I have just got back from running our first ever Storytelling for Business Leaders course in Wellington, New Zealand last week. I thoroughly enjoyed the day, had a great group who told some terrific stories, and I am sure taught me as much as they learnt off me!

It was also a real treat to have an old friend of mine attend, one I had not seen since I left NZ for the UK nearly 9 years ago. She is also the most naturally gifted storyteller I have ever met.

When you talk to my friend you just marvel at the experiences she has, the interesting people she has meet, and situations she has got herself into.

Reflecting on how these seem to happen just to her I was reminded of a quote from a previous ‘Story quote of the week’ I posted about Ira Glass, host of This American Life, who said: “Great stories happen to those who can tell them” and boy she can tell them!

Following the course I asked if she would mind sharing a few more of her stories. She has been so kind as to write down a number of her more business related stories and I’m going to share a few of these with you all over the next few weeks. They are too good not be shared.

Back in 1997, I was working for a large law firm in Sydney. I had worked days and nights for months on a public float by the NSW Government of what, till then, had been a state asset. Quite often, I was the “only girl in the room”, but that didn’t phase me, and by and large, it didn’t matter to anyone else either. Finally, the prospectus was signed, and we had a signing ceremony at the State parliament. Everyone was in a pretty good mood. One of the older men that had been involved in the deal told me what a good job I’d done, said I should keep in touch, and took out his business card. And then stuck it in my cleavage.