When I first started StoryWork over six years ago, the idea came from a stirring— the feeling of having something inside of you that you know you're supposed to act on. As it turns out, that pattern has led me to keep creating many things over the years.
StoryWork started out a as life and business strategy company— to help leaders, entrepreneurs, and people work through any roadblocks or holdbacks that stood in the way of them gaining more freedom to walk in their purpose through individual consulting. The tagline was and still is: "Define your story; make it matter." I went through many revisions of the logo, insistent that it perfectly encapsulate my vision— my purpose.
After fighting through difficult years of postpartum depression and trying to figure out life with a little person to raise, I really enjoyed the work. It was my outlet, the space where I could create. I wanted to draw my own map, so to speak, because I couldn’t find it anywhere else.
As I started working with life strategy clients, we delved into the depths of their life stories, what impacted them (triumphs and hardships), and how the threads woven throughout their lives are a part of their purpose. I started taking on some business consulting clients - looking at their “who, what, why, where, when and how.” We went through their visions and missions and compared them to the messages they were sharing and offering - and discovered amazing things about how they could merge those ideas in a way that clearly communicates alignment, true direction, and purpose.
About four years ago, I wanted to build some content that could serve the leaders and entrepreneurs I was working with as a blueprint of sorts - a map that they could use to grow themselves and their businesses. I designed the Strategy Masterclass based on my journeys with clients and my own life journey. The course led me to launch several masterminds in addition to consulting, and one of those masterminds had Jean Roberts in it - a friend I had known for over a decade.
Jean and I realized that our services complemented each other, and that our strategies had potential to make waves in the world of marketing. Thus, The Marketing Engine was born. We went on to create a course and ebook that outlines our complete framework. A few years later, after a lot of building, growing, iterating and personal and professional growth, the team continues to provide strategy and marketing for businesses and nonprofits. It has been fun and gratifying to help others draft their own maps that align with their purpose.
Throughout this journey, I've collected many ideas. You know how you talk or hear of something and then all of the sudden you start hearing it everywhere? That’s what happened— everywhere I went I started seeing opportunities to learn about what it might look like to see, hear and know people. I also thought about what it might look like to give myself that gift too. I asked a lot of questions, read a lot of materials, and interviewed some amazing people who are doing impactful work.
This journey has brought me to my current process of writing a book all about what I've learned, and what I'm still learning. Like the creation of StoryWork, this book is premised on the idea that the professional is personal— that our own histories, values, and purposes can and should drive our work. I will be highlighting that work in this season of the podcast. I look forward to sharing more of my story with you.
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