Diane is a keen storytelling problem solver because she listens deeply, questions with empathy, and believes that the client has the answers to the problems. Trust Diane to find the story, listen it out of you and guide you to a better way forward.
Hear Diane talk about her pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago de Compostella.
Who am I?
Many of us tell our stories from the perspective of what we do, the tasks we complete and the great things we deliver. However, we forget that we are human beings with stories to tell to connect with other human beings and their stories. Our stories and the power of our human voice attract us to each other, attract our clients and audiences.
The arc of my professional career stretches from serving as a US Navy nurse, corporate businesswoman, lawyer, and litigation consultant to storyteller, speaker, educator, and podcaster. My personally adventurous arc is that of a woman who backpacked across Europe, gone scuba diving on the Continental Shelf, learned to fly a plane, parachuted out of a perfectly good plane, walked the Camino de Santiago (a pilgrimage of 500 miles across Spain), and much more.
Why do I do what I do?
Remember the first time you rode a bike and took your hands off the handlebars? And then because it felt fun and daring you did it again until you were streaking down a hill with the wind blowing in your face and your arms up over your head screaming, “Look ma! No hands!” You showed up! You did it! Showing up means being scared but not afraid because you just fall down 7 and get up 8.
That’s been the story of my life. Over my lifetime I’ve been letting go of the handle bars but just as often having my fingers pried off when I’ve been most afraid of letting go. At some of the darkest moments in my life where the true way was wholly lost to me, a person or opportunity beckoned and I said “Yes!” That’s the place where the story changed.
For 30 years, I’ve helped professionals take their story from a message only they could hear to the publishing world, the courtroom, hospitals, board meetings, the airwaves, and more. Stories that swayed juries. Built markets. Spread ideas. Changed things.
Today I help others become successful story creators. It’s a niche the world needs: helping socially conscious professionals and organizations succeed by discovering and delivering their authentic story messages to connect with, engage and influence their audience.
How did I earn the right to carry the story medicine?
I know struggles. I offer solutions. Over the years as an incest survivor, a professional woman in male-dominated professions, growing up with generational myths about the role of women, I lost my voice, had it taken from me, felt it compressed and constrained. I silenced myself only to learn that language is power when it is brought to light and life. When we discover our one true authentic voice, we shape our personal or professional story, mission, or vision so we are seen, heard, understood and listened to. When we tell our story to advance our business, create clarity in life choices, give life to our ideas, we connect, engage and influence our audience with our courage, confidence, conviction and creativity.
