The Birth Story of Story Happens Here

You know the feeling you get when you’re in a job, and you love it, but you have a craving for something...else. Something more?

Maybe there’s an aspect of your work that you absolutely adore, but it’s flying under the radar. Perhaps not being seen or appreciated. You want to do more of that thing, but it feels like two tons of bricks are in your way.

Well, that’s a bit like my story. As many of you know I am co-founder of She Negotiates and for almost 10 years we provided negotiation coaching with a hell-bent focus on closing the wage and leadership gaps for women. 

We thrived, we succeeded, we changed lives, and it was amazing. Still is.

And yet … as a certified coach with a background in theatre, improv, and storytelling I found that focusing solely on negotiation meant I was not really bringing all my strengths to the party.

So I started to morph. With both my negotiation clients and my leadership coaching clients I began seeing patterns and repeating themes. 

And I began helping women do things like this:

• Prepare for interviews, complete with scripts and stories that dovetailed with goals of the organization/role.

• Prepare scripts to respond to pushback, resistance for any type of compensation or problem-solving negotiation.

• Outline, draft, and perfect stories for interviews, promotions, networking, client meetings, presentations, etc.

• Develop opening and closing story hooks for workshops and conference presentations.

• Learn how to pivot to tell the story you must tell to influence the outcome of any conversation.

• Create an influence plan and strategize and sequence conversations with those influencers.

And then another pattern emerged. 

Many of my clients were at a stage in their careers where developing a thought leadership plan was absolutely essential to maintaining their current influence and leadership brand, and generating future opportunities. Things like writing, blogging, speaking at conferences, strategizing their presence on social media, getting podcast interviews and becoming a go-to resource in their niche.

I even helped women use their voices more powerfully and effectively and to be intentional about their body language and physical choices when speaking and presenting.

Zoom calls were us.

Well...not-so-suddenly I was feeling a little constrained by the beautiful, powerful, and transformational brand, She Negotiates. So I packed up all that experience and skill and married it with my storytelling and thought leadership chops, and Story Happens Here was born.

As before, I work with unapologetically ambitious women who are ready to ditch the superhero cape and still move mountains. I am committed to helping women be seen, heard, promoted—and rewarded—as the agents of change the workplace and the world is dying to see. And all of it requires fiercely owning your leadership story and grabbing control your narrative.

So…what’s your career birth story?

And what are your thought leadership plans?