What Do You Know To Be True?

Storytelling in business has been a hot topic for quite some time, but crafting a strategic narrative is a newer concept, one that our guest, Guillaume Wiatr, knows a lot about.

What’s the difference between a story and a narrative?

As Guillaume shares with us, the old question of the glass half full or half empty can be instructive. The glass itself is the story, your perspective on its disposition is the narrative.

***True Snacks is a bite-sized learning excerpt from the full What Do You Know To Be True? podcast episode. To listen to the full episode click here: ***

In this conversation, Guillaume helps me understand the difference between a story and narrative, and how the process is both a decluttering of noise, and a creating of clarity.
Guillaume also gives a glimpse of the actions he took to take control of the strategic narrative for his own company.

If someone were to ask me before this conversation what Guillaume does, I would have said that he helps entrepreneurs and business owners craft the story they tell about the why, how, and what they do.

Problem is, that would have been wrong.

Guillaume is quick to use words like abundance, joy, and love, but is clear about how these things need to be applied in a systematic approach that produces money, for his clients and him.

He also says that for many new business owners, despite what Simon Sinak says, starting with why can be dangerous.
In this episode, Guillaume answers the following questions:

· What is the difference between a story and narrative?

· How is narrative used in business?

· What does narrative literally mean?

· What are some common examples of narratives in business?

Links to resources mentioned in the episode:
- Guillaume’s company, Metahelm

If you like the conversation, please share this episode with one other person. Thank you!

Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose.
For more info and to subscribe to the podcast, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Have you ever been stuck between two options, only to find a better option is the third option?
And of course, you’ve found the truth in between two very different renditions of the same event.
That space in between or unseen just beyond two options is the space of integration – and it can only be found if you are looking for it.
Executive Coach and Organization Development Consultant, Asli Aker is a master at being aware of and identifying the integrative space between two seemingly opposite things. Some refer to this as polarity management, but that sounds like a technique. For Asli, it’s a way of life. A way of being.
***True Snacks is a bite-sized learning excerpt from the full What Do You Know To Be True? podcast episode. To watch the full episode with Asli, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuFN-bxrXO8&list=PLbWfh34FP_dUcAaCrI31z00_fLdphi6b7&index=10 ***
Asli gracefully moves in the spaces between opposites to help her clients find the integration space that’s right for them.
It even shows up in how she talks about awareness. She eloquently weaves the warp and woof of polarities into a tapestry of integration – a space that feels holistic, safe, and true.
In this conversation, you will find out the true meaning of her name, “authentic,” and that she was born into this superhero power of finding that integrative space between two opposites.
In this episode, Asli answers the following questions:
• What do we mean by awareness?
• What is the real meaning of awareness?
• What is polarity management?
• What is the role of energy in polarity management?
My favorite quote from the episode: “Imagine what you can accomplish when you’re more alive.”
What I know to be true about the episode: I am in awe of how smoothly and effortlessly Asli weaves polarities into the conversation, into sentence after sentence. Not as a way of calling attention to the opposites, but instead to occupy the space in between them.
What I learned from the episode: A lot about polarity management, including that it’s a misnomer. Perhaps it should be called “integration management,” since that’s the end goal
Resources mentioned in this episode can be found at the episode website:
- Asli’s company, Niches Coaching and Consulting
If you like the conversation, please share this episode with one other person. Thank you!
Chapters
Keywords
#PolarityManagement, #Awareness, #AchievingMore
Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.
"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.
For more info, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com
"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

Yes, this conversation with Nicole Kincaid is about her superpower of helping individuals better manage their stuff and their space AND it’s a masterclass in empathy, holding space for clients, and self-regulation.
Our relationship with our physical possessions, our stuff, is never just about the stuff.
****True Snacks is a bite-sized learning excerpt from the full What Do You Know To Be True? podcast episode. To watch the full episode: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/nicole ****
We know this. We know this because we have a box in our closet of things we’ve had for decades, haven’t looked through it, and provide provides no functional value to us today, and yet it remains in the closet.
Maybe it’s the watch your wife gave you 25 years ago, your grandfather’s pilot wings, the old hockey jersey...it’s stuff with meaning, and you are never going to get rid of it.
And then there’s the stuff that had meaning, but no longer has meaning. That stuff, once you think about it, can go.
Energy worker, Nicole Kincaid, helps clients understand the relationship and energy with their stuff, so that they can be more intentional about the stuff they surround themselves with. With empathy, non-judgment, and the realization that the solutions she comes up with and not the right solutions for the client.
Nicole knows only the client can create the right solutions for themselves.
Nicole also leans into the value of creating systems for success. And this is where the masterclass level knowledge shows up as Nicole shares “You can’t create the systems before you’ve gone through the stuff.”
While I’m reminded of comedian George Carlin famously quipped the following question: “Have you noticed that your friend’s stuff is shit, and your shit is stuff?,” (I’m sure he came up with that line after helping a friend move), it feels like it’s all really important, not the stuff, but the relationship with the stuff.
In this episode, Nicole answers the following questions:
- What is Stuffology?
- How to declutter your space?
- Why is decluttering hard?
- What are the steps in decluttering?
My favorite quote from the episode: “You can’t create the systems before you’ve gone through the stuff.”
What I know to be true about the episode: I need to spend more time thinking about my relationship with my stuff and sitting with the deeper understanding of what my relationships with my stuff means. And to timebox that *stuff* - only so much emotional heavy lifting one can do in anyone setting.
What I learned from the episode: I love how so much of what Nicole talks about in helping her client discover their relationship with their stuff is relevant to the work I do with my consulting and coaching clients, from discovering the emotional connections to honoring the agency and brilliance within the clients to own their issues and design their solutions.
Resources mentioned in the episode:
- Nicole’s website: https://nicolekincaid.com/
Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.
"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superpower, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.
"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.c

What do you do when you cannot find a community that serves your needs?
If you are Michaela Corning, you create it.
As an entrepreneur, an outgoing sales person, an amplifier, a woman, and a Muslim, Michaela found herself in the middle of an “intersectionality twister” game in workplaces that were not safe for her and she could not find the community that she envisioned. One that provided regenerative well-being and joy for her and other Muslim women.
So in 2021, she created Barakah Beauty Collective – the first women only salon and boutique in Seattle focused on uplifting Muslim women economically, spiritually, and physically.
***True Snacks is a bite-sized learning excerpt from the full What Do You Know To Be True? podcast episode. To watch the full episode with Michaela, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HO_xHrIzWM&list=PLbWfh34FP_dWsmhLMNNz6IPXanydwpH-U&index=6 ***
With love, business smarts, and a boatload of hard work and perseverance, Barakah Beauty Collective is thriving.
And she has built something that is serving the needs of Muslim and non-Muslim woman, and inspiring the next generation of Muslim girls to dream and achieve bigger.
In this episode, Michaela answers the following questions:
- How to build community?
- How to build community where one does not exist?
- What is modest fashion?
- Is it necessary to have a cat to make a video go viral?

My favorite quote from the episode: “If it’s going to focus on serving the needs of the community, then it needs to reflect the community it’s in and what they need, right? That’s a ‘duh.’”

What I know to be true about the episode: Michaela is an inspiration. She is the change she wants to see in the world.

What I learned from the episode: A good friend, Lakshmi Gopalkrishnan, just shared with me the idea that whatever you have been told that you are too much of, or too little, that thing you are “not the right amount of” is your superpower and your strength, and you need to find the place where that can shine. Michaela is proof positive of that.

Resources mentioned in the episode:
- Michaela’s Modest Fashion Company: https://michaelacorning.com/
- Barakah Beauty Collective: https://barakahbeautycollective.com/
Keywords

#Community #Community Building #How to build a community,

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/
"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/

As a leader, coach or mentor, our role is to help others find their voice and tell their story.
Of course we want to improve our abilities to do this for our people, so I reached out to a professional sports broadcaster and storyteller, Jen Mueller, to learn how she has honed her craft.
Today’s guest is one of those amazing storytellers. I’m grateful for the opportunity to sit down with Jen Mueller and learn more about her extraordinary talent of empowering others to own their voice.
Jen is well known for her sidelines reporting and post-game interviews with the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Mariners.
Jen frequently interviews athletes right after they made the game winning play and when they’ve made a mistake to lose a game.
And she doesn’t shy away from asking the difficult questions, not only because that’s her job, but because the athletes and coaches want the opportunity to answer those questions.
Off the field, Jen is a keynote speaker, leadership consultant, and content creator, sharing valuable insights from her experiences in sports and beyond.
In this episode, Jen answers the following questions:
- How do you help someone to tell their story?
- How do you get someone to tell their story?
- What does it mean to have your own voice?
- What does it mean to own your own story?
My favorite quote from the episode: “Open-end questions create confusion.”
In coaching and consulting, we’re told to ask open-ended questions, so hearing this perspective was really valuable. The context of a coaching or consulting conversation is much different than a news interview, but I had not thought about open-ended questions like this before.
What I know to be true about the episode: Jen is a pro. I love how well thought-out and planful her strategies and tactics are, and how she bakes in contingency and flexibility into her frameworks to reflect the rapidly-changing nature of sports.
What I learned from the episode: Jen shared two great frameworks. The first is about the relationship-building power of saying “Hello” and how simple it is as a precursor to a deepening of trust. The second framework is how she identifies and nurtures questions through the day, the week, and a season.
Resources mentioned in the episode:
- Jen’s company: Talk Sporty To Me
Keywords
#OwnYouVoice #Storytelling #SportsBroadcaster #Empathy #Curiosity #Connection
Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.
"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.
For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/
"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/