Big Leap Creative and The Breaking Trail Podcast

18/03/2025

Changemaking leaders address the tough topics directly.

In my book, The Power of Story: Connect with Purpose; Unlock Your Influence, I identify nine principles influential communicators embody. One of them: Changemaking leaders address the tough topics directly.

You don’t have to agree with his politics, or the message, but President Obama, in accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 addressed the controversy around this decision early in his speech. It’s a great lesson on how to deal with the elephant in the room.

https://bigleapcreative.com/how-to-deal-with-the-elephant-in-the-room/

04/03/2025

I invited my friend on a dog walk and never considered our different perspectives on what a dog walk is. We had a great laugh over it, but it made me think about how this misunderstanding happens every day within our teams.

In his book, How to Know a Person, David Brooks said, "People don't see the world with their eyes; they see it with their entire life."

Having this awareness shifts the way I approach every message I deliver. Maybe it will be for you, too.



https://bigleapcreative.com/your-dog-walk-is-someone-elses-mountain-hike-and-here-is-why-that-matters/

19/02/2025

Stop preparing what to say and start thinking about what to ask.

We often feel pressure to showcase our expertise in meetings. Absolutely relatable. Sitting there thinking, “What insightful thing can I say right now?” But what if the real superpower is simply being curious? Want to know the secret to meaningful conversations? Ask great questions that encourage great stories.


https://bigleapcreative.com/stop-showcasing-start-listening/

04/02/2025

Lately, there is a theme in my client conversations, so it was a good time to write about it. Leadership is lonely enough when the environment is not chaotic and uncertain. Add that to the mix, and we need fellowship more than ever. This post shows that not only are you not alone right now, but we can also find ways to communicate in the chaos.

Communicate Amidst Chaos - How are your New Year’s plans going? Not as planned? I’m not surprised to hear that. This year may be less normal

30/01/2025

I had the chance to catch up with Keith Edwards and Neil E. Golemo, PhD to talk about the power of storytelling in higher education. Whether you are in education or not, this conversation is really about how deeply knowledgeable subject matter experts can better connect with people outside of their field. It’s a universal question - how can we do a better job talking about our work so others can understand and care about it?

https://studentaffairsnow.com/the-power-of-story/

21/01/2025

I fixed the annoying car sensor light all by myself and not only forgot about it but didn’t realize it. Four days later, mid-tooth-brushing, it hit me - I actually solved the problem! This tiny win got me thinking: How many other victories are we missing while we're busy planning the next thing? In this piece, I share how it changed the way I looked at everything that morning. Plus, there's a fun announcement coming! (And yes, I really did fix my car, thank you, YouTube. 🔧✨)

14/01/2025

You know that feeling when you've been reading something and realize you haven't been paying attention to what it says?

You were reading the words but the meaning of the words and the combined meaning of the sentences weren't absorbing. They weren't making sense. What if this is happening when you are delivering a message to your audience, your team, your clients and customers? They are watching and listening but they aren't *hearing.* Facts and data are important but they are difficult to absorb. If your listener doesn't have the energy or the interest in doing the work, you lose them. When you bring your message to life with a story, your audience can experience it rather than try to make sense of it.

From The Power of Story: Connect With Purpose, Unlock Your Influence - Now available for purchase. https://bigleapcreative.com/the-power-of-story-order/

09/01/2025

If you’ve ever sat in a meeting waiting for the right moment to share your message only to have someone else steal the thunder, today’s article is for you and this year is for you. I hereby declare this year The Power of YOUR Story. And it’s time to get on with it and put it out there. Who’s in with me?

https://bigleapcreative.com/if-not-you-then-who/

18/12/2024

As we head into 2025, I’ve been thinking about different communication styles and how they shape our reality. 🌙 Today, I have a longer article for you because I want to encourage you to get your story out there - so let’s dive into storytelling and self-advocacy through the lens of astrology and iconic characters. Which archetype resonates with you? I’d love to know in the comments or via private message. I want to help you be more intentional so you can be more influential in the new year! 💫

Embracing Our Stories: Becoming an Influential Communicator - I've taken to following astrology this year. I picked it up when I needed hope

17/12/2024

I want to thank the amazing Karen Swim and Kane for this fun interview on the power of personal stories and how important they are in a time of polarization.

https://thatsololife.podbean.com/e/the-power-of-storytelling-in-an-ai-world/

13/12/2024

Today’s article is a day late - I was simply uninspired and having a hard time finishing it. I’m reminded of the many great writers who say they show up no matter what, which motivated me. So here we are.

https://bigleapcreative.com/make-it-personal-start-with-a-story/

26/11/2024

My favorite holiday is just days away, and to make it even better, we have more snow than usual, so I have found my happy place doing all the things from snowshoeing with the reluctant Great Pyrenees (who much prefers to watch over the “property” from a prone position) to getting those quads back in shape on the groomers at the ski resort and relearning how to balance on a skinny nordic ski.

As we head into Thanksgiving week and officially the final sprint to the end of the year, I have two announcements and one story.

https://bigleapcreative.com/a-story-and-two-announcements/

12/11/2024

Here is a real-time contemplation from a solo run in the woods.


https://bigleapcreative.com/whats-useful-right-now/

29/10/2024

It’s easy to read or hear someone’s story and admire how they neatly planned a tidy life with purpose and destiny. That’s rarely how it is in actuality. Our lives are not led by design but rather as an unfolding, and it’s up to us to edit the events and pieces of our lives that have informed who we are today. It takes a life well-examined to do this well. Have you taken the time to do that?

In this week’s article, I look at NPR’s Ari Shapiro’s story as a model. And, if you’d like a guide in unraveling your story for more powerful presentations and leadership, send me a message, and we can schedule a time to chat.



https://bigleapcreative.com/whats-improbable-about-you/

15/10/2024

Thirty-six hours in Portland and the small gestures tell a bigger story - bus riders calling out “thank you” as they exit the back door, strangers complimenting strangers on the street, making space for a solo person in a packed bar. But my favorite is how storytelling can transform mundane spaces (like airport terminals!)

Stories are revealed over time - and I loved how this one unfolded. If only I could have spent more time, I wonder what more would have been told. It’s beyond words.

https://bigleapcreative.com/beyond-words-the-story-created-by-the-essence-and-experience-of-you/

01/10/2024

This is a version of the question I am most often asked. My short answer: Your teams, customers, and clients want a different relationship with you. What if we treated them with greater respect? What if we talked to them like humans (made it real and relatable)? What if we helped them with their greatest needs (to be seen and heard, to belong)? Then it might go something like this:

https://bigleapcreative.com/would-someone-go-out-of-their-way-to-choose-you/

25/09/2024

I’m looking forward to presenting at the Montana Nonprofit Association's Annual Conference. Join me for my session, Stories for Good: The Three Qualities of Iconic Changemakers, on October 3, 2024, from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm.

This session will focus on how stories create connection:
1: Explore and understand what connection means and looks like
2: Learn a framework of inquiry to uncover and tell stories that get to the heart
3: Participate in a storytelling exercise to put the practice to work

The conference welcomes all nonprofit organizations to participate! You can join us virtually or in person in Helena. My session, along with all other virtual ones, will be recorded and accessible through the end of 2024. More info at: https://lnkd.in/g8n_EpXR

Going to be fun. :)

ONLINE October 3-4 | HELENA October 10-11 | Preconference sessions October 9 in Helena.   AND is the space between certainty and curiousity, passion and exhaustion, rupture and repair. AND invit…

17/09/2024

Let’s talk about the debate without talking about politics. If you think about it, the top communications strategists shape the messages and prep the candidates. When it comes to the influence of stories, the stakes in debates are high so we can learn a lot. I chose one thing to highlight today: "

https://bigleapcreative.com/what-we-can-learn-from-political-debates/