I weighed under 100 pounds when I graduated from college. My mother came for graduation and stared at me. "Are you anorexic?!" No, mom, just broke.
When External Expectations Improve Your Internal Story
Derek is a successful businessman, and he attributes his massive transformation from troubled kid to successful adult to one person. His childhood friend believed in him, stuck by him when he was known as a horrible person to be around, and made it clear that he wasn't going anywhere.
It was this person that inspired Derek to grow and change and transform his life - because he wanted his friend to be right in believing in him.
Derek is the CEO of At Hand Spray Systems, but prefers to be defined by his unique approach to problem solving. Most people try to solve problems in a linear way, which frequently results in symptom solving. Derek approaches problems spherically, using all 360 degrees to find solutions to the root cause, not the symptoms.
Find Your Brave, Use Stories as Evidence
You were likely pretty brave as a child, I know most children start out ready to jump into an adventure, sing on a stage, and climb anything - with our without shoes. But what happens to us as we move into the higher grades? Why do we lose our sense of adventure, our sense of self, our self confidence?
Getting Out Alive: A Story of Professional Survival
How Storytelling Shapes Your Internal Messages
I had the opportunity to ask Leili McKinley, founder and CEO of Identitype LLC a few questions about her pivotal moments in life, and how she was able to identify those moments, and years later was able to apply them to difficult situations.
She surprised me with her analogy of her skill in creating a corset as the foundation for a wedding gown designed during her time at Parson's School of Design in NYC. As she builds experiences, she sees those experiences as the corset-building, or foundation-building of her behavior, persistence, and success.
Visit Leili's website and LinkedIn profile for more information about the IdentitypeTM system she created (in her words):
... to help you be the leader you were born to be, build a brand, and grow your business (ME, Inc.) because you’re passionate about what you do, and because you want to create more income for yourself and the people you love.
Micromanagers Inspire You... to Quit
Cheryl Snapp Conner | Your Stories Don't Define You | Episode 1
What stories from your past became pivotal moments as you look back at them?
I had the opportunity to visit with Cheryl Snapp Conner about a difficult boss she encountered early in her career. That experience drove her to try something completely surprising to her - she left the company to start her own business.
Listen to the podcast to hear the lessons she learned in the situation, and to sit in on the conversation about how this story has impacted how Cheryl sees herself today.
Want to learn more about Cheryl and her stories? Visit her company website: Snapp Conner PR, or follow her on LinkedIn.
