The Story of a Life as Told at Death
I saved this obituary from last summer because it’s such a great example of someone’s life story being told in a captivating way when most other such announcements lend themselves more toward a simple rundown of facts and figures. The Typical Obituary John Smith. 1967-2014. Survived by loving wife, three children, ten grandchildren, and two beloved…
Details5 Ways Body Language Improves Your Public Speaking
Did you know that body language accounts for 55-65% of our communication? Public speaking may seem a bit off-topic for a storytelling blog, but I think it’s spot on. That’s because you can’t be a good public speaker without sharing stories. I’d even argue that telling stories helps you become a better speaker because…
DetailsOnline Portfolios: The 5 W’s
One of the best ways to introduce yourself to potential employers is with a portfolio of your work. In this technological day and age you can kill two birds with one stone – show hiring managers your creative experience, and showcase your technical know-how with a digital portfolio. The biggest downside of developing an online…
DetailsThe Most Interesting Books I’ve Read in the Past Year
The other day at work I was discussing (yet again) ANOTHER book I’m reading when my coworker said, “Do you have a list you’re following? You’re always reading such interesting books!” Best compliment I’ve received in at least a month. The truth is I don’t have a list, but I usually pick up interesting-sounding books…
DetailsHow to Use a Prezume to Get Noticed and Get Interviews
In a previous post you were introduced to a presentation software called Prezi. It’s non-linear, it has multi-media capabilities, and it’s a bit existential. So how do you use it in your job search? There are three major things to keep in mind when developing your strategy. Audience The first thing to consider in developing…
DetailsDo You Consider Yourself a Success?
I’ve been thinking about success and failure a lot lately. How do we define success? A new promotion? A fat paycheck? A work/life balance that leaves you satisfied with how you’re spending your time? How do we define failure? Not reaching milestones at the same time/age as everyone else? Being fired from your job…
DetailsThe Basics of a Resume
Job searching is a form of storytelling and it’s something that I’ve had to do often in my freelance career. That’s the one thing that they don’t tell you about working for yourself – most of your time is spent drumming up new business to fill the pipeline. Which means job hunting. Which means job…
DetailsThe Importance of Phrasing
I recently joined an orchestra in the city where I live. It’s for people who played earlier in life, became adults, got busy with stuff, and haven’t picked up their instrument in years. I play the violin. Second violin, to be exact. I used to play in a band in college. I went from reading…
DetailsThe Twilight of Storytelling
I like to have the TV on when I work from home because it makes me feel like I’m not alone. Weird, much? Usually I watch HGTV or DIY, but the other day – for kicks and giggles – I was watching the second Twilight movie. Eclipse, I think? The one where the vampires leave…
DetailsSuccessfully Dealing with Criticism from Your Worst Critic
Last weekend was the 125th anniversary of my adopted hometown’s fantastic art museum. They just debuted a new show called 30 Americans, a moving, inspirational, often breathtaking show by 30 African-American artists. I went by myself to experience the exhibit and, like I usually do, I let my personality join me and ended up pairing…
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