Please tell us a little bit about your business — what is your company all about?
WellCrafted Story Workshop™ is a presentation coaching company that transforms how business professionals communicate their expertise. We help entrepreneurs, executives, and business owners turn their knowledge into compelling narratives that drive results – whether that’s closing deals, securing funding, or inspiring teams.
What makes us different is that we don’t just teach presentation skills – we teach business storytelling as a strategic tool. Our proprietary 5 C’s framework—Clarity, Connection, Content, Call to Action, and Close—helps clients move beyond information dumps to create presentations that connect, convince, and convert.
We’ve worked with hundreds of individuals worldwide, from tech entrepreneurs pitching to investors to nonprofit leaders securing significant donations to corporate executives rallying their organizations around change. Our clients consistently report dramatic improvements not just in their presentation skills but in their actual business outcomes – increased closing rates, higher conversion rates, and more successful fundraising efforts.
The core insight behind our work is simple but powerful: in a world drowning in information, the people who can turn their expertise into compelling stories are the ones who create lasting impact. We help brilliant professionals become as effective at communicating their value as they are at making it.
Tell us briefly about your background and how you started your company.
I have spent over 30 years in education, where I discovered my passion for helping people communicate complex ideas effectively. About 13 years ago, I began working with businesspeople – entrepreneurs, executives, and business owners – and realized there was a massive gap between having expertise and being able to communicate that expertise persuasively.
I kept seeing the same pattern: brilliant professionals with game-changing solutions who couldn’t effectively convey their value. Technical experts are losing deals to less qualified competitors. Visionary leaders struggle to inspire their teams. Passionate entrepreneurs fail to secure funding despite having superior products.
The problem wasn’t their knowledge – it was their ability to transform that knowledge into compelling narratives that motivated action. My background in education has taught me how people learn and process information, but the business world requires an entirely different approach. Eight years ago, I met my co-founders. We launched WellCrafted Story Workshop™ because we felt that most presentation training was too generic and lacked depth. We aimed to create a solution that would provide the individualization, mastery, and positive transformation that business professionals truly needed. We knew that with the proper framework and personalized coaching, anyone could learn to tell their story in a way that creates real business impact.
The transition from educator to entrepreneur has been one of the most rewarding journeys of my life, as I now have the opportunity to help people transform not just how they communicate but also how they perceive themselves and their potential.
What are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
First is authentic communication. As an entrepreneur, you’re constantly selling your vision to investors, your value to customers, and your mission to employees. However, people can sense when you’re being genuine versus when you’re performing. The entrepreneurs who succeed in the long term are those who can communicate their authentic passion and expertise in ways that resonate with diverse audiences.
The second is adaptive resilience. The ability to bounce back from setbacks isn’t enough – you need to adapt and learn from them. During my transition from education to entrepreneurship, I had to reimagine how I measured success completely. In education, the impact is delayed and hard to quantify. In business, I had to learn to pivot quickly based on immediate market feedback while maintaining a long-term vision.
Third is service-oriented leadership. The most successful entrepreneurs I work with have shifted from asking, “How can I prove I’m the smartest person in the room?” to “How can I be the most helpful person in the room?” When you genuinely focus on solving other people’s problems better than anyone else, business success becomes a natural byproduct.
These skills are interconnected – your authentic communication becomes more powerful when it’s focused on service, and your resilience grows stronger when you’re genuinely passionate about the value you’re creating.
What are your plans for the future, and how do you plan to grow this company?
Our vision is to become the go-to resource for business professionals who want to transform their expertise into influence. We’re expanding our reach through multiple channels while maintaining the personalized attention that distinguishes us.
We’re developing scalable training programs that can serve larger corporate clients while preserving the individualization that makes our approach so effective. We’re also creating digital resources and online communities that extend our impact beyond one-on-one coaching sessions. One exciting direction is working with organizations to transform their entire communication culture. Instead of just coaching individual executives, we’re helping companies implement storytelling as a core business competency across sales, leadership, and customer engagement. We’re also expanding our thought leadership through speaking engagements, partnerships with business schools, and strategic collaborations with other transformation-focused organizations. The goal is to reach more people while deepening the impact we have with each client.
The key to our growth strategy is staying true to what made us successful initially – the focus on genuine transformation rather than just skill improvement. We want to scale our reach without sacrificing the quality and personalization that creates real results.
How did the pandemic impact your business, and do you feel like you have completely exited the other side?
The pandemic accelerated our business in unexpected ways. When in-person meetings disappeared overnight, the demand for compelling virtual communication skyrocketed. Suddenly, every business professional needed to master presenting through a screen—a completely different skill set that required new techniques for creating connections and maintaining engagement.
We quickly adapted our methodology for virtual environments and discovered that many of our core principles—storytelling, authentic connection, and clear structure—became even more critical in digital formats. We helped clients learn to compensate for the “energy vacuum” of virtual communication and leverage technology as an ally rather than seeing it as an obstacle.
The shift also forced us to become more efficient and scalable. We developed hybrid coaching models that combined virtual sessions with digital resources, enabling us to reach clients we would have been unable to serve geographically before.
We’ve emerged on the other side, but we’re no longer the same company we were before. The pandemic taught us that adaptability and innovation aren’t just nice-to-have qualities – they’re survival skills. We’re now more resilient, more creative in our delivery methods, and better equipped to serve clients regardless of external circumstances.
The experience reinforced our belief that the fundamentals of human connection and compelling communication remain constant, even when the delivery mechanisms change.
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
Most presentation coaches teach mechanics – how to stand, where to look, and how to structure slides. We teach transformation. Our approach is rooted in the understanding that people don’t buy better presentations; they buy better outcomes. So, instead of focusing on polish, we focus on impact.
Our 5 C’s framework isn’t just about making people better speakers – it’s about making them more effective business professionals. When a client works with us, we’re not just improving their presentation skills; we’re often transforming their entire approach to business communication – from sales conversations to team leadership and beyond.
What truly sets us apart is our educational background, combined with real-world business applications. We understand both how people learn and how businesses operate. Therefore, we design learning experiences that are effective and translate into tangible business outcomes. We also take a highly individualized approach. While we have proven frameworks, we customize everything to each client’s personality, industry, and specific business objectives. We’re not trying to turn everyone into the same type of presenter – we’re helping them become the most effective version of themselves.
Ultimately, our emphasis on authentic storytelling rather than performance techniques fosters sustainable transformation. Clients don’t just get better at giving presentations – they develop a communication philosophy that serves them across all areas of their professional lives.
What were the top three mistakes you made starting your business, and what did you learn from them?
First, I initially tried to be everything to everyone. Coming from a background in education, where I taught diverse groups, I wanted to help any professional who needed to improve their communication skills. I quickly learned that trying to serve everyone meant serving no one particularly well. We now focus specifically on business professionals who need to transform expertise into influence, and that clarity has made everything more effective.
Second, I underestimated the importance of systematizing our approach. In education, I could adapt on the fly because I got to know my students over time. In business coaching, I needed to create frameworks that could deliver consistent results quickly. Developing our 5 C’s methodology was crucial for scaling our impact while maintaining quality.
Third, I initially underestimated the significance of our results. In education, it’s unprofessional to boast about student achievements. In business, sharing success stories isn’t bragging – it’s providing social proof that helps potential clients understand what’s possible. Learning to communicate our clients’ transformations confidently was essential for growth.
Each mistake taught me that entrepreneurship requires a different mindset than education. In teaching, success was about serving whoever showed up. In business, success is about clearly defining who you serve best and compellingly communicating that value.
Tell us a little bit about your marketing process; what has been the most successful form of marketing for you?
Our most successful marketing strategy is the simplest: we practice what we preach. Every time we speak at an event, appear on a podcast, or conduct a workshop, we demonstrate our methodology in real time. People don’t just hear about our approach – they experience it.
Word-of-mouth referrals have been incredibly powerful because our work creates visible transformation. When a client goes from struggling to present their ideas to confidently closing major deals, their colleagues notice. Success stories naturally generate curiosity and referrals.
We also leverage what we call “value-first content marketing.” Instead of just talking about our services, we share actual techniques, frameworks, and insights that people can implement immediately. We build trust and demonstrate our expertise while providing genuine value to our audience.
Strategic partnerships have also been crucial. We work with business coaches, consultants, and industry organizations who serve our ideal clients. Instead of competing for attention, we collaborate to provide comprehensive transformation.
The key insight from our educational background is that the best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing – it feels like teaching. When we focus on genuinely helping people improve their communication, business development becomes a natural byproduct.
What have been your biggest challenges, and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge was transitioning from an educator’s mindset to an entrepreneur’s mindset. In education, impact is often delayed and hard to measure. You may not realize the full impact of your help on a student until years later. In business, you need to create measurable value quickly and communicate that value.
I had to learn to think differently about pricing, positioning, and promotion. In education, discussing your impact can feel like bragging. In business, it’s essential to help potential clients understand what’s possible.
Another major challenge was learning to scale personalized attention. My educational background naturally inclined me to spend unlimited time with each client, but that’s not sustainable in a business model with large corporate teams. My co-founders and I had to develop systems and frameworks that could deliver personalized results efficiently and effectively.
We overcame these challenges by treating them as learning opportunities rather than obstacles. We have invested in business education, found mentors who have made similar transitions, and constantly tested and refined our approach based on client feedback.
The key has been remembering that our core mission remains the same – helping people communicate more effectively. The business skills are just new tools for achieving that mission more sustainably and at a greater scale.
What are you learning now? Why is that important?
I’m currently deep into understanding the psychology of decision-making in virtual environments. While we successfully adapted to remote coaching during the pandemic, I’m fascinated by how digital communication is fundamentally changing how people process information and make choices.
We’re studying neuroscience research about attention spans in virtual settings, the role of cognitive load in video calls, and how to create genuine emotional connections through screens. This isn’t just academic curiosity – it’s directly impacting how we coach clients who need to influence and persuade in hybrid work environments.
I’m also learning more about the intersection of artificial intelligence and human communication. As AI becomes more prevalent in business, the skills that make humans irreplaceable—authentic storytelling, emotional intelligence, and genuine connection—become even more valuable. We’re exploring how to help our clients leverage these uniquely human capabilities so that AI is more about “Authentic Intelligence” than “Artificial Intelligence.”
This learning is crucial because the communication landscape continues to evolve rapidly. The frameworks that work today might need adaptation tomorrow. By staying ahead of these trends, we can help our clients remain effective regardless of how technology or business practices change.
Most importantly, I’m learning that the fundamentals of human connection remain constant even as the delivery mechanisms evolve. That gives me confidence that our core methodology will remain relevant while allowing us to innovate in how we apply it.
If you started your business again, what things would you do differently?
I would have defined our ideal client more specifically from day one. We spent too much time early on trying to help anyone who needed presentation skills instead of focusing on our sweet spot: business professionals who need to transform their expertise into influence.
I would have invested in business systems and processes much earlier. Coming from an educational background, I was comfortable with flexibility and adaptation, but business requires more structure to scale effectively. Creating our frameworks and systematizing our approach should have been a priority from the beginning.
I also would have been more confident about our pricing from the start. In education, there’s often an unconscious bias that helping others shouldn’t be too profitable. I had to learn that charging appropriately for transformation isn’t just good business – it helps clients take the work more seriously and get better results.
I have no regrets, as the core methodology and values would remain the same. But I’d implement the business infrastructure more strategically from the beginning.
What are the top 3 online tools and resources you use to grow your company?
First, we offer our video conferencing platform, which features robust recording capabilities. Since much of our work now occurs virtually, we require tools that enable seamless experiences and allow us to capture sessions for client review and continuous improvement.
Second, we utilize our client relationship management system, which helps us track not only contact information but also client transformation journeys, success metrics, and referral sources. This data helps us understand what’s working and identify opportunities for improvement.
Third is our content creation and distribution platform, which enables us to share valuable insights through multiple channels, including podcasts, articles, social media, and email newsletters. The wide variety of useful content helps us maintain relationships with past clients while attracting new ones.
The key isn’t having the fanciest tools, but having systems that support our core mission of creating transformation. We choose platforms that enhance human connection rather than replace it, and that helps us scale our impact without losing the personalized attention that makes our approach effective.
What’s a productivity tip you swear by?
Time-block your energy, not just your calendar. I learned this from observing my patterns as both an educator and entrepreneur. I discovered I have peak creative energy in the morning and peak collaborative energy in the afternoon.
Now, I schedule my most demanding work – developing new methodologies, writing content, and strategic planning – during my morning energy peak. Client sessions, team meetings, and administrative tasks happen when my energy naturally shifts toward interaction and implementation.
Energy-blocking isn’t just about time management; it’s about energy management. When you align your most important work with your natural energy rhythms, you don’t just get more done – you do better work with less effort.
I also batch similar activities together. All my podcast interviews happen on the same days, all my content creation happens during dedicated blocks, and all my administrative work gets grouped. Batching minimizes context switching and maintains momentum. The productivity tip that ties it all together is to treat your energy like your most valuable currency because it is.
Can you recommend one book, one podcast, and one online course for entrepreneurs?
Book: “Made to Stick” by Chip and Dan Heath. This book fundamentally changed how I think about communication and why some ideas succeed while others fail. The principles they outline – simplicity, unexpectedness, concreteness, credibility, emotions, and stories – are essential for any entrepreneur who needs to communicate their vision effectively. It’s not just about presentations; it’s about making your ideas memorable and actionable.
Podcast: “How I Built This” with Guy Raz. What I love about this podcast is that it focuses on the real, messy journey of building businesses rather than just celebrating the results. As someone who transitioned from education to entrepreneurship, the authentic stories of struggle, adaptation, and breakthrough are incredibly valuable. It reminds you that every successful entrepreneur faced moments of doubt and had to figure things out as they went.
Online Course: I’d recommend any course that teaches you to systematize your expertise – whether that’s creating frameworks, developing methodologies, or building repeatable processes. As an educator-turned-entrepreneur, I often have incredible knowledge but struggle to package it in ways that scale. Learning to systematize what you know is crucial for growth.
The common thread in all these recommendations is that they help you communicate and systematize your value more effectively, which are essential skills for any entrepreneur.
What is your favorite quote?
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou.
This quote captures everything I believe about effective communication and successful entrepreneurship. In our work, we see brilliant professionals who can recite impressive statistics and share valuable insights. Still, if they don’t make their audience feel understood, inspired, or capable, none of that expertise matters.
As an entrepreneur, I’ve learned that customers don’t just buy your product or service – they buy how they feel about themselves when they work with you. Do they feel confident? Understood? Empowered? That emotional experience determines not just whether they’ll hire you but whether they’ll refer others and become advocates for your work.
This quote keeps me focused on what matters in every interaction – not proving how smart I am but making others feel capable and valued.
What valuable advice would you give new entrepreneurs starting out?
Start with service, not with self. The biggest mistake I see new entrepreneurs make is focusing on what they want to get from their business rather than what they want to give through their company. When you genuinely focus on solving other people’s problems better than anyone else, success becomes a natural byproduct.
Don’t try to be everything to everyone. The riches are in the niches. It’s better to be the obvious choice for a specific group of people than to be one option among many for everyone. We grew much faster once we stopped trying to help all professionals and focused specifically on business leaders who needed to transform expertise into influence.
Finally, invest in learning business skills with the same intensity as you developed your core expertise. Your technical knowledge got you this far, but entrepreneurial skills will take you where you want to go. Learn about marketing, sales, systems, and scaling – not because they’re more important than your expertise, but because they’re the vehicles that will help you share that expertise with more people.
What is your definition of success?
Success is when your work creates a positive transformation that extends beyond your direct involvement. As an educator, I learned that true success isn’t just helping someone learn something new – it’s helping them become someone who can teach others.
In our business, success isn’t just about improving someone’s presentation skills. It’s watching a client gain confidence that transforms how they show up in all areas of their life. It’s seeing an entrepreneur’s newfound communication abilities help them build a company that employs dozens of people. Knowing that the storytelling skills we taught trickle down to teams, colleagues, and even family members is powerful.
Success is creating ripple effects of positive change that continue long after our formal relationship ends. When a client tells me their team is now using techniques they learned from us or that their children are more confident communicators because of changes they made at home – that’s when I know we’ve achieved something meaningful.
How do you personally overcome fear?
I reframe fear as information rather than instruction. When I feel afraid about a business decision or opportunity, instead of asking, “How do I get rid of this fear?” I ask, “What is this fear trying to tell me?”
Sometimes, I can eliminate fear through better preparation or different timing. Other times, fear means I’m about to do something that matters – something that could create real change or growth.
As someone who has transitioned from the relative security of education to the uncertainty of entrepreneurship, I’ve learned that fear often accompanies the most important decisions. The key is moving forward with the fear rather than waiting for it to disappear.
I also remind myself that the cost of not acting is often greater than the cost of acting imperfectly. The most significant risk isn’t failure – it’s remaining stuck in situations that don’t serve your potential or purpose.
How can readers get in touch with you?
The best way to connect with us is through our website at WellCraftedStoryWorkshop.com, where you can learn more about our methodology and see examples of client transformations. We also share valuable content and insights through our social media channels and regular newsletters.
For those who want to experience our approach firsthand, we offer complimentary strategy sessions where we can discuss your specific communication challenges and explore how our methodology might help you achieve your goals.
We’re always excited to connect with business professionals who are ready to transform their expertise into influence and create the kind of impact they’ve always envisioned.
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