My dad spent his career as a Pedodontist, treating children from infancy through early adulthood.  Part of his job was to inspire and motivate the kids that were his patients. And part of his job (potentially a bigger part) was motivating and inspiring their parents to encourage good oral hygiene habits at home.  In doing so, he discovered (and taught me) some important lessons. Including this: people won’t change until they come to the decision to change on their own. And ho

Ever feel stuck when given a storytelling prompt? You hear something like “out on a limb”  and your mind immediately jumps to the obvious or literal ideas. Maybe you think of climbing a tree, taking a risky bet, or doing something crazy. The method I use to generate multiple story ideas from a single prompt is called “Exploding the Prompt.” Step 1: Start with the Obvious Begin by writing down the first few ideas that pop into your head, even if they seem boring, cliché, or “b

Have you ever thought, “Who would want to hear my story?”  Maybe you feel like your experiences are too ordinary, too small, or too messy to matter. I’m here to tell you something important: your story matters.  Not someday, not maybe—it matters right now. Here’s the thing: every single person you meet is craving connection. They want to laugh, cry, learn, or just nod along thinking, “Yeah, me too.” And the amazing part? Your story could be the very thing that does that for s