When I started storytelling, it was an opportunity to learn speaking skills in order to publicly share some of the short stories and allegories I had written. My logical mind thought I would keep my creative pursuits separate from my dull day job as an accountant. I became so immersed after my first storytelling class, I was overjoyed to be selected for the inaugural cohort of Community Storytelling Fellows.
As part of our Fellowship, we were expected to complete a community storytelling project. Although there were guidelines, the subject matter and shape of the program were of our own design with faculty approval. It wasn’t until I started working on my project design that my professor showed me how I could successfully combine my accountant skills with my passion for storytelling. I had been telling origin stories about
businesses using examples from Shark Tank or my own practice to help coach entrepreneurs along their journey for many years.
Since South Mountain Community College has a DECA Club for business minded students, my project was to use storytelling to help them prepare for their upcoming competition. I was able to tell them stories about business, show them how to craft their story, and provide a hand-out titled Cliff Notes with the basics of storytelling set as bullet
points. Within the class we were able to practice our elevator pitch and remind the students that their excellent work with facts and figures can only go so far without a story behind them.
From a young age, we have all had an experience of engaging with a teller when the story is captivating. With a well told story, we can bring interest in business culture, development, and strategic planning to the Board Room without the boredom.
Apprentice storyteller and lifelong learner, she balances being a CFO with a big family life of seven adult children and grandmother of eleven. When she’s not writing or working, she can usually be found traveling, exploring new adventures, and trying to visit all 63 National Parks. She is inspired by the courageous people around us and their stories that connect us.
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