This is the 4th episode in a series on storytelling for professionals.

In episode 292, Sarah shared stories about her love language – which is cooking for people. She explained that when we share stories of the activities that bring us great joy in service to others, we offer a glimpse of our character and values to our audience, whether that’s at work, in an interview, with family and friends, or when we’re sharing content in any form of media or on any platform. Her stories of nurturing and nourishing people in her home demonstrated part of what makes her a good addition to any team – her positive energy and ability & ambition to create an environment where people feel safe and encouraged to bring their best.

Episode 294 was a story about a team she worked with at a job years ago. It was a work story that demonstrated her openness to learning, how she manages frustration and different ways of approaching projects and relationships, and her meeting facilitation skills.

And last week’s episode 295 was a personal story about planning a family reunion for 40 guests. It demonstrated her meeting & event planning skills, team building/leadership, and made it very clear what matters to her.

In this episode you'll hear about stories Sarah shared in job interviews, why she shared those particular stories, and the end result (spoiler alert: she didn't get the job).

The idea and goals for this series is for professionals to truly understand the value of sharing personal experiences and work stories in different environments, and to uncover your stories to begin collecting them so you're ready when an opportunity presents itself.

By preparing stories to answer the most common, (kind of stupid), questions, you have the opportunity to share so much about yourself, way beyond what’s on your resume and cover letter.

In any professional setting, whether around the proverbial water cooler, at a networking event, when presenting to your team or organization, side conversations during meetings, knowing how to share meaningful stories is a practical skill.

Collect your stories, practice them, and categorize them so you are likely to share the right one at the right time, with the right audience, demonstrating your skills, values, character, and vision.

Thanks for listening to Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will.

Curious about how Sarah's workshops and keynotes will help you and your audience or team be better ambassadors for your organization and their careers?

Visit her website, elkinsconsulting.com, to schedule a discovery call.

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"By preparing stories to answer the most common, and kind of stupid questions, you have the opportunity to share so much about yourself way beyond what's on your resume or cover letter."