Jan15: Storytelling with Hasani X

On January 15, 2019, Kasie and Shennice welcomed Hasani X of Lead Your Story into the studio. Here are the show notes:

Introductions:

Dr. Kasie Whitener, President Clemson Road Creative and Co-Founder of the Women’s Business Center of SC

Shennice Cleckley, Smart Cookie Coaching and WBC of SC business coach

Hasani X, Lead Your Story leadership coach and consultant

Theme for the day:

Storytelling

Agenda review:

• Who is Hasani X and why is he here?
• Storytelling as a tool
• Storytelling as a buzzword: what it is and what it’s not

Segment 1:

Kasie sprung this interview on Shennice and admitted to sending Shennice and Hasani only a loose outline for the show. So these notes are written after-the-fact and are more responsive to the show than predictive of it.

Here are some basics about Hasani X and how the three of them know one another:

Hasani’s company is Lead Your Story and his focus is on helping companies create their story, capture it in compelling media, and communicate it to clients, prospects, and even internal stakeholders.

Kasie first met Hasani at 1 Million Cups and Shennice attended one of his workshops. They were both impressed with his entrepreneurial experience and the focus with which he delivered his primary hypothesis:

“STORY in the modern age is the most effective way to drive the success of business, leaders, and teams. Because with a powerful STORY you’ll attract perfect customers, recruit talented staff who believe in your cause, and FREE yourself as a business owner.”

As writers and storytellers, Kasie and Shennice felt like Hasani could offer some insight on the nonfiction projects they’d taken on and help convince the listening audience that story matters in your business.

Segment 2

Buzzwords. These are trends, the kind vocabulary of ‘what’s hot.’ When you start seeing “story” and “storytelling” everywhere, you wonder if people are using it correctly.

The basics of story are plot, setting, characters, rising action, climax and denouement, and resolution. The elements stay the same. Except, X argues, the most important part of the story is inspiration.

People connect with you because the story you’re telling inspires them.

How do you communicate your inspiration? X told us: Pain, Purpose, Power and Pleasure. First, the pain you experienced, its roots and its impact. Then the purpose you recognized, the reason you had to overcome. Then the power you used, whatever skill, tool, realization, or strength you leveraged to overcome the pain, and finally the pleasure you achieved on the other side. (I might sub “Peace” for “pleasure” but it’s not my methodology – K)

Good stories are concise and convey emotion and help people see themselves as capable of overcoming similar challenges. By demonstrating your own struggles and achievements, you inspire others to push through. We know that’s a key to the success of programs like 1 Million Cups where entrepreneurs come and share their journeys to lead and inspire others.

Segment 3

Shennice and Hasani lobbied hard for the importance of video in storytelling. People want to see what’s happening behind the scenes, they want to see the consultant at work, see people interacting with you, understand what the “how” will look like if they hire you.

Hasani said over the last 30 days more video has been uploaded than in 30 years of television. Certainly it’s being created at an alarming (and reckless?) rate. Kasie argued that the quality of the videos is unchecked and devalues the medium. Shennice and Hasani defended the consumers’ ability to sift through the value. The YouTube mentality that Likes, Shares, and other positive actions would separate the truly valuable work from the nonsense has merit. At the same time, feeling like you want to be proud of the content you create and sure that it looks professional and adds value is a valid point as well.

There are professional videographers who can tell your story on camera. We gave a shout out to ur friend Bill at Cinema Couture. Also, Thaddeus Jones of Fanatik Productions. Both 1MCers and quality video producers.

Ready to support the Women’s Business Center of South Carolina? Click here to donate!

Start Something, Columbia! thanks the City of Columbia’s Office of Business Opportunities for its support.