Erin Essex

Shape Your Narrative: Storytelling for Interviews

Google

YouTube

MongoDB

Shutterstock

Sr Interaction Designer @Google | Former Design Director: MongoDB & Shutterstock

Understand why compelling stories are more impactful than polished resumes.

Impact of storytelling in interviews

Learn how to structure your stories with clarity and intention so you can build connection.

Story structure & flow

Discover techniques you can use to adapt your story to different interview questions.

Adapting your story

Learn storytelling systems proven for any occasion. 🪜 Identify your strengths to create, deliver and refine your first story 🎬 Start building a portfolio of stories to draw upon. 📚

Engage your audience and gain their buy-in consistently!

Course syllabus

11AM-1PM EST<ul><li>Session 1: Storytelling &amp; You - good &amp; bad storytelling in real life</li><li>Session 2: The Science of Stories - concepts and why they work</li><li>Session 3: Scripting &amp; Toolbox - applying what you've learnt</li><li>Session 4: Delivering</li></ul>

Weekly Workshop 

You will work on one primary storytelling project throughout the class. You'll begin with an introductory storytelling exercise. Subsequently each week you'll work on the identified talk/presentation/story continuously refining towards a final presentation.

Personal Project

Each week, we'll have one discussion board to review takeaways from pre-readings and learnings from previous session. Separately you will also provide peer feedback on others' work during live meetings and in-between classes.

Weekly Discussion

Optional office hours follow the 1st and 3rd workshops.<ul><li>AMA with Sri &amp; Bikash</li><li>Peer networking session in week 1</li></ul>

2 Bonus Session (optional)

Course schedule

You are a Product Manager who would like to consistently get buy-in from your teams for your winning ideas.

You are a Marketer who is tired of trying to persuade leadership about your strategy and inspire consumers about your product.

You are an Engineering Manager who finds it a challenge to persuade non-technical execs and project stakeholders.

Who is this course for

After taking this course you'll...

You’ll learn to overcome anxiety whether addressing small work groups, or large professional or social audiences, through practice and feedback in small groups. You’ll learn and practice techniques to build on your strengths.

Become a confident presenter

You’ll learn to make audience-specific cases through structured storytelling. You'll practice a simple 3-step framework to identify your audience, intent and message, to build a compelling script and delivery. Hone this with feedback from your peers and me.

Advocate your cause effectively

Collect and curate a library of personal stories to draw upon at will. You’ll unearth the stories you already tell and identify more that you can tell. Practice repurposing and retelling the same stories for different audiences and outcomes.

Build a flywheel

You'll learn to recognize how persuasive speakers utilize stories. Apply them to your own vignettes and stories. Continuously learn from everyone around you, business leaders, politicians, actors, stand up comics, sportsmen and anyone you encounter.

Sharpen the saw

If you want to communicate your ideas effectively, get buy-in and drive decisions, this 4-week course is for you!

Sri Srikrishna

Entrepreneur, author, professor

Bikash Chowdhury

Entrepreneur, marketing leader

Spring 25-AML-Cohort-2

Summer 25 Cohort 1

SUMMER STORY SCHOOL VERSION : Lower Price. Additional days. Extra content, deeper dives, and additional office hours. (more explained in highlights below) Stop Being Just Another Voice in the Corporate Noise : Your influence / reputation / career / salary / job depend on it. This course is designed for professionals ready to transform their expertise into powerful, memorable presentations that command attention in the corporate world. Arthur Zards brings his experience from the TED organization and TED talks to teach the same elite communication strategies that succeed on world-class stages - adapted specifically for executive and corporate success. Whether their goal is to land high-profile speaking engagements, distinguish themselves as industry authorities, or develop compelling narratives that move decision-makers to action, this course offers a deep dive into crafting and delivering talks that advance careers. Participants will master the art of presenting ideas in ways that elevate their professional visibility and establish their leadership presence, using proven techniques from the world's most influential speaking platforms. This is not a quick presentation skills workshop, but a comprehensive program that transforms how leaders communicate their most important ideas. The techniques and frameworks taught are the same ones that have launched global movements and influenced industry leaders, now adapted for corporate impact and professional advancement. Key Highlights 🧠 World-Class Strategic Communication Training: Your instructor has worked with the TED organization for over 15 years, speaking, producing and coaching in the TED model of communication.&nbsp;Participants learn the same sophisticated communication techniques that succeed on global stages, adapted specifically for executive and business environments. 🧠 Leveraging AIAI cannot write for you. However the right AI tool will enable you to create more powerful content quicker. Various AI tools will be shared to enable you to find the ones that work best for your writing style and concept development. Your new AI tools will be your new communication muse. 🧠 Storytelling Driven Skills: You will walk away with simple, and easy to use storytelling skills that will make an immediate impact on how you communicate on day one. You will not have to learn complicated story models or journey maps but simple, effective tools designed for the busy executive. 🧠 Proven Idea Development Process: Ideas are rigorously developed using the same storytelling methodology that has helped hundreds of TED/TEDx speakers break through. This process ensures messages not only resonate in boardrooms but create lasting impact across organizations. 🧠 The Swarm Effect®: Participants master this proprietary communication model, developed through years of analyzing the most successful TED talks and corporate presentations. This framework elevates executive presence across all business communications - from keynotes to crucial stakeholder meetings. 🏫Summer Story School Class &amp; PriceThis special Summer Story School edition is designed to match the pace of the season while offering even more value. With many executives traveling, on staycations, or operating on lighter schedules in July, the course expands to include one additional training day and double the office hour time. It features a more flexible structure that allows participants to dive deeper into personal goals and help shape the direction of each session. The atmosphere is relaxed and creative, with space for special guests and tailored feedback. Participants are welcome to stay longer, arrive late, or step in and out with minimal disruption. All the same proven content remains, now with more room to explore, reflect, and refine your voice.

Master the art of strategic storytelling that engages and drives change

90 minute class covering syllabus content

July 14- Monday - Transformational Storytelling

Student driven open session for deeper dives, more content and live content work

July 14 Summer Story School

July 15- Tuesday - Transformational Storytelling

July 15 Summer Story School

July 16- Wednesday - Transformational Storytelling

July 16 Summer Story School

Office hours. Open Q/A and work on content.

July 17 - Thursday

Corporate leaders ready to elevate their influence using proven techniques from world-class stages.

Industry experts looking to position themselves as thought leaders using TED driven storytelling techniques

Business professionals seeking to transform their expertise into compelling presentations that advance careers.

Rising executives who want to develop the same commanding presence seen in viral TED talks, adapted for business impact

What you’ll get out of this course

An easy-to-understand and usable model for achieving maximum impact with your idea. The model is based on decades of communications experience with 15 years of the best techniques/tricks/hacks used by the most successful TED speakers.

Swarm Effect®  speaking model.
 

A powerful yet simple framework to ensure that your ideas don't die before the audience applause ends, but lives and thrives to truly transform.

Idea to Actualization Model of Transformation

You will get your idea to the Deeper Truth. It's what really matters with your idea. This simple tool and process will be profound and you will to able to use it on future ideas and concepts beyond this course.

A Powerful Process to Challenge your Idea 

You won't ever have to worry about being a professional storyteller. You'll have simple and easy-to-remember tools so you can immediately become a natural storyteller and you won't even know it.

A Storytelling Mindset

Any self-doubt, thinking like your idea isn't good enough or thoughts of imposter syndrome will be squashed. You'll leave with significant confidence and the tools needed to increase it.

Confidence

You don't need to be a professional speaker to talk like a TED speaker. You will learn how to embrace who you truly are, and how to translate that into a strength for speaking, even if you are shy, have never spoken in public or hate public speaking.

How to Embrace your own Authenticity

You may think your idea is a jumbled mess, but simple tools and exercises will guide you to find your own powerful narrative arc and structure for your idea so that it is story-driven and resonates with your audience.

A Narrative Arc and Structure

Simple and easy to apply tools and techniques so that you can develop a story instantly with almost no knowledge of storytelling.

Storytelling Creation Toolbox

You'll discover unique and powerful tools outside of the standard slide deck to fully engage with your audience. You'll learn why TED speaker's slide decks don't look like typical slide decks and you'll learn the skills to do the same, without being a graphic artist.

PowerPoint Alternatives. You'll never look at a PowerPoint deck the same way again.
 

Want to take your idea further? Learn how&nbsp;TED/TEDx style talks differ from corporate presentations and why it matters. A broad understanding of how the TED/TEDx ecosystem works, how it's evolving, and how you can leverage your expertise to land speaking opportunities.

TED/TEDx Opportunity Knowledge

Intimate small group sessions (no more than 4 people) with Arthur Zards that allows for immediate feedback and collaboration only seen with expensive one-on-one learning. No teacher assistants or junior instructors.

Expert Co-hort Live Interactive Learning.
 

Transform expertise into career-defining presentations that elevate professional standing and drive impactful change. (Includes using AI)

Arthur Zards

TED/TEDx speaker & producer with 42+ million client speaker views | Founder Swarm Effect® speaking

Cohort May 13 Midday

Cohort Summer School July

Through my coaching over the past several years, I've helped a lot of people get hired. There are some very clear patterns to what is getting in the way, so I have turned this into a course that will help you stand out and win. Most interview advice recycles the same basic checklists. Some experts even help you up-level your game further, building a stronger resume and better answers to key interview questions like, "Tell me about yourself..." Yet, strong candidates like you don't get the offer. Why? What are you missing? There are patterns and reasons behind how hiring really works, but these reasons are rooted much deeper than most people realize or teach. Hiring is actually about how people's brains evaluate who they trust, who they like, who they feel they understand, who they connect with, what worries them, excites them, and who their biases are comfortable with. Hiring isn't just about skills, fit, and the job. It's much deeper, and much more human than that. This course covers things not even the interviewers know about themselves. If the CIA had a course on how to be sure you get the job, this would be it. You will learn the truth behind how people think and how they make decisions, making you top 0.1% in communicating, differentiating yourself, and landing the job. If you saw me on Lenny's podcast, you know a little bit about my background in behavioral science and how it helped me win as a multi-time entrepreneur. What I want to share with you in this course is how to win at interviews by powerfully connecting with people's brains, not just doing the surface stuff every other candidate does. You'll understand things nobody else knows. You'll understand exactly how the interviewers' minds work. You'll understand how you are seen through their eyes. And you'll understand what you might be getting wrong and what you need to start getting right. This course won't just help you today...it will help you stand out in every interview you have for the rest of your life, changing the trajectory of your whole career. Interview Mastery&nbsp;is a laser-focused spin-off from my highly-rated first Maven Course (How to Sell Yourself &amp; Your Ideas), designed to focus 100% on the subject of hiring, turning you into the easiest, safest, most obvious “yes” a hiring team can make. === What makes this course different? Built on real brain science.&nbsp;Learn how the hiring manager's evaluation "circuitry" inside their brain&nbsp;actually&nbsp;works, not how we wish it worked. Learn how to tailor your message.&nbsp;Different people need a different message from you. Instantly read the Operator, Craftsperson, or Visionary across the table and adjust your approach on the fly. Mindset-based storytelling.&nbsp;Don't just talk about your past and your results...learn to describe your ultimate differentiator: the unique, compelling mind behind your experiences. Diagnostic toolkit. Take the mystery out of your struggles...you’ll isolate why you're having challenges and learn how to fix it without sacrificing your authenticity. Two hidden levers less than 1% of interviewees know about.&nbsp;You’ll learn about the two blind spots that quietly undermine you in interviews...insights almost no one teaches. === Why break this out from the broader&nbsp;How to Sell Yourself &amp; Your Ideas Course? It makes more sense to separately address the needs of people interviewing vs. people who are trying to sell themselves and their ideas once they are in the role. This way, you get the most out of each toolkit and you'll be in a cohort of people with the exact same needs and challenges as you. Ready to start winning? Ready to learn how you can engineer a “yes” instead of hoping for good luck? Join the next cohort and make&nbsp;hired&nbsp;the default outcome.

The truth about how hires are actually chosen and what that means for you.


If your events are recurring and at the same time, it might be easiest to use a single line item to communicate your course schedule to students

Tuesdays & Thursdays

Feel free to type out dates as your title as a way to communicate information about specific live sessions or other events.

May 7, 2022

Schedule items can also be used to convey commitments outside of specific time slots (like weekly projects or daily office hours).

Weekly projects

People who want access to the next level. Don't just win at your level...learn how to show you're ready for what's next in your career.

People who want access to tier 1. Get the best jobs at the best companies, only accessible to those who know how to get in the door.

People who feel stuck in their search. Are you close, but you're not quite getting the offers you want? Learn how to get unblocked.

What you’ll get out of this course


There are two keys to the interviewing process that almost nobody knows. Without these keys, most people interviewing accidentally make themselves less unique, less understood, and less desirable in the interview process.

Learn the two key things most people mess up.


Every person you interview with is a different person with a different personality, yet most candidates say the same things to everyone. This leads to mixed reactions. Learn how to quickly tell what kind of person you're speaking to and how to speak in language that resonates.

Learn to tailor your approach to the audience


You aren't just having discussions with the people you're interviewing with...deeper down, you are causing reactions in their brains that make them subconsciously decide whether or not you're the right person. If you're creating the wrong reactions, winning is impossible.

Understand the brain science behind successful interviews


The opening question of most interviews sets the stage for the whole conversation. Learn how to open strong, setting the tone for you to be understood, remembered, and differentiated. This question is so much more important than people realize.

Crush "Tell me about yourself..."


For people who have been interviewing for a while, it can be confusing to understand what might be going wrong and what, exactly, to work on. In this course, you'll learn how to accurately analyze your track record and spot exactly what you need to learn and implement.

Build a framework for reflection and improvement


The concept of fit is important in both directions. You need to show how you are a fit for the role and the company, but you also need to know what you can expect once you get there so you can make the best decision for you.

Understand fit


It can feel like getting the job is the goal, but once you're there, are you going to truly have permission and a platform to do great work, rack up wins, and grow? Surprisingly, the permission to do great work starts during the interview process.

Sell yourself so well, you'll actually be allowed to do your job


This course is going to help you get your next job, of course. But it's also going to help you get every job you'll ever get. At the end of the course, we'll talk about the importance of seeing the next job as a big step in an even bigger journey.

Have a medium and long-term game plan


Learn the elite, science-based approach to differentiating yourself, earning instant rapport, and scoring the job.


Evan LaPointe

I founded several companies. Sold the last one to Adobe. Now, I help people win.

June 1

June 22

Discounted from £599 so that you can kick-off 2025 in style! Be 100% ready for Presentations, Podcasts, Media interviews and Panel discussions. You will learn the tools, tips and techniques to be a credible spokesperson when representing your brand. This course doesn't just share WHAT to do to be a great spokesperson, but HOW to do it. Processes, frameworks and preparation guides will help you be the very best you can be - and feel confident when in the limelight. By working with me, you’ll always be prepared and ready to go, anytime, for any speaking opportunity. Being on the frontline will be fun for you, something you enjoy and look forward to. BONUS #1:Have your Magnetic Message critiqued with in-depth feedback and guidance BONUS #2:50% discount for a 1:1 Performance Power Hour - perfect for a follow-up a few months down the line!

Enjoy public speaking! Feel Confident knowing you're Engaging and Memorable

These workshops span 90 minutes each week.One hour of instructor-led learning, followed by an optional 30 minutes Q&amp;A.Please review Workbooks Two and Three in advance of their respective workshops so that you have the opportunity to make the most of this programme

4.5 hours across three weeks

Media Training 101A mixture of instructor presentation and interactive Q&amp;A

First Week

How to Handle Tricky QuestionsInstructor presentation, interactive Q&amp;A and volunteer critique/s

Second Week

Creating a Standout MessageInstructor presentation, volunteer critique/s BONUS: Have this message personally critiqued by me after the programme finishes!

Third Week

Senior Leaders who want to build, expand or hone their skillset as credible spokespeople

Founders and Small Business Owners who know they have to be the ones to promote their brand but are unsure how to do it best

Business professionals who are ready to step up to a more senior position and need to demonstrate strong spokesperson &amp; presentation skills

Anyone required to earn Continual Professional Development (CPD) or Continuing Education (CE) points. This course will be CPD Certified

Be the spokesperson your business deserves

Do you struggle with public speaking, or just don't know how to do it well? Learn the tools that senior leaders across the world lean on when being on the frontline

Feel confident, whatever the opportunity

Learn the art of dealing with tricky questions with poise and authenticity

Handle tricky questions with grace and impact

Be memorable and interesting! Introduce yourself with ease and help others to quickly buy into you and what you have to say

Create your personal magnetic message

Next generation media training. Be a confident Brand Champion. 
Command the room by being an engaging and memorable public speaker.

Lightning Lessons

Shape Your Narrative: Storytelling for Interviews