Come experience one of my favorite narrative empowerments. Its perfect for anyone that is in the midst of a change at work: whether that's a new role, a new career, or a new way of working with clients. It's all about helping you take charge of your personal career story. You'll leave with a new framework for sharing your expertise, having loosened some of the tangled knots, and how to go beyond your self-doubts. The world is waiting for you to share your story! We've got 79 people registered so far. If you join us, you'll experience a super interactive session, most of the time is spent in breakouts, learning and sharing with other participants. The magic is in the moment. You have to experience this live. Link is in the comments. ✊🏼🔥✌🏼

Michael Margolis believes that narrative storytelling is the number one superpower of humanity, and that the three most important, fundamental skills for the future all come from the exercise of storytelling. As the CEO of Storied, Inc., a strategic messaging and leadership firm, Michael and his team help leaders and teams stand out through story. But why is story so important? and what makes a great story when it comes to a product or a business? In this episode, Chris and Michael are going to talk about the difference between story and narrative, why disruption should be backed up with data, and why character beats out credentials every time. Beyond just their regular conversation, though, Michael will take Chris through a mock workshop, using Storied’s three step narrative framework. Chris will talk about the Futur’s new project, Brand Lab, and Michael will challenge him to explore different aspects of Brand Lab’s story, so that they can work to find and improve its story. This is a dense and informative conversation, and should give you some things to think about when it comes to developing and refining your own story. #business #storytelling #messaging