1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,390 Carol Cox: If you're looking to use storytelling to 2 00:00:02,420 --> 00:00:04,940 promote your business or your nonprofit, 3 00:00:04,940 --> 00:00:06,500 you're going to get so much out of my 4 00:00:06,500 --> 00:00:08,660 conversation with Ashley Vann on this 5 00:00:08,660 --> 00:00:11,090 episode of the Speaking Your Brand podcast. 6 00:00:14,510 --> 00:00:17,180 More and more women are making an impact by 7 00:00:17,180 --> 00:00:19,910 starting businesses, running for office, and 8 00:00:19,910 --> 00:00:21,920 speaking up for what matters. 9 00:00:21,950 --> 00:00:24,200 With my background as a TV political 10 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,080 analyst, entrepreneur, and speaker, I 11 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:29,480 interview and coach purpose driven women to 12 00:00:29,510 --> 00:00:31,970 shape their brands, grow their companies, 13 00:00:31,970 --> 00:00:34,640 and become recognized as influencers in 14 00:00:34,670 --> 00:00:38,000 their field. This is speaking your brand, 15 00:00:38,030 --> 00:00:40,520 your place to learn how to persuasively 16 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:43,910 communicate your message to your audience. 17 00:00:44,690 --> 00:00:46,250 Hi there and welcome to the Speaking Your 18 00:00:46,250 --> 00:00:48,350 Brand podcast. I'm your host, Carol Cox. 19 00:00:48,380 --> 00:00:50,480 Today we are digging into the power of 20 00:00:50,480 --> 00:00:53,120 storytelling, but from some unusual angles 21 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:54,920 that I don't think we've covered explicitly 22 00:00:54,950 --> 00:00:56,360 on this podcast before. 23 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:59,090 So I'm excited to talk to my guest, Ashley 24 00:00:59,110 --> 00:01:01,840 Vann, who is the founder of Victory Cup 25 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:03,970 initiative, which is based in the Orlando, 26 00:01:03,970 --> 00:01:06,370 Central Florida area where we both live. 27 00:01:06,370 --> 00:01:08,770 And earlier this year, I had the pleasure of 28 00:01:08,770 --> 00:01:10,270 attending their annual breakfast. 29 00:01:10,300 --> 00:01:12,520 It was the first time I had ever attended. 30 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:15,370 I was invited by a woman who has been 31 00:01:15,370 --> 00:01:17,620 involved in it, quite active in it, and so 32 00:01:17,620 --> 00:01:19,990 she extended the invitation to me and I got 33 00:01:19,990 --> 00:01:21,670 there. It was this beautiful venue, Doctor 34 00:01:21,670 --> 00:01:24,730 Phillips in Orlando, and it was full, 35 00:01:24,730 --> 00:01:26,590 entirely full with people. 36 00:01:26,590 --> 00:01:29,230 But what was so special about it was that 37 00:01:29,230 --> 00:01:31,990 each non-profit who had the opportunity to 38 00:01:31,990 --> 00:01:34,630 address the audience only had a couple of 39 00:01:34,630 --> 00:01:36,700 minutes to tell a story about their 40 00:01:36,700 --> 00:01:39,670 nonprofit, and then we all got to vote on 41 00:01:39,670 --> 00:01:43,120 who we wanted the the fundraising to go to 42 00:01:43,150 --> 00:01:45,670 no place one, two and three and so on. 43 00:01:45,670 --> 00:01:47,350 And it was such an incredible experience. 44 00:01:47,350 --> 00:01:50,080 It was such a great way to showcase the 45 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:51,490 power of storytelling, especially for 46 00:01:51,490 --> 00:01:53,290 nonprofits. So of course, I've gotten to 47 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:55,810 know Ashley this year, and so I invited her 48 00:01:55,810 --> 00:01:57,840 on the podcast to dig into storytelling, 49 00:01:57,840 --> 00:01:59,610 both for nonprofits but also for your 50 00:01:59,610 --> 00:02:01,770 business and for your personal brand. 51 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:03,630 Ashley, welcome to the podcast. 52 00:02:03,660 --> 00:02:04,860 Ashley Vann: Thank you for having me. 53 00:02:04,860 --> 00:02:06,210 I'm excited to be here. 54 00:02:06,270 --> 00:02:08,730 Carol Cox: Well, I am too. So tell us about Victory Cup 55 00:02:08,730 --> 00:02:10,200 initiative. Tell us a little bit more about 56 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:12,150 what it does and then what you do at the 57 00:02:12,180 --> 00:02:13,440 annual breakfast. 58 00:02:13,710 --> 00:02:17,370 Ashley Vann: Okay. So Victory Cup is about inspiring 59 00:02:17,370 --> 00:02:19,620 excellence in our community, one story at a 60 00:02:19,620 --> 00:02:22,530 time. And what that means is we really 61 00:02:22,530 --> 00:02:25,230 believe that everybody wants to be a part of 62 00:02:25,230 --> 00:02:26,970 something bigger than themselves, bigger 63 00:02:26,970 --> 00:02:28,710 than their jobs, bigger than their everyday 64 00:02:28,710 --> 00:02:31,560 life. And they can achieve that by getting 65 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:33,600 involved in the nonprofit community, and 66 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:36,480 that we are all surrounded by men and women 67 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:40,410 who have a lot going on in their lives, and 68 00:02:40,410 --> 00:02:43,140 they're doing really incredible work every 69 00:02:43,170 --> 00:02:46,350 day to just really care for our community's 70 00:02:46,350 --> 00:02:47,640 most vulnerable. 71 00:02:47,640 --> 00:02:50,190 So each year, the Victory Cup, we have an 72 00:02:50,190 --> 00:02:52,500 application period, and we'll get typically 73 00:02:52,500 --> 00:02:54,870 anywhere between 80 to 100 applications and 74 00:02:54,870 --> 00:02:58,170 we select ten nonprofit organizations. 75 00:02:58,170 --> 00:03:00,780 We work with those nonprofit organizations 76 00:03:00,780 --> 00:03:02,670 over a period of about four months with 77 00:03:02,670 --> 00:03:05,400 seven different coaches, and we teach them 78 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:07,770 how to tell their story of impact. 79 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:10,380 Now, if you're anything like me, you have a 80 00:03:10,380 --> 00:03:12,570 very short attention span. 81 00:03:12,570 --> 00:03:16,410 And so we try to get those leaders to really 82 00:03:16,410 --> 00:03:20,880 hone their messaging in 100 or 50s or less. 83 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:23,880 And it ends up being about 2.5 minutes. 84 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:26,310 And so we work with the leaders. 85 00:03:26,310 --> 00:03:27,660 We train them. This year we're doing 86 00:03:27,660 --> 00:03:28,890 something a little bit different where we 87 00:03:28,890 --> 00:03:30,660 have a couple of leadership training 88 00:03:30,660 --> 00:03:32,040 sessions for them as well. 89 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:36,000 And then this year on February 25th, 2025, at 90 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:37,830 the Doctor Phillips Performing Arts Center, 91 00:03:37,830 --> 00:03:40,290 we'll have an audience full of about 600 92 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:42,480 business leaders, community champions who 93 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:46,080 all gather to hear these stories of impact. 94 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:51,210 And after the 23.5 minute program, everyone 95 00:03:51,210 --> 00:03:52,980 in the room pulls out their phone and 96 00:03:52,980 --> 00:03:55,730 they're invited to vote via text for the 97 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:57,650 non-profit organization that they feel like 98 00:03:57,650 --> 00:03:58,730 did the best. 99 00:03:58,730 --> 00:04:02,360 And we give away prizes first $30,000, 100 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:05,060 second place $25,000, and third place 101 00:04:05,060 --> 00:04:08,990 $20,000 to the top nonprofits. 102 00:04:08,990 --> 00:04:12,680 But we like to say that everybody leaves a 103 00:04:12,710 --> 00:04:15,470 winner. And so all four through ten 104 00:04:15,470 --> 00:04:17,930 nonprofits will walk away with a cash prize. 105 00:04:17,930 --> 00:04:19,970 And that we really feel like by hearing 106 00:04:19,970 --> 00:04:22,640 these stories, it creates an enormous amount 107 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:24,410 of pride for the men and women who are 108 00:04:24,410 --> 00:04:26,690 attending the breakfast, because they're 109 00:04:26,690 --> 00:04:29,240 learning about work that they had no idea 110 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:31,580 was happening in their own community, and 111 00:04:31,580 --> 00:04:34,040 they're instantly introduced. 112 00:04:34,070 --> 00:04:36,710 Like I said to men and women who are on the 113 00:04:36,710 --> 00:04:39,860 front lines of caring for people in our 114 00:04:39,860 --> 00:04:42,740 community that might be hurting or are just 115 00:04:42,740 --> 00:04:43,970 in a bad situation. 116 00:04:43,970 --> 00:04:46,910 So that's the Victory Cup initiative. 117 00:04:47,060 --> 00:04:49,940 Um, and yes, that's it. 118 00:04:50,300 --> 00:04:52,300 Carol Cox: Well, I really appreciated hearing their 119 00:04:52,300 --> 00:04:54,790 stories, and it's such a skill that you're 120 00:04:54,790 --> 00:04:56,500 helping them to develop by putting them 121 00:04:56,500 --> 00:04:58,060 through all these trainings and the coaching 122 00:04:58,060 --> 00:05:00,100 that they get in order to deliver that 2.5 123 00:05:00,100 --> 00:05:01,420 minute story pitch. 124 00:05:01,420 --> 00:05:03,640 And I was so impressed by them that actually 125 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:05,560 one of them, Theresa Smith Levin of Central 126 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:08,320 Florida Vocal Arts, she did her story and I 127 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:10,180 made a little note, and I found her in the 128 00:05:10,180 --> 00:05:11,950 hallway. Afterwards, I invited her on to 129 00:05:11,980 --> 00:05:13,660 this podcast, and she was on earlier this 130 00:05:13,660 --> 00:05:14,890 year, episode 386. 131 00:05:14,890 --> 00:05:17,050 So that is the impact of storytelling. 132 00:05:17,050 --> 00:05:19,300 Now, Ashley, I know when we chatted a little 133 00:05:19,300 --> 00:05:22,120 while ago, you told me the origin story of 134 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:24,550 Victory Cup and really about storytelling 135 00:05:24,550 --> 00:05:27,010 because you said that you were in an like an 136 00:05:27,010 --> 00:05:28,750 executive leadership class, and there were a 137 00:05:28,750 --> 00:05:31,300 lot of other nonprofit leaders in there, and 138 00:05:31,300 --> 00:05:32,560 you had this realization. 139 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:34,030 Can you tell us about that? 140 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:35,350 Ashley Vann: Oh, absolutely. 141 00:05:35,350 --> 00:05:38,620 I had the the fortune of taking classes at 142 00:05:38,620 --> 00:05:41,020 the Edith Busch Institute, which is the 143 00:05:41,050 --> 00:05:45,310 nonprofit thought leader, um, school here in 144 00:05:45,310 --> 00:05:47,380 Central Florida, and sitting in the 145 00:05:47,380 --> 00:05:50,050 classroom, sitting alongside 12 to 15 146 00:05:50,070 --> 00:05:51,330 nonprofit leaders. 147 00:05:51,330 --> 00:05:52,980 Usually at every program, they would go 148 00:05:52,980 --> 00:05:55,470 around and introduce themselves, and I would 149 00:05:55,500 --> 00:05:59,220 hear people introduce themselves and they 150 00:05:59,220 --> 00:06:02,010 would say the most incredible things that I 151 00:06:02,010 --> 00:06:03,240 had never heard before. 152 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:06,360 Um, you know, a man who might be wanting to 153 00:06:06,390 --> 00:06:08,340 help veterans who were struggling with 154 00:06:08,340 --> 00:06:10,200 mental health issues or who may have been 155 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:13,560 homeless, or a woman who wanted to help, um, 156 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:16,770 moms who might be going through different, 157 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:20,340 um, social and mental issues, or someone who 158 00:06:20,340 --> 00:06:22,200 was very passionate about caring for 159 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:23,490 children with cancer. 160 00:06:23,490 --> 00:06:26,460 And as I got to meet these men and women, I 161 00:06:26,490 --> 00:06:29,910 quickly it quickly became evident to me they 162 00:06:29,910 --> 00:06:31,290 weren't doing it for prestige. 163 00:06:31,290 --> 00:06:32,490 They weren't doing it for the pay. 164 00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:34,530 They weren't doing it for the benefits, but 165 00:06:34,530 --> 00:06:36,930 they were doing it because they really cared 166 00:06:36,930 --> 00:06:39,870 about this one population, about this one 167 00:06:39,870 --> 00:06:41,430 niche of our community. 168 00:06:41,430 --> 00:06:43,710 And I thought to myself, you know, there are 169 00:06:43,740 --> 00:06:45,240 thousands of business leaders in our 170 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:46,980 community who want to hear these stories. 171 00:06:46,980 --> 00:06:48,840 They want to meet these people, but 172 00:06:48,840 --> 00:06:50,130 everyone's just so busy. 173 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:52,050 Right. Who isn't busy right now? 174 00:06:52,050 --> 00:06:53,670 And we're all busy taking care of our 175 00:06:53,670 --> 00:06:55,290 children, taking care of our parents, 176 00:06:55,290 --> 00:06:59,070 building our own careers, and just sort of. 177 00:06:59,100 --> 00:07:01,440 What if. What if we created an exciting 178 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:03,600 opportunity where we got business leaders 179 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:05,760 and nonprofit leaders together, and we 180 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:07,500 created an opportunity for the for the 181 00:07:07,500 --> 00:07:09,840 business leaders to hear these stories. 182 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:12,720 But it was also very important to create an 183 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:15,510 atmosphere where the leaders would not be 184 00:07:15,540 --> 00:07:18,180 asked. The leaders could just come and 185 00:07:18,180 --> 00:07:20,880 listen and decide on their own what they 186 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:22,800 wanted to do with this incredible 187 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:25,470 information. So that's how the Victory Cup 188 00:07:25,470 --> 00:07:27,600 was born. We launched our first year was 189 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:32,700 2016. I think we had 260 people attend our 190 00:07:32,700 --> 00:07:34,560 breakfast, ten nonprofits pitched. 191 00:07:34,590 --> 00:07:39,060 We raised $52,000, we gave away $42,000. 192 00:07:39,060 --> 00:07:41,940 And I think 80% of the people in the 193 00:07:41,940 --> 00:07:43,710 audience said, oh my gosh, now we get it. 194 00:07:43,740 --> 00:07:45,750 We know what you were talking about this 195 00:07:45,750 --> 00:07:46,440 whole time. 196 00:07:47,030 --> 00:07:49,220 Carol Cox: Ashley. So if you think about, you know, you 197 00:07:49,220 --> 00:07:51,050 could have just had the nonprofits give a 198 00:07:51,050 --> 00:07:53,870 standard pitch, which they probably had been 199 00:07:53,870 --> 00:07:56,870 doing. It's like, oh, so I started X, y, Z 200 00:07:56,960 --> 00:07:58,790 because I really wanted to help this 201 00:07:58,790 --> 00:08:00,710 particular type of group. 202 00:08:00,710 --> 00:08:02,720 And these are some of the services that we 203 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:04,280 provide or whatever, like a standard pitch 204 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:06,560 that a nonprofit or a business any of us 205 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:08,690 would give. Why did you feel like 206 00:08:08,690 --> 00:08:12,140 storytelling was the key in order for what 207 00:08:12,140 --> 00:08:13,670 you the work that you were doing to have 208 00:08:13,670 --> 00:08:14,840 more of an impact? 209 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:19,640 Ashley Vann: Um, well, I think in the nonprofit world to 210 00:08:19,670 --> 00:08:23,720 meet more donors or volunteers or potential 211 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:27,260 board members, you really want to use data 212 00:08:27,260 --> 00:08:29,990 or story. And it's a really great story. 213 00:08:29,990 --> 00:08:31,940 If you can figure out a way to use both data 214 00:08:31,940 --> 00:08:34,760 and story together. But a story is 215 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:38,570 transformative. A story is a way to take you 216 00:08:38,570 --> 00:08:40,250 somewhere immediately. 217 00:08:40,250 --> 00:08:43,250 You actually have a physical reaction when 218 00:08:43,250 --> 00:08:46,810 you hear a great story and what I really 219 00:08:46,810 --> 00:08:50,860 love is when the nonprofit leader can come 220 00:08:50,860 --> 00:08:54,340 up with that soundbite, that quintessential 221 00:08:54,340 --> 00:08:56,860 phrase that tells everybody in the room 222 00:08:56,860 --> 00:09:00,280 exactly what they do and why that cause is 223 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:02,980 so important. So, for example, the Adult 224 00:09:02,980 --> 00:09:05,230 Literacy League, our very first year, we got 225 00:09:05,230 --> 00:09:07,300 to work with them. And I remember one of 226 00:09:07,330 --> 00:09:10,960 their opening statements was, if you can't 227 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:14,290 read, you can't fill out a job application. 228 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:16,810 Well, right. Then that tells you how 229 00:09:16,810 --> 00:09:19,480 critically it like no matter what you say, 230 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:21,160 if someone can't read, they they're not 231 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:22,630 going to be able to get ahead. 232 00:09:22,630 --> 00:09:25,600 And so it's really important for those 233 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:28,990 stories to, um, it really connects people. 234 00:09:29,020 --> 00:09:30,820 I mean, I have another just example I would 235 00:09:30,820 --> 00:09:31,930 love to use. 236 00:09:32,050 --> 00:09:34,420 One of the things we do at Victory Cup is we 237 00:09:34,420 --> 00:09:39,160 love to connect people with causes that they 238 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:41,530 care about, but they may not even know that 239 00:09:41,530 --> 00:09:43,620 they cared about or connect business leaders 240 00:09:43,620 --> 00:09:44,760 with different boards. 241 00:09:44,790 --> 00:09:46,530 Opportunities to serve on a board. 242 00:09:46,560 --> 00:09:49,050 And one morning I had invited a local 243 00:09:49,050 --> 00:09:51,000 attorney with a wealth planning practice to 244 00:09:51,030 --> 00:09:54,630 come meet one of our nonprofit leaders and 245 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:57,600 she. During her Victory Cup speech, this 246 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:01,680 person said there are 45,000 homeless people 247 00:10:01,680 --> 00:10:02,820 in Seminole County. 248 00:10:02,850 --> 00:10:05,970 And on your way to meet me this morning, you 249 00:10:05,970 --> 00:10:08,520 probably drove by 12 men, women or children 250 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:10,560 that you did not even see. 251 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:14,010 What a powerful statement, right? 252 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:16,770 Well, fast forward when I took the woman to 253 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:19,350 go meet this wealth planning attorney, and I 254 00:10:19,380 --> 00:10:20,880 and the woman said, tell me about your 255 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:23,640 organization. Instead of saying what she 256 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:25,410 just said about coming to meet me. 257 00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:28,320 She said, well, we were founded in 1970. 258 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:30,840 So, so and so and so and so and so and so 259 00:10:30,870 --> 00:10:33,420 and so. Well, immediately they lost the 260 00:10:33,420 --> 00:10:34,680 person. Right? 261 00:10:35,070 --> 00:10:37,590 Um, and we hear stories like that all the 262 00:10:37,590 --> 00:10:40,440 time. And so we're trying to talk to the 263 00:10:40,470 --> 00:10:44,880 nonprofit leaders like forget about um, the 264 00:10:44,910 --> 00:10:47,880 how many and think about the who and the 265 00:10:47,910 --> 00:10:50,370 why. You know not instead of like how many 266 00:10:50,370 --> 00:10:53,070 meals you've served or how many people 267 00:10:53,070 --> 00:10:55,200 you've helped. Instead, think about the 268 00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:58,710 woman who had been incarcerated for 30 years 269 00:10:58,710 --> 00:11:01,950 and you taught her how to read and write, 270 00:11:01,950 --> 00:11:03,930 and all of a sudden, this woman who would 271 00:11:03,930 --> 00:11:05,940 never be getting out of this, the justice 272 00:11:05,940 --> 00:11:08,850 system, felt a freedom that she's never 273 00:11:08,850 --> 00:11:10,830 experienced before through writing and 274 00:11:10,830 --> 00:11:12,570 reading, all through the Adult Literacy 275 00:11:12,570 --> 00:11:14,670 League. That's something that can get me 276 00:11:14,670 --> 00:11:17,070 excited and makes me want to take action. 277 00:11:17,460 --> 00:11:19,500 Carol Cox: I love those example, Ashley, because they 278 00:11:19,500 --> 00:11:21,960 showed the specificity of the stories, and I 279 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:23,790 know a lot of times when we work with our 280 00:11:23,790 --> 00:11:27,450 clients and a lot of people feel like that a 281 00:11:27,450 --> 00:11:32,400 specific story is less relatable than a more 282 00:11:32,430 --> 00:11:33,570 than a more specific story. 283 00:11:33,570 --> 00:11:35,940 So they kind of like make it more generic or 284 00:11:35,940 --> 00:11:37,650 they generalize it, or I say like they 285 00:11:37,650 --> 00:11:39,450 smooth out the edges of it because they feel 286 00:11:39,470 --> 00:11:41,330 like if they just kind of share a generic 287 00:11:41,330 --> 00:11:44,150 story or an anecdote that's more relatable. 288 00:11:44,150 --> 00:11:45,590 But I'm like, no, no, no, it's actually the 289 00:11:45,590 --> 00:11:48,620 opposite, because the more detailed you are 290 00:11:48,620 --> 00:11:50,060 with your story, even though it seems 291 00:11:50,060 --> 00:11:52,640 counterintuitive, the more the person will 292 00:11:52,670 --> 00:11:54,500 remember it. And, like you said, have some 293 00:11:54,500 --> 00:11:56,720 type of emotional reaction to it. 294 00:11:56,720 --> 00:11:58,790 I always use this quote by Sue Monk Kidd, 295 00:11:58,790 --> 00:12:01,160 which says that she said, the deeper we go 296 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:04,130 into our own experience, the more we hit the 297 00:12:04,130 --> 00:12:06,290 universal experience. 298 00:12:06,290 --> 00:12:08,480 So like you're talking about those 12 people 299 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:11,390 that you passed on the drive today who are 300 00:12:11,390 --> 00:12:14,210 homeless, or the incarcerated woman who was 301 00:12:14,210 --> 00:12:16,130 taught to read like those things stick in 302 00:12:16,130 --> 00:12:18,830 our mind as visual images because they're so 303 00:12:18,830 --> 00:12:21,110 specific versus, yes, there are homeless 304 00:12:21,110 --> 00:12:23,480 people out there who need homes. 305 00:12:23,510 --> 00:12:25,550 Okay. But but that doesn't like that. 306 00:12:25,580 --> 00:12:28,130 Nothing pops into my mind when I hear that. 307 00:12:28,220 --> 00:12:30,980 Ashley Vann: Absolutely. And I remember one year we had 308 00:12:30,980 --> 00:12:33,080 this incredible storyteller, we had this 309 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:35,420 older gentleman, and he was part of the 310 00:12:35,420 --> 00:12:38,080 program, and he had this great story and the 311 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:40,820 story that he was telling was the story of a 312 00:12:40,820 --> 00:12:42,790 million teenagers that his organization 313 00:12:42,790 --> 00:12:45,640 serves. And so when he would get up to tell 314 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:47,650 the story, he would always say, I'm going to 315 00:12:47,650 --> 00:12:49,030 tell you a story about. 316 00:12:49,030 --> 00:12:52,210 And then he would say, say, Jennifer. 317 00:12:52,210 --> 00:12:54,070 And then he would proceed to tell the story. 318 00:12:54,070 --> 00:12:57,130 And I said, when you when you don't know the 319 00:12:57,130 --> 00:13:01,450 person's name, you're not dignifying who 320 00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:03,190 you're talking about, and you're not 321 00:13:03,190 --> 00:13:06,460 connecting me to the teenager whose name 322 00:13:06,460 --> 00:13:08,290 might have been Tiffany, who lived over in 323 00:13:08,290 --> 00:13:10,690 South Orlando and was struggling because she 324 00:13:10,690 --> 00:13:12,010 went to this high school. 325 00:13:12,010 --> 00:13:13,480 And this was the issue. 326 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:15,850 And as long as you get that person's, you 327 00:13:15,850 --> 00:13:18,130 know, permission, it's so much. 328 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:20,080 It's so important to be using specific 329 00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:21,730 details. 1,000%. 330 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:23,770 Carol Cox: Yes. Yeah. I always say given them a name, 331 00:13:23,770 --> 00:13:25,870 you could even say like, you know, I'll call 332 00:13:25,870 --> 00:13:28,150 her Tiffany if you want to make sure that 333 00:13:28,150 --> 00:13:30,700 you're not revealing any unidentified or, 334 00:13:30,730 --> 00:13:32,020 you know, things that maybe people could 335 00:13:32,020 --> 00:13:33,610 figure out. But yes, I totally agree with 336 00:13:33,610 --> 00:13:35,350 you about giving names and details and 337 00:13:35,350 --> 00:13:37,110 setting the scene for all that. 338 00:13:37,140 --> 00:13:39,690 Now, one thing we talked about during our 339 00:13:39,690 --> 00:13:42,750 coffee chat is that you mentioned about when 340 00:13:42,750 --> 00:13:43,830 we were talking about storytelling 341 00:13:43,830 --> 00:13:45,240 structures, and there's lots of different 342 00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:48,090 storytelling frameworks and structures out 343 00:13:48,090 --> 00:13:51,210 there. And you said that one thing that we 344 00:13:51,210 --> 00:13:52,890 need to be careful of, especially say, at 345 00:13:52,890 --> 00:13:54,360 your event where you are having ten 346 00:13:54,360 --> 00:13:56,850 nonprofits go in a row that you don't want 347 00:13:56,850 --> 00:13:59,220 it to come across as formulaic, where 348 00:13:59,220 --> 00:14:01,020 they're all kind of starting the same like 349 00:14:01,020 --> 00:14:02,160 the beginning, middle and end. 350 00:14:02,190 --> 00:14:04,560 So it all feels like some type of structure 351 00:14:04,560 --> 00:14:06,150 that they've all been given, because by the 352 00:14:06,150 --> 00:14:07,920 fourth or fifth one, the audience is going 353 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:09,150 to be like, okay, we know what's coming 354 00:14:09,150 --> 00:14:11,310 next. So can you talk to us a little bit 355 00:14:11,310 --> 00:14:13,770 about kind of balancing structure and 356 00:14:13,770 --> 00:14:16,230 novelty? When we think about sharing, 357 00:14:16,230 --> 00:14:18,240 whether it's a pitch for something or about 358 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:20,580 sharing stories in our presentations? 359 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:22,980 Ashley Vann: Well, I think that's a great point. 360 00:14:22,980 --> 00:14:26,640 I think whenever you're sharing a story, you 361 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:28,260 don't want to be pitchy. 362 00:14:28,290 --> 00:14:31,530 I think the beauty of sharing a story really 363 00:14:31,530 --> 00:14:35,250 well is that you come across as an expert. 364 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:37,860 And so you don't need to pitch. 365 00:14:37,890 --> 00:14:41,250 And I think sharing a story is about trying 366 00:14:41,250 --> 00:14:45,390 to identify who the who, what is resonating 367 00:14:45,390 --> 00:14:47,790 in your story with the audience member. 368 00:14:47,790 --> 00:14:49,890 And when I say audience member, I mean one 369 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:52,260 on one, like if I'm talking to you and I'm 370 00:14:52,260 --> 00:14:55,260 sharing this incredible story with you, I'm 371 00:14:55,260 --> 00:14:57,840 hoping that it's going to just create 372 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:00,360 authentic communication between the two of 373 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:05,460 us. So sharing a story and then ending it 374 00:15:05,460 --> 00:15:09,150 with a pitch is never a good idea. 375 00:15:09,150 --> 00:15:13,620 And I think when you come across someone and 376 00:15:13,620 --> 00:15:17,010 you share a story and they connect with you 377 00:15:17,010 --> 00:15:20,670 and there is no pitch, then the reward is 378 00:15:20,670 --> 00:15:22,680 greater than anything you could have ever 379 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:25,560 imagined, because you're giving them an 380 00:15:25,560 --> 00:15:28,650 opportunity to explore, to sit back, to 381 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:31,530 contemplate, to ask you questions. 382 00:15:31,530 --> 00:15:34,430 And and I say this all the time. 383 00:15:34,430 --> 00:15:36,800 Someone might come to the Victory Cup, and 384 00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:38,960 most of the time they get out of the ten 385 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:41,240 stories there, 7 or 8 of the organizations 386 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:43,340 there never have even heard of. 387 00:15:43,370 --> 00:15:45,350 And some of the causes are things that they 388 00:15:45,350 --> 00:15:47,270 could have never even imagined. 389 00:15:47,300 --> 00:15:50,390 A few years ago, we heard a story about a 390 00:15:50,390 --> 00:15:54,140 young teenage girl and how her father had 391 00:15:54,140 --> 00:15:55,880 stolen her identity. 392 00:15:55,910 --> 00:15:58,670 Well, when you first hear that, that sounds 393 00:15:58,670 --> 00:16:00,710 so terrible to you. 394 00:16:00,740 --> 00:16:03,740 But if you think about a struggling parent 395 00:16:03,770 --> 00:16:07,520 who would do anything for their children, an 396 00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:10,010 endless upon endless credit card appeals 397 00:16:10,010 --> 00:16:13,670 come to your home and you're looking for 398 00:16:13,670 --> 00:16:14,960 some way out. 399 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:19,880 You can see how it's no longer a crime, but 400 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:23,270 it was a strategy to serve this man's family 401 00:16:23,270 --> 00:16:24,830 better. And I'm not saying that it was 402 00:16:24,830 --> 00:16:28,340 right, but I'm saying all of a sudden you've 403 00:16:28,340 --> 00:16:31,120 had a transformative moment to step outside 404 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:34,030 of your life and to see something from 405 00:16:34,030 --> 00:16:36,460 another person's perspective, from another 406 00:16:36,460 --> 00:16:39,100 walk of life. And it just made you a better 407 00:16:39,100 --> 00:16:41,920 human being. And what you decide to do with 408 00:16:41,920 --> 00:16:44,350 that information is totally up to you. 409 00:16:44,350 --> 00:16:47,500 And if you box me in with a pitch, you might 410 00:16:47,500 --> 00:16:50,260 lose the potential of a great reward. 411 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:53,560 Carol Cox: It reminds me of the saying that people don't 412 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:56,440 like to be sold to, but they like to buy. 413 00:16:57,730 --> 00:16:58,480 Ashley Vann: 100%. 414 00:16:58,510 --> 00:17:00,850 Carol Cox: Right? And so, like, I almost feel like as 415 00:17:00,850 --> 00:17:03,100 someone sharing a story is the beginning of 416 00:17:03,100 --> 00:17:05,770 a conversation rather than the end all be 417 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:07,240 all of a conversation because, as you said, 418 00:17:07,270 --> 00:17:09,130 like you want the person hearing the story. 419 00:17:09,130 --> 00:17:11,020 Then to follow up with questions or to be 420 00:17:11,020 --> 00:17:13,990 intrigued and curious to want to know more. 421 00:17:14,140 --> 00:17:16,780 Ashley Vann: Yeah. And I mean, Carol, I would love to come 422 00:17:16,780 --> 00:17:18,730 back on your podcast at some point and just 423 00:17:18,730 --> 00:17:20,170 talk about fundraising, because that's 424 00:17:20,170 --> 00:17:21,730 really a passion of mine, and that's where 425 00:17:21,730 --> 00:17:23,470 the storytelling comes into play. 426 00:17:23,650 --> 00:17:26,500 But whenever talking to anyone, I always 427 00:17:26,500 --> 00:17:28,570 like to share what the biggest goal could 428 00:17:28,590 --> 00:17:31,410 potentially be, and then let that person 429 00:17:31,410 --> 00:17:34,350 decide how they want to play a role. 430 00:17:34,380 --> 00:17:37,860 Because in the nonprofit ecosystem, a 431 00:17:37,860 --> 00:17:40,980 volunteer is the greatest gift you could 432 00:17:40,980 --> 00:17:42,270 ever give an organization. 433 00:17:42,270 --> 00:17:44,340 And we just recently, after this year's 434 00:17:44,700 --> 00:17:46,350 Victory Cup, we had a gentleman who had just 435 00:17:46,380 --> 00:17:48,630 recently retired. He came to us and he said, 436 00:17:48,630 --> 00:17:50,490 I would love to work with you all for 20 437 00:17:50,490 --> 00:17:51,720 hours a week. 438 00:17:51,750 --> 00:17:54,480 I mean, we have gotten such incredible 439 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:57,480 expertise, mentoring and advice from this 440 00:17:57,480 --> 00:18:00,330 gentleman. This is a gift that we could 441 00:18:00,330 --> 00:18:01,890 never afford to pay for. 442 00:18:01,890 --> 00:18:04,680 And so, um, and if I had just asked him for 443 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:07,830 $5,000, instead of just being opening up the 444 00:18:07,830 --> 00:18:09,600 vision of Victory Cup, I might have lost 445 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:10,860 that opportunity. 446 00:18:11,190 --> 00:18:12,960 Carol Cox: Oh, that is such a great example, right. 447 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:16,050 Because you may be they may have so much 448 00:18:16,050 --> 00:18:18,390 more to offer, but they're just going to 449 00:18:18,420 --> 00:18:20,130 just say, okay, that's what you're asking me 450 00:18:20,130 --> 00:18:21,330 for, then that's what I'll give. 451 00:18:21,360 --> 00:18:23,370 And they may not even voluntarily volunteer, 452 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:25,020 so to speak, but, you know, offer other 453 00:18:25,020 --> 00:18:25,770 things. 454 00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:28,170 Ashley Vann: Mhm. 100%.Yeah. 455 00:18:28,170 --> 00:18:30,150 Carol Cox: That's a great example. So thinking back 456 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:32,130 again to this idea of balancing structure 457 00:18:32,130 --> 00:18:34,590 and novelty, and because I want to provide 458 00:18:34,620 --> 00:18:36,720 maybe some practical ideas for the listeners 459 00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:38,010 who are either running non-profits or 460 00:18:38,010 --> 00:18:39,600 businesses. And I think about it this way, 461 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:41,580 because I can imagine you have a bunch of 462 00:18:41,610 --> 00:18:43,590 whether it's nonprofits or even businesses, 463 00:18:43,590 --> 00:18:45,240 maybe they're at some type of business event 464 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:46,650 and they have to introduce themselves. 465 00:18:46,650 --> 00:18:48,960 And everyone starts off with the story the 466 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:52,290 same way. Well, there was a time when I was 467 00:18:52,290 --> 00:18:55,590 X or I had this shocking moment when X, 468 00:18:55,590 --> 00:18:56,880 right? Like those kind of those common 469 00:18:56,880 --> 00:18:58,980 tropes that people use for storytelling. 470 00:18:58,980 --> 00:19:01,350 So I think about it, maybe you mentioned 471 00:19:01,380 --> 00:19:03,720 authenticity is like, think about like what 472 00:19:03,720 --> 00:19:06,240 was the emotional heart of that story for 473 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:08,010 you? You know, you're the one telling the 474 00:19:08,010 --> 00:19:10,950 story. And maybe think about what is a way 475 00:19:10,950 --> 00:19:14,280 to bring the audience in based on how you 476 00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:16,350 were feeling or where you were or what was 477 00:19:16,350 --> 00:19:18,300 going on at the time. 478 00:19:18,300 --> 00:19:20,610 That's one idea. The other idea I often will 479 00:19:20,610 --> 00:19:22,770 use is playing with the story timeline. 480 00:19:22,770 --> 00:19:24,270 So sometimes starting at the beginning of 481 00:19:24,270 --> 00:19:26,180 the story, sometimes starting at the end or 482 00:19:26,210 --> 00:19:27,620 even starting in the middle of the story, 483 00:19:27,620 --> 00:19:29,660 and then backtracking back and then 484 00:19:29,660 --> 00:19:32,420 continuing on. So I don't know if you ever 485 00:19:32,420 --> 00:19:33,860 played with any of those structures 486 00:19:33,860 --> 00:19:35,090 yourself, Ashley. 487 00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:40,400 Ashley Vann: Yeah. I mean, I think to really go to, um, I 488 00:19:40,430 --> 00:19:43,370 guess exercises for me is to help people 489 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:46,340 immediately create their own story is to 490 00:19:46,370 --> 00:19:48,200 your point with when you're in the nonprofit 491 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:50,420 world and you're working with a board or 492 00:19:50,420 --> 00:19:52,070 someone who wants to be a champion of your 493 00:19:52,070 --> 00:19:53,780 cause, they'll say, well, do you have a 494 00:19:53,780 --> 00:19:56,450 flyer or can you help me with my pitch? 495 00:19:56,450 --> 00:19:59,870 And it's more about tell me what it is about 496 00:19:59,870 --> 00:20:03,050 this organization that makes you proud. 497 00:20:03,950 --> 00:20:07,220 And if someone were to expand on I work at 498 00:20:07,220 --> 00:20:09,320 this company and I'm really proud of the 499 00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:11,750 work that we do because of blank. 500 00:20:12,290 --> 00:20:14,870 That's going to open up a story about who 501 00:20:14,900 --> 00:20:17,990 that person is, what is the work that they 502 00:20:17,990 --> 00:20:20,870 do, and how does that individual, individual 503 00:20:20,870 --> 00:20:22,910 person contribute to the success of the 504 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:26,200 organization. So that's one tool that I use. 505 00:20:26,230 --> 00:20:30,220 Another real easy tool is the I believe. 506 00:20:30,220 --> 00:20:33,730 And that can sound a little bit Pollyanna, a 507 00:20:33,730 --> 00:20:37,450 little soft. But when people share with you 508 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:39,790 what they believe, I mean, I personally am 509 00:20:39,790 --> 00:20:42,550 someone who my husband always says, you 510 00:20:42,550 --> 00:20:44,440 know, I always want to talk to people and go 511 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:46,810 deep and hear their story and hear about 512 00:20:46,810 --> 00:20:48,640 what they're thinking and what's important 513 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:50,860 to them. And my husband says, you know, not 514 00:20:50,860 --> 00:20:52,330 everybody wants to have this deep 515 00:20:52,330 --> 00:20:56,170 conversation. And I disagree with that. 516 00:20:56,170 --> 00:20:59,860 I feel like we all are kind of lonely and 517 00:20:59,860 --> 00:21:04,300 hurting, and we all want to feel safe, loved 518 00:21:04,300 --> 00:21:06,430 and heard. And that's something that I 519 00:21:06,430 --> 00:21:07,750 believe in my core. 520 00:21:07,750 --> 00:21:10,690 And so if you're able to talk to people and 521 00:21:10,690 --> 00:21:12,940 help them kind of figure out what is it that 522 00:21:12,940 --> 00:21:15,760 you believe and what is it that you're doing 523 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:17,830 that fuels your belief? 524 00:21:17,860 --> 00:21:21,390 That's another great way to launch a Marcia 525 00:21:21,390 --> 00:21:25,980 story. Um, and kind of really just create 526 00:21:25,980 --> 00:21:28,110 more authentic conversation, which is what 527 00:21:28,140 --> 00:21:29,760 storytelling is all about. 528 00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:32,220 Carol Cox: Yes. And and that back and forth. 529 00:21:32,250 --> 00:21:35,070 Right. So it truly is a two way or multiple 530 00:21:35,070 --> 00:21:37,470 way conversation, not just one way. 531 00:21:37,500 --> 00:21:39,930 Ashley Vann: And you might not believe what the person 532 00:21:39,930 --> 00:21:41,490 believes, like you might. 533 00:21:41,490 --> 00:21:44,370 And that's such a great way to exercise 534 00:21:44,370 --> 00:21:46,020 kindness and peace, right? 535 00:21:46,050 --> 00:21:48,390 Which is everybody wants to teach somebody 536 00:21:48,390 --> 00:21:50,550 else something. I think the question is 537 00:21:50,550 --> 00:21:52,590 also, what am I learning today? 538 00:21:52,620 --> 00:21:53,430 Right. 539 00:21:54,060 --> 00:21:56,130 Carol Cox: Oh, I love that. Yes, I definitely will keep 540 00:21:56,130 --> 00:21:57,750 that in mind. That's a great way to think 541 00:21:57,750 --> 00:21:59,160 about it. What am I learning today? 542 00:21:59,190 --> 00:22:02,340 Ashley Vann: Yes. So I've worked with a lot of children 543 00:22:02,340 --> 00:22:03,510 over the last ten years. 544 00:22:03,540 --> 00:22:06,270 I mean, in my career with the nonprofit 545 00:22:06,270 --> 00:22:08,100 sector over the last, I guess, 10 or 11 546 00:22:08,100 --> 00:22:10,200 years, I've worked with about 90 different 547 00:22:10,230 --> 00:22:11,640 nonprofit organizations. 548 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:14,160 And it's always when I'm working with 549 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:16,320 children or teenagers or young adults, it's 550 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:19,920 always easy to find donors or community 551 00:22:19,950 --> 00:22:21,570 leaders or business leaders who want to 552 00:22:21,570 --> 00:22:23,430 teach the kids something. 553 00:22:23,460 --> 00:22:26,340 Well, I think the kids really just want 554 00:22:26,370 --> 00:22:29,190 someone to listen to who they are and what 555 00:22:29,190 --> 00:22:31,260 they've been through. So just a thought. 556 00:22:31,590 --> 00:22:32,730 Carol Cox: Oh my gosh, yes. 557 00:22:32,730 --> 00:22:34,200 That is so powerful Ashley. 558 00:22:34,230 --> 00:22:35,310 Definitely. Yeah. 559 00:22:35,790 --> 00:22:37,560 For all of all everyone listening, whatever 560 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:38,880 you're working with in your business, 561 00:22:38,910 --> 00:22:40,620 nonprofits, community organizations, that's 562 00:22:40,620 --> 00:22:41,700 a great reminder. 563 00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:43,680 Now, one other thing that you mentioned to 564 00:22:43,710 --> 00:22:45,900 me, Ashley, during our coffee chat, which I 565 00:22:45,900 --> 00:22:47,700 really had never thought about in this way 566 00:22:47,700 --> 00:22:49,560 before, is that you said that and you 567 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:50,610 mentioned this a little bit earlier, that 568 00:22:50,610 --> 00:22:53,940 storytelling can elicit a elicits emotions 569 00:22:53,940 --> 00:22:55,740 in us, you know, whether it's we're 570 00:22:55,740 --> 00:22:57,930 listening to someone else in person or we're 571 00:22:57,960 --> 00:23:01,050 watching a movie or a TV show and we feel 572 00:23:01,050 --> 00:23:03,870 sad, or maybe we feel excited or we feel 573 00:23:03,900 --> 00:23:05,160 angry, whatever it happens to be. 574 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:07,650 So storytelling elicits emotions. 575 00:23:07,650 --> 00:23:11,280 And then you said music actually does the 576 00:23:11,280 --> 00:23:13,890 same thing. So both storytelling and music 577 00:23:13,890 --> 00:23:17,010 are collective experiences that not only 578 00:23:17,010 --> 00:23:19,490 listed emotions in us, but can elicit the 579 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:23,030 same emotions in people who are together. 580 00:23:23,780 --> 00:23:24,230 Ashley Vann: Right? 581 00:23:24,260 --> 00:23:25,490 Carol Cox: So it's how like, yeah. 582 00:23:25,490 --> 00:23:26,840 So tell me more about that. 583 00:23:26,870 --> 00:23:28,550 Ashley Vann: Well, I mean, I'm definitely a woman of 584 00:23:28,550 --> 00:23:30,920 faith. And so that's very important to me. 585 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:35,360 But I do think I always say that music is 586 00:23:35,360 --> 00:23:36,470 the Holy Spirit. 587 00:23:36,470 --> 00:23:39,290 And I think storytelling and what I mean by 588 00:23:39,290 --> 00:23:42,830 that is it's this energy that just brings 589 00:23:42,830 --> 00:23:44,870 everyone together. 590 00:23:44,990 --> 00:23:49,520 There is music that we could play and it 591 00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:51,470 could bring us all to tears, right? 592 00:23:51,470 --> 00:23:52,970 There's also music. 593 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:55,220 Think about the 4th of July and the music 594 00:23:55,220 --> 00:23:57,260 that's being played throughout the day. 595 00:23:57,290 --> 00:23:59,450 No matter what you have that's going on in 596 00:23:59,450 --> 00:24:01,580 your life, you all of a sudden have this 597 00:24:01,610 --> 00:24:04,250 enormous amount of pride in being an 598 00:24:04,250 --> 00:24:06,800 American and living in the United States of 599 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:09,170 America. And you also have this enormous 600 00:24:09,170 --> 00:24:10,970 sense of gratitude. 601 00:24:10,970 --> 00:24:13,670 And it's all because of, like, the Lee 602 00:24:13,670 --> 00:24:16,660 Greenwood song or the. 603 00:24:16,660 --> 00:24:18,520 I can't think of the different artists right 604 00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:20,590 now, but it's just really powerful. 605 00:24:20,590 --> 00:24:22,780 And I think a really great the Publix 606 00:24:22,780 --> 00:24:25,120 commercials, they can do that same thing to 607 00:24:25,150 --> 00:24:27,610 you, you know, where it just really centers 608 00:24:27,610 --> 00:24:30,340 you. And I think there's something really 609 00:24:30,340 --> 00:24:32,410 powerful. I think it's really critical to 610 00:24:32,410 --> 00:24:34,600 have the arts be a part of everything that 611 00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:37,270 we do, and I would hate for those to ever be 612 00:24:37,270 --> 00:24:38,830 lost in our community. 613 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:40,720 Carol Cox: Yes, absolutely. 614 00:24:40,750 --> 00:24:42,220 Music you think of like, you know, like 615 00:24:42,250 --> 00:24:44,890 whether it's a Mozart and classical music or 616 00:24:44,890 --> 00:24:47,470 even, you know, pop songs from when we grew 617 00:24:47,470 --> 00:24:48,910 up. Like they definitely bring back 618 00:24:48,940 --> 00:24:50,500 memories, nostalgia. 619 00:24:50,530 --> 00:24:52,480 You can probably remember where you were 620 00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:53,980 when that song was popular. 621 00:24:53,980 --> 00:24:55,540 So music can do so much. 622 00:24:55,540 --> 00:24:57,220 And and as we've been talking about, stories 623 00:24:57,220 --> 00:24:58,840 can as well. 624 00:24:58,870 --> 00:25:00,100 All right. Ashley. So yeah. 625 00:25:00,130 --> 00:25:00,640 Go ahead. 626 00:25:00,670 --> 00:25:02,740 Ashley Vann: I was just going to say and one one like 627 00:25:02,770 --> 00:25:06,460 perfect altruistic example of music is with 628 00:25:06,460 --> 00:25:07,990 children and babies. 629 00:25:07,990 --> 00:25:10,840 And just to watch how they respond to music 630 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:13,720 and how it just immediately elevates their 631 00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:16,440 mood. And it's just like, pure and simple, 632 00:25:16,470 --> 00:25:17,100 right? 633 00:25:17,430 --> 00:25:18,690 Carol Cox: Well, it does it for us too. 634 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:20,370 As adults, you know, we're feeling down, 635 00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:22,500 like put on a fun, you know, pop song or 636 00:25:22,500 --> 00:25:24,270 dance song or something that you really like 637 00:25:24,300 --> 00:25:26,520 and start moving around and start singing 638 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:28,050 and you probably will feel better. 639 00:25:28,290 --> 00:25:29,970 Ashley Vann: 100%, yes. 640 00:25:30,030 --> 00:25:32,580 Carol Cox: Ashley, can you tell listeners where they can 641 00:25:32,580 --> 00:25:34,740 learn more about you and more about Victory 642 00:25:34,740 --> 00:25:35,400 Cup? 643 00:25:35,580 --> 00:25:36,630 Ashley Vann: Oh, absolutely. 644 00:25:36,630 --> 00:25:40,110 So we have a fantastic website that was 645 00:25:40,110 --> 00:25:42,900 built for us by a volunteer, and so please 646 00:25:42,900 --> 00:25:44,880 check us out at the Victory Cup initiative. 647 00:25:45,090 --> 00:25:47,250 Org you'll hear all about why storytelling 648 00:25:47,250 --> 00:25:49,290 is important, and also you'll see a list of 649 00:25:49,290 --> 00:25:52,320 about 85 nonprofit organizations that have 650 00:25:52,320 --> 00:25:55,260 been vetted by thousands of business leaders 651 00:25:55,260 --> 00:25:57,030 in our community who help us select our ten 652 00:25:57,030 --> 00:25:58,230 finalists each year. 653 00:25:58,230 --> 00:26:02,190 And you'll get to learn about work that's 654 00:26:02,190 --> 00:26:04,350 being done in our community to care for our 655 00:26:04,350 --> 00:26:06,900 most vulnerable, and also just to help 656 00:26:06,900 --> 00:26:08,040 people who are in need. 657 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:09,180 So that's one way. 658 00:26:09,210 --> 00:26:12,000 We also have a great social media, so check 659 00:26:12,030 --> 00:26:14,170 us out on Facebook and Instagram and 660 00:26:14,170 --> 00:26:15,760 definitely LinkedIn. And then you can hear 661 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:17,380 about our different events that we have 662 00:26:17,380 --> 00:26:20,290 coming up. We do have we've like I 663 00:26:20,290 --> 00:26:21,730 mentioned, we've worked with about 85 664 00:26:21,730 --> 00:26:23,890 nonprofit organizations in Central Florida. 665 00:26:23,890 --> 00:26:25,930 So we do have quarterly workshops to help 666 00:26:25,930 --> 00:26:29,290 the nonprofit leaders be better leaders and 667 00:26:29,290 --> 00:26:31,300 learn more, and just kind of want to always 668 00:26:31,300 --> 00:26:33,610 find opportunities to support them and serve 669 00:26:33,610 --> 00:26:36,100 them, and so that they're able to serve more 670 00:26:36,100 --> 00:26:38,590 and stay excited and passionate about the 671 00:26:38,590 --> 00:26:41,260 different causes that they are working to 672 00:26:41,290 --> 00:26:42,130 resolve. 673 00:26:42,850 --> 00:26:43,900 Carol Cox: Oh, fantastic. Ashley. 674 00:26:43,900 --> 00:26:45,760 Well, thank you so much for the incredible 675 00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:48,220 work that you do and everyone at Victory Cup 676 00:26:48,220 --> 00:26:49,870 Initiative does. Like I said, I was so 677 00:26:49,870 --> 00:26:52,000 impressed by the organization and the event. 678 00:26:52,030 --> 00:26:54,670 Looking forward to attending next February 679 00:26:54,670 --> 00:26:57,130 as well. And for all of you listening, if 680 00:26:57,160 --> 00:26:58,690 you obviously live in the Orlando, Central 681 00:26:58,690 --> 00:27:00,850 Florida area, definitely check out Victory 682 00:27:00,850 --> 00:27:02,560 Cup initiative and come to the breakfast in 683 00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:04,900 February. If you're not local, if you live 684 00:27:04,900 --> 00:27:07,420 somewhere else, find a nonprofit or 685 00:27:07,420 --> 00:27:09,520 community organization in your area that 686 00:27:09,520 --> 00:27:11,390 you'd like to get involved in. 687 00:27:11,420 --> 00:27:12,500 Hear their stories. 688 00:27:12,500 --> 00:27:13,670 Find out their stories. 689 00:27:13,700 --> 00:27:15,170 See if there's a way that you can get 690 00:27:15,170 --> 00:27:16,190 involved with them as well. 691 00:27:16,220 --> 00:27:17,630 Because as we know, they're always looking 692 00:27:17,630 --> 00:27:21,110 for donors and volunteers and advocates for 693 00:27:21,110 --> 00:27:24,740 their causes. And also, be sure to take our 694 00:27:24,740 --> 00:27:27,080 free speaker archetype quiz if you want to 695 00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:29,060 discover your natural communication 696 00:27:29,060 --> 00:27:31,370 strengths, including storytelling, because 697 00:27:31,370 --> 00:27:33,530 that is one of our speaker archetypes, the 698 00:27:33,530 --> 00:27:35,180 spellbinding storyteller. So you could be 699 00:27:35,180 --> 00:27:36,830 that, or you could be the stellar scholar, 700 00:27:36,830 --> 00:27:38,540 or the fabulous facilitator or the 701 00:27:38,540 --> 00:27:39,800 provocative performer. 702 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:41,870 They're all fantastic speaker archetypes, 703 00:27:41,870 --> 00:27:43,970 but once you find out which one you are, 704 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:46,160 you'll get recommendations as far as how to 705 00:27:46,190 --> 00:27:48,890 amplify your natural style and add to it, 706 00:27:48,890 --> 00:27:50,810 including those important storytelling 707 00:27:50,810 --> 00:27:52,040 skills you can take. 708 00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:53,870 That quiz just takes a few minutes at 709 00:27:53,870 --> 00:27:56,330 speaking your brand.com/quiz. 710 00:27:56,360 --> 00:27:59,750 Again, that's speaking your brand.com/quiz. 711 00:27:59,780 --> 00:28:02,240 Until next time, thanks for listening.