Stories make listeners care.
How it began
Tell me a story.
I became so bored by presentations full of abstract language, slides full of small printed text that presenters read (with their back towards me), voices that lacked enthusiasm, and speakers who were no longer connected to their passions.
And that is when I began to say:
That was May 2015.
I knew I was on to something powerful.
Andrea (full name withheld as requested) was president of an international health association organization, when I suggested that she tell a story, she said: “I can’t think of one.” But this time, I was relentless: every session, I would interview her about past experiences. Still, three days before her keynote presentation - no story.
Until one day, she calls me up: “Dyane, I just remembered something that happened to me when I was standing in line to buy flowers last week.”
We worked on that story. And this is the text message she sent after her keynote talk, which opened an international conference:
Stories - Connect. Energize. Inspire.
I had so many similar successes with speakers using story in their talks, pitches, presentations that I decided to use the Art of Storytelling to bring more compassion into my community. In 2015, I founded and continue to direct a non-profit organization, where Berliners can take the stage and share a true, personal moments of their lives with fellow humans. Now 80 storytelling events and over 750 stories later, I am absolutely convinced, stories make a difference in communication, every time.
You can find out more about THE bEAR. true stories. erzähltes leben here.
BE A BETTER STORYTELLER
training, coaching, & events
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training, coaching, & events 〰️
Individual
If you have a specific goal: for example, find your story for a talk, business pitch, or job interview, we start wherever you are having challenges:
to find the right story for your message
to craft your story to be concise and vivid
to tell and the story with confidence and charisma.
These on demand sessions can be online or in person.
Group
Seminars are created specifically for your needs & goals. Most clients ask for skill-building in storytelling with lots of hands-on practice and supportive feedback to improve. I can focus on specific fields such as storytelling for leadership, for sales, for non-profits, social workers, PhD candidates, science communicators.
Seminars can be booked as webinars or on location.
Event
The day starts with either a half-day or full-day workshop in storytelling and public speaking skills.
After a break, we surprise the participants and bring them to a venue that is or resembles a cabaret-like theater setting.
The participants have the opportunity to present their stories on stage in the spotlight. The atmosphere becomes magical with live music, like a cellist, pianist, or guitarist playing between the stories. It is very effective for genuinely connecting teams and at the same time, giving them skills and stage experience to become better speakers.
A win-win situation: learning, connecting, and having a lot of fun!
