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Storytelling for Solopreneurs, How to Find Your Story with Karen Eber, Ep #115

You may have heard that people remember things better when they are framed as a story. It’s true. Effective storytelling has the power to inform, influence, and inspire which can help you improve your company culture and increase your bottom line.

Karen Eber is an experienced storyteller that understands how to use the science behind storytelling to bring people together. She is here today to help us learn how to turn our ideas into stories. In this episode, she brings actionable tips that can help you get started creating your own stories that fit your company culture.

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in…

  • How Karen began as a storyteller [1:22]
  • How Karen connected diverse people through stories [6:46]
  • How to hack your story [9:13]
  • Where to find your story [17:36]
  • How often should you review your stories [19:40]
  • Outlining your story structure [21:22]
  • Karen expands on Gabe’s story [28:03]
  • The money questions [37:15]

How Karen became a storyteller

Karen Eber is a keynote speaker, expert storyteller, and international consultant that helps companies evolve how they build teams, transform culture, and tell stories.

Karen started telling stories when she was 5 years old. At that young age, she discovered the power of storytelling as a way to connect with people, create a strong memory and even flip a narrative.

As the head of culture at GE, Karen had a diverse group of people to connect and was able to show how people are more alike than different. Listen in to learn how she has used her storytelling experience to bring people together.

Use the 5 factory settings of the brain to hack your storytelling

Everyone wonders how to create their own story: what should it include, what shouldn’t it include, and how should they navigate their story? Storytelling can be easier if you know how to the brain works and how to hack the default settings of the mind. Consider these 5 areas as you create your story.

  1. The brain is lazy. The brain’s main goal is to get you through the day alive. That means that the brain does what it can to conserve calories and make everything the same. This is where your story comes in. Don’t allow it to be lazy and predictable. Add in a clever phrase, change the structure, and engage the senses.
  2. The brain makes assumptions. This ties in with the brain’s propensity for laziness. As humans, we make predictions so that we can know how to respond based on past experiences. We constantly try to guess the ending of a tv show, book, or even a meeting. Employ this by slowing down, popping in something unexpected, or leaving the listener hanging.
  3. The brain utilizes a library of files. At the subconscious level, our brains take in so much information each day. This means that we must organize the information into folders based on our understanding of past experiences. We anchor our thoughts and experiences to what we know. Leverage this understanding to anchor listeners to what they already know.
  4. Humans are drawn to in-groups and repelled from out-groups. We have connections to the in-groups and feel different from the out-groups. You can leverage this knowledge to draw your listener into the in-group or help them understand the experience of the out-group.
  5. The brain seeks pleasure and avoids pain. Use language to harness feelings and heighten the senses.

Stories start with the audience

Getting started with the story is often the hardest part. The best place to start your story is with the audience. Knowing your audience can help you understand how to tell your story. You will tell a story differently to a group of 7-year-olds than you would to a group of elderly people.

Think about who your audience is and what the outcome of the story should be. What do you want your audience to know, think, feel, or do afterward?

Next, you need to meet them where they are. Consider your obstacles and anchor your story to your audience to get them to reach your objective.

Remember, your story doesn’t have to be perfect. Good storytellers make creating a beautiful story seem effortless, but it isn’t. However, anyone can take a story and make it great if they put some thought into it.

Don’t miss out on this episode to hear how you can transform the stories you tell so that you can ultimately reach your objective.

Connect with Karen Eber

Connect With Gabe Nelson

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