Esther Choy, Author at Leadership Story Lab

Getting A New Perspective On Leadership Storytelling

Imagine that a friend brings you an optical illusion she just found. You stare at it for several minutes, wondering, where on earth is this badger I’m supposed to be seeing? Then your friend motions to the portion of the painting where the badger is lurking. Suddenly, it pops out. What had been impossible to…

Your Business Storytelling Toolkit: Let the Story Do the Work

One sticky summer day not too long ago, I received a box in the mail from a sender I didn’t recognize. When I decided to open it, I discovered contents that made my heart beat faster. Copies of my business storytelling book, Let the Story Do the Work! My first book! I was overjoyed! However,…

We Are a Nationally Certified Woman-Owned Business

We are very pleased to share with you that we have received national certification from The Women’s Business Enterprise Council (WBENC). WBENC certification authenticates that a business is at least 51 percent woman-owned, controlled, operated and managed. It is the leading authority on women-owned businesses in the United States, and is the most rigorous and…

Turn Customers Into Brand Storytellers

Most companies have their best marketing tool right in front of them, but they don’t use it. When you give your most devoted customers a platform, you turn them into brand storytellers. In other words, you create an authentic marketing strategy that immediately builds trust with customers and potential customers. 1. Tap into the core…

5 Quotes That Show How To Simplify Complex Information

This situation happens in the workplace again and again: various business units must collaborate over multiple long-term projects. However, each team struggles to communicate exactly what their value propositions are, much less what each team really does. Without writing a three-page memo, how will these teams know the best way to collaborate with each other?…

There’s No Such Thing As an “Average Attention Span”

The shrinking attention span is an urban myth… well, almost one. Here’s why. Attention is all about individuals and what interests them. “People can and do focus their attention well when they want to and are interested in a particular task or activity,” says Dr. Gemma Briggs, senior lecturer in psychology at The Open…

Experts Weigh In On Attention, Memory and Retention

Our conversation with Dr. Gemma Briggs, senior lecturer in psychology at The Open University: 1. In the “Busting the Attention Span Myth” article on BBC, you argue that attention spans are not getting shorter, and that the idea of an “average” attention span is not meaningful. Is this good news for public speakers? Yes, the…

Mothers Are Leadership Storytellers. Here’s Why.

In 2015, when my daughters were six and three, I jotted down the following story: Tonight the girls are trying to go to sleep, with Dad keeping them company in the rocking chair. All of a sudden Alina sits up on her bed and begins a dramatic episode of ‘I’m-too-scared-to-sleep.’ Then, Melia [her younger sister]…

Are You Prepared To Tell Persuasive Stories At A Moment’s Notice?

In my last post, I mentioned that while interviewing MBA candidates, I saw how their efforts to prepare often backfired. Preparation made them cling to their rehearsed answers, rather than listening closely to what I was truly asking, and answering in an authentic, informed way. Thankfully, there are tools for connecting authentically with your interviewer…

Don’t Forget This Key Element of Job Interview Prep

Last time you had a job interview, what lengths did you go to in order to prepare? Bonus points if your job interview prep included buying new clothes or hiring a coach! When we want to land a new job we’re excited about, we try to plan the details. But do those details include…