In 2008 I found myself in unfamiliar territory – the deck had been shuffled – literally – and with the economic downturn, organizations were cutting any training that wasn’t considered “vital” – and apparently, the skills required to sell an idea or a product didn’t make the cut. I was baffled and bewildered – what would I do next? I had never held a “typical” 9-5 job, I had owned my businesses since I was 7 when I became a clown for birthday parties, and I had no idea where to start.

As serendipity would have it, I was handed my next pivotal moment. A friend connected me to a prominent Cardiothoracic surgeon who needed help with his speaking abilities. He also happened to have two medical device startups with which he needed help with his fundraising pitches.

Though I had never worked on an “investor pitch” before, my years of experience had taught me that a story is a story, and, when told in the right way, can drive action and captivate audiences of any type. After working with him for several months, I attended an Angel Conference where I presented on his behalf. I saw other companies that were invited to present at this prestigious forum come ill-prepared, and as I watched them painfully get shot down by investors, I knew I had found my new audience.

I fell in love with the world of startups and founders, of telling high-stake stories that raised millions of dollars, and of helping brilliant minds once again unwind the technobabble into meaningful messages that drove to action. Since 2009, my focus has been startup storytelling – investor decks, sales decks, competition pitches, explainer videos – anything that startups need to tell a powerful story to a specific audience – fast!