When I look at Linkedin and the constant 24 news cycle, which today talks of recession and tomorrow talks of something else I feel like my voice gets swallowed up, my story isn’t valid, I don’t have enough insights, I’m not moving fast enough. But then I pause and I remember, in the words of Seth Godin that you can’t dye an Ocean but you can dye a swimming pool, that change starts small and starts by being deliberate.
Well my deliberate is the AmplifyClub. If you have ever been coached by me you will know that I am relentless in my ambition to see my clients become excellent at story-telling. This ambition runs hot through me like blood and it is why sometimes (maybe most times) you will find me pushing people harder than they thought, destroying powerpoints full of jargon to build up a story full of meaning, it’s why I ask people to throw themselves out of their comfort zones and pitch to me in a whisper, as a kid’s presenter, even in the style of Kung Fu. It just works. I have never seen it not work — well, that’s not true. There were two times a coaching session failed, but those stories belong to the club.
And that’s the reason for the club. I don’t want to dye to ocean, but I do want to dye the swimming pool. I can’t change the world with a blog post and a webinar but I can create a weekly community that is real, shares struggles and wins, meets for coffee to share, not only really really awesome coaching but also story. My coaching sessions have no value if I can’t draw the story out of somebody. And when you draw a story out, when you teach practical technique with personal insight, when you encourage and care for the person beyond the pitch, then anything is possible — miracles happen, people come alive and learn things they never thought they would. That’s why I’m starting this club.
Are you leading a team, company? Who is your audience you are trying to influence and how are you doing it? Have you taken the time to really think about the stories you need to tell versus the ones you think you ought to tell? When was the last time you sat in a safe space, unpacked your branding, your internal and external narrative, the stuff that makes you you and work out what needs to happen next? If you are asking these questions, need space, learning and community, this is what the AmplifyClub is for. It is my space that I will curate, like I do in all the rooms I have ever coached in. It is a space for creativity, connection, coaching and care.
If you just want to tune in and be a by-stander, checking your emails whilst half listening, then the AmplifyClub is not for you. I wish you well. There are plenty of webinars you can do that in. Not here, not in my space.
So if you are up for it, bring the stories you need to sharpen, the questions you want to ask, the things you think you can’t do when it comes to telling your story and bring your coffee and let’s hang out. Every Friday from 08:30–9:30 GMT and 16:00–17:00 GMT. Sign up here.
