About Donna

The Corporate Storyteller

1,500+

Happy Clients

$1.5B

Raised

20+

Years

About Donna

The Corporate Storyteller

1,500+

Happy Clients

$1.5B

Raised

20+

Years

My Origin Story

I always tell my clients to start with their origin story – it lends credibility and “hooks” people in. I always try to eat my own dog food – or better yet – drink my own champagne (definitely more attractive than dog food!), so here’s my origin story:

Corporate Storytelling

In 2003, when I finally decided what I wanted to be when I grew up, fresh out of Grad school, I answered an ad on Craigslist looking for Corporate Trainers for Presentation and Business Writing Skills workshops. It was a pivotal moment in my life, for it was then I met the man that would change my life – Brad Boyer of Boyer Communications Group. Under his mighty wing, I learned to help people take bits and bytes, technobabble and terminology, unwind them, and craft clear, compelling messages that drove people to action. Whether the goal was sales, marketing, pushing a technological change, or even a VP level Keynote Speech. I traveled from Santa Clara, California, to Shanghai, China and everywhere in between, working with Fortune 500 companies in the fields of Silicon Chips, Potato Chips, and even Chocolate Chips.

Corporate Storytelling

In 2003, when I finally decided what I wanted to be when I grew up, fresh out of Grad school, I answered an ad on Craigslist looking for Corporate Trainers for Presentation and Business Writing Skills workshops. It was a pivotal moment in my life, for it was then I met the man that would change my life – Brad Boyer of Boyer Communications Group. Under his mighty wing, I learned to help people take bits and bytes, technobabble and terminology, unwind them, and craft clear, compelling messages that drove people to action. Whether the goal was sales, marketing, pushing a technological change, or even a VP level Keynote Speech. I traveled from Santa Clara, California, to Shanghai, China and everywhere in between, working with Fortune 500 companies in the fields of Silicon Chips, Potato Chips, and even Chocolate Chips.
It was a joy spending time with these people and seeing them make magnificent breakthroughs in a 1-3 day workshop. I have kept in touch with participants from all over the world, whom I now call friends. Though each local culture had its own flavor, I came to learn that no matter where I was in the world, as human beings, we all share the tendency to over-tell a story, we all suffer from stage fright at varying degrees and times, and we all struggle to sell our own value. It was a privilege to help my participants break through the boundaries that were holding them back.

“Starting Up” a New Story

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!

What’s your story?

My sincere belief is that everyone has a story that is unique and compelling. There are no boring stories – there are merely layers and stacks of information piled up, obscuring the beauty of the story. I’m here to help peel the layers away and let startups polish their stories until they “shine like the top of the Chrysler building” I’m honored and humbled to work every day with companies that are genuinely changing the world and excited to have a part in their journey.

Stewart Butterfield, CEO of Slack, said:

“A piece of advice I’d give my younger self: concentrate on the storytelling, on convincing people. If you can’t do that, it doesn’t matter how good the product is.”

The Founder of one of the most prominent Silicon Valley startups said it - so it must be true. I would be honored to tell your story too… Let’s talk!

20 Minute Intro Call

Hi! Looking forward to chatting to see if we’re a good match.  PLEASE NOTE – I’m on PST– make sure you’re set on your timezone and if it’s AM or PM so you don’t schedule for the middle of the night! :)

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