Humans are programmed for story. That's one of the many things I've learned over the years from Jane Nash and Dan Milne, the directors of Narativ London (one of our Breakthrough Labs Trusted Suppliers). We all have a story - many, many stories, in fact -- and if we know how to find and tell these stories, they can help us in pretty much every aspect of our lives.
Last year, Jane helped founders in our accelerator cohort to identify the stories that would help them pitch for investment. All of Jane's interactions with our founders were amongst the highest-rated sessions we offered during the four month programme.
On September 4, Breakthrough Labs is offering a free storytelling workshop with Jane and Dan for any female founders wanting to understand how using story can help them build their brand. (REGISTER HERE)
In advance of this workshop, I interviewed Jane about the work of Narativ London and thoughts on how female founders can use story to build their businesses. It's absolute gold...so many insights here for women. I can't wait to see what they have in store for us on 4 September. Thank you, Jane! 🥰
What is Narativ London and what do you do?
My colleague Dan Milne and I are Directors of the European arm of Narativ, an organisation founded in the US 2004. We are dedicated to the power of personal storytelling. Our vision statement is ‘A world connected by Listening and Telling Personal Stories’. We work with individuals and organisations, teaching our methodology of Listening and Storytelling and the relationship between those two activities. Simply, if you create the conditions, in a room or online, where people can listen to one another openly, then the stories will naturally emerge. Human beings are innate storytellers - we say we are ‘hard-wired’ for storytelling.
We are multi-disciplinary - Dan and I come from theatre, we have a lifetime of performing, writing and directing, so that’s where our love of and belief in the power of stories comes from. We have also been coaching communication and leadership skills in business for nearly three decades. Our founders in the US are a psychotherapist and an anthropologist/documentary filmmaker, and you’ll see that all those disciplines are embedded in our storytelling method.
Originally our work focussed on advocacy, using the power of story to create change in the world - much of our work at the beginning was in the sphere of public health with people living with HIV and AIDS, sharing their stories to break through stigma, to educate and to humanise something that was seen as scary and unmentionable. Now we work in many different contexts too, teaching people to tell their stories for leadership, influencing, connection, creativity and communication. We find that once people tap into their stories, they are inspired to use them in many different ways.
What storytelling techniques are most effective for communicating complex technological innovations to non-technical stakeholders?
A story has the capacity to make any subject -- no matter how technica --, ‘human-sized’. So a story that shows the listener the real human impact of the innovation is going to land in a very different way than a list of specifications.Through your stories, show us - what does it do? What does it make possible? What does it change in the world?
The first question we always ask is ’who is your audience?’ The temptation when you have created an exciting technical innovation, is to go into tell mode about the properties of a product or service, so it can feel counter-intuitive to think about the audience first.
Once you put yourself into your audience’s shoes and ask yourself what they need and want, and how you would like them to be thinking and feeling at the end of your presentation, you’ll be led to a very different story.
A story from your experience which is concrete and specific, not general and abstract, means your listeners can put themselves into the picture. When your audience connects and relates to what they hear, they will then be able to ‘see and feel’ the use and the impact of your innovation.
How can founders use storytelling to address and overcome gender biases in the tech industry?
I think the first thing to acknowledge is that everyone is always listening through the filter of their own experience - therefore we are always in the presence of bias, conscious and unconscious.
However, working with your own story - identifying it, telling it, reflecting on it, understanding it - will give you a real sense of who you are, the journey you are on, and maybe most importantly, why you do what you do.
In telling the stories of your experience you have an opportunity to show your audience the realities of life in tech as a woman. In the presence of a story told with honesty and integrity, it is impossible to say - ‘That didn’t happen’. Your true stories are the receipts. They are bulletproof!
Stories also have a tremendous generative power. Telling your story will inspire and give other women permission to share their stories. My invitation is to step into the ‘leadership position’ of telling your story - it will empower you and open doors of possibility for others.
In what ways can female founders use their unique perspectives and experiences to create compelling brand stories that stand out in the tech industry?
Firstly, paying attention day-to-day to what is happening for you and how you are feeling about it, will make you more alert to the moments along the way. It can be easy in start-up mode to go from one deadline to next, barely stopping to draw breath.
So this is firstly about noticing and collecting the stories. Your experiences on the journey have given you a unique perspective as a female tech founder - embedded in your stories are your values, motivations and dreams. Allow yourself to mull on the significant moments that have occurred to you along the way. Just notice what emerges - whether it’s from the birth of your enterprise - where the idea came from, what inspired you, what spurred you to take action; the highs, lows, turning points, where you changed direction; moments of interaction and discovery with colleagues and other stakeholders; the moments that demonstrated the impact of your work.
Now capture these in any way you choose - voice/notes on your phone, a running google doc, story titles, index cards - whatever feels good. This stuff is gold. It is the material that can inspire your brand identity, be the foundation of pitches and presentations, and bring your marketing to life.
What are some common pitfalls female founders should avoid when sharing their company's story?
I was coaching a female leader recently to prepare to sit in front of an interviewing panel. As she told me the stories of initiatives she had taken for her team, innovations she had introduced and crises she had averted, I noticed that she often said - ‘We did this’, or ‘We did that’, etc. I began to ask - ‘Tell me more. Who exactly did this?’ To which she replied, with a little busted smile - ‘Well, it was me actually’.
Of course, as things evolve, it’s very often collaboration that gets your enterprise over the line, and you may have co-founders as well. But in my experience, women tend to be more reticent about sharing their successes.
So….
Own your successes.
Take the credit if it’s yours.
Inhabit the ‘I’ as you tell the story.
Give yourself permission to be the protagonist in your story.
Put yourself in the picture. 💖
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