Why Lateral Lessons Supercharge Your Speaking and Storytelling Prowess
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It\\u2019s 2003. I\\u2019m at my very first TED event and I\\u2019m in the computer industry. Over a period of five days, I\\u2019m not hearing typical presentations on one subject matter. Instead, I am listening to Talks about nanotechnology, robotics, cancer cure research, and a variety of other topics that I never would have had access to otherwise.
At first I\\u2019m thinking that these Talks are way over my head. Yet soon I find that my exposure to these ideas help me build a completely new point of view around my company and how I treat family, friends, and clients. These influences stick with me and I still practice them to this day.
When you take lessons from one field of study and apply them to another, it can explode your momentum in your field of expertise. For instance, I\\u2019d hear a TED Talk on creativity and approach a project differently with that in mind. Or I\\u2019d slightly change the nature of a conversation with a client because of what I\\u2019d heard about a new development in artificial intelligence.
These are what I call lateral lessons. And you can do the same thing, too--use lateral lessons to help build out your body of work and what you offer to the world.
In this episode of the Storytelling School Podcast, you\\u2019ll learn about the lateral lessons that the world of Improv can teach you so you can apply these lessons in your life. I\\u2019ll teach you these concepts through stories of backstage preparations, spilled tea, and the danger of doing Improv. And you\\u2019ll also find out answers to questions like:
What concept helps you stop paralysis by analysis when you\\u2019re about to present or perform? How can you make certain parts of your presentation (or your life or business story) more interesting? And what goes on in the mind of an Improv performer?
What you will learn in this episode:
- What simple gesture sparks connection and security for a presenter or performer
- How one change can lead to changing everything about what you do
- What it means to prepare (but not plan) as a speaker, performer, or storyteller
A little about me:
Hi there. I\\u2019m Kymberlee.
As a Speaking Strategist and founder of Storytelling School, I\\u2019ve had the pleasure of working with over 500 speakers, business leaders, and entrepreneurs worldwide for over a decade. No matter if those folks were getting ready to take the TED or TEDx stage or preparing for a high-stakes presentation with everything on the line, my specialty is High Stakes Short Form Communication. I\\u2019ve seen what works when influencing change and what doesn\\u2019t. It turns out storytelling is one of the most powerful tools you can have in your arsenal. That\\u2019s why I\\u2019m building a movement of master storytellers to affect change in the world on a global scale to help people tell real stories that have influence and impact. With effective storytelling, you change people\\u2019s lives.
Since competition for potential client attention is fierce, a story can make the difference between being memorable or irrelevant. You\\u2019ll find me sharing my matcha tea mishap to discuss perfectionism, my quest for Bruce Lee and Hello Kitty art to explore kindness, or the six months of live blade training I underwent to illustrate presence. I spend my days showing the power of using stories to help cement ideas and bring lessons to life and teaching my clients to do the same.
If you think business owners can\\u2019t tell stories or don\\u2019t have stories to share with their clients, staff, donors, followers, or investors, I invite you to reconsider your perspective. There\\u2019s no better place than in business to tell your stories so audiences, no matter how big or small, can understand how you think and what you value.
Now it\\u2019s your turn... If you\\u2019re ready to become a master storyteller and effect change in our world, you\\u2019ve come to the right place.
Links and Resources:
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