What happened when a room full of strangers paused to explore their own stories at STORY 2026, and the wisdom they left behind.
October 1 and 2, 2026 · Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Nashville
A letter from Liz
Dear Story Explorers,
There were so many breakout sessions you could have chosen at STORY. Somehow you found your way to a tucked-away corner of the East Lobby of the Schermerhorn Symphony Center and met strangers who became friends.
You high-fived someone new and picked sides of the room: sweet or savory, karaoke hell yes or hell no. Then you sat down in small Story Pods, and the room filled with my favorite sound: people sharing stories and making connections. As one of you put it, "It becomes so intimate so quick."
But this was never just about swapping stories. Together, we built something. After every Story Pod, you wrote down a piece of wisdom you heard, something you learned about yourself, or something you're still curious about, and pinned it to our Wall of Wisdom. By the end of two days, the wall held 73 cards: a collective map of what a few rooms full of strangers discovered when they paused to explore their stories.
Each and every one of you has a powerful story. When we create spaces to explore and activate those stories, that's when change starts.
Thank you to Harris, Kate and the whole STORY team, and to every Story Explorer who added to the wall. Here's a glimpse of what we uncovered.
With so much gratitude,Liz
73 cards in two days
From storytellers to Story Explorers
Why Story Explorers?
You heard incredible stories told from the stage at STORY. But each and every one of you has powerful stories to share, too.
We have to remember that storytelling is actually two words: story and telling.
story+telling
Right now we're increasingly focused on the telling, because so many forces are flattening our stories into content we either consume or perform. Tap each one.
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So we keep consuming other people's stories or producing our own to feed the content beast.
That's why, especially now that AI can help us tell stories faster and in more places than ever, we need to practice the human skill underneath.
AI can help with the telling. The story is our human skill.
So we took a pause together to ask
Which stories are worth telling, and what wisdom do they hold to guide us forward?
That's how we shift from
storytellers→Story Explorers.
What Story Explorers believe
Stories are all around us: stories of our past, stories of our present and, most importantly, stories of our possible.
It's on us to actively shape and share those stories to create a better future for ourselves and the world.
What Story Explorers do
01
They get curious.
They explore the stories that shape them and the stories all around them, asking good questions and listening deeply to the details.
02
They connect deeper.
They use story to connect to themselves, to each other, and to something bigger.
03
They communicate memorably.
They share real stories that people remember. It isn't about being the most polished. It's about being authentic.
04
They create change.
They use their stories to spark meaningful change in their own lives, their teams and their communities.
05
They increase care.
When we share our stories, we care more for ourselves, for each other and for the world. And care is what motivates us to do the hard work of building a better future, together.
What we uncovered
What we're taking home from Nashville
When I read the reflections from our debriefs alongside all 73 cards, three threads stood out. They're the heart of being a Story Explorer.
The power of looking back
Our old stories hold more wisdom than we realize.
We talked about first cars and first jobs, and people kept finding the adult they became hiding inside them. One person remembered the freedom of driving a first car down country roads and realized it's the same freedom that makes them a solopreneur today. Someone else said it simply: "I just haven't thought about it ever."
Revisit old random stories from your life and try to uncover a new observation.Jordan
How things in my younger years foreshadowed the mannerisms I have today.Madison
The power of speaking up
Your voice matters, even when using it costs you something.
This was the biggest thread on the wall, and it showed up in every session, not only Find Your Voice. We heard about teachers and bosses who noticed someone before they could see it in themselves. And one pod helped a storyteller see that the time he spoke up, which he had carried as a failure for 25 years, actually opened doors for him and for so many others.
Our voices matter. We undervalue that at times, more than we should. When we embrace the value, fewer regrets.Jori
Speaking up opens you up.Cisco
The power of intentionally stepping forward
The unknown is where possibility lives.
In Embark on a Journey, a move to a new city turned into a whole new identity. In Open Doors, a college student said she didn't know where she was going yet, and a pod of seasoned creatives told her the path she'll love may not exist yet. The path is a myth. We make it as we go.
The void is the place of possibility.Beth
I'm still moving through my changing identity, but I'm not as scared as I was before.Kimberly
And through it all
We saw ourselves in each other
So many cards were about listening as much as sharing. When we explore our stories together, someone else's story unlocks something in our own.
I see myself in others' stories ♥ · Jane
Your mission, if you choose to accept it
Keep exploring
If you only do one thing, use these four questions from our Story Pods to keep exploring, and to keep finding stories and wisdom. Ask them over coffee, in a team meeting or around the dinner table. Then let me know what you find.
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Ask someone today.
Let's talk
Where does your story need to go next?
You've gotten a taste of what it looks like to slow down, explore your stories and listen deeply to others. But what happens when you make this a regular practice?
When we pause to explore where we've been and the story we're living right now, we can plot where we want to go next with more confidence. Whether that's for you or for your team, I'd love to help.
I hold a few Story Strategy Call slots open each week for my community. If something in here sparked an idea, let's talk.
I'm a Story Coach and the Founder of Story Explorers. I help leaders and teams who are doing good work in the world find, shape and share their most powerful stories, so they can connect deeper, communicate better, and spark meaningful change.
I spent 15+ years crafting human, story-driven content at Airbnb, on the Obama 2012 campaign, and one wild summer producing a Bravo dating show. In 2020, a layoff forced me to turn to my own stories for the first time to figure out how to move forward with purpose. Now I help other people do the same.
My first book, Be a Story Explorer, comes out with Istoria Publishing in 2027. I live in Berkeley, CA with my partner Mike and our sweet dog Tahini.
Here's what that looks like
For you1:1 Story CoachingThrough guided conversations and exercises, we explore the stories that shaped you, pull out your superpowers, and build your Story Bank. Then we shape the stories you need for what's next: a bigger role, a big stage, or a change you're leading.
For your teamStory workshops and Story Explorer experiencesLike the Salon, but built for your team, to help people pause, connect and find their shared thread, especially in times of change. I've brought this work to organizations like Pinterest, Stanford and Deloitte.
For your stageKeynotesInteractive and inspiring talks that get people thinking differently about their stories, including the STORY main stage in 2025.
