How to stop working so hard
And a crime you might have helped solve...
Early bird tickets for our workshop in central London STORYTELLING FOR LEADERS end this Friday. Already very popular. Click here to get yours.
In October 2021, my 12 week-old puppy Peggy was stolen.
She vanished from our garden at dusk, the night before Halloween.
At times I felt like a crazy women on a lonely mission. Searching…
…on my hands and knees in ditches, in the midnight hours in fields and by the railway track, and at dawn in the eerie woods beside our house.
But I quickly realised: if I really wanted to find her, I needed the whole world looking for my dog.
So, exhausted from weeping and searching, I lay in bed and opened Tik Tok.
I knew I had to tell a story that would make people care. Because when they care, they share.
I also knew there would (sadly) be hundreds of similar stories of other lost dogs, told by their owners, all vying for peoples attention. How could mine cut through the noise?
I drew on my experience in advertising (selling things to people they never knew they needed) and came up with this strategy:
People who love animals don’t always care for their humans.
I needed to tell a story about a dog who was living such an epic life that it would be a crime NOT to help her return to it.
I could barely see through my tears as I searched my phone for the beats of my story.
Peg trying peanut butter for the first time.
Her blossoming friendship with our black and white kitten.
The unending fascination of an autumn leaf.
And finally, the children whose lives would be forever marked by the tragedy of losing their beloved pal.
Sobbing, I added one final touch: A song from the Bridget Jones diary soundtrack with the words:
“I’d rather walk on glass than see teardrops in your eyes.
And I’d fall to pieces, just to hold you, the best thing in my life.”
I pressed ‘post’ and waited.
In those seven sleepless days of frantic seeking I discovered something frustrating and surprising in equal measure.
To make a difference, it’s not about how hard you work.
To make a difference, it’s about how you make people feel.
A week later, and when I’d almost given up hope, I picked up the phone to a gruff voice:
Is that Rosie? I’ve got your dog?
Ironically, of all the things I did to find her, it was the story that took me 2 mins to make, lying on my bed that got her back.
The story was shared around the world on various platforms over a hundred thousand times.
It sent a message to the thieves: this dog’s too hot to handle.
This is your invitation to turn storytelling to your professional advantage.
A leader I coach put it this way:
Isn’t that good news? You don’t need to work so hard any more? You just need to tell a compelling story.
Come and join us:
STORYTELLING FOR LEADERS is a full-day in-person workshop in central London on Tuesday 25 June.
Click here for early bird tickets (till this Friday).
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stortelling-for-leaders-tickets-898143891557?aff=oddtdtcreator
Actress, writer and host of the brilliant Women Are Mad podcast Salima Saxton and I will show you how to craft a compelling story and deliver it with confidence and style.
Tuesday 25 June 10AM - 4PM in Soho.
And in the sprit of sharing and caring. If you know someone who’d benefit, forward this email using the button below.
We’ll be joined by folks across a range of industries. Most likely from some of these companies:
