personal narrative

How Your Personal Strengths (AKA Superpowers) Support Success

How Your Personal Strengths (AKA Superpowers) Support Success

Flash forward to the next class. All of the kids were abuzz, talking about the character they had created. Of the fifteen students, fourteen of them brought in drawings of the character. Each drawing showed what their personality was like and what superpowers they possessed. What about that fifteenth student? She sat quietly in the circle with a look of horror and embarrassment on her face. And she was clutching a shoe box.

Decluttering Story Ideas into a Personal Narrative That Sparks Joy

Decluttering Story Ideas into a Personal Narrative That Sparks Joy

When beginning to craft your personal narrative it can feel like there are so many places that you could begin. And when you are overwhelmed by the number of starting points, it makes it all the more difficult to begin the story brainstorming process. There are two common anxieties when it comes to crafting a story that you want to share with your audience. The first is the deep rooted belief that you don't have a story worth telling. There are many many reasons why this statement is false. Every single one of us has a story worth sharing. It doesn’t have to be monumental. You just need to have a purpose for sharing it. The second major worry when it comes to finding the right story to tell is the feeling of having so many personal narrative ideas that you just can’t wrap your head around where to start. Here’s where the tidying up comes in. To find the best story to tell, you need to brain dump all of the ideas out of your head and then check in with each one to see whether or not it sparks joy.

5 Podcast Episodes With Stellar Personal Narrative

5 Podcast Episodes With Stellar Personal Narrative

No matter what’s on your podcast playlist, you can begin to identify who is using personal narrative storytelling and what types of stories are being shared. How are these hosts, interviewers, and narrators bringing this story into their podcast and how do they make you feel as the listener? Start to notice what styles stick with you. Chances are the personal narratives that resonate with you the most can be used to spark your own stories — whether shared out loud in a professional setting or through your very own podcast microphone!

Communicating With Ease Doesn't Come Easy

Communicating With Ease Doesn't Come Easy

I left college in NYC with a degree in Vocal Performance and crippling stage fright. For the first few years out of school I could hide from the fear because I wasn’t putting myself out there to be seen, judged, evaluated, or even praised. After one Summer of auditions, I took an office job and spent most of my free time at brunch, watching reality TV, and going to DJ nights.

6 Ways Personal Narrative Will Help You Professionally

6 Ways Personal Narrative Will Help You Professionally

Last week I moderated a panel discussion on developing your personal brand. There was a lot of debate amongst the panelists and audience members regarding how much we share from our personal lives when in a professional setting. Should you have two Instagram account? (My intern recently told me about FINSTA vs. RINSTA, and my mind was blown.) Do we stay buttoned up - both on the inside and outside - and keep our hobbies, passions, and feelings at bay?

Here’s my philosophy. Meld the professional with the personal. Be yourself and use storytelling as your guide. Here are six ways that crafting your personal narrative will help you professionally.