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So let's get started. Happy Friday, Becky, What's up,
y'all Happy Friday. Good to be back on part two,
part two of storytelling for good mini series. I hope you enjoyed last week, you know, we decided we kind of looked back we're like, we realized we talked about storytelling a lot. Which means we get questions about storytelling a lot. And we just wanted to dedicate a couple of weeks to live some of the cool questions that we've heard that have gotten our mind spinning of just what is the best way to show up? And what is the best way to lean into this work, because we believe in the power of storytelling. And if there's one thing that we've learned even more launching this is the power of storytelling is such a gift to our sector, and we just want to be better at it right?
Can I geek out about something real quick. I mean, I've been seeing it happen. And I'm so excited about it. And it's really this evolution of storytelling that we're seeing happen right now in the sector. And naturally, I need to tattle on myself, because when I was first starting to storytel, and, uh, you know, I'm a writer by trade. And I'm, that's me at its most basic form. And I remember interviewing people in our early days. And I remember, there was just this linear formula that we would just use to talk and it was like, very much the hero's journey, your very typical storytelling arc. And I remember all my stories, like started sounding the same in John, you would never be so unkind as to say that they weren't, but they totally were. And, and I'm just watching right now, this movement, where it's like, linear is, I mean, it tends to be so hashtag basic right now. And it's still a tried and true formula. But the way that we're watching storytelling evolved to be more human, to really get into this nexus of seeing someone and seeing yourself in someone else's shoes, and or seeing yourself as a being a catalyst for change for that person. The evolution of that is so exciting. And so we were like, we're going to dive deeply into this moment. Because we don't want you to feel like you're stuck in that linear format that was in my mindset for so long. Because there's such an opportunity here to be creative, to be human, to be inclusive, and to cast that story as far as you can, and to let it go on and on in different mediums. So y'all, if you're not feeling the energy, from the storytelling moment, we're standing in, I'm telling you, it's here for the taking. But we're we're gonna like dive into that deeply. We tease this course that we are about to unpack in the We Are For Good community, but nestled within that we've just found, like some little epiphanies, and we're lifting those epiphanies through some questions that we've gotten over the years. And I just think it's awesome that we're diving more deeply into like having existential discussions about what are the things that are holding us up and storytelling in the nonprofit sector?
Yeah, I mean, I personally, you know, I shared this last week that I never felt like I was a storyteller. You know, I felt like this is something that I needed to learn and grow into. And now like, I look back, and I see, it does take just putting yourself out there and just starting wherever you're at, because as you kind of flex the muscle, as you put yourself in this situation, we're going to talk about interviews today. Because interviewing is one of these big powerhouses, it's not just has to come from within you, like go find the people to talk to to draw the story out. And so if you missed last week, let me point to one of the questions we answered, because I don't think you want to miss this. One of the key things is finding people to talk to right finding stories to draw out. And we addressed a question that we got in this room one day of how do I find the person to talk to nobody on my board? Do I want to interview we'll go back to last Friday's episode, and we're gonna give you lots of ideas. But let's just assume that you have got somebody in front of you, somebody that has agreed they've accepted your calendar request, and you're gonna go interview somebody? Here's a question we get. And sidenote, I was asking this question to a few years ago, how do you prep for an interview? And how do you get people to really share their heart share their story and go beyond just the surface? And so be I feel like you should lead in because you taught me basically everything I know about this. And yeah, how do we approach it? How do we approach going in interviews?
Yeah, I think we all just, like kind of tripped through this experience just trying and ending you know, it's like a muscle interviewing storytelling is like a muscle you get better and better at it, the more you flex it. And the first place that I tell people to start is, know your organization's values. And I know that you're probably rolling your eyes because we bring this up all the time. But I promise they will act as anchors to you to help you connect on a deeper level with someone. The second thing I would say is no enough to be dangerous. Like, I think, can we give Julie, a shout out for this on the podcast like she before we ever have anybody that comes on to the podcast, she's doing her research. And that's what I mean by no enough to be dangerous. You know, you need to find those collision points where your organizational values and this person's personal story and experience come together. And that can be such a powerful moment that creates safety in the space, it creates that psychological safety where someone feels cared for that they can come in and share their heart that can be open and know that it's going to be cared for. And can I just say something about our interview process that I think is really interesting. And I don't know that we intentionally did this, but it just kind of organically happens. That time before the interview. And right after the interview, that is sacred space. And I want to share a story about it. If I can for a second, before we dive more deeply into this question about oh my gosh, probably about 10 years ago, John and I were working on this employee campaign for our health care organization. And we were like two or three years. And so we had some impact that we could point back to. And we'd had a particular individual who came into our video studio and she was going to talk she was a recipient of one of these gifts, and she was in remission from cancer. The gift that she received was we had like, over 300 employees who had paid in to create this incredible program called survivor fit. And survivor fit was getting people who were recently in remission and beyond, to get them active to get them exercising again, and to get them counseling. And it was like full mind body spirit. And these employees raised like, I don't even remember John like 40 50,000. I mean, it was probably eventually 100,000 At one point, we had this woman come in, and we were going to interview her. And she had gotten one of these survivor fit scholarships. And when she walked into the studio, we met her we met her husband, we take that extra 10 minutes just to get to know her, we she shares a little bit about her cancer story. And then we say to her, Do you know how this was funded? And she said well through the hospital? And we said well, yes, but this was actually employee gifts, that funded this, this came out of their paycheck, because they believe so deeply in it. And did you know that a portion of the people who gave to this, we have their stories, and they were giving on behalf of a loved one who's had cancer? Those who survived and those who didn't? And this is their love letter to you? And that woman? Do you remember her? Stephanie? Am I allowed to say her name? I'm not sure Stephanie, I still can see her. And her hair was just recently growing back, she was so moved, she was crying before she ever gotten the chair. And I can tell you that interview that she gave us was 150% More all in because she had an understanding about it, she felt that people were rooting for her. So I do think that there's the sense of before you even get into the guts of that story, you have the opportunity to to create a safe space, you have the opportunity to share and make someone feel warm and included and in control of their own story. And I think when you can create that, something magical happens when you actually hit play, if it's a video or play with your podcast or play with your pen if you're just taking these notes.
Yeah, I mean, I remember that moment too. And it is about creating the safe place because it could have been a completely transactional moment. And this is what I would say, as you're prepping for an interview. Do not let it be transactional. You know, you have this human soul that is giving you their time and has agreed to share their story. Like what a gift. And so we really try to stay in that sacred space to create that moment. But in that, you know, have really great credit questions ready, because it's really easy also to fall in the trap of the transactional questions. And you know, we have not interviewed a ton of celebrities at this point or people that you know, are worldwide famous. But I do think it's really subversive, whenever you can come in, and they get taken aback when you ask something that's not just the expected, you know, I think people get used to, and they didn't even think about their apply of like, the basic questions that you could throw at somebody. But for us, one of ours moments that I see it happen is take us back to a moment in philanthropy in your life that really has stuck with you. How many times is that asked you on the street? You know, you think we get tired of asking that question, but even this last week In recording, someone's like, I've never thought about that before. And they go back in the recesses in this safe place to bring us back to a moment when they're a child. And they had this formative moment. And it's like, I have chills thinking about that. Because if you create the space, and you give a question that's going to take somebody off of just like the autopilot answer that we all know how to say, what do you do for a living or something like that? Which we're not even good at answering that question. Let's be clear. But you know, I'm saying like asking that allows somebody and gives them the space and the time and they don't feel rushed to go back and really be thoughtful and think about it. And, you know, you started by talking about the values, if you can see the through line to the values that connected you on the front end, and then you start to see it in their story, it allows you to go even deeper. And that's, I think it's rewarding for both the person being interviewed, and you as the interviewer. Because you find that commonality that's way below the surface, that you're like, Oh, I've seen I mean, of course, you're centering dignity, because you experienced that at such a young age in this experience. And I just think that's when magic happens. And that's when you kind of fall out of we're doing an interview, and you're like, we're just having this really deep, wonderful conversation where both sides feel seen. And I think, you know, we have that superpower, as nonprofits as impact organizations that are listening today, you can ask those questions, philanthropy lives in that really special place that's at that vortex of something that can be deeply personal, deeply meaningful, and most likely, really aligned with the values that they want to show up in in the world. And it's like, don't leave that off the table, you know, by just asking, what do you do for work, or something like that?
Right? I mean, John, you've just completely expressed, why storytelling should never be transactional. Because there are so many opportunities that exist in the moment that you are connecting with a human being. Because the reality is, is you're not trying to write a story, you're trying to create a human connection. And when you can make that human connection, everything good, can flow from that. And I want to make sure that nobody missed anything, what you're saying about the through line, because we call it threading. And it's hilarious on the podcast when it happens, because when John sees it, he will literally like use his finger like he's threading a needle. While we're in the middle of the podcast, but I want to say threading, and finding that through line is also incredibly kind. Because when somebody says something, and you repeat back to it, and you bring it back around later on, it says I heard you, it says, I see what you're doing. It also says that really impacted me and stayed with me enough that I'm gonna bring it up later. And then what are you doing with that? You're building more trust, you're building more connection, somebody feels safe enough to share. And I'm telling you, when you get to the end, again of that interview, leave some time at the end to talk about how did that feel? You know, and what are the next steps because that is a true cobuild. And kobelt stories feel so much better than transactional stories. And so I want to round out this thought, with just one little pro tip. And I want you to know that stories of philanthropy take people to an entirely different headspace. So when you're interviewing, don't just ask about those big flashy moments don't take just the obvious answer. If you need to grab that, of course, we need to grab it. But really make sure that you're asking about the most meaningful, or formative moments, John talked about this, because that is where the emotion is, that's where the power is. And that's where the invitation for someone else to jump on, can come about, and we want people to see themselves as agents of change in the story.
Okay, you can tell we really love talking about interviewing, I think it is such a superpower that we can all lean into. So let's jump to another question. And this is one that's a little bit more sticky. But I think it's something that's a reality for many of us. What do we do when there's an imbalance between what our leader or maybe our board expects for the story that they want to be told with what the actual storyteller feels comfortable sharing, or taking us back to? Or painting a picture of what do you do in that situation? And how do you navigate it?
Hello, Q, the ethical storytelling moment like that is flashing. I, this has happened to me a couple of times in my career. And it's a tough place to be in because you're in the middle. And my advice would be go back again to your organization's shared values and your goals and point there because that's really what we're about. And that's really about what we're amplifying, because we all collectively agreed and approved those. We all said yes, I commit to these and this is what our work represents. They are truly the ultimate litmus test. And so one of our pro tips would be, you know, Behold the power of Cobell thing and CO approval in stories. What does this mean? It means that when we're creating those interview questions, we're co building them. I'm if I'm, if I'm the person working at the nonprofit, I put a first draft together, and I send them over to the person I'm interviewing and I say, How did these feel? What are we missing? Does anything need to be reworded? Is there a part we haven't covered? That way you're already consenting on the script. When that's done, send that to your IDI, I would say just over communicate and just say, this is where we're going. And PS, this is like really micromanage because I'm more of a, hey, just go in and get the story and bring it to bear. But if this is a problem, I would say you need to over communicate with your leadership to ensure everybody's on the right page.
I love all this, because I think when you lean into like the ethical storytelling piece is, we've had this conversation on the podcast a few times, the internet really is forever, you know, or there's definitely pieces. Even if you take the story that down, that doesn't mean that it hasn't been copied somewhere else, or replicated somewhere else. And so when we're talking about the most sensitive of moments, or the most vulnerable of situations, if you don't have all of that locked down, and the consent and all of that, it becomes a really problematic thing, that we're perpetuating a lot of the stigmas systems words that we're trying to eradicate through our work. So I'm really glad you're talking about that. And real practical terms to be.
This is real. I mean, we work with so many missions that have just devastating effects with what happens within their their walls. And it's like we have domestic violence, we have homelessness, we have mental health we have we're battling so many systemic diseases, and problems within our organizations, that we really need to walk carefully with this. And I want to give a shout out to like if you're somebody that really wants to dive into this. Maria, Brian has an incredible trauma informed storytelling course that she puts together, we'll tag that up in the show notes. But I think it's just practical to give a little bit of an example. And I want to give one shout out to this incredible organization. It's called one simple wish. Jordanna Merkin was the one who really alerted us to this, if you haven't listened to Jordanna mercans podcast episode, it's fantastic. And it's about messaging and storytelling as well. But let me tell you what happened with one simple wish. This is an incredible organization, they are working in foster care, and they are literally taking, you know, spreading love and hope to people who are impacted by foster care and childhood trauma. And so I love that they say that no one ever ages out of their support. So they're working with kids and adults who've been through the system. It's an incredible organization, they get this amazing opportunity to go on a national talk, show and share this incredible story. They're bringing one of their couples together, who met through the foster care system, they're getting married, they have a beautiful story. They think they know what the story is. And this is a situation where the leadership and the storyteller were on the same page. However, the more they kept co building the script with this national talk show, it started to really deviate from the mission from the values. And so they put up this incredible post. And I'm going to link to it in the show notes the before and the after. That's basically says, we were supposed to be on a plane today, we were supposed to be headed to LA to talk with a major national public about our mission. But the script and the trajectory of this conversations shifted enough that it no longer supported our values. And none of us felt comfortable enough. And while we recognize that we are missing such an opportunity to sit down with a celebrity and share our work, we cannot ethically and fundamentally do this and still hold our heads high. And their ad put that out on an Instagram and put it on their social channels. And it was so raw, and so powerful. And so she pulled what we call the Becky straw effect because Becky straw shared a similar story on her podcast episode 220, a couple seasons ago, and they said, We're not going to be on TV today. And because we're missing the opportunity to connect with all of these individuals, here's how you can help us share why you love one simple wish. Share it on your socials talk about what it's meant to you. And if you feel compelled, here's a way that somebody can give. And guess what, John, you know what happened? I mean, the public support for it went who just like the adventure project, and I'm posting the after effect of why they turned down it was a letter from their CEO, there's two posts about why they didn't do it. And guess what, if you look even in the comments, it's like a $10,000 gift just came in You know, we have new followers, we have new subscribers, we have new donors. And they held true to their values alongside their board, their storytellers and their beneficiaries. And what a beautiful way to walk through co building together.
Holy heck, I mean, and what a cool example that's right here in this moment that's really complex and really challenging and very public at the same time. So pour into that case study, we'll link it up in the show notes. Thank you, Jordanna, for lifting that to us. And here's the thing you can tell from hanging around this episode today. We love storytelling, this, we've given examples of just the power of unlocking it. And we believe so much in it, that Becky and I have spent some time starting to develop, what are the frameworks that we've not only just learned through talking to some of the best storytellers in the world, but also through building fundraising campaigns that turned into fire, like in our nonprofit work, and how we rippled that out. And so we're launching that all into storytelling for good. It's a four week course that's happening this summer, the waitlist is live, right, this very moment, you can actually join the course now, with we're for good.com/storytelling. And we're just putting all sorts of resources and community wrapped around this course. And you get to hang with us at the same time. So it's gonna be really great offering what else you want to add about it be.
I think, I just want to tell everyone that this is not a basic course, we want to hold your hand through this. We went we've put together an actionable workbook for you templates, there's a story bank, you're going to see the We Are For Good voice style guide up front and up close of how we even tone set with the way that we storytel. We're going to help you access this massive toolkit of interview questions, checklists, pro tips so much more. And we're going to have live coaching and insight. Not only just from John and I, but from other storytellers, and people going through the course. And we just think that learning and community feels better getting ideas of what's working from the collective is a powerful, powerful weapon for you to have in your toolkit. So check it out, go to the website. We're going to repeat it just one more time. It's we're for good.com backslash storytelling, we want to see you there. Let's all elevate our storytelling game because this is the moment to lean in and humanize.
Okay, we're sending you a high five you've got this if you're looking for more resources. I hope you'll join us in the storytelling for good course this summer, but have a great Friday friends. Bye yo.
Hey, friends, thanks so much for being here. Did you know we create a landing page for each podcast episode with helpful links, freebies and even shareable graphics. Be sure to check it out at the link in this episode's description. You probably hear it in our voices but we love connecting you with the most innovative people to help you achieve more for your mission than ever before. We'd love for you to join our good community. It's free. And you can think of it as the after party to each podcast episode. You can sign up today at we are for good.com backslash Hello. One more thing If you loved what you heard today, would you mind leaving us a podcast rating and review? It means the world to us and your support helps more people find our community. Thanks friends. I'm our producer Julie confer and our theme song is Sunray by Remy Borsboom
