Return on Story - Harnessing the Power of Storytelling at Work

New
·

4 Weeks

·

Cohort-based Course

Harness the power of storytelling to make your message clear, powerful, and impactful in all parts of work and life

Course overview

Great Storytelling Is a Tool for Influence, Shaping Culture, and Team Connection

In four 90-minute sessions, we'll explore a range of storytelling frameworks and learn the tools to build influence and create impact in settings of all kinds.


Whether in a high-stakes presentation, all-hands meeting, or everyday conversation, you’ll learn how to connect more personally, powerfully, and effectively in a one-on-one conversation or in front of a room full of people.


This is not a writing workshop (though we’ll do some writing—and lots of brainstorming).


This is not about optimizing AI to tell stories for you (though we’ll dive into how to use AI thoughtfully and effectively).


This practical, human-centered course helps you sharpen your storytelling skills and expand your influence and impact across your organization. You'll learn how to more effectively:


• Turn high-stakes presentations—from all-hands meetings to campaign pitches—into compelling narratives that capture attention, build credibility, and persuade audiences to stay engaged from start to finish.

• Simplify the message you're trying to deliver to drive more understanding and alignment in any situation.

• Create a company culture where everyone is aligned on mission, vision, and values.


Bonus: The same tools apply far beyond work—toasts, job interviews, first dates, even eulogies.


More than anything, this workshop isn’t just about your next speech, deck, or all-hands. It’s about seeing storytelling as a powerful part of leadership—and life. We'll learn tools, yes, but also build the confidence needed to share stories that make people lean in, trust you, and say those three magic words: tell me more.

Who is this course for

01

Leaders in start-up and early stage companies who want to nail their story for team alignment and client pitches.

02

Founders, comms officers, HR directors, and other leaders navigating transitions such as funding rounds, growth, M&A, hybrid workplaces.

03

People managers (HR, Marketing, Comms) with a mission to create a clear, compelling story for team focus and connection.

04

Professionals looking to change jobs or in a career transition who want to refine and reframe their story for interviews, etc.

05

Anyone who has asked this simple, vital question as they navigate their own path or company journey: How do I become a better storyteller?

What you’ll get out of this course

Effective and concise storytelling to enhance team leadership, client interactions, sales calls, pitch presentations, and job interviews.


Confidence in storytelling for diverse settings, from high-stakes presentations to casual interactions like dates and dinner parties.


How to communicate the story of your "Why?”—the underlying purpose of your personal brand or your company's.

How to use AI to enhance storytelling without losing your authentic voice.


Benefits of storytelling as a meta-skill: it doesn't just make you a better communicator—it elevates how you show up in every part of life.



​How to master the craft of great storytelling that prompts these three magic words: tell me more.

What’s included

Larry Smith

Live sessions

Learn directly from Larry Smith in a real-time, interactive format.

Lifetime access

Go back to course content and recordings whenever you need to.

Community of peers

Stay accountable and share insights with like-minded professionals.

Certificate of completion

Share your new skills with your employer or on LinkedIn.

Maven Guarantee

This course is backed by the Maven Guarantee. Students are eligible for a full refund up until the halfway point of the course.

Course syllabus

Week 1

Sep 4—Sep 7

    Why Storytelling Works

    1 item

Week 2

Sep 8—Sep 14

    Frameworks, Stakes & Elevators

    1 item

    Bonus Presentation + Q&A: Connecting teams through six-word stories

    1 item

Week 3

Sep 15—Sep 21

    Showing Up: Delivery, Adaptability & Personal Presence

    1 item

    Bonus Q&A: AMA about book publishing

    1 item

Week 4

Sep 22—Sep 25

    Tell Me More: Class Show & Takeaways

    1 item

Post-course

    Oct

    23

    Optional: Class Reunion & Updates!

    Thu 10/237:00 PM—7:45 PM (UTC)
    Optional

Bonus

    Coaching Session (Optional)

    1 item

Testimonials & Good Words

        Larry’s smart and accessible approach to storytelling had my team buzzing, laughing, and bonded.
Allison Dew

Allison Dew

Chief Marketing Officer, Dell
        Larry Smith’s storytelling workshops are a bit of magic: fun, interesting, and above all useful in helping people become better sellers and communicators.
Gary Belsky

Gary Belsky

CEO, Elland Road Partners, former Editor-in-Chief, ESPN Magazine
        Larry did a series of workshops for our employees to help our team members connect with their passion for the company. We were quickly oversubscribed for the available slots, and the workshops were a great success. Larry’s approach permeated our culture and engagement long after the workshops.
Kelly McGinnis

Kelly McGinnis

SVP & Chief Communications Officer, Levi’s
        Larry is one of the most talented community builders I’ve worked with. He has a rare ability to use storytelling to tap into a community’s collective wisdom and shape meaningful experiences that strengthen engagement and belonging. As a presenter and facilitator, he thrives—bringing energy, presence, and an inspired sense of purpose.
Ha Nguyen

Ha Nguyen

Founder and Managing Partner, NextStep Advisory & Consulting
        Larry has a rare talent: using storytelling to make every room—whether physical or virtual—feel more inclusive, energized, and connected. His presence lifts the tone of the group, and his deep storytelling expertise has added value across our entire organization. Any company would be lucky to have Larry shaping their internal voice and culture.
Lexy Franklin

Lexy Franklin

Founder & CEO, Sidebar
        Larry Smith. The name itself is pretty bland. Yet this guy brought his A-game to our annual board of Directors retreat. He energized the 40 or so in attendance, and got them talking, thinking and visioning about our organization and its mission. I've got six words for you: "Six Word Memoir Guy Really Rocks"
Ron Burton

Ron Burton

Partner. Goldfarb & Fleece
        We brought in Larry to run a Six-Word Memoir workshop for our team over Zoom during the pandemic. Larry was a pleasure to work with from the get go and was super flexible with the content and in customizing the session for our team. Larry is not just a storytelling expert but a truly engaging presenter and facilitator.
Cindy Toh

Cindy Toh

Director, Strategy and Operations, Communications, Dropbox

Meet your instructor

Larry Smith

Larry Smith

Larry Smith is the creator of the Six-Word Memoir phenomenon, bestselling author of twelve books, and a storytelling whisperer called "on a quest to unlock self-expression in everyone" by Oprah Magazine.


He has worked with teams at Levi’s, JPMorganChase, Snapchat, Dell, ESPN, and Nuveen, as well as nonprofits, foundations, philanthropies, and schools and coached thousands of people on the art of live storytelling and the essence of an elevator pitch.


Whether working with c-suite executives or middle school students, his professional and personal joy is helping people tell stories with clarity and heart.

A pattern of wavy dots

Join an upcoming cohort

Return on Story - Harnessing the Power of Storytelling at Work

Cohort 1

$699

Dates

Sep 4—25, 2025

Payment Deadline

Sep 3, 2025
Get reimbursed

Course schedule

90 minutes per week (live)

  • Thursdays

    12pm-1:30pm PST

    We'll meet for 90-minutes live sessions for four consecutive Thursday from September 4th — September 25th.

  • Weekly projects

    Project times will vary

    Each student will spend time working on a story or presentation between sessions and get weekly feedback from me and the other students.

Learning is better with cohorts

Learning is better with cohorts

Active hands-on learning

This course builds on live workshops and hands-on projects

Interactive and project-based

You’ll be interacting with other learners through breakout rooms and project teams

Learn with a cohort of peers

Join a community of like-minded people who want to learn and grow alongside you

Frequently Asked Questions

Stay in the loop

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A pattern of wavy dots

Join an upcoming cohort

Return on Story - Harnessing the Power of Storytelling at Work

Cohort 1

$699

Dates

Sep 4—25, 2025

Payment Deadline

Sep 3, 2025
Get reimbursed

$699

4 Weeks