The Story of You in 2020

You’re sitting in a restaurant with a work friend you’ve invited to dinner. All of the opening pleasantries are done. You’re on you last bite and your friend asks you, “So how did you end up at XYZ company?” and you make your way through that story. And then she asks you, “What experiences in life built you into the human being you are today?”

You gulp. Maybe you’ve been asked this question before. Maybe a few times. And maybe never. And in the moment you calculate how honest, how real, you want to be. After all, not all of our life stories are safe for work. 

And yet I doubt that’s true. 

I personally have story after story after story that lead me to this moment in time, doing the work I do right now.  Some of them are Harvey-Weinstein-ish, some of them are here’s-how-I leapfrogged-from-X-role-to-Y-role-ish, and lots of them are get-me-outta-here-I-am-in-the-wrong-job-ish.

And I’ve never worried whether those stories are safe for work. Because they’re true. Yes, they show your vulnerability but that’s why they’re so powerful. So teachable.

So the other day I was meeting with a potential client who wanted to hire me to do some storytelling/negotiation workshops for her company. And she asked me that question. “What experiences in life built you into the human being you are today?”

Here’s what I told her:

It took me 20-something years to realize I was not built for 9-5 work (AKA 24/7). I would take a role in a PR or marketing firm, work it for a couple of years, and then convince my boss to let me go and work on contract instead. I did that repeatedly. I was kinda like a millennial in boomer clothing. Or maybe vice-versa. I don’t know. But I was always negotiating. And I was always storytelling. The kind of story that invests the listener in the WHY. Why me, why now, why not, and what's in it for them.

And those experiences eventually helped me realize that I had a lot to offer those who ARE built for 9-5. And that’s where the coaching and training started to unfold. 

And my role, my work, my goal right now is to help you invest in your story. Your stories.

The tellable tales that will earn you a voice, a seat, a platform, and help you negotiate what’s best and right for you where you are, and where you’re headed.

So if you’re wanting to bust a move up, sideways, or out, you need a brilliant Superpower Statement to help you control your narrative and communicate your value in an authentic, relatable way so you get the results you want. 

And you need a signature story--or two--to back it up.

In interviews. In promotion conversations. In pitching for a special project. At networking events.

And most importantly, your superpower statement and your signature stories require a what’s in it for them approach to help you avoid the fear of bragging, and help them see that you understand their business goals and aspirations.