“I was a fly-under-the-radar-artist. Uncomfortable with branding and afraid of success. My “brand” is probably a bit detached and intellectual. In the spaces I am in I had a lot of fear and anxiety about being exposed... I  don’t even really know what that means. 

Now, I think being more open, personal about the journey is helpful to me... letting me relax a bit and letting people see me as more human.

I have told my story on a live mic in front of an audience. I have a process and story bank.

[Working with Tell Me A Story] has changed my work.

It has changed me.

I feel stronger as an artist and thinking about what the journey is. What is my lane? Does it matter if I have a lane?

Hillary is AWESOME!!!!!! Fun, light, engaging, smart, thoughtful, experienced, strong. Accomplished at her craft.”

“Ever since I became a mom, I have felt like I lost my voice and a sense of who I am. I thought working with Hillary and TMAS would be a creative and constructive way to find that voice again.

This work has helped me gain confidence in sharing my own story and trusting that those listening are not judging my achievements or life choices. And even if they are judging, I’m working on caring a bit less about what they think by trusting the power of my unique perspective.

To work with Tell Me A Story is to engage wholeheartedly in an immersive trust fall and discover repeatedly that your unique voice is there to catch you if you let it.”

“Before working with you, I think I could do one or two of the [Trust Trifecta]. Trust myself, but not the audience. Trust the story and maybe the audience, but not myself. I think the work that we did was really important in integrating all three of these aspects, including being realistic about the risks and challenges, and my own comfort level in those areas.

I loved this so much! The benefits went way beyond deconstructing the storytelling process in terms of me feeling more confident in being seen, and being honest with my own intentions and desires when I communicate. It was also really great to feel so much enthusiastic support in the times when I felt the narrative was unclear or I didn’t know what point I was trying to make. I will never forget the version of my story when I was talking about power and you shouted, “keep this in.” It reinforced what it’s like to be supported for who I am in the moment and that’s really special.”

“I was confident in my voice and knew that I wanted to share it through my podcast, but I was unclear on what story I wanted to tell and how. I didn’t trust that any of my stories would be something my audience would be interested in hearing.

Now, I don’t feel as uncomfortable doing solo episodes, especially when listeners give me positive feedback about them. I feel confident that I can tell my story on other podcasts - I have something valuable to share with others who aren’t part of my immediate audience.

This work helped me get through pod fade when I started to think all the work was for naught. I learned so much about myself - that I could accomplish more than I thought. I found a deeper clarity around my ‘why.’”

““Before working with Hillary, I was asked to speak here and there occasionally, but I had no idea what to say or share without being given a topic to speak on. I wasn’t sure what I would say if I had to come up with it on my own, so I kept putting off applying to speak at the conferences and meetups I’d hear about online. Through working with Hillary, I found my voice as a person and as a brand. I found SO MANY things I had to say and ways to say them.

I was able to craft two keynotes and meet my goal of speaking to a new audience monthly! That included one international conference; one national conference; a university class; a university panel; a career planning workshop; an Instagram Live; a program for teenage girls; and on multiple occasions internally at work. As a result, I’ve made new connections — and also attracted new clients!

I’m coming away from this experience feeling like I’ve gained something even bigger than keynotes, speaking opportunities, and introductions — there’s different attention to detail, to language, to audiences that grew deeper through our work together. I feel so much clearer on my own thoughts; more confident in my expertise; and more excited to connect than I could’ve imagined.””

“In the past, when someone would ask me “What do you do?”, I would either answer with a mountain of details, spanning 30 plus years of jobs and education or I would default to this bullet point list of data and facts… And it was awkward and didn’t align with my value of being connected…So now, not only do I no longer hide when I tell a story, but I’ve also learned how and had the opportunity to practice how to claim space when I tell a story.”

“I’ll never forget that the word I used to describe where I was at when I first met Hillary was ‘untethered’. I’d had so much of my identity tied up in a previous job. And now that I was no longer there, I was in an absolute panic as I couldn’t describe what I did for a living, let alone who I was. My presentations were lively and somewhat engaging but they were delivered by an over-rehearsed, hyper-polished version of me.

Now I have total confidence in describing what I do and why I do it. I show up as ME. I’m unafraid and actually EXCITED to share personal stories as a way of communicating my points. And this is because I’ve seen time and again how it helps me to connect with my audience - whether that be an individual or a large crowd.

I’ve crafted some great stories and have found ‘homes’ or uses for them in tons of situations I would not have predicted. I have taken on speaking opportunities with confidence. I launched my website and my newsletter with a completely authentic tone of voice that I am SO proud of. And I have the tools to repeat the process as often as I want.

Crafting and telling stories continues to get easier and more joyful as I use and hone my own process.”

“I knew I wanted to be more comfortable speaking about myself so I could do it for work. I had realized I had some stories I wanted to share but didn’t really know how to do it. I didn’t want to be self-indulgent and I didn’t want to hide.

The Solo Retreat has really helped me trust myself and my stories more. The fact that a story keeps bumping into my brain means something. Also, the act of trusting Hillary as my audience was powerful.”

“I was seeking that elusive magic that can happen when we listen to a good storyteller tell a story. Before my Solo Retreat, my podcast was more journalistic and dry. There was less of me in there. I did this work because I wanted to think of each episode as a story. I wanted to sound better when I talked, more natural, and read my script without sounding like I’m reading.

Now I have more of me in my show and it feels more like how I wanted my podcast to be. Hillary is incredibly patient, generous, organized, and has your back.”

“Now that we have finished that experience, I go into podcast interviews, guest lectures, and teaching my own students and clients, and when there’s a moment when I think that they need to understand a little bit more, I can really convey a story that feels true to me and that feels useful. And I feel like that self-consciousness is just gone where I used to have that fear that I just can’t hold a story.”