Interview with Storytelling Expert Hillary Rea
We asked Hillary Rea a few questions about her life as the owner of Tell Me A Story.
Hillary Rea, founder of Tell Me A Story | credit: Jenna P Photography
Tell us about your business!
Hillary: At Tell Me A Story, we train entrepreneurs, start-up leaders and those looking to leave a bigger footprint on the world how to find their voice and share their unique story with honesty and passion. We help them connect with peers, clients, colleagues and investors in a more human way.
We do this through small group workshops, 1-on-1 sessions, and branded audio stories. TMAS began as an event! In May of 2020 we are celebrating our 9th season of live storytelling shows.
What accomplishment are you celebrating right now?
Hillary: I am really proud of the second season of my podcast, Rashomon. It's a narrative storytelling podcast in which one family tells every side of the same story. I was able to release a brand new episode every two weeks for 20 weeks and I never thought I'd be able to keep to that production schedule. The bulk of this season is an 8-part story about four families that are all connected through a shared sperm donor. I interviewed 14 people for the story and you hear from everyone. It's complex, dark, hopeful, and often funny!
What keeps you motivated?
Hillary: I truly believe in the power of personal narrative. I think it leads to tremendous transformation both internally and externally. My favorite part of running my company is the workshop facilitation and 1-on-1 coaching. I love helping people find the right stories to tell and support them as they are figuring out how to tell it. I also love going to conferences — both as a presenter and as a participant.
Hillary Rea at the live TMAs Show in Philadelphia | credit: Bob Sweeney
What's one tip you want to share with other entrepreneurs?
Hillary: It's okay to be vulnerable. A few years ago, when someone would ask me how things were going with Tell Me A Story, I'd laugh awkwardly and deflect by saying "Uh I'm probably going to go out of business tomorrow." I didn't realize how detrimental this joke was both to my confidence and to the perception of how I was running my business. When I stopped making jokes, and started having honest conversations about the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur, I felt much more confident, I built deeper relationships with people and they opened up in an honest way, *and* I fell back in love with my business.
What's your favorite app or resource of the moment?
Hillary: Notion. It's a project management, document keeper, creative brainstorm tool all in one. I've moved almost all of my internal business systems over to it. I also use it to track all of the production for my podcast, Rashomon. The best part is being able to label everything with emojis.
What are you listening to lately?
Hillary: I am never not listening to podcasts. My current faves are American Girls (a history podcast by two millennial historians, told through the stories of the original American Girl dolls!), Who? Weekly (pure pop culture pleasure!) and Last Day (a beautiful narrative podcast about the opioid crisis)
What are you crushing on?
Hillary: Shahroo Izadi, the behavior specialist and writer of The Kindness Method. I am taking myself through her book right now and it's really special. It is forcing me to think of the habits I'd like to break in a kind way and to be less hard on myself as I move about the world personally and professionally. If you want to know more about Shahroo and her work, start with this excellent talk.
What inspirational words resonate with you recently?
Hillary: "We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails." —Dolly Parton
Where can we find more of you?
Hillary: Subscribe to Tell Me A Story's 30 Days of Personal Narrative Prompts. You'll get an email a day for 30 days with one story prompt to help you brainstorm the personal narrative that will get your voice out there and make you feel good about who you are!
You can also find Hillary on Instagram as @tmasphilly.
Hillary Rea recording outdoor audio | credit: Nicki Stein
