What's Your Story: How Leaders Tell Stories to Influence and Connect with Audiences
What's Your Story is a podcast that helps business leaders use storytelling to improve spoken communication and influence within their organizations. Each episode features interviews with executives and thought leaders on topics such as effective storytelling, executive presence, influencing others, corporate communication, and leadership development. The show is hosted by Sally Williamson and presented by SW&A (Sally Williamson & Associates). It offers practical strategies and best practices for leaders who want to connect with audiences more powerfully.
Episodes
Building A Business And The Power Of Stories
Episode: Building a Business And The Power Of Stories Guests: Hust Williamson, Mary Scott Jameson and Hodges Markwalter Welcome to another episode of What's Your Story where we host in depth conversations with business leaders to explore how they use storytelling to engage their audiences. Taking on the journey of entrepreneurship is not an easy feat and it's not for the faint of heart. It takes p
Reigniting Ideas & Strategies with Teams with Keith Wilmot
It's safe to say we all wish we could wake up every day and bring everything we have to the roles we're in. Each day would be a new day, every agenda a clean slate. But the reality is that many of us are in roles that are a little messier than that. So messy in fact that getting to new ideas or exploring an out-of-the-box concept isn't easy. In fact, with a pile of problems and challenges in our e
Talent, Data & People - The Strategic CHRO with Kim Sullivan
We all faced new dynamics and uncharted waters as managers and leaders navigating a pandemic, social unrest and different ways of working. But if you considered the corporate role that felt the most impact, the CHRO, Chief Human Resources Officer, would rank high in terms of the toughest leadership positions over the last few years. And that's why this episode is so timely. In this episode, Sally
Getting Down to Business with Kim Wilson of Lucy's Market
Small businesses have gotten a lot of visibility over the last two years. As the world slowed down and dealt with a pandemic, we were more aware of the businesses on the corner that weren't focused on five-year plans but were focused on next months' payroll to survive. It brought front and center a look at how small businesses work and interestingly, as the world reset, it seemed to inspire a whol
Resetting & Reducing Social Distance with Karen Riddell
Social distancing is a term that took hold during the pandemic as a descriptive way of creating boundaries from each other. But after two years of distancing and now going back to offices and social settings with colleagues and friends, social distance may take on new meaning. At a minimum, the re-engagement in groups feels awkward at first. We've forgotten some of the social norms and feel a litt
The Mastery of Skills with Kenny Selmon
Every day, we talk to people about practice. And we explain that to become effective at communication, you have to work at becoming good at it. And we define mastery of a skill as those who become so good at a skill that you can count on their performance and outcome consistently. And once you begin to talk about performance and outcomes, it's easy to draw a parallel between mastery of a skill lik
The Art of Coaching - How to Choose the Right Coach with Francie Schulwolf
In the last year, millions of workers took early retirement, which created a band of less-experienced managers and leaders in most companies. It's a great career opportunity and accelerated promotions for several managers. But it also pushes a less-experienced leader to learn how to drive while the car is moving, and it can create risks within a company when someone is leading who doesn't have a b
The Big Pitch with Rachel Spasser
This episode's topic is The Big Pitch. And it's a discussion of one of the most important presentations you may ever give. It has a definitive and measurable impact. It's rarely shared with a large audience. And while the audience may be small, they are a critical one. Because their interest and reaction to the presentation may change the future of a company. And in fact, that's actually the point
Disrupted! A Talent Acquisition Perspective
Disruption happens every day across the corporate world. As employees, we experience reorgs, layoffs and acquisitions, and as disrupters ourselves we move cross country, chase ideas and challenge norms. But amidst all the disruption we all experience, some of us seem to thrive in times of turmoil. These are the communicators who have mastered the two secret arts hidden within corporate disruption:
Disrupted! A Talent Development Perspective
Disruption happens every day across the corporate world. As employees, we experience reorgs, layoffs and acquisitions, and as disrupters ourselves we move cross country, chase ideas and challenge norms. But amidst all the disruption we all experience, some of us seem to thrive in times of turmoil. These are the communicators who have mastered the two secret arts hidden within corporate disruption:
Disrupted! A Podcast with the Creators: Why We Wrote It & What We Learned
Disruption happens a lot across the corporate world. Sometimes, from a company's perspective through realigning functions. And sometimes by employees themselves as they make choices to try different things. But whether disruption is caused by a company or an individual, it's occurring more frequently. And from our vantage point, we see individuals who aren't ready for it…and aren't good at resetti
Helping Tech to Talk Exec with Mac Smith
From a distance, you could assume that product creation and innovation is easy because it seems to happen quickly. But you'd be wrong. It actually requires an army of technologists and engineers to keep innovation moving and to deliver products in a speedy fashion. And they aren't alone. Long before a product reaches a build phase, there are multiple steps to analyze a market, identify a need and
The Stories Behind a Purpose with CeCe Morken
These days, we're all exhausted. And it's not just the physical tiredness of managing kids, virtual schooling, shifting work locations in a house, or balancing disruptions as our personal lives and workspace converge. It's a mental tiredness and fatigue, and the effects are pretty dramatic. It's a good thing that companies were already working on body and mind wellness. Wellness support and trai
The Wingman with Francie Schulwolf and Lia Panayotidis
As a leader, your brand, style, message of the company, and the company itself are intertwined. SW&A has coached several leaders and considered themselves the "wingman" for people in leadership positions. On this episode of What's Your Story?, Sally talks with instructors Francie Schulwolf and Lia Panayotidis about their experience as The Wingman. More about our guests Francie Schulwolf: Francie's
How Securities Teams Share Data Insights with Kim Keever
Every communicator plays a significant role within an organization, but some of those roles get more visibility than others. Sales shares about customer insights, marketing relays their brand and product strategies, and something we've seen grow in the last five years, is that data security teams have become big communicators, with many CISO's managing the communication to leadership teams and cor
Communicating Through Crisis
As we focus on a pandemic around the world, we are all searching for information and for answers. On a personal level, we're relying on our government and our media to share what's happening. It's an unprecedented topic and a new normal in our homes, schools and our lives. But we also wonder about our professional lives. And companies have to interpret the impact of that new normal for employees.
Clarity Around Complexity with Bharath Kadaba
Innovation is king. But that doesn't mean everyone understands it or knows how to leverage it. In fact, many view it as the silver bullet and the easy button that changes everything overnight. And that's just not how it works. Innovation evolves step by step and can be years in the making before a viable product or concept can be leveraged. And that's why companies invest in future technologies.
Sharing Student Stories: Storytelling's Place in a Changing Academic World with Pete Wheelan
We know storytelling's place in the business world, but have you considered the role it plays in academic institutions across the nation? In our first episode of What's Your Story?, Season 2, Sally speaks with Pete Wheelan of InsideTrack about how he uses storytelling alongside professional coaching, technology, and data analytics to increase the enrollment, completion, and career readiness of stu
Training Technologists to be Storytellers with Patricia Martin
On today's episode, we're speaking with Patricia Martin of Cox Communications about the importance of effective storytelling and communication among technologists. Patricia also shares some insight into the impact good leaders can have on inspiring others. More About Patricia Martin Patricia Martin joined Cox Communications in 2005. In her time there, she has led several key initiatives at Cox, in
Telling the Difficult Stories with Allison Ausband and Evia Golde
On today's episode, we're speaking with Allison Ausband and Evia Golde about how Delta Airlines and United Way of Greater Atlanta are taking on one of Atlanta's darkest topics, human trafficking, and brought it to life so the statistics became more than numbers. Allison and Evia also shared a few success stories that have come out of Delta's #GetOnBoard training. More About Allison Ausband Allison
Forge - Talk, Listen, and Laugh - Essential Ingredients for Women (with Cox FORGE)
On today's episode, we're joined by a group of women who have learned the power of sisterhood in career. Through personal development, overcoming ego and fear, and integrating passion into their day to day life, these women have grown to cherish the powerful bonds between strong women who lift one another up rather than cut one another down through competition and cattiness. Today, they'll teach u
Building Collaboration and Inspiration in Marketing, with Sarah Stansberry
On today's episode, we're speaking with Sarah Stansberry about how to take a disparate panel of marketing experts and integrate them into a cohesive team with common goals. Sarah discusses her seven tips for leaders to help guide teams through the use of shared principles and methods to open engagement and conversation. Sarah's insight into storytelling expresses how the simple act of telling a st
The Stories that Make Successful Conferences, with Allison Hunt Eubanks
Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with Allison Hunt Eubanks about the LexisNexis CAM conference. How and why does a company host an event of this magnitude? How do they bring it all together, train their speakers, and generate a cohesive gathering? And what role does storytelling play in an event where attendees are meant to walk away with a message? Find out on today's episode! More About A
The Power of Mentoring Among Women with TD Bank
Today, we have the opportunity to discuss women in leadership and the value of sisterhood and structured mentor programs on the success of modern business women with four female leaders from TD Bank. These ladies will also share how stories impact authenticity, growth, and inspiration within an organization when operating as leaders. More about Molly Abair:Molly Abair is the Executive Credit Of
How to Develop a Global Leader With Helen Nghiem
On today's podcast episode, we are meeting with Helen Nghiem of Epsilon to learn what makes a good leader and how she trains leaders from all over the world. How important is communication as leaders take on more teams, and how does the pressure shift as leaders are no longer able to manage projects on their own? Are leaders the same across the globe, and is the modern economy changing what is exp
Telling Shareable Stories to Sports Fans with Barry Blyn of ESPN
Barry Blyn is the Vice President of Original Content and Brand Intelligence at ESPN. A graduate of the NYU Stern School of Business, Barry has worked with insights, data, and people throughout a variety of industries including politics, comedy, and sports. Currently in sports, Barry offers insight into the mind of the fan from ancient history until now and the nuances that lie therein. Do sports h
Employee Experience and Winning the War for Talent with Nick Mailey
On today's podcast, we have the opportunity to speak with Intuit HR executive Nick Mailey. He shares with us his insights on building not only a brand, but a "work brand." How do work brands influence the types and levels of talent that an organization can attract? Why is that so important in today's world of talent deficits? Nick expresses a need for a culture and a mission that's meaningful to f
How to Take an Idea from Conception to Startup with Christian Ries
On today's episode, we're chatting with first-time entrepreneur Christian Ries about storytelling, professional entrepreneurship, and pitching to investors. Christian can attribute much of his success to his growing storytelling abilities and customer-focused approach. Learn about his techniques and evolution as he tells us his story today, from the very first thought that sparked JonnyOnIt. Mor
Understanding the Why Behind the What with Kermit Randa
Today, we're going to be chatting with Kermit Randa about the power of story and the struggles leaders must endure during the first 90 days at a new company. How do leaders settle into their roles and what sorts of pressures do they feel? What strategies are most important to implement in the first three months? As Chief Executive Officer of Kaufman Hall's Software division, Kermit Randa oversees
Engaging Employees with Experiences with Tim Minahan of Citrix
We all accept what we've been told about the generic marketing and sales cycle, but should we? Why are stories and experiences just as important, if not more important, to sell than your product? How do you stand out in today's saturated world, and how much do the experiences of your employees impact your customers? Today, we'll find out all of this and more with our special guest, Tim Minahan. Ti
Helping Leaders Go From Competent to Compelling with Randy Donaldson
Randy Donaldson has been a leading business communicator for more than four decades. He has held a variety of leadership positions across the communications spectrum and has spent most of his career advising CEOs and business unit leaders. He has led media relations, internal and executive communications, both in the U.S. and internationally. Randy's expertise is creating communication strategies
Leading with Purpose: How to Engage Employees from the C-Suite with Fredda McDonald
Fredda McDonald is Managing Director with World50, a member-based organization that brings leaders together from around the globe to share their ideas, insights, and solutions. On today's episode, we'll be talking about the role of the Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO), storytelling, and leadership qualities that foster employee engagement. In this episode, Fredda and Sally will discuss how to l
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