How does storytelling fit in the big business picture? Carrie Dils in her interview on storytelling tells me what storytelling means to her, her most popular story, which happens to be on web hosting and email, her WordPress story and a story from her childhood.
In this interview we touch base on her podcast, OfficeHours.FM a weekly podcast targeting small business owners, freelancers, and others providing WordPress-based products or services. We also talk about her upcoming book, the story of her career and the ultimate freelancers guide.
How did Carrie start her podcast and grow her audience? It all started with the need to interact and engage with her readers, so the podcast was born from the need to tell stories. Carrie tells me “people tell stories all of the time and they don’t realize they are doing it“.
Why are stories important to her business? Stories help you to make connections and build relationships, which can lead to opportunities. It’s all about writing, sharing, giving and getting knowledge back.
Be personal, be human and connect with the person on the other side of the message. With a story and a human connection you can be more impactful.
Carrie talks more about how to learn from others by telling your own stories. To do this it’s important to “write freely and be who you are on paper“. She tells me shyly “people who read my blog and listen to my show have let me know it’s refreshing“. She explains to me that being herself, she doesn’t get in the way of the message.
During the interview we hear Carrie tell 3 stories:
- The story of her trip to Mexico which explains the importance of having your web host and email hosted at different places. ( starts at 7:24 minutes)
- Her WordPress story and the first time she met the man who opened the door to WordPress, and to her teaching on Lynda.com (starts at 10:00 minutes)
- How Bad Guy from James Bond became GaGa. (starts at 13:30 minutes)
To talk to Carrie and find out more about her, check out her blog.
