What kinds of workshops do you offer?

Brand-building
Learn what personal narratives have to teach us about how to make our clients, contacts, and coworkers sit up and take notice. Great for ad teams, marketing teams, startups, nonprofit development, and more.

Team-building
Participate in exercises that use personal stories to promote trust and communication in a group. Great for professional development, summer camps, neighborhood organizations, and more.

Custom
Let us know what your goals are, and we’ll develop a workshop tailored to fit.

What happens in a workshop?

We like to begin with hearing a story, and discussing what made it work. This leads to a deep-dive into specific story techniques. Participants then develop their own story ideas. A variety of methods and resources are provided so that each person can access the material in the way that fits best for them. Depending on time constraints, it’s always ideal to end with a participant (or many) getting up to share a story.

How long are workshops?

A one-hour workshop provides a crash course in storytelling techniques. In two hours, participants develop an idea and practice with a partner. With a half-day workshop of four hours, participants are able to craft and perform a complete story.

How many people can attend a workshop?

We’ve led workshops for as few as three people and as many as two hundred. No matter the size, we work to make sure the feeling is intimate and individualized so each participants gets what they need.

Can you combine a workshop with coaching?

Absolutely. The ideal scenario is to hold an introductory workshop, and follow it up with individualized coaching sessions for each participant. Read on for more info about our coaching.

Who asks for story coaching and why?

At times, clients have a specific event they’re preparing for, like a presentation, sales pitch, or even a wedding speech. But just as often we are supporting folks in developing the lifelong skills to be able to pull great stories out of their back pocket and improvise great stories when needed.

What are coaching sessions like?

A typical coaching session includes an email conversation with resources to prepare, a 60-minute meeting, and a follow-up email with notes. Sessions are tailored to your specific needs, but generally fall into two categories:

1. Develop a story
   If you’re still developing your story, our intro emails will help brainstorm stories, choose one to focus on, and start fleshing it out. Our meeting will focus on finding the heart of the story and structuring around it. This conversation will be embedded with tips for how to tell the story. Our follow-up emails will include a thorough story outline, and leave room for any questions or further discussion.
   
   
2. Refine a story
   If you’re refining a story, our intro emails will help clarify the best next steps. Our meeting will , and higher-level feedback on revising the story and preparing to tell it. Our follow-up emails will include a revised story outline, and leave room for any questions or further discussion.

Do you offer longterm coaching?

Yes. This can be especially powerful for someone who is looking to practice this skill and grow over a year.

Is coaching right for a team?

Yes. Individual coaching sessions are ideal for members of a team who have already taken part in a storytelling workshop.

Where are coaching sessions conducted?

If you’re in New York City, we can meet at your office or in a separate location. If you’re outside New York City, we can meet over the phone, Skype, or Google Hangouts.

What are partnerships?

If you’re interested in something more than just a single workshop and a bit of coaching, a partnership may be correct for you.

After a general conversation about your goals, we will develop a longterm plan for integrating storytelling into your organization’s work. Clarify your team’s story and embed it in every aspect of what you do; support each team member in being able to tell their story, and how it relates to the greater vision of your work together; collaborate on the creation of films or books to tell the story of why the work you do matters.

The possibilities are endless and we love to collaborate. Let’s talk and do something innovative and memorable.

Do you have any examples of what this looks like?

Yes. We worked closely with the New York City Department of Education’s Showcase Schools to integrate stories throughout all their work. See more about that work here.

Is my company or organization the right size for a partnership?

We’ve worked with large organizations over several years, as well as small groups for as briefly as a month. Get in touch and we'll see if we're the right fit for each other.

What makes StoryLab different?

1. We are fantastic storytellers. Tim is an award-winning storyteller, writer, and director. Nora is the head of marketing of a major magazine. We have been doing this work for years, it is in our bones, and we know what works.
   
   
2. We give you individualized attention. We are a small, boutique agency. There is no work contracted out to other coaches. Tim and Nora are your coaches every step of the way, and we work tirelessly to ensure each client is more than satisfied with the support they’re provided.