The Power of Story and Science

Conversation with Rich Hopkins, the "Win Anyway" Speaker

Join a fascinating conversation with internationally-renowned speaker Rich Hopkins. Rich understands the universality of story, even as that universality unfolds in the particulars of the events a specific character lives out. And is Rich ever a character! Prepare to be moved by the story of how he learned to give something up—and win anyway.

Meet a Storytelling Scientist: Ray Mohr

In this episode, you’ll hear a conversation with scientist and storyteller Ray Mohr. You’ll hear how Ray has used story to convey challenging scientific ideas to a wide range of audiences, both technical and non-technical. And not only that, but he also understands the entertainment and cultural value of storytelling. And the relationship between telling a story and advancing science.

To contact Ray and find out more about his storytelling, email him using raymondemohr (at) gmail.com.

Maureen Zappala: Impostor Syndrome and Your Story

In this episode, you’ll hear a conversation with former NASA engineer Maureen Zappala. Now a professional speaker, Maureen learned to overcome her own impostor syndrome and now teaches other high performers how to do the same thing. Hear what Maureen has to say about the power of story as a communication tool even in the most technical settings.

To learn more about Maureen, visit https://maureenz.com/.

The Nuts and Bolts of Story: What It Does, What You Do

In this episode, you’ll get into the nuts and bolts of story as a rhetorical device. First, the practical elements of what purposes a story should accomplish for you as a speaker, and, second, a couple of easy-to-use formulas that will help you with the question of how to put together a story that achieves those objectives.

Connection before Content: Why and How

In this episode, we return to science—in particular, the psychology of first impressions and the neuroscience behind how we make decisions. You will come away understanding even more about the importance of using story to connect with your audience, even in a technical presentation. And you will pick up a tool for uncovering the story behind your information.

The Virtual Reality: How to Compete with Real Distractions

In this bonus episode of “The Power of Story and Science,” host David P. Otey takes a short break from the general topic of connecting with one’s audience through story, and instead looks at the immediate challenge many presenters are facing: how to be effective in the virtual world. You will pick up eight tips on what to look at in your physical world before going virtual, three considerations for your virtual tools, and one key aspect of adapting your content. In the next episode, David will return his focus to story as a primary means of facilitating information transfer.

Where to begin: Our purpose (and yours)

In a program titled "The Power of Story and Science," you would expect there to be some science behind the storytelling. And there is! Host David P. Otey lays the groundwork for this new podcast by describing the role oxytocin plays in prompting the audience to feel empathy for you, the speaker. He also describes the importance of having a Specific Purpose and of understanding the speaker's role in the Grand Bargain. He closes with a preview of future episodes, which will come every two weeks or less. Tune in if you want to discover the power of having your audience on the edge of their seats, even when presenting a technical topic. Because, really, isn't that what presenting the story of your work is all about?