Discover your storytelling genius
3-month mentorship
Tailor your skills to make your stories stand out
We know the buzz and pressure of new communications tools. What won’t change in the stories that last is the humanity we find in them. In doing so we discover more of our own humanity.
This three-month mentorship supports you to make real, deep contact with the stories you tell. It is a listening and play space where you can try out new ideas and be supported to explore your storytelling strengths.
At the end of our mentorship you’ll have three stories developed and tested during our time together. You can use these directly on your feed, about me page or talks you want to give.
In doing so, we’ll find and mature your storytelling genius: the magnetic talent that brings others with you, so you can tell stories that make a lasting impression.
Over the last 15 years, I’ve worked with thousands of storytellers and worked on hundreds of stories in art, business, academia and marginalised communities. With this mentorship, I’ll support you with all that I’ve learned, so you can develop your own distinctive storytelling genius.
Feel like this is for you?
4 mentorship places available in September 2025
Need inspiration or a quick fix?
Grab me for one-hour session
Your mentorship pathway
Session 1 We’ll identify where you’re at as a storyteller: desires, dreams and potential hurdles. We’ll identify three stories important for you to tell so you have something to work with. We’ll map out a journey and harvest early insights.
Session 2-4 We’ll find and develop three stories that express you, areas you work and communities you want to connect with. I’ll give you an assignment between sessions for creativity development. We’ll find opportunities to test the stories either online or in a presentation or talk. We’ll look at in-the-room dynamics and potential blocks you feel are in the way. Even though we’ll look at potential areas of discomfort, each session will bring a sense of momentum and growth.
Session 5 Look at presented stories, consolidate what we’ve learned and find a way forward. Re-version and re-purpose stories depending on what we’ve discovered.
Session 6 Reflect, recap where we’ve been and look at the way forward for you now. We go over your strengths, areas of potential, plan how to overcome areas of discomfort. We’ll characterise your storytelling genius – the talent you bring when you communicate. I’ll write a letter of what we uncover.
This is for you if you want to …
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Express more of yourself in your work
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Add your unique voice to your current capability and skill
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Know how to get in the zone more often when you write and tell
Why work with me?
- Master performance storyteller, communications specialist and former TEDxAmsterdam trainer
- Strengths are intuition, calm and sense of play – along with a great way with words
- Worked with start-ups, social business, academics, students artists, activists and marginalised communities.
THE MENTORSHIP OFFERS
6 x one-to-one sessions
1.5 hours per session
Fit to your schedule
Creative assignments in your own time
Three stories ready to use in life and work (profiles, posts, talks)
Two in-person meetings if you are NL-based
A personal letter at the end identifying your storytelling genius and areas to continue progress
Feel like this is for you?
4 mentorship places available in September 2024
I’VE SUPPORTED STORTELLERS AT
Your mentor, Simon Hodges
Storytelling weaves intellect, emotion and action. This makes them an ideal playspace to help us thrive and grow.
I’ve led workshops for over ten thousand people, coached TEDxAmsterdam speakers, mentored leaders and activists, people in marginalised communities, and helped hundreds of businesses uncover their unique narratives.
The combination communication and self-development always keep me fascinated to discover the story in who I meet next.
Simon is a born storyteller and trainer. His deep passion for the power of stories is contagious, and enables him to turn even the most reluctant trainee in an engaging storyteller.
Not only did his approach lead to very concrete and inspiring stories, it also allowed us to get to know each other on a deeper level – and have tons of fun!
Arjanna van der Plas
Communications Manager at Circle Economy
Simon is our storytelling star at TEDxAmsterdam. An accomplished, captivating storyteller himself, Simon has the enviable skill of bringing the best stories out in others. With stories being at the heart of a TED(x) talks, Simon is a valuable member of the speech coaching team.
There are few people who understand the craft of storytelling & live it in their day-to-day work. Simon is one of them & because of this his stories speak to all of us.