Why Stories Matter

I was asked by a friend and artisan Meredith Nicole of Oden Gallery to share my thoughts on storytelling and craft. Here is the article I wrote for The Province’s blog as part of Meredith’s 5 part series. As we walk through our home, my husband and I are often struck by the amount of […]

Passion, Ceremony & Ritual

For me, the path to storytelling was an arduous one at first. I didn’t trust my own experience and instead looked to others to help define my vision. Many people I met along the way offered mentorship in the form of advice; specifically, they told me to avoid the touchy-feely trap of storytelling. They told […]

My Loaded Bow

Armed with Community.  Just over a year ago, I was invited to an evening called Loaded Bow. I didn’t know what to expect; all that I was told was that it was an evening for women entrepreneurs, and that I should bring a fellow female entrepreneur along. I brought my dear friend Theodora Lamb and proceeded […]

Myth Making

Working as a solopreneur can be a lonely road. Sure, we do our best to attend networking events and social gatherings, we join co-working spaces (like the fabulous HiVE Vancouver!) and meet friends and collaborators for coffee or lunch. We might even get a dog so that we have a reason to go outside on […]

Sunset at the End of the World

A story is a gift – best to open it slowly, careful not to peel away the layers too quickly, often finding something you may not have realized you needed. That is what happens when we share our story – we offer others insight into our world and we give permission to each other to […]

A Heart and Two Hands

Last night, I had the privilege of attending a LunaCircle at Lunapads. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Lunapads, it is an amazing organization run by two beautiful, socially-conscious women right here in Vancouver. While their products include a collection of eco-friendly menstrual products, it is their focus on empowerment, education and environmental […]

Stanford’s Design Thinking Lab

Summer can be a slow time for consultants, especially when you need to engage with your clients on a regular basis the way I do. If I haven’t already started on a project by July, clients are hesitant to start the deep Narrative process when vacation and sunshine beckon. While I do have several clients […]

Getting to “Why”

Why do you do what you do?  It seems like a simple enough question, and yet so many people struggle with it. We know “What” we do, and we often know “How” we do it, but as Simon Sinek points out in his TED talk How great leaders inspire action, “…very few people or organizations know […]

Day 3: The Law of Two Feet

Welcome to Open Space. When Harrison Owen, the inventor of Open Space Technology, walked into our room at Connecting4Community and started talking, everyone went silent. He is, after all, a celebrated leader in our community, one that pioneered the way for facilitation and conflict resolution. He is also a master storytelling, and he instantly captivated […]

Day 2: Disruption

The Fear of Missing Out, otherwise known as FOMO. My friends and I use this expression when we don’t want to leave a party early or say ‘No’ to an opportunity for fear of missing something important, exciting or transformational. My 20s were dominated by a FOMO – and now, in my 30s, I am […]