Jackie Lamport

Impactful stories need two things: clear value and human interest. But sometimes the value is buried, and sometimes the humans just aren’t that interesting. Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools we have. That’s because value sticks better when it’s delivered with emotional connection. It also gives people context. When a story resonates, the audience naturally adapts the information to their own lives. That’s what makes it stick, not just as knowledge, but as something useful and personal. It’s not unlike a great mentor, they don’t hand you a checklist, they help you discover what works for you. A good story does the same. However, without the right balance of value and human interest, it falls flat. In this talk, I’ll walk you through that framework: how to find the intersection of value and human interest (even when it feels impossible), how to tell stories that land, and why it all matters. Because the best stories don’t just grab attention, they guide people toward something that matters. Like a mentor would.