The Storytelling with Heart Podcast

Have you ever wondered whether your personal story could help you professionally? 
Could sharing your own story help you differentiate yourself, stand out, connect better with people, overcome imposter syndrome, or simply grow as a person? 
Yes – all of the above, says  Coach Jon McLernon.
Jon is a nutrition coach who struggled with PTSD, depression, binge-eating, and poor health after a traumatic incident. After recovering and transforming his life, he went on to share his stories—and differentiate himself as a coach. 
Jon says his story became his biggest asset in business.
Since then, he went on to launch Between the Before & After, a podcast that shares inspiring real life stories of remarkable people overcoming significant adversity in their life. 
On his podcast, Jon has interviewed over 100 individuals about their stories, never shying away from the gritty and vulnerable details that make us messy and human.
In this episode, Jon opens up about his own story, how it’s helped him in business and life, and what he’s learned from other people’s stories. 
We explore:
How a traumatic event sent Jon into a deep spiral of shame, binge eating, and depression—and how he turned his life around.
Why forgiveness, self-compassion, and self care were at the heart of his journey (and his coaching practice.)
How sharing his own story helped Jon grow personally AND professionally  — why his story has become his “biggest asset” in business.
How Jon got over imposter syndrome and his fear of not looking like other “typical” fitness professionals.
Why simple “before and after” narratives aren’t always useful, and why it’s worth exploring the “messy middle” of stories.
Why Jon started a podcast instead of hustling on social media, and why he pivoted his podcast in a different direction.
The value of listening to other people’s stories, including those who are very different from you.
Why it’s worth letting go of your professional facade and opening yourself up to real, unscripted conversations. (And how to put your self consciousness aside.)
Tips for both interviewing people and being interviewed. Hint: If you’re guesting on podcasts  or want to “give good interview”, there’s some really useful stuff here. 
Find Jon and Between The Before And After Podcast here: https://freedomnutritioncoach.com/between-the-before-and-after-podcast/

What does it mean to work (and live) in alignment with your true self?
What do the words “authentic” and “heart centered” look like in practice?
… And what happens if the things you’re doing, saying, or writing about no longer feel like you?
In this episode, I go deep into these concepts with Drima, aka Amir Ahmad Nasr, a multifaceted writer, musician, speaker, and coach. 
Drima is the founder and head coach at Assertive & Co., where he facilitates a values-based method for awakening creators, coaches and experts to their true voice, so they can grow and lead with more purpose, freedom and fulfillment.
Under his given name (Amir Ahmad Nasr), Drima’s writing has been featured and reviewed in over 13 languages including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, The Economist, The Guardian, WIRED, and dozens more telling stories about faith, spirituality, human rights, and human flourishing.
Drima brings a human, heart-centered perspective to all of his work and storytelling. In this interview, I ask him to share his thoughts on concepts like authenticity, conviction, vulnerability, and heart-centered. We explore what these words mean in practice, and how to tell stories that deliver not only better results, but also greater satisfaction, meaning, and fulfillment. 
In this conversation, we explore: 
What does “heart centered” actually mean, and why does it matter?
Implications of AI and why words matter less these days (and what matters more.)
Why you should be wary of “plastic vulnerability” and how you can be genuine and vulnerable, even when you’re following a script.
Heartbreak as a portal into meaningful storytelling, and why your most heartbreaking moments can lead to your most powerful stories. (And how to navigate this without triggering past trauma.)
Why veering away from controversial subjects like politics is in itself a political choice, and why you might want to engage in these kinds of topics. (Or why you should at least be deliberate about your choice.)
What we can learn from musicians, songwriters, writers, actors, and other types of storytellers… including common traps and pitfalls to avoid.
The importance of developing your marketing materials, communications, and product offers from a place of alignment with who you are. (And why you should be ready to adjust them if they are no longer are a good fit for you.)
The importance of growing and evolving your personal brand, especially if it doesn’t feel like “you” anymore. 
If you want to challenge the status quo and work and communicate in a heartfelt way that feels true to you, this episode is a must-listen.
Learn more about Drima and Assertive and Co here: https://assertive.co

Want to become a recognized authority in your area of expertise?
Then you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode with Rochelle Moulton.
A leading voice in the independent consulting space, Rochelle Moulton helps soloists build vibrant authority businesses.  
Rochelle earned her consulting stripes by leading introverted brainiacs at two powerhouse consulting firms and turning around the failing consulting arm of a Fortune 500 company. She built three professional firms from scratch—including selling one to Arthur Andersen. 
Rochelle is a champion of independent professionals, aka soloists. She hosts “Soloist Women”, co-hosts “The Business of Authority” podcast, and wrote the book The Authority Code: How To Position, Monetize And Sell Your Expertise.
I am delighted to have Rochelle on the show since I’ve been reading and listening to her stuff for years!
In this episode we dive into what it means to build authority and reputation, along with authenticity and satisfaction. 
Topics we cover include:
How to operate in your “zone of genius” (and what that actually means.)
The importance of vision, and how to develop and refine your vision as a leader and business-owner.
How to stay committed to your vision while also giving yourself room to grow and change.
Why just doing what you’re good at and playing to your strengths isn’t always the path to success (or happiness).
Potential pitfalls of getting too attached to your personal brand and how to avoid them.
The value of publishing your ideas and publicly sharing your work, not just once but again and again.
The importance of choosing projects and initiatives that align with you, your values, and your joy (and how to course correct when they don’t.)
Why authority goes hand-in-hand with authenticity and humanity.
How to stand out in a crowded marketplace.
And so much more. 
And be sure to check out Rochelle Moulton at rochellemoulton.com.

Do you have habits you want to change… stuff you want to get better at… self doubt you want to overcome?
In this episode, Karin Nordin shows us what’s possible. 
She provides compassionate, science-based guidance for personal and professional growth, while debunking myths about behavior change along the way.
Karin Nordin is a PhD expert in behavior change and mindset theory. 
After graduating with her doctorate, Karin had a striking realization: The typical self-help and productivity approaches of the personal development industry were shockingly inconsistent with the actual research on change. That inconsistency became the fuel for her business Body Brain Alliance, where she’s on a mission to teach compassion-first change techniques that actually work. 
In this episode, we cover:
Why you shouldn’t stress if you struggle with change (hint: the struggle is universal.)
Why a lot of common “self help” advice is misleading, inadequate, or just plain wrong.
The multi-step process that is essential in order to get better at just about anything
How to get better at something quickly using something called Deep Practice. (Note: the book Karin references here is the Talent Code by Daniel Coyle)
Why you should publish your work before it feels “ready”.
Why consistency is overrated, and what to focus on instead as you aim to build habits or behaviors
Why you should embrace the struggle of doing things you suck. (There’s real neuroscience behind this! Plus, what you can learn from Big Brother and Survivor.)
What you should know if you have ADHD – or other forms of neurodivergence – when it comes to behavior change
The truth about growth mindset. (Hint: It’s widely misunderstood. Karin explains what we need to know if we want to cultivate more of a growth mindset in ourselves.)
A secret trick to help you feel more confident as you pursue goals and challenges.
The #1 thing leaders and coaches should consider before trying to get someone else to change
What the whole “caterpillar and butterfly” metaphor gets wrong, plus a healthy reminder for anyone who is pursuing improvement ← This is my favourite part of the entire interview, don’t miss it!
This is a fantastic episode, full of both practical and compassionate advice. 
And be sure to find Karin at bodybrainalliance.com, and on Instagram: karinnordinphd and bodybrainalliance.

In “Coaching with Cam”, Camille takes a break from interviewing guests to share lessons, tips, tricks, and other communications guidance with listeners. 
In today’s episode, Camille (aka Cam) reveals five fundamental communications principles. 
Here’s the big question: are you communicating effectively with your audience? 
Many leaders wrestle with what to say and how to say it. Especially when the stakes are high and you’re communicating big ideas or complex issues. 
You might find that you’re not really sure exactly what to say. How do you define what your key messages are? 
And, even if you do know what you want to express, how do you say it in a way that is clear and genuinely compelling for your audience?
Furthermore, how do you connect with people, and help your audience feel seen and inspired? 
And what if you seem to be saying “all the right things” but still feel a sense of dissonance or dissatisfaction, either from your audience… or yourself? 
If any of these concerns strike a chord with you—or you just want to be a better communicator—be sure to listen to today’s episode. 
Camille explores some of the common traps we can fall into when communicating, and then reviews five principles that are essential for any leader striving for influence and impact. 
Work on improving / adopting any of these principles and you will start to get better results (and more satisfaction) from your communications. 
If you are using AI-type tools to help you write, this lesson is even more important, as it will help you remember the basics even as you use technology to help you generate words. 
At the end of this lesson, Camille also gives you advice on how to begin putting these principles in place. 
If you want to be a better writer or speaker, or a more persuasive and impactful leader, don’t miss this episode!

The path to leadership (including thought leadership) is never a straight line. 
Have you ever wondered what it really takes to build a business — and a reputation — around the thing you’re most passionate about?
Are you curious about what the journey to thought leadership looks like for someone else?
Have you considered writing a book, creating a course or certification, or dreamed of building a mission-driven business or community? 
This episode will give you insight into all of this, through the lens of someone who has done it.
Molly Galbraith is the co-founder of Girls Gone Strong (GGS), the world’s largest platform providing evidence-based health, fitness, nutrition, pregnancy, and menopause education for women and the health and fitness professionals who work with them—including industry-leading certification programs and coaching.
Through her GGS Academy, she has certified thousands of professionals in over 125 countries, helping them become the go-to coach for women in their gyms and communities.
She's also the author of “Strong Women Lift Each Other Up,” a book dedicated to helping women create a better life for themselves and a better world for women and girls through lifting women up.
I’ve been working with Molly and GGS for a number of years. I’ve worked on all of their current certifications including their newly released Menopause Coaching Specialist Certification. And I served as Molly’s storytelling partner in her book Strong Women Lift Each Other Up. 
In this episode, we give listeners a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to make a name for yourself as a thought leader, to become a published author of non-fiction, to create courses and certifications, and to build a business around your passion and your values. 
Topics we cover include:
Why collaboration is the best kept secret of avid authors and content creators – and why (and how) you should try it for yourself.
Why vulnerability is an essential ingredient in becoming a thought leader.
How a single blog post kick-started Molly’s journey to becoming a global leader, and her words of wisdom for people who are just getting started.
The conversation that changed the game for Molly’s business and leadership. (Hint: The game-changing question was, “What do we do better than anyone else?”)
What’s involved in creating a certification product (and the kinds of roles you may need to hire or employ to get it done.)
How Molly turned a keynote speech into a bestselling book, and why it was worth all the effort.
How to get clear on your personal and professional values. Molly walks us through a three step process, and shows us how to use those values to make decisions in your life and business.
Why you should expect judgment and criticism as a leader, and how to prepare yourself for it.
Learn more about Molly Galbraith and Girls Gone Strong at https://www.girlsgonestrong.com and check out the GGS Menopause Coaching Specialist Certification at https://go.girlsgonestrong.com/menopause-pre-sale-list2

Donna Lichaw is an executive coach, speaker, and author of the Amazon bestseller, The User's Journey and her new book, The Leader’s Journey. Her mission is to help startup founders, tech executives, and senior leaders unlock their leadership potential so that they can make a greater impact and a difference at work and in the world.
Donna works with superheroes at companies like Adobe, Amazon, Disney, Google, Logitech, Mailchimp, Twitter, and Trello as well as a ton of non-profits, startups, and scale-ups. And she has taught at technology and innovation programs at New York University, Northwestern University, Parsons School of Design, and the School of Visual Arts. 
I love the storytelling-based approach Donna takes with her work. If you’re in a leadership position – or growing into one – you’re going to love this episode. 
Topics we cover include:
How to find out what your strengths REALLY are. (Hint: They might be different from the things you’ve come to believe about yourself.)
Why self doubt and insecurity is so common, including among highly successful people, and how to move through them.
Why the thing you *think* is the problem or weakness, might not be the problem at all… and how to figure out what ACTUALLY needs fixing.
How to build on the strengths and characteristics that have already been serving you in your life and work.
How to balance thinking about other people AND your own need to speak up and feel like a hero. (Hint: It starts with you.)
Why more leadership skills aren’t necessarily the answer — what you should do instead of developing more leadership skills.
Why your energy matters and how to regain it if you feel drained or burned out.
And so much more.  
Learn more about Donna (and check out her new book, The Leader’s Journey) at https://www.donnalichaw.com/

Have you ever dreamed of writing a novel?
Ever fantasized about seeing YOUR name on the shelves of your favorite book store? 
Linh Nguyen did. In fact, at a young age, she wrote a letter to her future 30 year old self that said, “congratulations on your first book.”
Young Linh was right to have faith in her dreams, because she did it.
If you can relate to the dream of writing and publishing (especially if your sights are set on writing children’s books or YA), you’re going to want to listen to this.  
Linh Nguyen (she/her) is a Vietnamese-Canadian immigrant and writer who specializes in children’s literature and creative non-fiction. Her debut middle-grade fantasy novel, No Place Like Home, was released with HarperCollins Canada in March 2023. 
Prior to working as a full time author, Linh was working a more “typical” full time job. In this interview we explore how she found time to write, got her book published, and is now living her dream of living and working as a full-time author.
In this episode we cover:
How Linh made time to write her first novel while working a full time job — and how she makes time to write now, as a full time author.
Why you should embrace the messy first draft … and why your draft doesn’t have to be perfect (far from it) to get published.
Why you should be prepared for rejection, but also know that getting published IS possible!
How Linh changed her original draft to make it deeper, more relatable, and more true to her real life experience, including her experience as an 11 year old in Canada as a Vietnamese immigrant.
How Linh grappled with self-representation, including how she worked to dismantle her own socialized assumptions about who her characters should be; how she navigated her sense of responsibility towards representing her community; and how she put herself in her own story without losing her characters.
Why fiction can work just as well (or better!) to communicate big, complex ideas and get your message across.
What it’s like to market a book, and Linh’s tips on how to choose your promotional tactics. (Hint: Focus on what brings you the most joy.)
Linh’s writing process: how she gets words on a page, how she balances the combination of inspiration and discipline… and what Linh and I agree is THE most important part of the writing process.
What it’s actually like to live and work as a full-time author — Including the big, common misconception about being an author that Linh would like to clear up.
Linh’s work can be found at www.linhsnguyen.com or more frequently on Instagram @linh.s.nguyen.

If you want to get better at talking about what you do, presenting, selling, marketing, public speaking, writing, or sharing stories of any kind… listen to this episode! 
Michel Neray is a professional speaker, consultant, creator of Inside-Out storytelling, and the founder of momondays -- a monthly storytelling event that pre-pandemic was in 16 cities. 
Michel has helped thousands of individuals and organizations to drill down to their core message, become category leaders and craft more impactful stories to become more effective leaders, salespeople, coaches, teachers, trainers, speakers, and influencers of all types. He also uses the Inside-Out approach to differentiate, position, and brand organizations in the market.
I know Michel because back in the early 2000s he gave me my first “real” job out of University by hiring me at his boutique marketing/messaging agency called The Essential Message. Michel mentored me and provided me with a ton of experience that allowed me to leapfrog ahead in my career. I routinely apply many of the things he taught me to this day. Years later, I spoke at momondays, in which I delivered a speech that catapulted my business and brand. 
Many of the concepts Michel taught me remain relevant and timeless — and we cover a number of them in this discussion.
In this episode, we explore: 
The value of storytelling, and why human beings are wired for story.
How to discover (and tell) your “origin story”.
The event, and personal story, that changed both of our lives and our careers for the better.
Why you should share personal details in your stories. (Hint: the more personal the story, the more universal the message.)
The role of curiosity in feedback and mentorship, and the questions you should be asking your colleagues, students, clients, mentees.
How to take feedback, and the importance of developing your own critical thinking about your work.
The problem with elevator pitches and what you should say / do instead.
How to become better at whatever you do by becoming a student of your own impact.
Why you should go out and engage with other people about your writing and work rather than keeping it to yourself.
When you’re done listening to this episode, be sure to check out Michel Neray at  https://neray.com (where’s he got lots of useful free resources) and https://momondays.com/

Connection is at the very heart of storytelling… and our lives. 
What does it really look like to create meaningful connections with other people—including friends, teammates, colleagues, employees, community members, and the audience you want to reach?
If there’s a go-to expert on this subject, it’s Kat Vellos. 
Kat is a trusted name on the power of cultivating meaningful friendships. 
In her former career, Kat made software more user-friendly at large companies you’ve heard of, but these days she makes life more friendly for the thousands of people and work teams who use her guidance to cultivate fulfilling friendships and colleagueships.
Kat’s a speaker, facilitator, and author of the book, We Should Get Together: The Secret to Cultivating Better Friendships. Her writing is read in over 100 countries and she’s been interviewed by The New York Times, NPR, Communication Arts, The Good Life Project, and many more. 
I met Kat years ago at a conference (UX Week) when she attended my workshop on storytelling for designers, and in 2022 she presented as an expert guest at my Storytelling Mastery Summit. When I started this podcast I *knew* I had to have her on as a guest. 
In our discussion, we cover…
The three little words you should probably use WAY less often.
How to carve out a niche or specialty for yourself simply by asking questions… and why it’s better to follow your curiosity rather than “follow your passion”.
Why friendship matters, both in and out of the workplace.
What healthy teams and “colleagueships” look like, and how to cultivate healthy relationships in the workplace.
Why bonds among people and healthy colleagueships are essential for teams and businesses to thrive.
Why it really is “lonely at the top”, why leaders often suffer loneliness in silence, and how to get support. 
What to do if you feel lonely or disconnected at work.
How to walk the line of connecting authentically, while still remaining professional and reserved "enough" in a leadership role.  
For introverts: How to connect with other people — and even market yourself! — AND protect your energy and battery life. 
All that and more! If you want to connect with other people authentically and effectively, be sure to listen to this episode. 
And, be sure to find Kat at www.Katvellos.com or at www.weshouldgettogether.com