What’s your story?
Originally published on October 27, 2017 at www.linkedin.com.
I was thrilled to be a guest this week on the Stern Chats podcast. If you’re interested in hearing more about my life, including my work, my upbringing, and my values, check out the interview here:
My episode notwithstanding, the Stern Chats podcast is excellent and I highly recommend that you subscribe. The purpose of the show is not to promote NYU Stern, but rather to delve into each guest’s personal story. Even if you have no affiliation with NYU or experience with/interest in MBAs or business education, I promise you that this podcast is worth your time. I have been hugely impressed by Sheri and Frank (the MBA student creators/hosts of the podcast; pictured above) since they first arrived on campus last year, and I still can’t quite wrap my brain around how much I admire what they have accomplished with Stern Chats. In part because of my brain-meltingly high level of enthusiasm about the podcast, I sent them approximately 17 thank-you notes after we finished recording.
A funny thing happened after the podcast, though. I started thinking about the stories I had shared and wondering if I could have said more, or said less, or said it all differently. Don’t get me wrong: I am happy with the way the interview turned out. But it dawned on me that I had just experienced something very rare, which was the opportunity to share my personal story with a wide audience. To have it all recorded only magnified the privilege.
All of my post-podcast reflection led me to the the following conclusion, which I hope doesn’t sound trite: the stories we tell others (our external narratives) — and the stories we tell ourselves (our internal narratives) — are extremely powerful, and any opportunities we have to reflect on and share them should not be taken lightly. Whether you are sitting in front of a microphone, at the kitchen table with your family, or across the table from an interviewer, I strongly recommend that you cherish every opportunity to tell your story/ies, both big and small. I also urge you to seek out others’ stories in return. What stories will you tell about yourself, and what is it that you want to know about others? Don’t keep your experiences and your questions to yourself. When the time is right, be willing to share. And take the time to demonstrate curiosity about others.
I am grateful for Frank and Sheri’s intellectual and interpersonal curiosity, and for the opportunity they gave me to pause, reflect, and share my own story.
Thanks for reading (and listening).
