“Devan gave a great guest talk with a lot of incredible insights... He even stuck around after the talk to answer students questions. He was engaging, and students told me afterwards how much they got out of it and enjoyed having Devan as a speaker for our class.”
my speaker reel
My Presentations
WORDS MATTER: DISCOVERING POWER IN YOUR STORY
There is power in sharing your personal stories—they can build meaningful connections, inspire others, and even breakdown bias. Devan draws on his experience of transforming from a shy adolescent who repressed all of the stories in his life to being a published writer, award-winning storyteller, and founder of Unreeling Storytelling—a Brooklyn-based organization encouraging others to share their hard truths. In this presentation, Devan provides how to identify compelling stories and lean into the significance of your distinctive voice to keep listeners engaged. Through this process participants will gain a better understanding of how the sharing of unique perspectives add value to our lives, communities, and the world.
Takeaways from this talk:
Self-confidence - believing in yourself and others’ desires to hear what you have to share.
Fulfillment - exploring the depths of your experiences to find meaning and own who you are.
Listener attention - revealing intriguing beginnings, vivid scenes, and compelling stakes.
Be inspirational - discovering genuine emotions that resonate and call others to take action.
“Devan Sandiford is a passionate storyteller with a unique ability to empower students to discover the power in their stories and voices. Students told us that they found Devan engaging, warm, and welcoming—someone who made them feel comfortable speaking up and being themselves.”
THE ART OF LISTENING IN LEADERSHIP
Being an effective leader can often require pulling the best work out of employees, creating space for collaboration, and recognizing others’ ideas. Listening, as a leadership practice, empowers others to contribute their best work, creates space for engaging in meaningful dialogue, and enables team members to share unique perspectives that drive the organization’s mission forward. In this presentation participants will explore the deeper meaning and significance of other people’s experiences to discover the hidden value they hold on the big picture, persuade active employee participation, and spark the team to reach its highest collective potential.
Takeaways from this talk include:
Hearing between the lines - recognizing apprehension in others to give voice to their ideas.
Spotting new talents - discerning dormant contributions of other who simply lack confidence.
How to listen so other talk - opening others up to speak by listening with deeper compassion.
Heightened empathy - identifying stories in your own life that connect with other’s emotions.
my Workshop
Bridging Gaps Between Our Humanity Through Personal Storytelling
This an interactive diversity, equity, and inclusion workshop using personal storytelling to build connections between individuals and teams within your workplace and beyond.
Listening to someone else share a personal story has been shown to release oxytocin in the brain, which is the same hormone released when people physically embrace for 20 seconds.
In this workshop participants will find meaningful personal stories, learn techniques for effectively communicating them, and lean into sharing them with others—community style with distinct stories but common emotions.
“If a man could be a midwife (actually why not?) Then Devan Sandiford would be the world’s greatest midwife of stories. ”
Even a small whisper can have a big impact in someone else’s life—the world needs your voice!
