Storytelling School

It’s the third night of a very intense survival training course with a Green Beret guy. I haven’t slept or showered. I’m muddy and exhausted and just want to go home to Santa Barbara. I tell myself I…

I’m coaching multiple speakers for an upcoming TEDx event. During the kickoff meeting with one particular speaker, I ask him, “Okay, what’s your idea worth spreading?” He replies, “Kymberlee, that’s …

I’m running a high-energy speaker training event, and everyone is buzzing with excitement as we stand in a circle, introducing ourselves. Each attendee shares their role and a fun fact. Among them is…

My husband and I are driving to the airport for a family reunion when we both get pings on our phones. There’s a global outage. We check our tickets and plane reservations–they’re all fine. We head t…

I’m working with a new client, Leonard, who is completely new to first-person true storytelling. He has lived through several unbelievable situations, and I know others need to hear his stories.

So I…

It's 2017, and I'm meeting with our TEDxSantaBarbara team, preparing to plan our next year's TEDx event. As we start discussing the hundreds of speaker applications we've received, it feels incredibl…

I’m on stage performing at Santa Barbara Improv. My scene partner and I are playing a game of He Said, She Said which goes like this: After every line of dialogue from one person, their scene partner…

“Kymberlee, how are you always able to take questions and turn them into storytelling opportunities?”

That’s the question my client Claire asks me as we’re getting her ready for a big keynote present…

It feels like I’m flying all the time while running my software company. Every month, I’m going somewhere to meet clients. 

It’s standard practice until, out of nowhere, I have my first anxiety attac…

“What’s the difference between the brands everyone talks about and the ones we can’t remember?” That’s the question that me and my colleague Glenn are pondering over coffee this week.

He expresses su…

I’m in prep mode, getting ready to host a standup comedy night. I ask myself: 

“What’s it going to take to move this event from good to unforgettable? 

Sure people are coming to see comedians who the…

Whenever we do a new TEDx event, our first order of business is finding the theme to get everything flowing. It influences everything we do, from the set design to invited speakers and so much more.

…

As a kid growing up, I get to spend time with two families. On one side is my mom and stepdad, and on the other is my dad and stepmom. Being the only child in both families, I spend holidays at one h…

I’m ready to dazzle! I have on my heels, my dress, and my glitter as I enter the doors of Blaisdell Arena and make my way to my seat near the front row. I can feel my heart racing with anticipation. 

I’m on a Zoom call rehearsing with a group of speakers who are getting ready for an upcoming TEDx event. Yet something’s off.

After finishing her run, one speaker admits, “I don’t really feel like I’…

I’m standing backstage with my dad in a room full of speakers who are getting ready to make their TEDx debuts. We’ve been working for over eight months for this moment, yet the nervous energy in the …

I’m at the Annoyance Theater in Chicago taking a week-long intensive Improv class. In the middle of a scene with my scene partner, I have this brilliant idea. So I start forcing the scene in the dire…

I’m in the final planning stages for Story to Standing Ovation, our annual live event, when my dad randomly stops by to drop something off. He comes toward my office, stops in the doorway, and says, …

One sentence from a stranger is all it took to ignite the biggest epiphany of my life. 

I’ll explain.

I’m sitting in the audience at my first TED conference, enraptured by all the speakers when a guy…

I’m catching up with my Aunt Marie about everything that’s happening in life. She asks me, “Do you have any performances or events coming up?”

I do. Our annual three-day immersive speaker bootcamp is…