Where do you find stories you can use in your presentations and coaching?

This is probably the most common question I get when doing a storytelling for leaders seminar.

The simple answer is “Everywhere.”

A more useful answer is:

🔥 Simple experiences you have in every day life that had some kind of impact on you. They left you surprised, amused, fascinated, or perhaps irritated

🔥 Stories you hear in podcasts that you found fascinating

🔥 Stories you hear from other people

🔥Stories from current events (e.g. like the 2026 Kentucky Derby winner, Golden Tempo who was a 23-1 long shot, who was in last place coming into the final turn, ending up winning

Then ask yourself:

❓”What’s the lesson (or potentially multiple lessons)?

❓ “What could this be a metaphor, for; how might I use this as an analogy?”

❓”Is this an experience/story I could use to illustrate a common point I make in presentations or coaching?”

The story I share in this short video is an example of the answer to all three questions.