Work 1-on-1 with Leadership Storytelling Coach, Jordan Bower

Why Hire a Leadership Storytelling Coach?

If you’ve found this page, you probably want to improve some aspect of your communication. And because you Googled “storytelling coach”, you probably like the idea of focusing on improving your storytelling.

You’ve probably met or been exposed to great storytelling before, so you know that effective storytelling is about conveying a message and connecting with an audience. And, because, you’ve specifically sought out a leadership storytelling coach, you’re probably thinking about how you can apply these skills in a professional or leadership context—for example, in your presentations, pitches, writing, storytelling with data, or another way that you communicate professionally.

Maybe you’re even thinking about how storytelling can enliven your speech, your book, your brand, your thought leadership, or your content creation.

If anything in the paragraphs above applies to you, let me say—you’re in the right place.

I offer an integrated and very unique approach to storytelling coaching that combines elements of executive coaching, life coaching, and individual creative development. Rather than focusing solely on just “how” to tell a story, my approach dives into the complex question of what types of stories should you tell and how.

To answer this question, we take a whole-person approach, recognizing that the professional and practical elements of communication are inextricably intertwined with who you are as person. Said differently, my role as a storytelling coach is to help you connect with the leadership storyteller that you already have inside of you.

I see it as my job to help you express yourself—on your own terms, with your own language—and to guide you as you apply your insights into your specific professional or leadership environment.

Storytelling Coaching is smart, personalized, and holistic

Whether you are an executive trying to win buy-in, a founder selling a dream, a thought leader making your ideas accessible, or an individual with a great story that’s searching for an audience, your impact as a communicator goes far beyond the words. Sure, in communication, the language that we use is part of the puzzle. But just as important is the intention, meaning, tone, voice, etc. that is behind the message.

It’s the combination of these two elements—structural and emotional—that makes a message resonate.

Yes, I’ve just said the “e” word. Communicating on emotional terms is the essence of storytelling. The “goal” of storytelling is to express factual or conceptual ideas in emotional “terminology.” That’s true, no matter whether we’re listening to a speech, engaging with a website, or watching the latest streaming series on Netflix.

The concept of emotional terminology can be very jarring at first for head-first communicators, who naturally gravitate towards structures and theory—often at the expense of the more human element. Many of my coaching clients are hyper smart and accomplished “technical” leaders, who have achieved some degree of success in fields like business or leadership specifically because you have prioritized your analytical problem solving—often at the expense of your intuition or emotional intelligence.

For example, I have worked with many C-Suite executives, engineers, and business professionals who have been trained in the lingua franca of business. Many of my clients come to me laser-focused on low-hanging fruit. They think that “emotional terminology” means, basically, being happy, angry or crying. It can be revelatory to realize that emotionality is not just a label but a way of experiencing the world—and that, from emotionality comes greater creativity and the ability to engage an audience through storytelling.

This is why my work as a storytelling coach is in the borderlands of the personal and the professional. And this is why storytelling can not be taught by theory alone. Sure, I do make it a point to help my clients learn frameworks and conceptual ideas through familiar learning and development tools like exercises, practice, video review, articles, etc. But as I have said, this is just one piece of the puzzle.

The true value I bring as a coach is in my ability to listen to you almost like a piano tuner. With exceptional skill and precision, I help you focus in on specific and practical elements that are “out of tune”—guiding you to make the adaptations that are required to bring your storytelling into harmony.

Forgive me for speaking in metaphor, but this skill is invariably the most beneficial outcome you’ll get from the process. I am remarkably good at helping you identify and uncover the underlying roadblocks that are interfering with your communication. My work surfaces what’s most important and provides you with actionable next steps that will, slowly but dependably, guide you through a self-directed process of learning and transformation.

As a coach, I walk alongside you as you address the inevitable challenges that are part of every transformation process, including issues related to confidence, self-doubt, fear of change, or any other emotional or mental blocks that may prevent you from moving forward.

Our focus is not just to “teach” you storytelling, but to guide you to step into a new narrative as a leader—one where your improved leadership skills can be employed to help you tell an elevated and more creative kind of story.

Everyone and their journeys are unique—I would love to discuss your particular desire, and how I might be able to help you.

What I Bring to the Storytelling Coaching Process

Beyond my specific subject matter expertise and long experience in this field, the most important element that I bring to my coaching practice is my own personal experience of my own transformational and healing journeys.

Let me dwell on this for a moment. I take it as fundamental that only people who have moved through change themselves can help other people change. Otherwise, it’s all theory and no action—it’s all head and no heart and soul.

I will not bore you now with the particular story of my transformation, though I am happy to share it with you if you find it relevant. What I do want to say is that my life and professional experiences have taught me that transformation is ongoing.

In other words, change is not just something we go through once, but a movement that we can experience again and again. I think that my attitude to change is very different from many others in my field, many of whom still believe that change happens once—wham, bam, thank you, and after that, it’s all happily ever after. Thankfully, I see that this attitude is changing, as more people in the business world come to terms with agility and the continuous nature of change. My work is based on the knowing that it’s essential for us as leaders to embrace this ongoing nature of transformation ourselves.

Personally, when I look back at my life, I see not just one but many change journeys, nested within one another, rather than just one cut and dry Hero’s Journey. I think this perspective is very unique—and it is in many ways the foundation to my coaching practice.

Over my career development, I have supplemented my education with many supporting practices and exploration that have buttressed my ability to connect, be present, and be creative. I will be happy to explain more about how these work with you, should you find it relevant. However, more important than how I do what I do is that it works.

Types of Clients I Work With

I have provided coaching to:

• a woman aspiring to become the first female mayor of a major Midwestern city

• a recently elected Congressman trying to channel his inner President

• the Chief Product Officer of a unicorn tech start-up, searching for his next challenge

• a mid-level Director at a massive automotive company accelerating his career

• a CEO girl-boss looking for the right balance about what she wants to share

• a recently promoted CFO trying to figure out how to be smart and relatable

In general, my clients have included:

• CEOs and senior executives

• Founders, writers, coaches, and consultants

• High-potential leaders

• Speakers, creatives, artists, and organizers

• People in transition

Signs You Might Be Ready to Work Together:

These thoughts may be signals that a deeper shift is calling, inviting you to slow down, reconnect, and realign your life with what truly matters.

• “I’m going through the motions.”

• “My life no longer aligns with my values.”

• “How the hell did I get here?”

• “I’ve reached the peak, is this all there is?”

• “I no longer feel like myself.”

• “What I’m doing isn’t working anymore.”

• “I’m ready to create but not sure what.”

• “I want to spend more time with my kids and partner.”

• “Who am I beyond my working identity?

• “I’m burnt out and tired. I can’t keep going.”

• “I lost my motivation and ambition. How do I get it back?”

• “I’m ready for my next challenge.”

• “I want to slow down but can’t.”