The Art of Owning Your Story: Where do you start when it comes to telling a good story? And why should you bother to tell yours? Everyone loves a good story – but most people don’t realise the importance of theirs. To themselves, their loved ones and those they wish to seek to influence. In this talk, Val will explore the idea that the way we think about our story, and giving ourselves permission to share it, is what gives it the power to change hearts and minds. Val helps creative founders and leaders tell their stories to market their businesses, but here she will be sharing why a much bigger impact can be made when people choose to own their personal story, drawing on her journey of making peace with hers. She invites you to test this hypothesis live as she shares her deeply personal, untold story for the first time. The Art of Owning Your Story: Where do you start when it comes to telling a good story? And why should you bother to tell yours? Everyone loves a good story – but most people don’t realise the importance of theirs. To themselves, their loved ones and those they wish to seek to influence. In this talk, Val will explore the idea that the way we think about our story, and giving ourselves permission to share it, is what gives it the power to change hearts and minds. Val helps creative founders and leaders tell their stories to market their businesses; but here she will be sharing why a much bigger impact can be made when people choose to own their personal story, drawing on her journey of making peace with hers. She invites you to test this hypothesis live as she shares her deeply personal, untold story for the first time. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.