Have you ever thought, “I don’t have a story worth sharing”?

I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard someone—maybe even myself—say, “My story isn’t important,” or “Nothing that’s happened to me really matters.” But over the years of living, loving, losing, and learning (and hundreds of conversations on this podcast), I’ve discovered that the real question isn’t whether you have a story—it’s whether you recognize it.

In this episode, I sit down with Sara Lohse—author, podcast producer, and someone truly passionate about helping others uncover the power of their own narrative. Together, we dive deep into why so many of us minimize our stories, and how sharing what we’ve lived—no matter how ordinary—can truly transform understanding, connection, and even identity.

From the family mementos we struggle to let go of, to the “bloopers” running in the background of our greatest moments, this episode is a reminder: you don’t need dramatic headlines or plot twists to have a story worth telling. Sometimes, the magic is in the everyday.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why “ordinary” stories are anything but: Sara and I bust the myth that only big, newsworthy events deserve to be shared, and explain why simple, personal memories matter most (04:05).
• How stories shape family, culture, and self: We talk about the vital role stories play in helping our children, parents, friends, and even coworkers feel understood and connected (13:15).
• The real power of vulnerability: Sara shares why it’s easier—and more rewarding—to be authentic rather than perfect, letting others in on our missteps and learning curves (19:26).
• Why connection isn’t the same as communication: Texting and social media might keep us “in touch,” but it’s real stories—told face to face or heart to heart—that heal isolation and bring us back to each other (09:00).
• Tips to re-discover your own stories: We break down practical ways you can start sharing even if you’re not a writer or public speaker—beginning with small exchanges, family photos, or a single memory (11:00).
• How to pass on meaning, not just possessions: Inspired by real-life examples, I ask how we can preserve the stories behind our keepsakes, so future generations cherish the meaning, not just the stuff (13:15).
• Permission to “play big”—even if you’re scared: Through raw honesty and her own life twists, Sarah Losey explains how our stories evolve and how we can choose to change them, one brave decision at a time (31:15).
• You are not alone in your doubts: Even those who share stories for a living, like us, have moments of fear, second-guessing, and feeling “not good enough”—and that’s part of the human story too (33:20).
• Challenge of the week: I want you to experience the transformative power of your own story. So this week, I challenge you to reflect on a lesson you’ve learned—then locate the moment you learned it, and write it down (just a few lines or details—no need for a novel!) (41:15).

You have lived moments that matter. This week, I invite you to dig into your own life and capture just one: find a lesson you’ve learned, remember the moment you learned it, and jot down what happened. It doesn’t have to be dramatic, polished, or public—a simple, honest memory is all it takes.

Then, if you feel brave, come share your story with me! Post it on my Facebook page, or visit epiclivingwithjean.com. Use the hashtag #epiclivingpodcast so our community can support and inspire each other to recognize the magic and meaning in all of our everyday stories.

For help finding your own impactful stories and learning how to tell them, pick up Sara Lohse's book, Open This Book: The Art of Storytelling for Aspiring Thought Leaders, at openthisbook.com or on Amazon.

The world doesn’t need more headlines. It needs more human connection, more realness, and more of you.

So keep dreaming, keep growing, and most of all—keep sharing. Because it’s all about the story. And your story is ready to be heard.

Mentioned in this episode:

Epic Stories is Part of the eWomenPodcastNetwork

eWomenPodcastNetwork

Have you ever heard someone say, I don't really have a story? I hear it all the time, and every single time I hear it, I want to ask, how is that possible? I mean, you've lived, you've loved, you've struggled, you've learned, you've laughed, you've cried. Of course you have a story. The real question is whether you've learn to recognize it. Today's guest is Sara Lunc, podcast producer, author, storyteller, and someone who has spent years helping people discover the power of sharing their stories. Together, we explore why stories matter, why so many people believe their stories aren't important, and how storytelling helps us connect, understand one another, and sometimes even discover who we really are. Welcome to Epic Stories. I'm Gene Tillery, and let's talk about stories. So I love just jumping in and not having any introduction, and I usually end up having to do that because we start a conversation and we'll talk for 15 minutes, and all of a sudden I'm like, oh, crap, I didn't turn anything on.

We miss all that beautiful stuff. So let's just jump in. Yes. And introduce yourself and how we met. I'll let you tell the story this time.

Yeah. Well, I am Sara Lohse, and we met because I am now producing this podcast.

Yeah. It's exciting, isn't it?

You've been on the eWomenPodcastNetwork for a while, and I took over as executive producer in January, so I got to take over your show.

Yes. And I'm excited about everything that you're doing, even though you're making me learn new stuff. And I'm so sorry, but you've been very helpful. But the thing. So we've been here for, what, 25 minutes at this coffee shop in Round Rock, Texas, which I love, by the way. And we have found, like, 20 things already that were, like, clones. If I was. I was probably 20 years younger, 30 years younger, we'd be twins.

But the thing I love about you the most that we share is the stories, and I. That's where I want to start. You know, I never have a agenda with these podcasts when we do interviews like this, because I like to see where they go. But I love a lover of stories. So tell me why you like stories. How did you get into that?

Yeah, I. I got into stories almost backwards because I. I mean, I've always been a writer, but I never thought I'd be an author because I was like, I can't write a novel. I can't come up with that type of story. And then I started working in podcasting and it became so clear so fast that podcasts are not about facts and figures and information, they're about stories. And they are a great way to connect with people. And I just kind of fell into a rabbit hole of storytelling and how to do it and how to do it well. And I think it was Ira Glass said, a great story happens to those who can tell them.

And I love that. And it became my life's mission to learn how to tell stories better and in ways that just connect with people better.

So you run podcasts for E Women Network. Do you do have just regular clients on the side that can come to you if they're interest finding a way to tell their story through a podcast?

Yeah, I actually run my own production company. It's called Branded Media. And then I took over E Women as their executive producer for all of their shows.

So one thing that I run into, and I'm sure you've probably seen it too, where I all the time have people telling me either I don't have a story or my story's not worthy.

Those are the two things that I've heard the most often in my life.

Yep. So what do you tell those people?

A few things when it for I don't have a story that is the one that just blows my mind. Because how is that possible? You have lived X number of years up to this point. And unless you have done that while like sitting in a closet eating saltines

or something, which could be its own

story, that's also true. But like you have to have experienced something and it goes back to great stories happen to those who could tell them. If you can just tell your experience in a way that's going to be interesting and engaging, then that's a story. And I really think the problem isn't that we don't have stories or our stories aren't worthy. It's that we don't understand what makes a story. Because people think that in order to be a story worth telling, it has to be something sensational, something dramatic, traumatic. We are in a 247 news cycle. We're constantly getting hit with headlines.

And if your story isn't headline worthy, suddenly it's not worth telling. And I think that's so inaccurate and that's so just like doing a disservice to stories in general. Because people are afraid to tell their stories because they think they're not worth listening to.

Yeah.

And there's so many stories that we hear every day and we don't even pick up on the fact that it's a story because it's not a headline. Yeah, but it's still important to hear. And it's the way that you connect with people, whether it's in conversation or on a podcast or on tv, in movies and books. It's historically from the beginning of time, that is how people have connected. Even the cave paintings in ancient stories.

Yeah, exactly.

Those are stories. They're just created in a language that we don't understand anymore. And it's so important. And people need to get past the idea that their story has to be a headline in order for it to be told.

I love that. So when I started the second version of this podcast, probably in 22 maybe, I kicked off. I kicked off these episodes with, you know, why is your story important? And I really started to think on that, and I realized that families stories are important. You know, we have kids that are growing up not knowing who they are because they don't know their stories. We have society that has problems with not feeling connected, which leads to violence and abuse and things like that, because we don't know who we are or where we're from and why who we are is important kind of in our world. So for just the average person who doesn't necessarily want to be a writer or a podcaster, how do you suggest they look at their stories and get their stories out and. And what's kind of a step for them to. To really look at why their stories are important?

I think people need to realize how often they tell stories without noticing it. One thing that, like, one thing about me is I will never answer a question with a yes or no, ever. If you ask me a question, I'm answering it with a story. And that when I say that, people think that's, like, outrageous, and that must just be because I have so many stories. It's like, no, that's just. Because that's how we have conversations. Like, if we were to be having a conversation, I'm just like, yeah, no, yeah, no, that's not a conversation. We.

We have a conversation and we learn about each other because we're sharing experiences. And I tell you something that happened and it reminds you of something that happened to you. So you tell me about that, and it reminds me of something. And I don't know if it's that we think that a story has to follow. Like the author framework of it needs to have a plot and a beginning, middle, and end and all of that, because a story can be like, Three words. If I were to say, like she said, yes, that's a story.

Yeah.

You know, what happened. And so I think people need to stop thinking that a story has to be this long winded exploitation explanation of an entire experience. It just has to be enough for someone to understand something that you experienced.

I love it. I love it. And your point about back and forth, I think is probably the thing that we've lost the most in society today because we're all stuck behind our phones, you know, we're all answering and, you know, text answers. Are you, you know, lol, you know, kind of life. So the art of conversation is kind of lacking.

I feel like it also might be not almost the opposite too, because I feel like we're starved for it.

Yeah.

Because we don't have that like constant. We're in constant communication. We're not in constant connection. We're just constantly talking and it's just words. But when you actually, I think that's why in person events and like face to face things like, they're on the rise more now since COVID because we realized during COVID how unattached we are and how lonely it is. And we miss that connection when you don't have that, like, face to face. And now we're back to a place where we're able to do it. And I think it's getting more and more popular again.

It's coming back and we need that opportunity to be able to answer in more than a few quick words that we could type while we're driving, which. Don't do that. But. But I know you do. Don't do it.

She's not talking to me this time.

No, of course.

Really?

Everybody else.

So as a business person, you're communicating with your employees, you're communicating with your customers, you know, as a family member, your, you know, kids and your parents and your grandparents. I think it's interesting to stop and look at all the places that we have to tell stories. So what's one tip that let's say a parent. Let's start with a parent or, you know, a sister or a brother or a son or a daughter. What's one tip that we could use to start making the storytelling a little easier?

Okay, this is something that I tell people a lot when we're talking about storytelling, like the public speaking space. But I feel like it's relevant any, like across the board. Stop making it about yourself. And I sound like a jerk when I say that. But I don't mean to because what I mean by that is we're afraid to tell stories because we're afraid to be vulnerable. We're afraid to like, let people see past the facade or like, see that we're people and we're human. And maybe we make mistakes like all of that where. And at some points it's like we're afraid to, like, I don't want this to be all about me.

Like, I don't want to like, make it seem like I'm trying to be the center of attention and just make everything about myself. But if you think about, like, this isn't about you telling a story, it's about the person who needs to hear it, getting to hear it. It's not about you anymore.

Yeah.

And so if you stop making it about yourself and think about the other person and how is knowing about your experience going to impact them? And whether it's something as simple as it's a funny story and they're having a bad day and you made them laugh. Yeah, that's impactful. Or maybe it's something that they thought no one else was going through and suddenly they feel seen and they feel like they're not alone. And that one, what they're going through is valid. Like, it can be profound or it can be just a funny little side story that you tell them on the street. It doesn't matter. But if you think about it as somebody can be impacted by hearing this, not, I'm going to look awesome if I tell this. Yeah, it makes it easier.

I love that. And there was actually a, a reason that I wanted to kind of go this direction. So I did an interview with a friend yesterday. The one I sent you or the one I told you I did. So she is in the area where she helps people declutter and organize and things like that. And she was talking about one of her customers that she's worked, clients that she's working with. He was an 80 year old man and he is trying to unclutter, you know, 80 years worth of stuff. And she had made kind of an offhand comment and we kind of jumped on it a little bit because she steps in and one of the things that she loves is the fact as they're going through stuff that he has asking about stories because she said, you know, she's not against keeping stuff, but you need to keep stuff that means something and that brings back good memories instead of, you know, bad memories.

And she mentioned that the man's daughter has a hard time coming over there and helping him with that because she doesn't know the story, so she just feels like she needs to get rid of stuff. And how beautiful it was when Stephanie came in and started seeing that there's a parallel between what he wants to keep and what's important to him, and something as simple as a childhood game toy that he had when he was little. And she said when he opened the box and saw it, his face just lit up. And she says, well, why don't you tell your daughter about this? And he did. And his daughter got to see, you know, the reaction of this little thing. And I think there's so many, so much trauma between, you know, in families and in work situations. And I think sometimes if we start to learn people's stories, that maybe we'll be a little more understanding and give them a little more patience and a little more grace.

So I think we also put the meaning in the wrong place. Like. Like. Like you said, it wasn't the items, it was the stories behind them.

Yeah.

Take a picture of it and then write the story, because it's going to mean more to the person you're giving it to. Like, if you were to hand me this little tchotchke that has been in your house for all these years and now it just adds to my clutter that I'm eventually gonna have to get rid of that. Even if there is a story attached to it, the item itself isn't going to mean that much. But if you were to create this, like, scrapbook of your stories and how this item that you have a Polaroid photo of in this book, like, I think that picture might be enough.

Yeah.

But write out the story.

Yeah.

Because then when you are gone, they can go back and read that and hear it in your words and in your voice and feel connected to you more than they would by just holding that item.

That's a good point. And I like the fact that, you know, taking a picture in a lot of ways is all you need, because, you know, one of the big things that you're seeing very trendy in the world now is, you know, what are your kids going to do with all the stuff that you have?

Yes.

And that was one of the things that came up with our conversation yesterday is especially the generation that's, you know, even one past mine, and they don't understand why kids don't want their stuff. And, you know, when you went through the depression and things like that and you didn't have anything, you knew you clutched onto everything, and it was important. And, you know, things are different. And you know, styles are different. And so it's. I think it's harder for that generation to understand why the younger generation doesn't want all their stuff. But how beautiful would it be to just say, you know, this is what's important to me. Here's the whole album.

And again, it's the stories that makes it important.

Yeah. And I even. I sent my dad for. I think it was for Father's Day or his birthday or something, a book that. I mean, you can get these on Amazon. It's just called, like, dad, I want to know your story.

Yeah.

And it's just all of these different writing prompts of, like, tell me about what it was like in kindergarten. Like, tell me about this. And I was just like, this is what I want, because I want to be able to know these stories that I maybe didn't think to ask, and I won't remember, but someday I'm going to want to know, like, all these answers. And you have to ask now why you still can.

Yeah. Well, and I think it's important to really understand who people are to know their stories. I mean, how many of us are running around through the world being a version of ourselves that unless people start to know our stories, they don't understand that version of us? And it may not be the whole version. You may see the good side of me, you know, the. The social media side of me, but until you know that, you know, my husband spent 32 days in a hospital, and I got up every morning wondering whether that was going to be our last day. Yeah. You know, you don't know where all that comes from. And everybody has some version of that in their life.

And I feel like that's also why I've been trying to be intentional when it comes to social media, because I don't want, like, we all complain about social media and what a successful it is, which is. Is true, and it can be true, but it also, depending on how you use it, can be untrue. And the problem I've always had with it is that it is a highlight reel and we're just showing off our best moments. And those are the moments that people are supposed to be envious of. And that's how we get to keeping up with the Joneses and all of that. And I intention me, like, more so on the business side than on the personal side. Honestly, I try to turn mine into also a blooper reel, like when I'm on podcasts. Like, that's the beauty of having your own podcast company is I Do, like, I have editing teams, but I have them do my clients shows.

Yeah. I do my own because I want to have my bloopers.

Yeah.

And I might not put them in the episode. Sometimes I do, but sometimes I'll pull them out and just make them their own reels and. And I'll just post my bloopers and that.

Sara's Funniest Audios.

Seriously. Just like, I just. I put one out the other day of. In the middle of a conversation with somebody, I forgot everything I was gonna say and I just sat there. It was just like, I had a really good point to make. No idea what it was. And we just sat there until I remembered.

Well, and as me as that is, we all have that problem, so.

We all do. And. But if. If all we're putting out on social media are all the really great insightful things we've ever said, like, that's not real. So you have to put the times that you forget the direction you were going and just look kind of like an idiot.

So that's another important reason to share our stories, so that people know that you're human.

I think that's the biggest one, because we don't want people to know we're human for some reason, and they think that if. If they know that we're able to make mistakes, that's going to be a bad thing. And if you were to tell me one way you did something right, that's great. But if you told me like 47 ways that you did something wrong but you figured it out.

Yeah.

Like, that tells me so much more about you, like how hard you tried to get it right and how much you learned by all the times you got it wrong. I trust that person so much more than the person that all I know is they did it right one time.

Yeah. That's beautiful and so true. Because it's nice to have permission to try 47 times and not feel like you're expected to have it right the first time.

Learn by breaking shit.

I like that. That's my life.

It's all of our life. We just aren't all willing to admit it publicly.

So you've got your first book here in front of me. And I love this because it's the art of storytelling, because I. It is an art. I mean, it is. There's something and it. Not that it. There's a right or wrong way, but there's an art to it because it's a creative way.

There is a wrong way, but there's many right ways.

So give me a wrong way. What do you mean by there's a wrong way to tell a story?

We've all been with those people that their entire story is just the name dropping and it's just the look at me highlight reel.

Yeah.

The stories that aren't meant to impact anybody else. Or the way my mother tells a story, which is like the short story, long version, where it's.

I know exactly what you mean by that, which is so funny.

You're trying to tell me this one thing that could have been two minutes, but it takes an hour and a half because I need to know the backstory of every person involved.

Yeah.

And what they ordered for lunch that day. That's the wrong way.

Yeah, good point. Okay, so I wasn't thinking about that,

but at least telling the story is a good place to start.

Yeah. So what's the new book that you're working on?

Oh, goodness. If I say it out loud, then I have to finish it.

Well, we already had this discussion because I was already coming down on you. Did you do any writing since we talked about it?

When did we talk about it? I.

Before you went to Las Vegas.

Okay. The week leading up to Las Vegas, I wrote about 70 of it.

Well, that's a good shot. That's. Good job.

I have not touched it since.

Well, you know, in your defense, sometimes it has to marinate. I use. I like to use the. You know, I'm such a foodie. I like to use the food analogy. And I said, if you've ever made gumbo, you have to make the roux, and you have to let it simmer and kind of bubble up and get all those great flavors in there. So maybe that's what your book is doing.

I also. I need a deadline for something else. ADHD, like, nobody's business. If the reason that I wrote 70% of that book that week is because I had a presentation to make for Vegas and I didn't feel like doing it.

So that was your alternative?

It was a side quest. If you ever walk into my house and it smells like paint and like, I am, like, painting an accent wall, it's probably because you have something you're smelling. Laundry or the dishes. It's. That's just how my brain works. And by works, I mean does not work at all.

But that's a story.

It is. And it's. It's kind of. It makes sense because that's basically the premise of that book.

Yeah.

Like the book that I already wrote that's been out for two Years it's opened this book, the Art of Storytelling for Aspiring Thought Leaders. That is one that is. I do this professionally. This is me proving that I know what I'm doing in a very me way. It's not written to be a textbook. It's very much my voice. It's silly and it's fun, but it is still like a credibility builder. This next book is not that.

This next book is the one that if I were to send it to an editor, they'd be like, are you sure you want people to read this? Because it is the basically how I've survived with ADHD all this time. And it is the messy guide for finding your way when you have no idea where you're going. Because that has been me. I don't plan things because when I do does not work out. So I've just stopped trying and now I just see what happens. And I. It's the anti manifest culture, the anti vision board culture and just letting life happen the way it's meant to happen and learning how to be okay with it.

And I love that because I am very. And I think when we talked about your book, I said that too. I am very much along that same lines that I think we spend so much time trying to make things happen that we think should happen, that we miss some of the great stuff that does happen. And you know, I mentioned that when I had done my road trip in 2021, I think that's one of the first lessons I tried to go into that trip going, I'm just going to let things happen. You know, I'm not going to push the agenda. I've got a, you know, loose plan of what I want to happen, but I want to be open. And for six weeks that worked really well. But sadly I came back and next thing you know I'm back into, you know, trying to get everything done and trying to do this and trying to do that.

So it's hard, hard to live your life that way.

The I think it comes back to like what I was saying before. With like stories, we think that the stories that are important are the big ones. And like my first book, it's all about how do we take those little moments and turn them into stories worth listening to. And that all came from the first time I publicly told a story. And it was completely by accident and it was a complete nonsense of a story. And it wasn't the big like traumatic, dramatic life story. It was about the time I got a really embarrassing tattoo while I was on vacation in Iraq.

Oh, and I haven't heard that story. I think that's a good one.

Chapter two of the book.

There you go.

No, I. I was trying to get my then boss booked as a guest on one of the biggest finance podcasts in the country, and I had no idea how to pitch, so I just started telling the host about all of the ways he is an expert and everything. And this is after I stalked the guy for three days. And, like, not like, I just followed him on social. Like, no, I was in the same conference as him, and I didn't just show up to the room he was speaking in. I, like, stood. Stood at a cocktail table, hiding behind a book. Like, I had a magazine with the eyes cut out.

Yeah.

And just watched him from across the room, waiting for my moment. Like, that level of stock. I'm still waiting for the restraining order, but when he stops me and he's just like, I don't need an expert. I need someone with a cool story. And I just didn't want him to walk away after that. So I just said, you want to hear about the time I got a tattoo of a penis while I was in Ireland? And he's. His response was, you are on the show. So I got booked on one of the biggest finance podcasts in the country to talk about that.

But the way that he walked me through telling it and the way he interviewed me was so artful that I learned how to tell a good story because I thought this was just a punchline that I would tell people when I was bartending. Like, and suddenly he's pulling out value that even I haven't seen. And now I can look back and I know that this, like, it's been covered up, but the tattoo is never going away. But it is a reminder of a week that really did change my life. It changed my perspective. I had. I had a plan for it, and nothing went according to plan. And I didn't see myself getting lost on a cliffside in the middle of a small town with no people around and no way to contact anybody.

And I had to just my way. And I thought I was going to, like, get kidnapped or murdered or something or run over by a sheep. I don't know. But they made it eventually.

Yeah, A.

A chef at a very small restaurant called me a taxi because they felt bad for me. Like, I didn't see that coming. I didn't know I was going to be bar crawling through Dublin with 12 strangers and end up in a tattoo shop with one of them. Like, nothing that happened that week was according to plan, including the trip, because the trip I planned was to Greece to get engaged, and the man I thought I was going to marry ended up in jail instead. So I took myself to Ireland. Nothing was according to plan, and I'm so glad that it wasn't, because the stories that came out of it and the changes in me that came out of it were nothing I could have ever predicted.

Yeah, I wish you could see me, because I am just smiling until it hurts. Because there's everything about the story I love. I mean, I love, you know, the whole surprise and how you took something that could have been devastating and just said, okay, well, I'm just gonna do my thing. And it's. I mean, it's like a Hallmark movie script.

It's the Hallmark movie script that never gets produced to the producers, and they're like this, really. We'll call this Plan Z.

We could clean it up and make it presentable, but it's life. Oh, my gosh. It's just so life.

It is. And it was a week of, like, after me thinking that I needed this man to survive, I spent a week in a country I'd never been to completely by myself, and I was okay, and I was in a job that I didn't love and I wasn't happy in. And I realized that I can do other things and I can do things that scared me, and I came back and I quit.

Well, you know, tying this into the story. The thing I love about this and something we hadn't really touched on is the stories that we tell ourselves and that you had told yourself. You had fed yourself a story that this is who I am and this is who I have to be, and I can't be anybody else. And then you ended up in a situation that forced you to realize that that's not necessarily your story.

It. I ended up. I quit the job that I knew I had job security in, and I knew I was good at it. I quit. I moved down to Texas on a whim because there's better tacos down here and everything.

And it is all about the tacos.

Oh, yeah.

It's all about the story, but it's also all about the tacos and the donuts. Oh, and the donuts.

If anyone is.

She brought me donuts this morning. It was really wonderful.

If anybody has never been to Round Rock Donut, you need to go. This is not sponsored, but it should be. Where. Where has I been going? I forget.

Oh, oh, you quit your job because in New to Texas because there were better tacos. Sorry. It was my fault.

We. I. I moved down to Texas for a different job that I ended up losing within five months. And now I'm sitting on a futon eating cereal for dinner and in a city where I don't know anybody, when I could have been at my stable, secure job in Maryland. But it just didn't feel like enough for me anymore because I had left the country by myself and did all these things in Ireland and realized how much more there was to live and like, more how much more there was to life. And suddenly what I had wasn't good enough. And whether I was leaving for something that was going to be better or end up being a terrible mistake, I wanted to find out.

So one of the things I talk about all the time is, you know, knowing your story because you do need to know your story and that it is changeable. And I love how your story shows that that can happen. And it doesn't have to be some big, huge thing. It could be just a matter of, you know, changing where your trip is or, you know, changing where you're working. But I think we need to understand what our story means in our lives so that we can make the decision on whether or not that's the story that we want to be in.

Is this the story that you want to keep writing?

Yeah. And I love the fact that you made the comment about how you realized that your story wasn't big enough, that that wasn't where you're supposed to be. And I think one of the problems I see over and over again is that people play small because they've told themselves that they don't deserve more or they don't. They're not good enough for more or they're not. They don't deserve more. And I think hopefully listening to your story will get people to realize that, you know, there's a lot out there for them and they don't have to go to Ireland and wander around for a week. I recommend it to realize that they can do more.

But I think what they also need to realize is, like, if you're thinking about that based on listening to me also, know that I feel the same way. And I'm still wondering, like, if I've made the right choices. And I'm still thinking I'm not where I should be and that I should. There's. I should be doing more. And I still wake up in the middle of the night wondering because I left that job, I got fired from the next one. But Then I was with another one for a couple years and it was a very high, like, high achieving job. I was director of marketing for a large company and I had job security and I was in a position that most people, like, a lot of people

tried to strive for. Yeah.

Like, I became director of marketing at like 25, and I quit that to just launch my own company and do my own thing. And it's been a few years and I still wake up in the middle of the night panicking because why the hell did I do that? And what if people decide tomorrow that they don't want to work with me and they don't want to hire me and then I stop having clients and then I lose my house and then I'm homeless? Like, I have those spiraling thoughts, too.

Well, that is a little bit adhd. That fair. That is though. I think a lot of people have those thoughts now and then. And those thoughts are okay. I mean, we all deal with it.

That's the thing. It's like you, you can have both. You can have the thoughts of, there's more out there and I deserve more and I'm going to do more and I'm capable. And you can also have the thoughts of, what the hell am I doing? And everything is a failure. It's okay. It's one of those, like, everything in moderation.

Well, and that's why you have good people in your life, like you, where I can call you and say, okay, I'm spiraling again. Talk me out of this, or, you know, I'm in over my head anytime, remind me, remind me that I can do this.

Yes.

So that's why it's important to share your story. So you have those people with you to be able to remind you of their stories.

And I think, like, my favorite moments are like, when I. When I see somebody finally understand the importance of their story or their story like, or stories itself. And this happened to me, like two weeks ago. I was on call with a client and she wanted me to help her with like, her website copy, which is not something I usually do, but I love her and I will do whatever she wants me to do. And I was like, okay, well, for the about page, we need your story. And she's like, no, we don't. The people just need to know what I do and that I'm good at it and that they, like, I can do it for them. I was like, okay, good to know.

And then just out of nowhere, I just told her a story. And it was like, it was the origin story of how I named my first company Favorite Daughter Media. And it was very personal. It went back to, like, when I was a kid and went through all of these details about me, and it just came back to. And that's why I named my company. And she's just sitting there listening to me, and I finished telling it, and she's just staring at me, and I'm like, what are you thinking right now? She's like, okay, I get it.

Yeah.

I. I'm happier to be working with you than I was. Even though I was already happy to work with you, I feel like I know you better, and I trust you more, and I, like, I feel connected to you more, and I'm just so much more excited about this project. I was like, okay, tell me again. We don't need your story. Okay, fine. Let's work on my story. It was just that moment of her realizing how important it is and that, yes, your story does matter.

And all I had to do to get her to understand that was have her feel a story.

I love it. So one thing that I've really kind of started making a conscious effort to do with every episode, because I don't want this podcast just to be something you listen to. I want it to be something that changes you. So I give a challenge now, Usually it's something I come up with kind of on my own, related to whatever we're talking about, but since you're so good at this, I'd like to know what you would think. Whoever listens, What's a story challenge? And it doesn't have to be anything big, just something that we can think about or something small we could do going forward to reconnect with our stories, learn our story, share our story.

Okay, this might be a long winded one. Yeah. What I hear a lot with, like, people when they're trying to get out of telling stories is that they're not good at writing stories. And that's not what we're doing. The story's already written. Like, it's. It's something you've experienced, so you don't have to write it. You just have to remember it.

So if you are thinking about telling stories more, I want you to think about why you want to tell stories and whether that is. There is a lesson that you want people to learn. There's something. There's something you want people to understand. Whatever it is, hold on to that and then think of any moment in your life that taught you that. That taught you the lesson that you're trying to tell other people that made you understand the thing you want them to understand because that's where those stories live. It's in those moments of I learned this this way. And just start remembering those moments.

Write down the details. Write down the aha moments. Write down, like, the feelings that you had and whether they're good or bad. How stressed were you? And, like, were you sitting there ready to crawl under your desk in fetal position because everything was too much, and then suddenly you figured it out? Like, whatever it is, think about those moments. Don't try to write a story because someone told you you need to tell stories.

Yeah, I like that. And it's interesting. And I love the way you specifically said write stories because so many people just, like, freak out if they have to write something because you're not trying to write a book.

No.

And the way you explained it, I mean, you've lived this, you know, this story. You don't have to make anything up. You just need to tell it.

I said before I thought I, like, I had been a writer my whole life. I started as a copywriter, PR writer. I said, I never thought I'd be an author because I can't write stories. And yet I have a book out and I'm an author because I did not write a story. I wrote down my stories, and it's different.

I love it. What a perfect way to end. So everybody has their challenge. I'd be interested in seeing your stories. So, you know, you can always pop in my website or my Facebook page. Let me. Let me hear your stories. I want to share your stories.

And on that note, I'm going to go get the directions to the donut shop so I can get some donuts before I go pick up my son. But thank you so much for meeting me and introducing me to this wonderful town and this wonderful donut.

So. My pleasure. Thank you.

As I listened back to this conversation, I found myself thinking about all the stories that never get told. Stories that are sitting in photo albums, stories behind the things that we buy and the things that we keep. The stories we laugh about with our family and friends and stories that changed us but somehow seem too small to matter. And the funny thing is, those are often the stories that matter most. Not because they're dramatic or because they're headline worthy, but. But because they're real. When we share them, people don't just hear our story. They see a little bit of themselves in it.

And that's where magic happens. So with that in mind, here's this Week's epic message. Your story doesn't have to make headlines to make a difference. Somewhere along the way, many of us started believing that only extraordinary stories matter. We think our stories need to be dramatic, life changing, movie worthy. But the truth is that some of the most powerful stories are the ordinary ones. The conversations that changed a perspective, the mistake that taught you a lesson, the challenge that made you stronger, or the memory that still makes you smile. Stories are how we connect, how we learn, and how we remind each other that we're not alone.

Your story doesn't have to impress people. It just has to be honest enough to help someone else feel seen. This week, your epic challenge is to think about a lesson that you've learned in your life. Maybe it's something about courage, relationships, grief, parenting, dreaming, faith or forgiveness. Now ask yourself, what moment taught me that lesson? Write down that memory. Not a book, not a chapter. Just that moment. The details, the emotion, what happened, what you learned.

Because your stories are already there. You don't have to create them, you just have to remember them. One of my favorite things that Sara said during our conversation was that she didn't become an author because she learned to write stories. She became an author because she learned to write down her stories. That's a big difference. You have stories. You already have the stories. The question is whether you're willing to share them.

Because somewhere out there, there is someone who needs to hear what you've lived through. Thank you for joining me for another episode of Epic Stories. Keep dreaming, keep growing. Keep sharing your stories because remember, it's all about the story. Thanks for hanging out with me. If today's episode struck a chord with you and you want to spread the love, please share using the hashtag epiclivingpodcast and leave a comment on my Facebook page. Head over to my website epiclivingwithjean.com to learn more about what it means to live epic. And while you're there, download a free guide, 7 Ways to Start Living Epic, and it will help you take your first step.

If you want to learn more about my Dream Manager program or just want to chat about what epic might look like in your life, reach out to me and let's set up a call. See you next time. I hope you go out and live Epic today and every day and remember it's all about the story.