Sparking the revolution of human connection through storytelling

Monica is extremely passionate about giving back and helping those who are new to the world of entrepreneurship and are launching their own businesses. She is a mentor for a range of organisations including Rare Birds, muru-D and Dale Beaumont’s Business Blueprint. She is also on the advisory board for Atlantis Confidential and is a professional speaker.

Describe your career trajectory and how you got to your current position.

I have worked in the media for my entire career. After completing a Bachelor of Arts at NSW Uni I backpacked through South East Asia for months and when I ran out of
money I ended up in London, where after getting a job assisting the receptist in a media company, I was lucky enough to land a job on the team who were making a fashion and lifestyle documentary series around Europe.

When my visa ran out, I returned back to Sydney and got a job at Channel 9’s ‘A Current Affair.’ While I was there I saw how many businesses wanted to get free TV
exposure, but had no clue how to pitch a story to a tired, stressed out producer who was always on deadline. This gave me the idea to start my own PR agency, WordStorm PR. I ran this business for 22 years, helping purpose driven businesses craft and amplify their story to millions, through mass media. About 15 years into my business, I started to get restless and curious so did a range of courses and workshops that interested me including professional speaking and stand up comedy. I ended up on the comedy circuit for about 5 years.

By the time the Covid Pandemic came around, I was very ready to move on from my PR business but felt stuck as it was the only income for my family including 3 kids. During one of the lockdowns I said to my husband, “I miss the stage, storytelling and human connection.” He replied, “Why don’t we just start our own storytelling events?” This is how Stories that Stir Global was born. Our idea was that six people from all walks of life would share a raw and personal story, linked to the theme of the event.

Themes are big juicy words like FREEDOM, HOPE, EXPECTATIONS, TRUTH, COURAGE, RESILIENCE, PASSION etc.

All the stories shared at our Sydney events are professionally recorded for the Stories that Stir Podcast, available on all podcast apps. We started STS as a passion project in Feb 2022 and in October decided to take a leap of faith and close our business, in order devote our energy growing Stories that stir.

Our goal is to grow the events a bit like TEDx, except instead of ‘Ideas worth Spreading’ it’s ‘facilitating human connection and healing through storytelling.’ We will be in 10 locations around Australia by end August and are speaking to people who are keen to take the concept to the USA and Europe. We have also set up Stories that Stir Academy, where I run workshops helping small business owners and corporate leaders unleash their storytelling superpower.

What does this role mean to you?

This role means everything to me as I am truly living my purpose and passion every day. I really feel that what the world needs now more than every before is human’s connecting on an authentic and real level, as this creates understanding between people and also helps us feel less alone in our struggles. I feel privileged that I have the opportunity and the energy to bring this into the world and I couldn’t be more grateful.

Take us through a typical day of work for you.

My days are extremely varied but look something like a range of the following activities:
-Zooming with a potential host who is interested in bringing Stories that Stir to their locations
– Liaising with current STS hosts to support them for their upcoming event
– Reading the drafts of stories that people send to me and providing feedback
– Setting up collaborations with organisations who want to create Stories that Stir magic with their organisations
– Being interviewed about STS for a podcast
– Prepping for my ‘Unleash your Storytelling Superpower Workshop’.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve encountered in your career, and how did you overcome it?

Most of my career has really felt in flow, however I faced a big challenge when I felt that my heart was no longer in running my PR agency and I didn’t know how to make
a change. Around this time I happened to be drawn to books, videos and podcasts about the Law of Attraction. I learnt that I could create my own reality and started learning the principles of how to do that. It’s all about the frequency and energy you’re vibrating on. I put these principles into practice, and before long, my reality started to shift.

If you could go back in time, what piece of advice would you give yourself as you first embarked on your career?

Enjoy every moment of the beautiful, wild and wonderful adventure. Don’t waste any energy worrying, but rather funnel that energy into dreaming up your ideal scenarios.

How do you unwind after work?

I start my day by unwinding so that I set up the energy I want to flow in for the day. Imeditate as soon as I wake up and then take my dog for a walk in nature. After work my favourite way to unwind is to lie in my spa which I bought second hand during COVID and it’s literally the best purchase I’ve ever made. My family and I have spent 100s of hours in there, relaxing and connecting.

What was the last thing you watched, read or listened to?

I just read a fantastic book called Maya’s Last Dancer. It’s a true story about an incredible woman who survived the Holocaust. I love losing myself in a well told story
and this is one of the best.