I teach storytelling. I still fumbled my own introduction last night.

- Sep 30, 2025

Last night, after creating the opening and closing container for an event on career navigation—guiding participants to breathe, shake out their bodies, set intentions, and integrate what they'd heard — someone approached me with a question I hear often: "So, what do you do exactly?" 

I get it. When people see me at events doing this part of my work, there's often curiosity mixed with confusion. Who is this woman asking us to notice our breath and feel into our bodies at a professional networking event?

Despite having just led embodiment practices, mindfulness exercises, and storytelling integration, I fumbled. I gave one of those squiggly answers — "Well, I used to do this, then I began doing that, and now I've pivoted to..." 

I could see the confusion on his face. His energy was a ‘leaning-in’ type of curious. I got the sense I was not giving him the right information.

It's funny because this echoes something my friend Libby Stockstill said on The Mettā Interview in our latest episode: when you work for a well-known company with a clear title, introductions are easy. The title and brand convey everything. But when you're navigating career change, building something new, doing something "squiggly"— especially as an entrepreneur or freelancer — suddenly the words don't flow.

Just weeks ago, I hosted a dozen women at Soho House Berlin for one of my Story of You workshops. I LOVE this work. We had such a wonderful two hours. There were tears, a-ha moments, plenty of strong connection between the participants. And what did I tell them? That the most important thing for communicating your value and values is to work on your story — and then repeat it, rehearse it, practice it until it becomes second nature.

I even have this line I use about "teaching with strong recall." My dog Nandy taught me this. In dog training, recall means teaching your dog to come back when called. It's not easy — depending on stress levels, surroundings, or novelty, the dog might not listen. So you practice again and again, in mixed settings, rewarding them richly each time until it becomes automatic.

I joke regularly that I teach what I need to learn. It’s not a ha ha joke, more like… a funny truth.

Having stepped away from a career where I went from being unknown to having a title that "said it all," (Global head of communications, Christian Louboutin, Group companies) I constantly have to revisit, re-explain, and reframe how to talk about myself in ways that feel clear and resonate with whoever's in front of me. 

The pivot

Thankfully, because I really do this work (on myself!) regularly, I caught myself. Responding to my interlocutor's body language — imagine question-mark-shaped eyes — I pivoted: "You know those people who don't know how to talk about themselves? Who fumble their words? Who need help sharing their brilliance, their value, their values with the world? I help those people tell better stories—resonant stories that connect with the people they care about and leave a lasting impression." 

I watched the resolution land. "Oh, I get it now," he said. Sigh of relief all round.

Remember that moment when my conversation partner's face shifted from confusion to clarity? "Oh, I get it now." 

Here's what made that moment work — and it wasn't just the story I told. I was reading my conversation partner. Staying present. Noticing his response while feeling my own excitement. I first went the way the evening's speakers had gone, sharing squiggly career stories. But I could see it wasn't landing. So I pivoted mid-explanation, responding to what I sensed in real time, opting for simplicity. 

I was embodied — present and aware enough to adapt. 

And here's what makes this work matter more than ever: it's AI-proof. ChatGPT can write a bio. It can generate a pitch. But it can't read a room. It can't sense when to pivot. It can't feel the energy shift and respond in real time. Your resonant, values-based stories, delivered with embodied presence, are your proof of life. They're what make you unmistakably YOU, they are what connects US, in this increasingly automated world.

If you're ready to move from fumbling introductions to stories that create instant recognition and genuine connection:

…Join me weekly for Story Alchemy, where we explore how to craft stories that make your brilliance unmistakable.

Or work with me one-on-one to find your resonant story and practice it until it lands every time (strong recall, remember?). 

Drop me a message or book a call — because in a world of AI-generated everything, your authentic story is your competitive advantage.