Think about something you learned recently. Whether it is a scientific finding, a fun fact, a historical event or something else, there is probably a great story behind it. Research by the London School of Business shows that most people only retain 5%-10% of the information they're given when presented with facts and figures. But fold the same data into a story, and your audience will remember 70% of it. So it seems that storytelling is a potent tool. In fact, according to our guest Esther Choy, it can change the way we do business.

Esther is the Founder, CEO and Chief Story Facilitator of Leadership Story Lab. With her firm, she uses design thinking to help businesses sharpen their identity, build their own leadership narrative and connect with audiences in meaningful ways. Since 2010, she has been working with companies across various industries, including healthcare, tech and manufacturing.

In today’s episode, Esther tells us how the science of persuasion and the art of storytelling can help leaders gain a competitive moat. You’ll learn how to find stories inside your business and what to do with the great material at your disposal. Listen until the end of the episode to hear Esther in practice: you will hear what great storytelling sounds like, and get to know our very own host, Patrick Pacheco, a little bit better. To read more of Esther’s work, you can find her introduction script in the links below.

So join us in conversation with Esther and Patrick today, and live to tell the tale!

Read the full show transcript.

Meet the Host

Patrick Pacheco, Executive Vice President, President of Cadence Asset Management & Trust, has more than 25 years’ experience in wealth management, in addition to the designing and implementation of tax and related planning strategies.

Pacheco’s background includes years of legal practice and multiple degrees, including an LLM* Taxation from University of Houston, a JD from Southern Methodist University, and both an MBA and BS in Economics from University of Texas at Arlington.

He is also board certified in Estate Planning and Probate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Meet the Speaker

Esther started teaching leadership storytelling in 2010, before it was a ‘thing.’

Over the years, through her firm Leadership Story Lab, she’s worked with clients in industries as wide ranging as airlines, CPG, healthcare, investment, manufacturing and tech. A family enterprise biographer, Esther has combined the science of persuasion and the art of storytelling to help her clients find more meaningful ways to connect with their audiences.

Her business storytelling book, Let the Story Do the Work, quickly shot to #1 New Release on Amazon in 2017. She’s currently a contributor for Forbes’ Leadership Strategy channel and whose thought leadership have appeared in leading media outlets such as the New York Times and Entrepreneur.com. She is also the executive producer and host of the Kellogg School of Management’s podcast, Family IN Business.

Every Monday morning, you’ll find Esther beginning her week with a 1000-meter swim and a raw jalapeño. She’s a mom of two trilingual girls, wife of a German who’s not very punctual, and is a very humble student of kitesurfing.

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