I Am a Storyteller

What is my expertise? One very specific answer is: I am a storyteller. Part of being a storyteller is being a confident communicator who is authentic and approachable. The generality of my expertise is that I can speak to a variety of ages, any size of group from one person to large numbers, and my presentations can be useful to any business or organization. I use the storytelling, not just to entertain, but to add emphasis to the points I am making in order to help people remember the message. I gained this expertise from life’s lessons. My inspirational stories about the hope in life’s tough times touch the hearts of others, making them memorable to any audience.

I have developed the following information to send to business. It can also be sent to any organization or school, with a few little word changes, to let them know what they could expect by hiring me to help their leaders and team members improve their communication skills, add pizzazz to their presentations and polish skills they already have in place to add a fresh look to all their presentations. The letter reads,

Bridges of connection are built in every area of our lives through confident communication. From the newest employee to upper management in any business, everyone needs to continue to build on and practice communication skills they already possess. As a business owner you realize effective communicators get their message across competently and confidently, whether pitching proposals, training junior staff, running efficient meetings, presenting findings, or providing enticing product promotions.
Communication is also key for every organization and each individual to achieve their fullest potential. Learning should never stop. I am passionate about helping people of all ages, abilities and skill levels to reach the next level in their communication journey and help businesses build on the solid base they already may have. I am a teacher, mentor, and facilitator of workshops who uses the power of story to help people find their voice which enables them to reach their full potential.
In today’s world our workplaces and organizations are diverse. How do you include others who are different in how they learn or for whom English is not their first language? Policies on inclusion need to go beyond the written word to implementation. I believe education on inclusion helps dispel some of the fear of the unknown. I enjoy educating, equipping and encouraging people on how to really include others for the benefit of all.
If you are looking for professional development sessions that will help your employees be able to stand up, speak out and make their message memorable, giving them confidence to communicate whether one to one, a small group or to a large audience, I would be pleased to offer workshops dealing with improving communication skills as well as how to add story to any presentation to help people remember the main points.

Comments about my workshops and speaking include:

Carol is an easy speaker to work with, who will take your theme and craft her presentation accordingly. This speaker has upbeat messages, inspires audiences and is authentic and approachable. She will provide awareness and education.

Other words people have used to describe me after they listened to me speak or sat in one of my workshops include: authentic, inspiring, approachable and upbeat messages.

Stories are powerful teaching tools. They help us remember the point a presenter is trying to make, engage our attention, and often inspire us. I also believe it is important to tell everyday life happenings and share these with our children, nieces and nephews, as well as general audiences. Preserving these stories for future generations helps us to understand our history, learn some lessons, and which experiences have helped shape us into the person we are today.

What I do is speak, write, and mentor others. Communicating and mentoring energizes and excites me. I have learned through formal education, Toastmasters training and, maybe most importantly, through life’s experiences. Now I take all those experiences and education and share them with others. The area I lack the most confidence in would be letting others know that I am available to teach, speak, and share with them. My goal is to take that next step and market myself and my expertise. I am including my speaker sheet, which I developed as part of my marketing strategy. I just need to find places to send it.

Over the last ten years I have spoken to school children from a single classroom to an entire school assembly of 500 students about communication and inclusion. I have spent time with high school students as well as elementary children. I teach communication workshops to new Canadians looking for help to improve their English and answering interview questions. I have spoken to ladies groups, Toastmaster conventions, church groups, and service organizations. The list continues to grow and with some marketing to let people know what I can offer them, it will continue to expand.

I have also become more intentional about taking time to write and send it off for possible publication. The writing is an integral part of the storytelling. In the last 10 years I have published one book – a memoir of my journey with our youngest daughter who has special needs, had eight stories published in Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies, as well as stories in four other anthologies with several more due out this year. I have had articles published during this time as well. It has been an interesting journey and I look forward to what is still ahead with both the speaking and the writing. Who knows what might become of the mentoring as I move forward from here.

Written by: Carol Harrison