What school didn’t teach you—but the stage might

Here’s what they don’t tell you in school, in strategy decks, or leadership retreats:

People don’t follow your credentials.
They follow your story.

And after 6 years of running What’s Your Story Slam—a sold-out, mic-on, hearts-wide-open storytelling show—here are five things I’ve learned that no MBA ever taught me:

1. You don’t need a better pitch. You need connection.
Because people don’t buy bullet points.
They buy belief.
And belief starts with story.

2. You don’t need to scale overnight. You need to show up.
Consistency. Authenticity. That’s what we remember.

3. You’re not managing impressions. You’re building trust.
Real influence comes from being real, not impressive.

4. You don’t lead by title. You lead by going first.
When you share your story, you give others permission to share theirs.

5. You don’t need a perfect story. You just need to get in the room.
There’s no confidence shortcut.
Just courage. Reps. And truth, told out loud.

💬 P.S.

What’s one lesson you had to learn the hard way?
💌 Hit reply if you’re reading this by email.
👇 Or drop it in the comments if you’re reading this on the blog.

Either way—I’d love to hear it.