introducing
Professional Story Formula
A 7-week on-line course that will teach you how to find, craft, and tell a compelling, authentic professional story
The Professional Story Formula will help you feel confident and excited about your professional story, a story that draws on personal and professional experiences to show off the unique set of skills and experiences that make you the perfect person to achieve your goals.
Before we get into the details, let me tell you who this program is for!
You’re an adventurous soul who loves to travel, maybe even live abroad, and explore every opportunity life has to offer. You’re endlessly curious and never afraid of a challenge. You love to learn and grow, no matter which stage of life you’re in. You’re ready to pursue your next big goal and of course, it’s something new, whether that’s a new career or a new business.
Maybe you’re…
- an expat or immigrant who’s looking to start a new career in a new place
- a parent returning to the workforce after spending precious months or years home with your kiddos
- a recent graduate who’s feeling a little intimidated by the wide world of real jobs
- multipassionate and ready to try a new career
If any of those apply to you, then the Professional Story Formula will help you craft a story that includes both professional and personal experiences that show your future employer that you are their ideal hire.
Wait, what is a professional story?
Your professional story is your story. It’s an aspirational story about your education, motivation, skills, experiences, goal, and vision of the future. The Professional Story Formula will teach you to craft a professional story that will free you from the resume trap and give you a new way to talk about your skills, experiences, and ambitions.
When this course is over, you will have…
- Discovered your own personal storytelling style
- Found the stories from your personal and professional life that are worth sharing over and over again
- Learned how to structure a story so that your audience listens eagerly from the beginning to the end
- Articulated an audacious goal that will guide your story and inspire you every single day
- Realized that it’s OK to be the hero of the story, in fact, it’s how your audience gets the best opportunity to learn about you and connect with you
- Sorted through your professional education and qualifications to identify which belong in your story and, more importantly, which do not
- Learned how to use the StoryCraft story matrix to select the combination of stories that will tell your audience the most about you in the shortest amount of time
- Learned how to identify and analyze your audience
- Created multiple versions of your story for different audiences
- Practiced telling your story and gained valuable feedback from a safe audience.
- Crafted a professional story you don’t have to memorize
- A set of personal resources for your social media profiles, networking events, cover letter, and interview
- A curated library of stories you can pick and choose from to answer questions and tell others about about your professional skills and experiences
“Working with Christine has been inspirational. She has the ability to sieve through the elements of your professional "chronology" and craft them into a beautiful, unique and exceptional canvas. Her humanity, attention for detail and passion gave me confidence and made me feel empowered: I too have an amazing colorful and rich past, which stretches far beyond qualifications, certificates, and diplomas.”
Emanuela Lonardi
Program Coordinator
Enroll in the Professional Story Formula today
"Christine's story structure analysis has changed the way I view academic stories like papers and presentations. It showed me why some work when others don't, and I walked away with some very concrete tools to improve my own stories. Working with Christine was great fun; her enthusiasm is contagious and the ideas she shares become all the more compelling from the stories she explains them with. Highly recommend!"
Inge Wortel
PhD candidate computational immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences
“Christine is a true story teller and connector. What she uttered in a subclause, was a total eye-opener to me and changed the way I enter interactions: ‘If you don’t include someone, you’re excluding them.’ Since that day I am painstakingly aware of people who are within earshot of a one-on-one conversation and more often than not we end up talking the 3 of us. I am impressed by the way she touches people. She combines professional with personal in such a way that you listen intently, learn a lot and - most importantly - remember the important messages.”
Gesa Kappen
Module 1: Find Your Story
You’re a natural storyteller. I believe everyone has stories to tell and their own storytelling style that are a strong starting point for finding just the right stories to tell and their own storytelling voice. With that in mind, you’ll start the course by looking at the stories you already tell, who you tell them to, and how you tell them.
The key is to dig deep into your well of strength and get comfortable with telling your stories and telling them as yourself. That means using your own words, gestures, and voice. It means trusting that you are a storyteller and that you will get better. By looking at the stories you’re already telling, you’ll start to find your voice.
Highlights
- Discover your story style and figure out which parts of your personal approach work best for your audience
- Figure out who your current audience is and who you’d like to be talking to
- Examine the relationship between your audience and your story and how you can use it to your advantage
- Learn what a story library is and how you can use it to curate your story repertoire
Module 2: Story Structure
The foundation to all stories is good story structure. I’m a story expert and love digging into story structure and mechanics to figure out how stories work, particularly when they aren’t running smoothly. That means asking critical questions, like which details, characters, and even scenes are necessary in a story. This is where we get into the question of whether a story works or not, how the parts fit together to form a compelling and enjoyable whole.
I’ve taken my story experience and turned into a straight-forward story structure that you can use to structure or analyze any story. You’re going to get really familiar with that structure and learn how to analyze a story so that you can build yours better. This is one of those exercises that comes with a warning: you’ll never look at or listen to a story the same again. It’s just harder when you have story structure superpowers!
Highlights
- Learn all about the StoryCraft Story Diagram including loads of examples to help you better understand how story structure works
- A super fun homework assignment that will have your family wanting to do homework with you (no kidding)
- A tool that will help you structure any story you want to craft in the future
- You’ll be able to craft better stories after completing this module
Module 3: Set Your Audacious Goal
You think you’re dreaming big but I’m sure you can be dreaming bigger. In this module, we’re going to talk about how to use goals to motivate you. I’ll introduce a way to think about goals so they can help shape your story for years to come.You’ll also see how a solid, audacious goal expands the scope of your story from “isn’t that nice” to “wow!”
Establishing your audacious goal is the first step on the way to crafting your professional story. Your goal isn’t just your future, it’s also the starting point for structuring your professional story. You’ll see right away how it helps you make choices about what to include and leave out of your professional story.
Highlights
- Learn how an audacious goal drives a Professional Story from the first scene on
- Change the way you think about goals so that they are the wind in your sails and not a mountain you have to climb
- Set a goal that will inspire you to do more and better than you’ve ever done before
- Use your goal to determine exactly what to include in your story and what you can leave out
Module 4: Create your Story Library
This is the heart of the Professional Story Formula. Instead of a long rambling journey through your work history, the Story Matrix will help you select the perfect set of stories that show your skills, experiences, and personality with no overlap. This method will help you mine your personal stories for the skills you can use in a professional setting.
The magic of a story library is that with just a few stories about yourself, whether they come from your personal or professional experiences, you will tell people more about you than a 10 page resume can and be much more engaging to listen to. The best part is that since you’re telling stories, you’ll have people asking for more instead of checking their watches!
Highlights
- Develop your own story library
- Discover the personal stories you should use to demonstrate your professional skills
- Get confident about telling personal stories in a professional setting
- Learn how you can incorporate a wide range of skills and experiences into just a few stories
Module 5: Craft Your Story
This is where we get into the nuts and bolts, the details that make the big pieces of your story work together. If we were building a house, the structure would be the framing and this would be every bit of finish work, from the kitchen faucets to paint colors. We’re going to zoom in on the different elements of your story to see what their job is in a story and how you can make them work for you.
The skills you’ll learn in this module are invaluable because you can apply them to any story you tell to make your story more visceral, real, and exciting. These are the tools you need to draw your audience right into a story and help them feel it, not just listen to it. This is a module you’ll come back to over and over again in the future as you craft and tell more stories!
Highlights
- Discover with a magic sentence starter that can give your audience deep insights into someone’s personality without ever talking about what that person is “like”
- Learn why your five senses are the key to bringing a story to life and how to use them effectively without sounding like a writing exercise
- Figure out when you need a deep dive into the details and when you can skim the surface according to your audience’s needs
Module 6: Transitions from Beginning to End
This is where we add the trimmings to your story so that it flows from beginning to end. Your work in the previous modules gave you the most important story parts you need to pull things together. In this module, you’ll take the parts and shape them into a coherent story.
Story transitions are brief but extremely important when it comes to moving your audience from one moment to the next. Polishing your transitions is the difference between a story that draws your audience in and one that leaves them scratching their heads wondering how they missed something or not.
Highlights
- Learn how to start your story so that people listen careful to every word
- Create a crucial transition that shows your unique motivation and personal commitment to your goal
- Craft a closing that shows your audience that you are ready to go above and beyond
Module 7: Tell Your Story
Now that you’ve got a professional story ready to tell, it’s time to tell your story in all kinds of settings, from networking to the second interview. You’ve done tons of work and now you’ll practice in real life. This is the performance part of the professional story journey and you’re going to shine.
You’ll discover some of the basic tactics storytellers use to remember and tell their stories well while learning from every telling. You’ll hear about how no story is ever done and why that’s a good thing. Also, you’ll find out how to get useful feedback from any (yes, any) audience.
Highlights
- Use a handy tool to avoid having to memorize your story word for word
- Develop versions of your story that you can customize for any audience
- Use two questions to get incredible feedback from any audience while you’re refining your story
Enroll in the Professional Story Formula today
When you enroll now, you’ll get
Professional Story Formula
- 7-module course showing you how to find, craft, and tell a professional story to show the world that you’ve got the skills and experience that will help you achieve your audacious goal
- In-depth introduction to the StoryCraft Story Diagram and story mechanics so you can craft stories that work every time
- Step-by-step guide to using the StoryCraft Story Matrix to select the perfect set of stories that show your skills, experiences, and personality with no overlap
- Learn and work with your own storytelling style, incorporating storytelling tools to help you learn and incrementally improve your stories while keeping them absolutely and uniquely yours
You’ll get access to one module per week for 7 weeks with one implementation week so you have time to do the work and learn the lessons of one week before moving on to the next week.
I want you to be able to focus on learning one thing at a time so you are taking the skills from one module with you into the next, building on your core understanding of the craft of storytelling as you develop your own professional story.
Plus you’ll get these super bonuses to help you start your journey and keep moving right up to the end!
Bonus #1
9 Weeks of the Professional Story Formula Community for Participants Only
Join us around the virtual campfire in the Professional Story Formula community for support and encouragement
(Value €197)
You'll get
- Access to the Professional Story Formula community hosted on the same platform as your course (not on Facebook!)
- Support from fellow participants as you embark on this journey together
- Regular reminders that you aren’t alone in this - we’ve got your back and want to support you all the way!
Bonus #2
3 Live Q&As with Christine!
I’ll host three live Q&A during the course when you can ask any question and get your answers live or on the recording.
(Value €197)
You'll get
- An opportunity to submit questions for the Q&As
- Answers to your burning questions or help to get unstuck
- Plenty of Christine’s stories as examples of how you can use stories more often, too
Bonus #3
Live Session with Public Speaking, Acting & Vocal Coach Britta Seeger-Wenske
Your voice can make the difference between an so-so story and an amazing one. Britta will show you how you can make the most out of your personal instrument!
You'll get
- Professional insights into how to use your voice for maximum impact
- An opportunity to learn by doing with your voice
- The chance to ask the expert in a Q&A session
You’ve got a risk-free 30-day guarantee on your side
Here’s my promise:
The Professional Story Formula will help you feel confident and excited about your professional story. Your story draws on personal and professional experiences to show off the unique set of skills and experiences that make you the perfect person to achieve your goals.
I’m fully committed to making sure each and every student in my course gets everything they need out of the course and has a story they love to tell at the end.
This is the deal:
At the end of 30 days, you’ll have access to the first four modules, Find Your Story, Story Structure, Set your Audacious Goal, and the amazing Craft your Story. You’ll have had an opportunity to discover your storytelling style, learn to use the Story Craft Story Diagram, set an audacious goal, and learn about the Story Matrix before you go all in.
If you don’t feel like fully confident that you are on your way to a personal story that shines, then get in touch, show me you’ve done the work, I’ll refund your investment. Full details here [link]
Enroll in the Professional Story Formula today
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the time commitment?
You’ll spend 2-4 hours a week watching the videos and doing the work in each module.
How long do I get access to the course materials?
You get lifetime access to the course materials including any updates. The next update is coming along with a price increase in early 2022. Full access details here. [link]
When do I get access to the course?
You’ll get immediate access to the welcome module. Then, you’ll get access to one new module every week with a one week pause for implementation after Module 4: Create Your Story Library
Still not sure?
You should be signing up for the Professional Story Formula and giving it a 14-day risk free shot if this is you:
You’re tired of feeling like you have to measure yourself by someone else’s stick
The job hunting gig is so hard. The “what to do with my life” question is overwhelming. Changing the rules by using a professional story instead of relying on your work history to tell people who you are changes the game.
You are so much more than a list of job performance indicators on paper. You’ve done amazing things. You’ve surprised yourself. You have skills that no employer has ever seen.
Tell those stories. Tell them in a way that will leave your audience agape, surprised and even blown away by your secret history.
I would love to see you in the Professional Story Formula because story work is transformational - and you’re going to love it.
Here’s the thing.
I spent years feeling trapped by the double expectations of my work history and the job descriptions I could find out in the world. I was convinced that I didn’t fit anywhere. It was demoralizing and left me feeling like I wasn’t enough.
Then I started telling my personal stories. Not the hard, emotional, intimate ones. Let’s face it - those are for coffee or cocktail dates. No, I told the stories about things I did outside of work that showed serious chops. Because, yes, I’m the woman who quit three jobs to go volunteer in the US Virgins Islands for two months. But I’m also the woman who heard about a fundraising music festival while I was there and drummed up a dozen or more volunteers and free transportation to get us there and help make the festival happen and do some great PR for the place we were volunteering.
You’ve got stories to tell and I want them out in the world. You are so much. You can do so much. I want you to tell your story and give you the tools you need to do it with confidence and purpose.
So looking forward to seeing you inside the Professional Story Formula - we are going to have an amazing time.
All the best,
Christine