In 1988, when I established The WRITE Touch on a (yellow) shoestring, I considered myself a writer. Today, people in my profession often go by the moniker of content creator.

No matter what the terminology, now, as then, one of my primary efforts and total joys is to tell stories. And oh, the stories I’ve been pleased to tell and people I’ve been privileged to highlight over the past twenty-five years.

In an exciting stint as Celebrity Coordinator for the San Diego County Fair, I heralded the exploits of such notables as two original “Wizard of Oz” Munchkins (whom we squired around in my client’s “MunchkinMobile”), a Holocaust survivor, Padres pitcher Trevor Hoffman, environmentalist/actor Ed Begley, Jr. (yes, he came down on the train) and the Famous San Diego Chicken.

I stood on the sidelines as celebs provided insightful answers to audience questions.

Q to Sally Ride: “What was the most prominent sight on Earth from space?”
A: “Polluted waterways.”

Q to a Tuskegee Airman: “Why did your all-black fighter pilot group paint the tails of the planes red?”
A (chuckling): “It was the only color of paint we had lying around on base.”

Listening is at the Heart of the Storytelling Art

In honing my craft, I’ve learned that the art of telling a story lies in listening empathetically to the person and getting to the heart of their life.

Recently, I co-authored the memoir of an man who, propelled by education and drive, rose from dust-bowl youth to successful entrepreneur and philanthropist. When I asked him to describe his Oklahoma family’s poverty, he said, “Poor Oakies had one mattress on top of their car. Rich Oakies had two. My family had none.”

I’ve been honored to share the story of a selfless six-year-old who organized a group haircut to benefit children who have lost their hair to chemo, and of a school principal and staff whose fast action saved an 11-year-old student who might otherwise have lost her life to sudden cardiac arrest.

I’ve learned so much about life from the people whose stories I tell. When I asked celebrated jockey Julie Krone how she remained grounded despite widespread adulation, she responded, “Sometimes you just think, Maybe it’s not all about me.”

Julie’s right. My career has never been about me, but about the people I highlight.

Above all, I’ve learned that everyone has a story to tell. A story that should be told. What’s yours?