“Stories constitute the single most powerful weapon in a leader’s arsenal.”

-Dr. Howard Gardner

At Cultivate, we believe that stories are powerful. We also understand how challenging it can be to tell your story in a (virtual) room full of strangers. Which is why when we heard about the work that Ophelia Johnson, Tealcast Founder and Strategic Operations Lead and Craig Thomason, Imagine Co-Founder, Executive Speaking Coach and Strategic Communications Lead are doing at Merck, we knew we needed to bring their expertise to our community of Cultivators.

Together, Craig and Ophelia have created opportunities for more of their colleagues to not only tell their stories, but use stories to build connection and understanding within a large, global company. Through their internal podcast network, Tealcast, they’ve managed to leverage a powerful community-building media that isn’t constrained by time zone differences or team affiliation.  

Ophelia had been in past roles where ideas were not celebrated, so she came to Merck with a lot of big ideas, and the Cultivator energy to make them happen. Cultivators tend to find each other, so it’s no surprise that she teamed up with Craig. Together, alongside volunteers, they were able to take an idea (a single podcast!) and turn it into a multi-channel podcasting platform, now streaming in 61 countries, that highlights the identities and stories of their colleagues in an ongoing way. 

Craig has long been a champion of storytelling as a tool to create change and build connection. In this event he highlighted the importance of knowing who you’re speaking to. He notes that different ways of storytelling can be effective in impacting different audiences. Be sure to tune in at 21:45, when he walks listeners through an exercise to build your story in an effective way for any audience. This tip alone, when used thoughtfully, will empower you to tell more impactful stories, allowing your audience to resonate with what you share. 

In this 45 minute discussion with Cultivate Community Manager, Lisa, Ophelia and Craig speak to the power of storytelling, the importance of interpersonal collaboration, and how stories and data can support each other. Let this replay empower you to tell the right kind of story.

Love this event and want more? Hear both Ophelia and Craig as speakers at our free, virtual conference CultivatorCon!

Notable Timestamps:

1:20 | Speaker introductions 

3:44 | The importance of stories 

6:00 | Starting a grassroots revolution with the Tealcast network

11:30 | Creating a platform to support storytellers

16:45 | Using the storytelling process to help business put DE&I strategies into action

21:08 | What makes a good storyteller: Resonate with your audience

27:00 | Data doesn’t have a voice until you give it one

32:00 | The impact of the pandemic and creative adaptation

34:42 | Harnessing this time of change and innovation

39:41 | Advice for new or aspiring storytellers

Want to keep the conversation going? Join Craig and Ophelia in our growing community of changemakers here.

Share your ideas. Solve problems. Make a difference.

We’re building a community where your voice is heard, solutions are shared, and changemakers around the world can mobilize for change. If you are passionate about change, culture, and innovation, this is the place for you.