Posts by Esther Choy
Telling Stories Across Lifecycles: Esther Speaks with YourStory
Throughout your business’s lifecycle, storytelling gives you an edge. From those nervous moments of pitching your idea to investors to the sleepless pace of promoting your new company to the times when you furrow your brow and reflect on how well your company is attracting and retaining talent—all of these stages are moments when story…
Read MorePause: How to Tell Riveting Stories By Doing Nothing
I can recognize a good story after listening to just a few opening lines. Two years ago, I was coaching my colleague, Reena Kansal, on sharing her experience with an Indian fortune teller. The story had all the right elements and it pulled you in as if you were a moth caught by the sight…
Read MoreToday’s Family Businesses Need Stories
During the holiday season, we are extra busy. We have endless shopping to do. Many of us travel. Some of us have end-of-the-year business to wrap up. And we’re busy hosting and attending parties. But once we get through the busyness and are finally with our colleagues, friends and family, what do we talk about?…
Read MoreA High-Impact Story Sets Leaders Apart
As a leader, how do you tell a high-impact story? A story that grabs people’s attention? Do you need more pizzazz? More song and dance? While that helps, you can also think about the sequencing of fact and emotion in order to arouse curiosity. When people are thinking and guessing along with you, their curiosity…
Read MoreHow Storytelling Helps You Demonstrate That You Fit In
When I served as an admissions officer for the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, one thing became abundantly clear: Every year, thousands of applicants with stellar GMAT scores, strong career experience and genuine praise from their managers got rejected (and still do). The problem, as I saw it, was that having strong…
Read MoreWhy Are Stories So Powerful?
In this interview with Aimee Hanson at Glass Hammer, Esther reveals three reasons why stories are so powerful: They are more memorable than facts alone They impact decision-making much more than you might expect. They build consensus. Read Esther’s interview to find out more about why stories are so powerful—and learn quick tips for better…
Read MoreMaking a Dry Topic Riveting
Roger Dooley gave Esther a challenge on a recent episode of The Brainfluence Podcast. “Why don’t you give me an example of a rather boring product sales situation. I can imagine half the people in the audience saying, ‘well, there’s absolutely nothing riveting about what I do.’ How do you translate that into a story…
Read MoreBusiness Storytelling Connects You With (Almost) Everyone
After meeting a new person, people often wonder if they established a strong connection. On the Selling in a Skirt Podcast with Judy Hoberman, Esther emphasizes that it’s important to be at ease with the fact that you can’t connect with everyone, even though business storytelling does help. Once you are not trying hard to…
Read MoreStorytelling for Entrepreneurs: Lessons From An Unlikely Source
Carl, a computer science PhD, fidgeted a little in a sunny conference room. Across from him, the president of a large family office sat waiting to hear details about Carl’s start-up, Chart Hero. Using AI, Chart Hero would seamlessly, confidentially and accurately relate patients’ information, medical history, current status and potential treatment needs across hospitals,…
Read MoreHow to Interview for a Leadership Role
Being interviewed for a leadership position is not exactly like being interviewed for other roles. No longer are you being interviewed on your skillset but also about who you are as a leader. The stakes are high, and the competition is stiff. How do you ace the interview? To find out, Moira Lawler interviewed…
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