How Surrender, Resiliency and Reconciliation Create Impactful Storytelling

06/12/24 • 30 min

I’m on stage performing at Santa Barbara Improv. My scene partner and I are playing a game of He Said, She Said which goes like this: After every line of dialogue from one person, their scene partner will then narrate something physical for them to do.

For instance, let’s say that I say to my scene partner, “I’m so angry at you right now.” My partner then narrates something like, “She said while jumping up and down on one foot.” And I actually have to do the thing.

So we’re in the middle of a mob scene digging a hole, and my partner says, “She says while taking a cigar out of her back pocket and lighting it.”

Being a dedicated athlete my whole life, I never learned how to light a cigar. So when I pretend to do it, I fumble around with it which causes the audience to lose it so much that my scene partner keeps on narrating me lighting cigars.

Pretty soon, I’m losing it too, almost crying because I’m trying to hold in my laughter so much. It turned into a delightful disaster on stage, yet one that ends up being one of my funniest bits.

My special guest today can certainly relate. Polo Reo Tate is a comedian herself as well as an author, actress, keynote speaker, philanthropist, podcaster, and so much more. In this episode of the Storytelling School Podcast, you’ll hear how she champions authenticity and resiliency through storytelling and beyond and get answers to questions such as:

Why do you have an innate Improv storytelling ability? How do the rules of Improv storytelling mirror the rules of life? How does reconciling within yourself the low points of your life impact your power as a speaker and storyteller? And what role does your physicality play in enhancing your stories?

What you will learn in this episode:

Why you have to get your story on paper, even if you never share it
How you can get unusual story inspiration from mundane situations
How craft and intuition interconnect when preparing and giving a presentation

Who is Polo?

As an author by soul, actor by trade, artist at heart, and uplifter to the core of her being, Polo Reo Tate redefines what it means to be a Renaissance Woman. From a myriad of life experiences, she intimately understands the transformational value in mindfully getting to know ourselves wholly and love ourselves unconditionally in order to live fully in the freedom of our own authenticity. Her supreme love for people, and the clarity with which she sees and celebrates the superpowers of those around her, allows her to help elevate the energy of any relationship or situation brought forth by a client.

Whether she is in front of a camera, a crowd, or the company of one, Polo revels in the kinetic web of creativity that is born from every interaction, every co-creation. She lives each moment to the fullest, lets no one take her joy, and avidly operates from the belief that we can do anything upon which we set our minds, hearts, and spirits. She welcomes and invites you to embrace your own infinite possibility, embody the loving being that you are, and feel the power and the pleasure of being fully present in your own life.

Links and Resources

So we’re in the middle of a mob scene digging a hole, and my partner says, “She says while taking a cigar out of her back pocket and lighting it.”

Pretty soon, I’m losing it too, almost crying because I’m trying to hold in my laughter so much. It turned into a delightful disaster on stage, yet one that ends up being one of my funniest bits.

What you will learn in this episode:

Why you have to get your story on paper, even if you never share it
How you can get unusual story inspiration from mundane situations
How craft and intuition interconnect when preparing and giving a presentation

Who is Polo?

Links and Resources

Previous Episode

How to Turn Questions into Storytelling Opportunities: The Handshake Technique

“Kymberlee, how are you always able to take questions and turn them into storytelling opportunities?”

That’s the question my client Claire asks me as we’re getting her ready for a big keynote presentation. As I’m quickly thinking about how to answer her, I realize that I mostly do it unconsciously. Yet I know that’s not really a helpful answer, so I replay in my mind the times I’ve recently turned a question into a story.

Then it hits me: I’ve been building bridges from questions asked to times in my life that are in some way related to the questions... during handshake moments.

So I explain my thought process to Claire who, during our next coaching sessions, reports that she’s been binging on my technique to great fun and success. She feels like every time she turns a question into a storytelling opportunity, her connection with that other person goes deeper faster.

In this installment of the “Storytelling 7 Series” on the Storytelling School Podcast, you’ll learn about how you can turn questions into storytelling opportunities, too. I’ll also answer questions like:

How can you understand the concept of a handshake as it relates to questions and storytelling? What practical tips can help you improve your storytelling skills with the Handshake Technique? And how do you make your story responses more engaging and relatable using this technique?

What you will learn in this episode:

How to connect questions to stories using the Handshake Technique
How to hone your storytelling skills by classifying and building story arsenals
How to make storytelling through this technique more natural and effective

A little about me:

Hi there. I’m Kymberlee.

As a Speaking Strategist and founder of Storytelling School, I’ve had the pleasure of working with over 500 speakers, business leaders, and entrepreneurs worldwide for over a decade. No matter if those folks were getting ready to take the TED or TEDx stage or preparing for a high-stakes presentation with everything on the line, my specialty is High Stakes Short Form Communication. I’ve seen what works when influencing change and what doesn’t. It turns out storytelling is one of the most powerful tools you can have in your arsenal. That’s why I’m building a movement of master storytellers to affect change in the world on a global scale to help people tell real stories that have influence and impact. With effective storytelling, you change people’s lives.

Since competition for potential client attention is fierce, a story can make the difference between being memorable or irrelevant. You’ll find me sharing my matcha tea mishap to discuss perfectionism, my quest for Bruce Lee and Hello Kitty art to explore kindness or the six months of live blade training I underwent to illustrate presence. I spend my days showing the power of using stories to help cement ideas and bring lessons to life and teach my clients to do the same.

If you think business owners can’t tell stories or don’t have stories to share with their clients, staff, donors, followers, or investors, I invite you to reconsider your perspective. There’s no better place than in business to tell your stories so audiences, no matter how big or small, can understand how you think and what you value.

Now it’s your turn... If you’re ready to become a master storyteller and effect change in our world, you’ve come to the right place.

Links and Resources:

Next Episode

How Storytelling Can Transform Awareness

It's 2017, and I'm meeting with our TEDxSantaBarbara team, preparing to plan our next year's TEDx event. As we start discussing the hundreds of speaker applications we've received, it feels incredibly hard to narrow down our selections with so many wonderful candidates. That's when it hits me.

What if we focus on the idea first and the person second? In other words, what if we identify the most important and urgent ideas we want to cover and then consider all the applications, recommendations, and research to find the strongest person with subject matter expertise in that area?

Our team loves this approach, and we immediately engage in healthy dialogue, even debate, about which ideas our world and our community need the most right now. One of the ideas that rises to the top of the list unanimously is human trafficking.

Fast forward many months later, the speaker we choose delivers an incredible Talk, not only highlighting the issue of human trafficking but also discussing actionable solutions. And now her TEDxSantaBarbara Talk has earned over 400,000 views and counting. This means more than just a number; it signifies that by sharing her Idea Worth Spreading, she has initiated change on a global scale. This means change in awareness, change in mindset, and change in action.

My special guest today is that very same speaker. Megan Rheinschild is Director of the Victim Assistance Program at the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office and directs the Countywide Sexual Assault Response Team, which provides medical-legal forensic exams and advocacy to survivors of human trafficking, child abuse, and sexual assault. In this episode of the Storytelling School Podcast, we’ll explore the issue of human trafficking and the power of storytelling in raising awareness and creating change and get answers to questions such as:

What are some common misconceptions of human trafficking? How can storytelling foster empathy and understanding? And what can the average person do to make a difference?

What you will learn in this episode:

How human trafficking can occur in any community or city
Why it’s difficult to break free from exploitation when trafficking victims form a bond with their traffickers
How storytelling is a powerful tool in raising awareness and creating empathy
How we can make a difference by providing love, acceptance, and support to vulnerable individuals

Who is Megan?

Megan Rheinschild serves as the Director of the Victim Assistance Program at the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office. In this role, she oversees a countywide initiative that delivers comprehensive services, support, and advocacy for victims of violent crime and their families.

Ms. Rheinschild has been instrumental in forming the Human Trafficking Victim Advocacy Program and establishing the multi-agency Countywide Human Trafficking Task Force in 2013. This task force aims to identify and investigate human trafficking cases and address the complex needs of survivors through collaborative efforts with local, regional, and state partners.

Additionally, she directs the Countywide Sexual Assault Response Team, a partnership involving Law Enforcement, Public Health, Rape Crisis Centers, and Child Welfare Services. This team provides medical-legal forensic exams and advocacy to survivors of human trafficking, child abuse, and sexual assault.

Links and Resources