Two Stories to Win the Battle of AI

Mark Twain once said, 'If I had more time I would have written you a shorter letter.' We are going to take the time right now to write that shorter letter, that powerful connection moment with your audience!

To be able to speak with energy, with a strong beginning, middle and end is a powerful skill to learn. AI can’t do that for you. Back in 2016 I learnt how to help people do this. I went to a storytelling workshop run by my dear friend Richard Garnett. He got a room full of strangers to put into 2.5 minutes their 'How did I get here' story and then present it to each other. I thought it was a cute exercise and went along with it. It was only when I spoke it out that I realised the power of what he had done. This is what I want to give you now.

Story 1 (2.5 minutes)

1. Find a journal (or pad of paper) and a pen and write down the question 'How did I get here today?'
   
2. Draw six bubbles that are big enough to write a sentence in – bubble 1 is the beginning and bubble six is the end. These bubbles are scenes from your life that answer the question, 'how did you get here today?'
   
3. Put a few phrases in each bubble that describe each section of your story. You can start as early in your life as you want.
   
   Bubble 1 & 2
   My first bubble begins when I am 13 and Mr Stubbs, my form tutor, tells the boys in my class that I will be filming a TV show and not be in school much. That one comment led to a horrendous amount of bullying, which I talk about in bubble 2.
   
   Bubble 3
   I speak in a school assembly a few years later at the age of 17 and tell 600 boys that they are all arrogant and I don’t need their pity. But it needs to stop – this arrogant bullying. That is where I discover my voice (and receive thunderous applause). 
   
   Bubble 4
   I am 32 years old, my friend Mia asks me to help her present, she discovers her voice and my business begins. 
   
   Bubble 5
   I talk about the 14-year journey of coaching all my clients 
   
   Bubble 6
   Today. I talk about the joy of coaching in this moment at the age of 46.
   
   
4. Speak out your story to a human being and time it so it is 2.5 minutes long. Find someone you trust. At the end, ask them what was sticky – what they remembered.
   
5. You now have your 'why story' in 2.5 minutes. You know what your audience liked and now it is about finding as many places to tell that story as possible. The more you tell, the more you refine and realise what matters. It will change over the years and it will give you confidence. You will find one sentence, one thread of your life that makes sense in a business context and you can start to bring it into business.

Story 2 (1 minute)

Now take your 6 bubbles in two minutes and make it 3 bubbles in one minute. The fruit of this exercise is that now you have:

- the quick introduction of who you are
- the story version of a list of facts about you
- the opener to a meeting
- the bio on a website
- the hello at a networking event

Tell it to a human, record it on an audio note on your phone. Practise it until you are happy with it. This is a gift to every human you come across. Because everyone needs connection. You are the connection, not AI. It always needs to start with you and only you can tell your story!

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