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Episode 112

How Immersion Benefits You As A Storyteller

It’s 2015, and I’m ready to take the next leap. I’ve been working with speakers one-on-one for a while and want to try my hand at hosting my own event.

Except, I’ve never done this before, and if I do it… will anyone even come to it? How long should it be? What content should I cover? And what about the whole performance aspect of speaking?

These are the questions going through my mind when I realize that I need to ask my Improv mentor, Alan Irwin, to join me in co-hosting this event. So I reach out to him:

“Hey, Alan. Want to play? This is what I’m thinking. What do you think?”

He loves the idea and soon we’re planning all the details for our dream speaker power event on napkins and Sticky notes.

On June 12th 2015, we host our very first live event and haven’t stopped since.

And today, I’ve invited my event co-hosting partner in crime back on the Storytelling School Podcast. He and I have gained many insights and fielded many questions after years of running these events.

So in this episode, we talk about how these workshops help you, as a speaker or storyteller, effectively express your message to an audience. We touch on developing and refining your ideas on your terms, including humor in your speech, and overcoming fear related to public speaking by answering questions like:

How can you effectively dig deep into exploring the ideas and stories you want to share with an audience? What’s the formula for adding humor to your Talk, and how does humor benefit you as the speaker or storyteller? How can you work on the fear you feel when telling a story or sharing your ideas in a presentation? And how does Improv influence you as a communicator or storyteller?

What you will learn in this episode:

  • How immersion helps you embody your stories and ideas
  • What approach to take if you want to incorporate humor into your speech
  • How to take on a character when you’re afraid of giving a Talk or sharing your story

Who is Alan Irwin?

Storytelling has played a role in both of Alan Irwin’s careers in different ways. He recently retired from a career spent in the infrared industry as a senior software engineer by day. However, he stumbled into Improvisational Comedy in his 30s and by night has performed it for over 30 years, while also spending most of that time teaching Improv.

Improvisation has transformed Alan’s teaching. His secret weapon lies in his penchant for making complex subjects accessible and fun. It has served him well worldwide in speaking engagements on a wide range of other topics, from robotics to crisis intervention (including suicide prevention). He’s taken on the task of communicating very complex ideas to others in tech (and his interests, like geek culture and cheesemaking).

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"Storytelling is an art form - and Kymberlee Weil is the master! I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some of the most talented creatives in the world, and Kymberlee is close to the top of that list. She has an uncanny ability to uncover nuance and layers in a story - details often overlooked by the author - and has a deep understanding and connection with the value of well-executed presentation. Working with Kymberlee is more than a journey, it’s a transformative experience."
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JULIAN REEVE

SPEAKER, AUTHOR, FORMER MUSIC DIRECTOR OF HAMILTON
"Kymberlee helped me tremendously in the weeks leading up to my TED talk and afterwards. I have given hundreds of talks to audiences big and small. But the TED stage is a different beast -- every word matters.Kymberlee kept me on point, focused, and she took the time to figure out what my objectives really were and how to get me there. She is a true master of her trade and I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to work with and learn from her."
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JUNA KOLLMEIER

ASTROPHYSICIST, TED SPEAKER
"I thought I had public speaking down pat. I've addressed audiences all over the world ranging from 62 to 1000 people. But going into that red circle at TEDx, and connecting with a vastly diverse audience is like moving to another planet. Kymberlee made that move effortless and exciting. As a former Green Beret, I have followed a lot of quality leaders and coaches, and I would follow Kymberlee anywhere… Especially into the red circle."
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LTC (RET.) SCOTT MANN

GREEN BERET, ENTREPRENEUR, STORYTELLER, TRAINER, COACH, AUTHOR