Before I get into the Storytelling insight that you all need to know from one of my smartest corporate friends, I am taking a deep breath from the most unhinged but “would do it again tomorrow” week of my life.
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We have two weddings this year. (back-to- back on different continents 😂)​
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And when your wedding invite years are in dwindle mode, you say yes to them ALL (even if you KNOW it’s logistically insane.)
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A “quick” weekend to Colombia from Lisbon (I told you it was unhinged) with no kids (OK you get it now right) for a wedding and then another one in Yorkshire, England the following weekend, I am back in Lisbon and wondering if last week even happened.
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Aside from this being the marriage therapy we needed (if you’ve been with me since our move from NYC→Lisbon in August you know it’s been a WILD ride of unearthing identities and building a new life from scratch) being so far away from friends makes me way more intentional about the time spent with them.
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Basically: we’ll fly anywhere to see you! ​
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Pics or it didn’t happen.

Sometimes all your story needs is for you to hijack your children’s spring break.
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Ok, now let’s get to the real point of this email…
Back to my friend.
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When I was in the UK for wedding leg No. 2, I squeezed in hang time with a friend who is the head of global innovation for a well-known creative agency.
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Not even 40, she’s renowned in her industry, speaks all over the world and it’s unreal to watch her career SOAR and fly 1st class all over the world -on the dime of her company. (Perk of corporate #sigh #rip.)

Anyway, we were at her kitchen table and out of the blue she told me she recently used me in a pitch to the board of her company.

“Wait, huh? Me? Why?”
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“Because I see what you’re doing and it’s spot on. It’s the space our agency needs to focus more on and I’m making a big pitch for internal changes.”

***Blank stare.
Still a bit confused.
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But what did she mean?
Here is my paraphrase.
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As someone who works in global innovation she spends a lot of her day in generative AI world and the ONE thing that is even more apparent to her that will dictate the success of all the brand accounts she works on….is how well they show up as humans in their brands.
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To “be human” in your business.
To tell stories that authentically connect to another person.
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She told me the fact I teach people how to show up, be human and learn how to tell stories….it’s actually innovative.
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Because most brands (and business owners) aren’t.
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I know I wasn’t for a long time.
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How would you grade yourself?
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You go through so much of your earlier school years, corporate years and life in general….trying to be a different version of the human you really are.

➡ Shame
➡ Limiting beliefs
➡ Imposter syndrome
➡ Fear
➡ Other people’s opinions
➡ Whatever
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➡ But people don’t want that version of you anymore.

Especially in business.

My friend then went on to tell me a story about a CEO of a medical device company who defied all HR and legal orders to avoid the family whose child had just died while on his company’s machine.
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They told him to deny his humanness because it was bad for business.
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But he defied them and went straight to the hospital because he needed to look into the mother’s eyes.
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My friend heard him tell this story at a conference she was at and she went and rewrote her own keynote speech that night .

“I need to tell a better story to connect.”

To show her humanness.
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Here’s to 2024 being the year you say yes to a whole lot of unhinged plans. (I WILL be cheering you on for that:) Maybe not in this wedding uniform though)
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And to fully lean into YOUR humanness in your business and at work.