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A question I’m often asked is how to know how much detail is too much in your story. Of course, the answer is “that depends,” which is my least favorite answer, so let’s explore this.
Stories hinge on moments. It’s a helpful lens to keep in mind when crafting your story because once you find the moment, you can build up to it, around and down from it. You can nurture that moment like a tiny tree you’ve just planted in the yard and you dig around in the ground and make space for it, then you nurture it with some water before giving it some good soil and mounding it up to the little soon-to-be tree trunk, using your hands to carefully protect it and make a beautiful cone so it flows down to the earth.
That’s how the moment of your story should be served.
What do I mean by a moment? Ask Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya how he grew a yogurt empire out of a small cheesemaking business in upstate New York. It’s a long story, and a key moment is when an inner voice prompted him to retrieve a postcard out of the trash hours after he had tossed it out. It was an advertisement for a factory near Utica, New York.
If you asked my client how she got on her feet after escaping a domestic violence situation, there is a moment when she is in the gas station parking lot, out of cash after filling up, at the end of her rope and she sat there with her two daughters in their baby seats, making 76 calls before she found a shelter that will take them all in.
Another client tells the story about the need for a dedicated behavior specialist in her school district. There is a moment, as a teacher, when you have to make the decision between helping the one child in the room with behavior issues or the 24 others who are ready to learn.
These are just a few examples of ‘moments’ that make stories. These are the moments I’m listening for as I’m helping clients shape the story for their upcoming presentation, pitch, or their ‘about page.’
It’s why many of the story prompts I use in my storytelling workshops start with: “Tell me about a moment that you…”
How do you know if it’s a “moment?” A moment is a critical time where things could go one way or another, and if they had not gone the way they did, the story wouldn’t be told or it wouldn’t even be a story. You know that feeling when you’re watching a movie and shout at the screen to just tell the other character about the thing, and then everything would be solved. But if they did, the movie would be over. Or there would be no movie. It’s like that.
To identify moments, look for turning points, decisions, or events that significantly impact the story’s direction or outcome.
When you approach the story crafting with the moments as your tent poles (I know, I’m mixing metaphors now. Are they baby trees or tent poles? They are both. OK? Just go with me here.) Some stories have more than a single moment, quite possibly, depending on the timeline of the story. Hamdi Ulukaya’s story of Chobani has another moment where he is about to file bankruptcy after a recall, and the night the bank calls him with an idea that kept that from happening. But listen, his story was 90 minutes long. That’s not a luxury many of us have. If you’re story is 90 seconds, it’s one baby tree. Ninety minutes? I’m going to allow a few tent poles.
Let’s get back on track.
When I’m listening to a client give me a verbal dump of information, I’m attuned to those moments. They get a star in my notes.
We can then go back and plant that moment central to the story. We make the space needed for it, water, build up to it, build down from it. And much like a mission statement for a nonprofit, the moment gives us a decision-making structure for what should or should not be in the story. ‘Moments’ act as the foundation of the story, guiding the narrative and helping to maintain its focus and coherence.
So you may have a teepee or you may have a long FEMA-style tent, but it all hinges on the moment.
Take care out there.
When you’re ready, here are a few ways I can help you and your team:
Want help telling your story? You can try asking AI, or you can ask me. Let’s develop powerful messaging to help you get engaged employees, more customers, and more funding.
Need to get better at telling your story? (Or the story you tell yourself!) I can work with you one-to-one or with your team to help you prepare for your next presentation, pitch, or even navigate your next big change.
Pause in Provence is now full! Thank you for your interest—it’s going to be a beautiful gathering. If you’d like to be added to the waitlist (in case a spot opens up or we offer a second week), we’d love to hear from you. Stay tuned for a look inside the experience and what might be next.
Looking for an engaging speaker? I deliver inspiring keynotes that help people connect to their stories and each other to better engage their teams, customers, and communities.
See a video showcasing my work here and if you need help with one of the items below, let’s schedule a time to talk.
Need something else you think I can help with? I’d love to connect.
Stay in touch.
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