Story Podcast

Steve Daugherty is a pastor, a powerful communicator, and a #STORY2016 featured storyteller. He's been seen on stages around the country where he simply tells a story and leaves the audience to draw the "moral of the story" for themselves. And it's incredibly compelling. During this conversation we talk about why an honest story holds power, how it can change lives, and impact culture.

Scott McDaniel currently serves as Vice President of Creative for the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation, overseeing the creative team facilitating visual art for the city of Nashville. It’s a new role for him that he is totally crushing. And that’s no surprise, because his new role is on the heels of 20 years experience in creating visual art within the entertainment industry. He has a ton of experience when it comes to storytelling and collaborating with others to make sure that the best possible story is told. Learn more at storygatherings.com.

Fear. It’s something that everyone faces, but it seems that fear has a huge stronghold on the creative community. This week we sat down with Dave Barnes to talk about fear, spirituality within the creative process, and separating our identity from our art. While he has made a career as an artist in his own right, he’s also written songs for artists like Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Thomas Rhett and more, so he has a lot to talk about when it comes to creativity. Learn more about STORY at www.storygatherings.com

Is there something that is holding you back from creating what you were meant to create? Do you find yourself making excuses to not press the post button or to not even embark on a project at all? It’s so easy to push back on opportunities out of fear or some other force that might be ruling your life, like pain. But what if we were able to persevere and create anyway? This week, we sat down with speaker and stylist, Ruthie Lindsey to talk about just that. worked with brands like Free People, Urban Outfitters and West Elm. But that success didn’t happen overnight. Listen in as we talk about the hurdles that she had to overcome to be able to produce the work that she was meant to create. Learn more at www.storygatherings.com

Do we have a problem with self-esteem in creative industries? And what is the right balance of encouraging each other by building each other up to inspire growth and further creativity, while being honest with ourselves and each other about our strengths and weaknesses? Steve Feldman is a multiple Emmy award-winning director. His credits are fascinating. His IMDB page is an impressive list of projects, ranging from children’s programing to TV documentaries. He event spent 8 years directing Sesame Street. Steve is a veteran storyteller, who has an incredible amount of experience, and has a unique perspective on living a creative life. And his advice for all of us working towards his status? It may sound a lot different than you thought that it would. All of that and more on this week's episode. To learn more about STORY, visit www.storygatherings.com.

How often do we get caught up in the end result or have a certain motive behind a project? We set some type of expectation upon it that can leave us disappointed. Whether it’s a book deal, a future speaking gig, or even just a certain amount of likes on Instagram. As artists and storytellers we can struggle to stay present in the journey of our art, but isn’t that where the magic happens? A self-made singer-songwriter, Matt has spent years creating soulful, feel-good pop music on his own terms. He has toured the country with songwriters like Jason Mraz, Maroon 5, Parachute and Gavin DeGraw. More than a decade into a career filled with commercial success and touring milestones, Matt remains proud to be an independent singer-songwriter. And there's a lot that we can learn from him when it comes to being vulnerable with our art, how to approach the editing process, and finding our identity beyond our project. Learn more about STORY at www.storygatherings.com.

Branden Harvey is a storyteller and photographer who helps brands and non-profits tell their stories. He's worked with companies like Starbucks, Comcast, World Vision, and Southwest Airlines. Now, he's working a project of his own to will promote the "Good News" in the world. Listen in to learn how to tell stories in our digital world, and how to change the narrative, for the better, on various platforms. To learn more about STORY, visit www.storygatherings.com.

Amber is an artist and writer who has worked with the likes of Seth Godin, Apple, and Google. She has set out on a mission to choose "Wonder over Worry" and to teach other's to do the same. Not only does she have some incredible things to say that will impact your work and life during this episode, but we also start spilling some secrets about #STORY2017. Learn more at http://storygatherings.com/ and http://choosewonder.com/.

Allen Clark is a celebrity photographer who's portfolio includes photos of George W. Bush, Dave Matthews, Ethan Hawke, Ludacris, and so many more. During this conversation he talks about battling self-doubt, what it means to 'make it', and the importance of telling a story. Learn more about Allen at http://www.allenclarkphotography.com/.

Danielle Bennett is a poet, communicator, and educator who works as a freelance artist as well as in strategic planning for an organization in the public schools of Los Angeles, CA. As a spoken word artist, she has been seen on stages across the country for various events, including #STORY2016. Listen to this powerful conversation as we talk about vulnerability and the tangibility of your art. If you're living between the tension of being a full-time artist or working an office job, this episode is for you.

Over the past month, we have been asking the STORY community this question: "Where did you fall in love?". We received some beautiful stories, and we are excited to share them with you on this special Valentine's Day episode. We hope that you enjoy these real, raw, and beautiful stories! Learn more about STORY at www.storygatherings.com

Allison Fallon is a writer, speaker, and expert coach who is passionate about helping you uncover your unique beauty, power and passion in the world. She’s written ten books and dedicated the last ten years of her life to helping people overcome fears, find healing and uncover their hidden gifts. Listen to this live podcast recording from our Winter STORY Gathering in Nashville, TN as she talks the creative process, setting goals, and discovering what you were meant to do. Learn more at www.storygatherings.com.

It's safe to say that the President of the Producers Guild of America knows a thing or two about great storytelling. She is the executive producer of the hit CBS series "Madame Secretary", one of the executive producers of the National Geographic Emmy-nominated hit series "The Story of God,” the network’s most-watched series of all time, AND the CEO of Revelations Entertainment which she co-founded with Morgan Freeman. She has some experience under her belt, and she was so gracious to talk shop with us while she was on set for "Madame Secretary". Listen in to learn how she got to where she is today, and how to decide which story to tell. Learn more about STORY at www.storygatherings.com.

Jon Acuff is the New York Times Bestselling author of five books. For 19 years he’s helped some of the biggest brands in the world tell their story, including The Home Depot, Bose, Staples, and the Dave Ramsey Team. His blogs have been read by 4 million people, so he knows a thing or two about captivating an audience. During this conversation we talk about setting goals, finishing your current project, how to deal with haters, and so much more! This episode is full of practical advice for anyone as an artist, storyteller, or creator. Learn more about STORY at www.storygatherings.com.

Nikkolas Smith is an artist, author, activist, and Disney Imagineer who loves telling powerful stories through his art. His work has been featured on CNN and in Lionsgate films. He has used his gift as an artist and a Master of Architecture to assist in the construction of our favorite Disney parks in Florida, California, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. During this conversation you will learn how to spark important conversations with art and the importance of discipline while creating. Learn more about STORY at www.storygatherings.com

Sarah Dubbeldam, Editor-in-chief and Creative Director of Darling Magazine, has successfully launched a brand that has disrupted the conversation. Darling Magazine is a beautifully crafted publication that has turned into a lifestyle brand that is empowering women through carefully curated content every day. Sarah has a lot to say about the struggles of balancing her creativity with becoming an entrepreneur and leader of a company. She also has some incredible insight into what it takes to be a writer, create a lifestyle brand that aligns with a mission, and why the voice of Darling needs to be heard. Learn more about Darling at www.darlingmagazine.org and STORY at www.storygatherings.com.

As we walk into 2017, we couldn't think of a better guest to kick off this year on our podcast than the always inspirational, Brad Montague. During this conversation, we talked a lot about where our inspiration comes from, our creative process, and why we can't not create. Brad is the creative genius behind the viral sensation, Kid President, as featured on Rainn Wilson's SoulPancake. Brad is a writer, director, and father who believes that if kids and grown-ups work together, we can change the world. Learn more about STORY at www.storygatherings.com

“When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things - not the great occasions - give off the greatest glow of happiness.” ― Bob Hope We wanted to help you recall some special moments during this Holiday season, in hopes to awaken a child-like wonder for this season. Listen in as we share some of our favorite memories, and some of your stories from Christmas past. We hope that you and your family create more beautiful moments during the next week or so and that you keep re-discovering that child-like wonder throughout the year. Merry Christmas from all of us at STORY!

Vice President of Production at National Geographic, Matt Renner, knows a thing or two about finding a story. After spending time on the Bering Sea to film "The Deadliest Catch" and piecing an Emmy-winning storyline together, he is taking on his next project that will take viewers to space. While creatively pushing the limits, the new series "Mars", is part present-day documentary, part fictional futuristic storytelling. And it's inspiring imaginations everywhere. During this insightful conversation with Matt, you'll learn how to find a compelling story, how to push the boundaries, and what it means to hustle.

Chief Creative of the Global Franchise Group at DreamWorks Animation, Rick Rekedal has quite a bit to say about storytelling. During this informative conversation you'll learn about the creative process that DreamWorks goes through during a film release, the strategy behind the way that stories are told, and where storytelling is going in the future as technology continues to change. This #STORY2016 presenter will have your wheels spinning as you think about how to put your next creative work out into the world.