How Telling Hard Stories Helps Healing Through Times of Grief

Episode 102

I’m coaching a client on her TEDx Talk and she says, “Kymberlee, I don’t know if I can get through this story I’m telling. Every single time I get to a certain part, I start crying and I can’t even stop!”

Having an emotional response like that means you’re very present in your storytelling – which is what you want!

So I tell her, “Try refocusing on your audience while you’re telling the story. How can you serve them?”

In other words, focus on what the audience needs and take care of them instead of focusing internally on yourself.

She tries it and… it changes everything! She can share her stories with minimal tears while in service to her audience.

My special guest today, Eric Hodgdon, is all too familiar with telling hard stories. In this episode, he’s here to share his incredibly valuable perspective on that side of storytelling and answer questions like:

How do you know your story is the right one to tell? How can you conclude hard stories for your audience? And how can you prepare yourself to deliver a difficult story to an audience?

What you will learn in this episode:

How telling difficult stories can help you and others heal
How to know when you’re ready to share a difficult story
How to keep your story fresh and lively through repeated rehearsals

Who is Eric Hodgdon?

Eric Hodgdon is a speaker, author, and coach who knows first-hand the struggle after losing a loved one. After his 15-year-old daughter Zoi’s death to suicide in early 2014, he grew frustrated with grief support resources focused on survival as the endgame of a grief journey. So for the past 8 years, he’s made it his mission to change the way we approach grief support and coached and trained thousands of women and men on how to navigate one of the worst setbacks in life.

Eric has spoken on a TEDx stage (with Kymberlee as his coach) and authored the Amazon bestselling book A Sherpa Named Zoi. Currently, he works 1-on-1 with clients to help them survive first, then get back up and ultimately live beyond the loss of their loved one. He’s most active on Instagram where he posts every week about how to move from struggle to strength in the face of loss.

Links & Resources

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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."

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."

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."