Welcome to The Firestarter Podcast—people, ideas and conversations that move us forward. It’s your host Willa Kammerer’s business and passion to make the world a better place through storytelling, which is why we’re here today. We’ll talk to mission-driven entrepreneurs, philanthropists, investors, thought leaders, and experts on the front lines of the world’s most pressing issues about designing and thriving careers of impact.

In this episode, Willa is joined by guest Dr. Dennis Rebelo, a speaker, professor, career coach, and recent author of the book Story Like You Mean It. His passion is to utilize storytelling to help individuals craft the narrative of who they are and what uniquely drives us. Listen as they discuss this method of storytelling and the importance of our own personal stories in connecting more deeply and authentically with people in our professional spheres. 

The episode begins with Willa and Dennis sharing their love for storytelling as well as Dennis giving a preview of his book, Story Like You Mean It. This book is all about how storytelling can help answer the question of who we are and guides you on how to tell your own self-story in an authentic and meaningful way, known as the Peak Storytelling model. Dennis also goes on to discuss how this type of storytelling is like a muscle: it is something everyone can learn and teach through practice and motivation. He explains the process of the Peak Storytelling model as a methodology of showing you the dots in your life and using storytelling to connect them and exemplify your purpose and passions. Willa adds to this by discussing how this approach can help you be more conscious of the present and empower you to be the author of your life. 

Dennis then dives into the concept of how to hone in on your storytelling and use it in real life experiences, such as in interviews or to better connect with others in an authentic way. He demonstrates this through having Willa identify different influential moments or “dots” in her life and modeling how to use storytelling to connect these to show her passion for what she does. When someone asks you to share your story, there can be pressure to make it short and to the point, but Dennis shares how the Peak Storytelling model can help you communicate your purpose and passions to others in a more authentic and meaningful way.  

Willa then asks Dennis to share about his own interest in storytelling. For Dennis, this started at an early age when he began to be genuinely interested in others’ stories and asked questions to help him better understand who they were. From this flowed a new passion for helping people find their stories and learn how to tell them in authentic ways. Through this passion, he has been able to help many people find their passions through their narrative identity which has been used to create organizations and businesses. When passions are uncovered through storytelling, it allows people to become advocates for what they are passionate about and set lasting goals for how to influence the world for good. 

As the episode comes to a close, Willa asks Dennis some rapid-fire questions about what he has learned over the years and tips for listeners on how they can learn to tell their own stories. He points out the importance of connecting with your story and your purpose and using this to help answer your “why” questions in life. This can be done by looking at your story over time and seeing your why not as a one-time enlightenment, but as something discovered through the journey of life and your story. He gives the tips of practicing telling your story, getting connected with good resources, and focusing on being honest and authentic. Lastly, he closes by sharing how crafting your own life narrative can help you better appreciate life and find the beauty in it.

Timestamps:

0:01 – Host Willa Kammerer introduces the podcast and today’s guest

1:55 – Both Willa and Dennis talk about their love for storytelling and Dennis’ new book

6:55 – Dennis talks about storytelling as a superpower

10:11 – What is the Peak Storytelling process

15:50 – The importance of honing your story and using it in real life experiences

30:00 – How to overcome pressure when asked to tell your story

35:40 – Dennis shares where his interest in storytelling came from

38:35 – How to achieve big impact through the skill of storytelling 

44:54 – The importance of connecting with your story and your purpose

47:18 – Willa asks rapid fire questions including things he has learned over the years, tips he has for listeners, and final thoughts

Links:

Learn more about FirestarterIX. 

Connect with Willa on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. 

Subscribe to the podcast, find show notes and the video of today’s show here.  

Find Dr. Rebelo’s book on Amazon.

To learn more about Dr. Rebelo’s work and to find some free resources, visit his website.

Follow Dr. Dennis Rebelo on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Keywords:

Speaker, professor, career, coach, author, Rhode Island, story, storytelling, narrative, authentic, professional, personal, peak, model, process, muscle, practice, motivation, methodology, purpose, passions, passionate, interview, communicate, identity, why, organizations, advocates, tips, stories, connecting, questions, resources, honesty, crafting, life