This New Year's Day ritual, called Recapitulation, involves writing down the stories of the past year—the lessons, peaks, and valleys. This act transfers the wisdom into long-term memory. We then burn the paper to release the weight of the events themselves. Only after this clearing do we ask: What wants to emerge this year? We write these down not as resolutions, but as invitations for the new cycle.

This may surprise many, but even when we are sworn enemies, we are bonded more by our opposition than if we had complete apathy to one another. Our struggle is the context we share. If you want to connect meaningfully with others through your story, begin where we all begin: with the universal threads that tell the stories of what it means to be human.

This article examines the difference between being the subject (active protagonist with agency) and the object (passive recipient) of your own story. It explains how external forces can lead to a passive role, especially for women, and calls on the reader to reclaim their power. The core message is to stop living life based on reactions, reject limiting beliefs like "not making waves," and become the story's subject by taking intentional steps and actions.

Our senses write our stories. When stimulated by a sound or a scent, we can be instantly carried back into a past reality, with who we were coming alive in that single point in time. Our senses are the threads that connect us to here and now and what was. They weave the story of our experience, and our hearts and minds give them meaning. Living the story we want to live starts with paying attention to what you're taking in through all your senses.

Story is the biggest missed opportunity in the marketing "bill of materials." Many clients get jargon but miss the essential narrative arc—the story—that brings audiences through an understanding of their challenge. Investing in your story fuels every other asset, from web copy to pitch decks, driving deep understanding and action. It is the hardest working marketing investment you can make.

Story is the biggest missed opportunity in the marketing "bill of materials." Many clients get jargon but miss the essential narrative arc—the story—that brings audiences through an understanding of their challenge. Investing in your story fuels every other asset, from web copy to pitch decks, driving deep understanding and action. It is the hardest working marketing investment you can make.

Your personal narrative—the story of self-doubt or limitation you tell yourself—is an invisible barrier to Go-To-Market (GTM) success. If you don't fully believe in your brand's impact, you'll "dial down the energy" in your marketing. To maximize your GTM potential, you must work on your personal narrative simultaneously.

If you feel like you’re still searching for that resonance, try this exercise: What do you truly stand for? Write it down in just one sentence. Once you have that anchor, speaking from that core belief makes everything else—the emails, the pitches, the hard conversations—so much easier to say. Your authentic voice emerges the moment you stop apologizing for the value you bring.

The paradox of connection is that we don't connect with perfection. A story without a problem is just a brochure. Embrace the wisdom of Wabi-sabi—the beauty of imperfection—and stop hiding the customer's pain or your own flaws. Being real about the challenges is your invitation for others to join you. Show the cracks; that's where the light gets in.

Our personal limits don't stop at the office door—they shape how we show up in business, how confidently we own our expertise, and whether we're willing to take up the space and make the noise our work deserves.

On the surface, it may seem as if you’re watching a kids musical, but if you can watch and listen closely enough and see the enchanted forest through the trees (“The forest is a place of transformation” - Olaf), you’ll find so many pearls of wisdom from Frozen 2 to help you on your personal growth and transformation journey.

Story is one of the oldest methods to inspire movement and change in the world and the oldest antidote to fear, uncertainty and doubt—a truth that is just as relevant for people, teams and brands as it is for product marketers in the fast evolving world of B2B tech.

Spreading messages that support women’s rights on #IWD2024 today–and always–is so important. Let’s let our voices be heard! And also remember, we can do more with the skills and resources we have.

To truly participate in pushing the frontier of technology with the power of generative AI, we need to proactively bring our expansive human-centered mindsets and experiences to the effort.

Surrendering to our stories leads to transformative growth. Here are some ways to help you surrender.

Meshin Movement is making some moves again. Through Meshin I will continue my focus on speaking and social impact. And now you can also find me at Article Group, creating human-centered stories that connect people to the world’s most celebrated products.

At what point do we stop and say, “What is my story? Where does it come from? What do I want to keep? What is no longer serving me? What do I want to reject as inheritance?”

Fibromyalgia is an invisible and debilitating chronic illness, and it’s been a consistent thread woven into the story of my life across decades. I’m sharing my story in support of Fibromyalgia Awareness Day and Month.

We need more empathy. We need more connection. We need the strength our stories provide to ourselves and others. Here’s a story about what Story for Stronger Leaders did for one group of conference attendees.

As we wind down [official] Women’s History Month, I want to honor the struggle in pushing the space between our stories as daughters and mothers.

How do you push yourself beyond your comfort zone to necessary growth? Wonderlust. It is the fuel for our expansion—for brands and people alike.