About

On this episode we are joined by Ex-Apple creative veteran, Anita Stubenrauch. Over the course of her 13-year career, she reimagined Apple's credo, designed presentations given to Steve Jobs, and was Angela Ahrendts' speechwriter. She shared with us her approach to helping individuals and organizations author the stories they want to live into.

Whether you are developing your personal brand, tapping into the truth of your team and organization or have a new something happening that needs sharing, Anita guides us through the thought provocations that get our whispers to reveal themselves and start shouting loud.
——————————- On this show we explore how to craft the story of you as a human in the world, your projects, team, organization. We uncover how to unlock your true purpose and the impact you want to create in the world.

This Anita calls the backstory! By having a clear focus, you are empowered to draft yourself as the hero in your own story and are able to move through the world with confidence as you have a clear sense of self.

We explore how to get the answers to these universally applicable, soul searching questions, which include being able to create a climate of radical transparency, and daring to have audacious dreams.

Some of the questions include:

1. Why are you here?
2. What do you do?
3. What makes you different?
4. What is you personality?
5. Who here for?
6. What do you value?

As we know it takes a moment to suspend the busy, the judgement and step into a space of possibility.

Tips for temporarily suspending our inner critic:

1. Recognizing that it is there to help - say thanks!
2. Ask yourself if you won the lottery, would your dreams change?
3. Ask those that care about you, when you are at your best, why are you here. What is your purpose?

A deep dive into how to craft your story, your plot, how to add the twists and turns that make it compelling and true are available at her course: https://courses.causeeffectcreative.com

Get in touch with Anita Stubenrauch on Linkedin or at: https://www.causeeffectcreative.com.

About Anita Stubenrauch

Anita is an Apple Inc. creative veteran. Over a thirteen-year career, she authored Apple's new credo, designed presentations given to Steve Jobs and the Board of Directors, and was Angela Ahrendts' executive speechwriter. She also wrote for Jeff Williams, Eddy Cue, Jay Blahnik, and Matt Fischer, among many, many others.

She left Apple in 2018 to tackle my most ambitious project yet—founding The Land of Make+Believe and Cause:

The Land of Make+Believe: a transformational fourteen-acre creative retreat center where unlikely heroes learn to slay their dragons. For artists, activists, and social impact organizations.

Cause:Effect Creative—helping individuals and organizations author the stories they want to live.

Transcript

*This Transcript is Autogenerated

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Welcome and join me today on the hi hello Sura podcast, where I decode and deconstruct the stories, secrets, and skills of the creators of our time. If you are looking to challenge the status quo and get new perspectives, join me as I share with you practical advice that you can use to impact your life and help those around.

Today.

Hey there. And welcome to the hi. Hello service show. I'm your host, Sura Al-Naimi. Now, today I am so excited. I have a phenomenal guests. I have such a treat for you. And name is a Nita stupid role. And in a moment, she will share with you exactly how to pronounce her name amongst many other things. Now, some background for you about Anita, she's an ex apple creative veteran.

She was there for over 13 years. She helped reimagine Apple's credo design presentations given to Steve jobs and was at Angela Aldrin's at speech writer. Now, if that isn't enough, what is she up to right now? So she is the founder and creator of an amazing company called. Effect creative, which helps individuals and organizations all tell the stories they want to live into.

She is a strategic advisor for community.com and wait for it. She's also the founder and creator of the land of meat unbelief, which is creating a transformational retreat space, unlike any other that we've seen before. So I love this description of it. She says we're unlikely heroes learn to slay their dragons, autists activists and social impact organizations.

I am thrilled to have you here. Welcome, and Eva, thank you. It's a pleasure to be with you. I am just so start every time we get together, it's such a thrill. So Anita, uh, we talked earlier. There's so much that we could cover in our time to gala. Uh, so I really, you know, through your power and your intuition, where would you like us to start today?

Hmm, that's such a good question. Um, I think I want to start where I start with my clients and, um, and folks that I advise, uh, I think just with sole questions, the kind of work that really gets at like purpose and being able to convey your passion. Fantastic. Yes. So tell us more about that soul questions.

Like we don't, we ha we hear about that in certain arenas, but then how does that relate to the brand work or that the individuals or clients that you work with yeah. In the business world? Um, it's so funny. Cause I didn't originally start out thinking to call this sort of series of questions, soul questions.

Ended up becoming a set of questions that people were finding some meaningful that, that became the inevitable sort of name for them. Um, so questions to me are these questions that really help articulate, like why you are here in the world. And I'll just, I'll just list the questions for you. Um, why are you here?

What do you do? What makes you different? What's your personality? Who are you here for? What do you value? And these questions are so fundamental to being able to articulate, you know, a brand, a product, a project, a cause, uh, even a personality like as a human, if you want to just like, sort of brand yourself, like that's a thing now.

Um, it's. It's soul work. It's like the foundational sort of backstory to being able to tell any kind of story about yourself. And I'm so passionate about these particular questions, because you know, there's a lot of talk about brand storytelling, um, but not so much focus on brand story writing. And it's really the work about the craft of creating that point of view that people can resonate with.

And they can feel like when, when you speak from a point of truth, uh, and passion with conviction, with something at stake, with something that matters and means something to other people in this world, it feel it. And that's what these soul questions are about.

Wow. Oh my goodness. I just need to just take a pool of, as I listened to that, because the universal application of this boggles my mind and what I'm connecting to is the ability to really create that sense of empathy and intimacy with, within a business setting. You know, because this, this would make so much sense to me when I think about development work as an individual, and you're really bringing, it feels like to me that you're really bringing it back to that human level.

And you're you're humanizing business. Yeah. I mean, it was, and it was an accident. Like it wasn't like a grand plan, um, that I had, uh, I'm more or less after leaving apple, um, and starting my own consultants. Uh, created a creative brief, like anyone who's worked in a creative profession, you know, the brief is like the cornerstone it's the everything.

Uh, and so I set out to make a brief that was gonna work well for me and for my clients. And these questions to me were so fundamental for getting to know who they are and what they were about in this world that I put them in. And when I gave the briefs to people, um, and sort of the homework to complete before we would come together and connect, um, and they came back, they were telling me they were having these really emotional experiences answering these questions and these really regulatory experiences.

Uh, and I was, you know, surprised and excited by that information, you know, in the same way that, uh, Doing innovation work, right? Like you think you have a hunch for how something might go. You put it out in the world, you test it. And when you come back with insights, you were never expecting, um, it just is, uh, an exciting opportunity to take that path kind of to an extreme and see where could that go work with them?

And that's, what's become this whole curriculum. I see. We do have some guests. I've got two dogs here in the room with me. Um, one of who is, is one of whom is deaf that's, um, Delfi. Um, she's a 50 pound Australian cattle dog. She's white with some like black and gray spots all over her. Uh, and then we've got shadow here.

Um, he's a 100 pound Rottweiler, massive pit bull mix. Um, and he's pretty quiet, but really good at signing. Oh, so beautiful. It's great to have amazing company. Oh, so when you talk about people having these revelation moments, um, w can you say more about that and bring that to life?

Yeah. So one of the ways, um, that's coming to mind. Immediately, uh, I worked with a client, uh, based in the UK, um, who does a lot of work, um, advocating for folks with disabilities. And he's got a lot of different endeavors on his plate at any one time. Like he'd founded like kind of this media channel, um, does a lot of public speaking, like consults with companies and organizations with like local governments.

Um, and one of the exercises that I gave was for him to answer these questions, but across the different roles that he plays in his life and roles and or the brand. So it was like, okay, what is, what are the answers to these questions for specifically like this ability horizons is media channel. What are the answers to these questions for him as like a public speaker in the world?

What are the answers to these questions for this marketing wing he was developing. And in doing that exercise. She unlocked the ways in which he was sort of glomming a bunch of different things together and not having a really super clear focus for each one of these endeavors, uh, and then was also able to uncover the holes that existed for different projects.

So he might have a really clear reason, um, or really clear answer for like, what do you do across all three different things, but he might not have a really clear answer for what do you value across all those different things. And they're different, you know, what he might value as a human could be very different from what he might value as a, you know, the CEO of this marketing wing of his company, and they should be different.

Um, but it's only when you can articulate those things and you can understand those differences and act on them that each one of those different channels becomes really powerful.

And how does, when you talk about them being different in different areas, how does that play out in times of like congruence, you know, like, are they markedly different or are they under the same umbrella, but the priorities are different within these different arenas. Yeah. Let me give you, let me give you the example, um, of my own answers to some of these questions.

Uh, so for example, why are you here? Me as a human being, um, and I'll give you that one last, uh, why are you here? Uh, for the land of Macon belief, I'm here to create a transformational space where unlikely heroes can learn to slavery dragons, right? Why are you here for cause-effect creative? I'm here to help people, author people in organizations, author their stories that they want to live.

And me as a human, why am I here? I'm here just to try to make this world just a little bit more magical.

And each one of these things are different, but they sort of inform each other. They have like points that touch and connect across them, but they have their own focus.

That that makes a lot of sense. And so I'm just, I'm still reveling in what you shared. I've, I've seen it written down, but to have you express it like really is so inspiring. And like, I want to play in that space and, you know, be able to clearly identify that. So thank you for that inspiration, that meta.

So when we thank you. So when we, and this happens so often when we speak, so when you all working with your clients that, you know, such a variety, how. How do you go about this journey with within, and what is, what does that feel like? We've, we've been through a journey with you, um, you know, from a brand story and it was, it was so riveting to me of, you know, getting into the passel and then into the business.

And then just that tapestry that's woven. How, how have people been able to use this foundation, um, in the walk that they do?

I think there's, there's kind of two things that are coming to mind. One is, uh, when I'm facilitating the experience, um, it's very similar to the way that I look at the, the kind of experience on I'm working to create here at the land and making believe where you're just creating the conditions for like radical, vulnerable honesty, transparency, and really kind of audacious dreaming.

Um, and I think our everyday lives don't generally lend themselves to that kind of an experience. Um, we get really caught up in deliverables, milestones stakeholders, other people's opinions, uh, ideas about what we think we're supposed to be doing. And when we really allow ourselves to think about why we're here on this planet, like what we're meant to do, what's like the most wildly successful iteration of the thing that we think we're here to do, could be.

And at what impact that could have on the world, when you really let yourself go and play in those places, like that's where magic happens. And in a facilitated experience, like my job is just to hold and create a container where that can happen. With yourself, as you're facilitating yourself through these kinds of questions, you got to facilitate yourself and you have to sort of suspend his belief and create a space of non-judgment and a space of possibility.

And, you know, it could be that that space of possibility starts out really small, right? Like it might start out so small that like, you couldn't stretch your arms inside that space because it's all you've got room for in that moment. And that's totally okay because the beauty of these questions is that you can come back to those questions.

You can answer them again, and you can push that space out from you a little bit further each time, because the thing that blows me away all the time is that I like to think that I have a pretty wild imagination. In fact, like my umbrella company is called hyperactive imagination. I am consistently blown away by how small I keep dreaming.

When the universe presents me with things that are beyond my wildest imagination, when this totally resonates, Anita in just recently, we had a workshop and part of it was daring to dream getting permission to dream. And this notion as adults, as we accrue experience that, that becomes the building blocks for no all limitation.

Yeah. So when you walk with individuals, what advice would you have for them to be able to temporarily ask that inner critic to take around. Yeah, so that they can go wild with imagination, but what would you recommend? What are, what is a way in even, even if it's a microwave in? Yeah, I mean, what I do, um, for myself sometimes, uh, the, one of the first things I did was I had a moment actually, where, uh, in doing some inner work, um, on a belief where, uh, I had this huge revelation, that, that part of me was actually just trying to help, you know, I had this belief that, um, uh, I'm better at brainstorming than I am at, um, filtering, brainstorming and like focusing, brainstorming, and like coming up with the next sort of like, you know, plan part of it because I like brainstorming.

I had this, I had this belief that I'm good at it. And then I, I like it and that's what I should be doing. And, uh, I realized that I had this part of me that no, actually was good at the other thing, but because I liked pro conveying the shiny, like bubbly, excited part of brainstorming, but that other part didn't get to play and that all it really wanted to do was play.

And it was I'd sound sort of silly maybe, but it was really emotional for me. And it was a revelation that, that aspect of me, that like little inner voice is just trying to help. And so at first it just acknowledging that it is trying to help, like kind of settles it, at least for me a little bit. It's like, I hear you.

You are a part of this conversation. You are a valuable part of this conversation. And right now the microphone is going over. And the way that I can help myself sometimes get out of urate where I am starting to think too small. Um, I just give my salt different prompts. So like, there was literally like a dinner that I was at with my, my boyfriend and he bought lottery tickets and he was convinced, it was that night was the night he was going to win.

And it was, as soon as we had this conversation where I was like, okay, the jackpot was 300 something million dollars. And I was like, wow. Okay. So if tomorrow we woke up and we had 300 something, million dollars, would my dreams change my dream specifically for the lands and make believe? And I was like, yeah, they would.

So why, why am I not thinking bigger? No spoiler, he did not win. The lottery, but it didn't make me think it, I, it made me realize in that moment that I wasn't letting myself dream as big as the space wants me to dream.

If money wasn't an object. Um, we had all the security and safety in the world. What would we do if we knew that we couldn't fail? Yeah. What if we, what would we do if we knew that everything was lining up? Like, what is this? There's an expression of like, the universe is conspiring to support you, right?

Yeah. What would we do if we knew that? Right. And like, could believe it and feel it like intercore, and that would be that bad. Like I'll speak to myself would feel fabulous. And then we would continue to expand and take away. Well, they wouldn't feel like risks. They would just feel like a natural progression you were asking, like, how do you access that space?

Um, becoming detached from an outcome,

right? Yeah. Because as a facilitator for that moment in time for that moment, for that experience, to be able to hold and create that space of exploration. Yeah. B don't worry. Don't be attached to like coming up with like the perfect phrase. Good God. No. And so I have a podcast number two, which is all about giving space to have that dreaming happen.

And it's really about just cultivating a space for it. It doesn't mean that there's a commitment to it. It doesn't mean that. You're going to put a tattoo on your forehead that you are gonna like go drop all your money on, you know, number eight black at the rack. Right. It just simply means, let me pause and just, just give space for this cultivation.

And then afterwards I can step back and then choose how I want to lean into that future reality and what you're talking about in terms of the truth and wild imagination, just, just simply the pattern I'm connecting with is just simply giving yourself that permission and luxury to pause without it being perfect.

Without it having to be stamped and sealed is, is perhaps the biggest gift we can give ourselves. So I know that you have worked with individuals to help them gear up, to get funding for that organization, to help them take a big stage with 10,000 people in front of them to help them white curriculum that had previously being so stodgy, but to imbue that own voice.

And so this process and mindset is yielding so many of these really pretty meaty, tangible, um, consequence. Can you, can you share some of those stories with us? Yeah. Um, I think my very first client was, uh, someone who had, uh, to present in front of 10,000 people, I think in, in two weeks, um, my very first post apple client and, you know, we went through this same process to get.

Um, and a lot of what the process does is give you insight to yourself and your own hopes, your own dreams, your own ambitions. Um, and a lot of times, the way I articulate what I do is my job. I made like, uh, have a function, uh, as a writer sometimes. But my job is to listen and to listen to what people say to what people don't say to what people are feeling to what people are dreaming to, what people won't allow themselves to dream.

And, uh, some of it is an like part of an intuitive practice. Um, but that wasn't even conscious to me that it was, it was just for me an experience of deeply. And then when I would sit down to write, um, because that listening like fills me up, like deeply, uh, I, I feel like I act as almost like a vessel for all of that listening for someone else so that when I do come to writing, it's not my words.

It's not my words. It's not my voice. It's their words, their voice, their hopes, their dreams, their ambitions, but conveyed in a way that feels like they're,

I would imagine. And I speak from personal experience that to have somebody hold space for my story, where I'm not worrying about process. And if I'm capturing everything is super powerful. And I think as a chef, Um, as listeners, um, we have the ability to play neutral for an individual that also be their best advocate, you know, to shine a light on the things that they might not be amplifying that you see is, um, jewels within them.

And I think a lot of times I think we like walk through the world where we don't put ourselves in the position of being like the hero in our own story. We, um, can, it's really easy to be a witness to other people as heroes and other people as like, you know, the leading actors and actresses of whatever, the, whatever they said.

And some of what I do, and this never occurred to me until this conversation. But I think some of what this process does is a hold space for someone to be able to see themselves. As the hero of their own story and some of what the questions get at is scale and amplification and impact. So if they like, if they are the hero of that story, if they can start to see themselves that way, and if they can start to potentially see the impact that they can have in the world, when they really believe that.

And when they put that belief into their product, into their projects, into their causes, they can feel it. And that feeling is what resonates with everyone else. And it's that feeling, which is contagious. And it's that feeling, which creates this huge impact in the world.

So how do our listeners tap into making themselves. The hero of that story in lieu of of course, talking to you, but what are a couple of things that they can do to still the mind and really champion themselves getting, getting into that truth so that they can express that for themselves and also for their teams and the businesses that they're looking to scale and have impact with.

I mean, I think if, if I were going to give anyone something to do, like right now, it would be just to pick the one question, why are you here? And to spend time with that question, and it's a big question, like I know, and it is a hard question. I know. Um, but it is the question. Because when you start to get answers for it and I, you know, believe me don't how do I say this?

Don't worry about getting it right. Just let what comes come. Um, if anyone has ever, uh, is familiar with the process of just like automatic writing, sort of like connecting more with your unconscious and just letting your unconscious right for you instead of like, whatever part of the brain. And I know, you know, what this part of the brain is or whatever part of the brain that wants to act as like editor in chief, um, to like put them on the back burner and just let what comes come.

Uh, for me, a lot of times, Uh, these kinds of insights and this kind of information arises from like a meditative practice or, um, like actively sitting in meditating or just doing a, something that I enjoy, um, that my mind is allowed to wander to interesting places. And then that's where things come and I'm like, wait, what?

I didn't know. I didn't know that that was something that was important to me. I didn't know that that was something that, uh, I was supposed to do, um, or be in service of someone else. Um, so again, it is, it's just listening. It's just listening, um, on different levels, another way to do it, uh, that can be probably easier to start with is to ask other people that you care about and who care about you.

Uh, preferably. You know, if they had to answer, you know, that question for you on your behalf, you know, what do they see that sometimes can, um, be mold breaking a bit. Wow. That's I think a lot of times other people can see a lot more in us than we can see in ourselves. I'm thinking I'm connecting to a team situation where we might be able to rally and really understand, you know, why we're here and a great, and an extract leading that to, you know, maybe some teammates that preferably you get on really well with have them answer that for you.

And then, and then from that feedback, you know, why am I here as an individual? Why are we here as a team? And then what is our mission going forward based on that. Yeah, I could see that working the, why are you here for yourself that work will inform the way you engage with any kind of team? Um, the, why are you here?

You know, the questioning, you know, if you want it to reframe that question a little bit, to make it a slightly easier for you to ask someone else to answer on your behalf, uh, when I'm at my best, why am I here? And that allows someone to sort of see you in specific moments and articulate what they value from your presence and your participation and contribution.

Um, yeah, there's, uh, there's a lot of value to this. Just one question, there's a lot of pressure on the one question, but, um, there's no one right answer. There can be an answer that the answer that resonates with you and whatever given moment is, is a right answer. And that's the answer to go looking for?

So we talked a little bit earlier about this being the backstory, this work, being the backstory. And then there are all the questions that we can reveal, which helps unfold texture color to the plot. So I would love for us to be able to share that with our listeners. I know that there are many, but a couple that you might be able to share the people.

And also before we get into that, well, a combination. When should I be thinking about the clot as well? I'm going to just throw that Amazon. Uh, that's a really good question. Okay. So if we consider all of these other questions is like the foundation for identity. Right. For a point of view, I'm in a presence in the world, uh, in a way I do consider that kind of the backstory.

Like that's what contributes to the plot, you know, when is there a plot? There's a plot when something needs to happen. When something's gotta give, something's got to change. When you want to have some kind of an impact in the world, that's when plot comes into play. So how do you put presence into plot?

Well, there's more questions.

Yeah. There's um, more questions. And if you're not questioned out, I'll give you a few of them. Uh, I would, I would love to, um, to be able to shadow them. So the first question is what's happening. So what is happening in the world? Right? Like, are you introducing a new program? Is an industry rising or falling is a company growing or shrinking.

What is disrupting the equilibrium they, that has got you involved?

Why does that matter? What's at stake. So to inspire action, you need your audience, whoever you're communicating with, whether that's like through a conversation, a pitch, a meeting, uh, an ad, you need your audience to empathize with you or your organization, your brand, your product, your service, or the people that you serve.

And you need real relatable stakes to engage them. This is something like these are oftentimes binary stakes that have dynamic change over time. And that's just gibberish. And I apologize, but if it could be something like life or death, right, it could be something like a justice injustice. Right. These are big meaty, powerful things at stake because of something that's happening in the world.

So then what are you doing about it? And then what do you want others to do about it? Then you've got a super objective and basically all that means is what do you want to happen? And why does it matter? And how does that relate to what's at stake, those values that are at stake,

then what's in your way, because it's not a story, unless something is in the way, there's some kind of obstacle, some kind of forces of antagonism

and more or less like if you wanting a formula to create suspense, it's just take curiosity, add tension. That's suspect.

I love the way that you're unpacking and defy helping individuals to SIFA storytelling. You know, so if we think about we're exposed to stories every day in every form and the ones that stick are the ones that have, I would imagine these building blocks or these core ingredients, the protagonist, um, tension points, call to adventure.

Um, so as, as an entrepreneurial, as somebody who is looking to persuade, but also to understand my own story, in what scenarios would I be looking to unpack the story and assemble it and convey it without us? I think it really depends on what it is that you are wanting to accomplish. So if it's a personal story, Right about you and your path in this world.

Um, it would have a lot to do with like what's happening in the world right now. And what's brought you to this moment with them in conversation, potentially say with your audience on this podcast and why does it matter? Right. What do you have to offer that matters to them? And why are you passionate about it?

Right? What are you doing about it? And what are you hoping that they're going to do about it? Right? What do you want to happen? Because you, as the host of this incredible show, right? Have this goal that's out there hanging in the distance that you can see in your peripheral vision, that your audience can tangibly feel in their peripheral presence, because otherwise they wouldn't be listening.

They wouldn't care, but there is a shared goal that's created in this experience.

And then what's in the way, right? All this stuff that's in the way or all the topics that you talk about with your guests, right? If this one is storytelling and identity, it's being able to articulate it so that doesn't get in the way of what they're hoping to accomplish, do in dream.

That makes a lot of sense. That's so compelling. So when we think about these questions and they just need to, they just a few out of you, so naturally, you know, and your ability to take a moment and then translate that into the core component. Never fails to amaze me. So how do other individuals get access to that or get, um, I would love to talk about, get a muscle memory, you know, like perhaps they're a little Fabby, maybe, um, they all triathletes and they wanna, you know, get to that iron iron person stage.

How do people start to accrue this skillset and practice? Uh, there's a really simple, but really powerful story formula. It's probably easier to remember than all of these questions. Um, and that comes from, uh, someone named Robert McKee who is, uh, more or less like, you know, a God of story, um, sort of similar, uh, Pantheon to Joseph Campbell, but, um, present day and, uh, maybe a bit more curmudgeonly, but I love Robert McKee.

Um, so his story formula is hook hold.

Hold reward. Can you unpack that a little bit for us? Sure. A hook. It is basically that, that moment of, um, creating curiosity intention in one fell swoop, one word, right. Something is happening and something is at stake. And it's the reason where somebody can hook you. If somebody can create that kind of suspense, you will watch like the worst possible programming, uh, available on television, uh, because they hooked you something strange happened.

And you just can't imagine how it's going to turn out. So now you need to know that's a hook. Oh, that's why I do that.

I do it. I do it all the time for some really bad programming. Uh, uh, it'll hold is just, can you keep someone hooked over time? Creating enough, like interest enough dynamic change in a story or in a character's development, um, in the obstacles that they must overcome, uh, can you hold my attention? And the reward is just like, what did I get out of this experience?

You know, in the case of really bad programming, it could be that you just got to find out who the heck was like their murder, the murderer in a murder mystery, right? Like, oh, I can't believe that that's who that was. Uh, and so that's satisfying on some level, right? Um, in storytelling like novels and, um, sort of fictional storytelling.

A lot of times it can be that kind of a reveal, uh, or some kind of emotional catharsis that happens. That can be a reward in business storytelling. A lot of times that reward is, um, Aligned with this empathy, you have like an empathetic connection with a brand or the product that accomplishes something that reaches a super objective that you suddenly share based on the situation that they constructed for you.

Uh, let me give you an example. So, um, there was, uh, an ad by, I think, Michelin in, I want to say like the eighties where it was a print ad and it was just a tire set, like in a space, like a white open, you know, vast space with a baby in it. And I think the tagline was a lot is riding on your tires. There's not like a, you know, whole story say spelled out with like a beginning, middle and end, you know, crisis all as your mind fills that in for you, your mind says, oh my God, Uh, there's a, there was this experience where it was dark, it was raining.

It was wet. I was on a mountain road with switchbacks. I lost control of the tires. I started the spin-out. My baby is in the car. Right. You just start to whatever that scenario is, that creates that, that tension inside you because there's life and death, they don't specifically say it. It's just presented to you.

So that's a hook, it's a hold. And the reward is, you know, if you buy into that promise from Michelin that their tires are going to save you in that situation or save you from even the feeling of empathizing with that situation, then that's a reward. The reward is like, oh, I want to keep feeling safe. So I'm going to buy these tires.

Wow. And this really relates to your core tenants of speaking true, inviting empathy and doing good. This is all, this is the bedrock for any communication, whether it's the backstory or it's the plot it's it's it's I imagine woven into everything. Yeah. I mean, if I think about the identity work, um, it's really at getting at what is your truth, because that truth is powerful and the world deserves that truth.

That is the place from which you can have the greatest impact. Inviting empathy is the way that you invite the rest of the world into your story in a way where they get to be a part of it. Uh, and they get to benefit from it. And they, you get to resonate with that and you get to feel that, and then doing good for me is, um, something that.

Like personally meaningful, right? Because you can use story for all kinds of things, right? Like you might use it to sell some tires. You might use it to, um, to like foment fear, uh, and unrest, um, or to persecute people. And, you know, story is powerful. Let's do good with it. Right. So any to, how can people get in touch with you?

How can people learn more? How can people, apart from the richness that you have just shared with us? You know, how can we get more? Well, if, um, people want more, uh, I am in the process right now of creating a, my first online course, uh, specifically on this topic. Um, a brand story writing series. Um, the first, uh, the first one, not modular lesson, sorry, the first course is called soul work.

Uh, so it is a guided, uh, experience through these questions and we go really deep into each one of these questions. Um, if you go to courses dot cause-effect creative.com, uh, I've got a wait list where you can sign up and be notified when the course is live and the first module of which, uh, is scheduled to be live later.

This. That is so exciting. And I'll, I'll put that on the show notes. And then what else is that? What is the best way to connect with you? Whether it's for the land of make and believe or whether it's, um, having some one-on-one work with you, how can people reach you? Uh, you can reach me. There's a contact form on cause effect creative.com or just connect with me on LinkedIn.

Okay, perfect. Well, I need to thank you so much. I'm really excited to see the calls come out. I can't wait to experience it. I've I've been privy to a little trailer and I'm super stoked and I'm looking forward to. Continuing the advantage of unraveling truth and doing good in the world. Thank you. Thank you.

This has been a pleasure, Sura. Now listeners, if you're interested in getting a little bit deeper into the questions that Anita has been sharing with you, you can check out her course@coursesdotcauseeffectcreative.com. And I will have that link in the show notes. And if you enjoyed the show today, please do not hesitate to rate it on your profile platform until next time.

I'm your host Sura Al-Naimi

Thank you listeners for joining us today, I will have all of Heather's information in the show notes. And if you enjoy the episode today, please do not hesitate to rate us on the mediums that be until next time. I'm your host, Sura Al-Naimi