Electric Impulse Communications
April Newsletter 2023
Lessons From My Father

My Dad wasn’t good at birthdays. My mom said so. I observed these dynamics year after year of observing her birthday. I wouldn’t come to this conclusion from my personal experience with my birthday.
 
I grew up with my mom often disappointed with her birthday. She thought a subtle hint while window shopping would be heard, internalized and acted upon by my dad. As I look back, I doubt he even heard the comment let alone internalized it. So acting upon it was out of the realm of his reality.
 
I can’t really blame my dad. When I was old enough to take over birthday duties she wasn’t much happier with my efforts.
 
My biggest failure was the year I planned a surprise. The surprise was that we would pretend we didn’t remember it was her birthday until the surprise dinner. Our surprise was how mad she was because all day long she thought we forgot her birthday.
 
I did learn something. I learned that you can plan your own birthdays. Who said you have to leave birthday planning to someone else?
ASK LESLIE
Stay on Your Cutting Edge
In this month’s newsletter I am talking about storytelling. In 2021 the words corporate storytelling received 18 million hits. In this 2 minute video, I share a secret about storytelling that no one really wants to share.
Schedule a HorseTalk: Lessons in Leadership for you or your team in 2023! Horse guided learning is a unique way for you to uncover and rediscover how to communicate your value in your company and in your marketplace.
Stories are like strings of beads.
1. Understand Why a Story Works
The goal of a story is that moment when an audience member goes from no-solution to solution, from “I don’t understand this” to “Aha! I got it!” Stories that set a rich scene help the audience process faster and become more engaged.
 
Lesson Learned:  The most-remembered stories leave your audience, one person or one hundred, understanding something more deeply than they did before. In the workplace consider stories that center more around solutions and less around problems. Do your stories offer solutions?
2. The Role of Nurture
It’s important to understand what happens in the brain when we tell stories. When we experience an emotionally-charged event or hear a story of the same nature, certain parts of our brain release excess dopamine, making it easier to remember with greater accuracy. You remember a story years later because a brain can process an image in 13 milliseconds.
 
Lesson Learned: Humans live in, and through, stories. Stories cut through distractions. Stories help us pay attention in this attention-deficit era. Vying for people’s focus is more coveted than ever. When we’re listening to a good story, emotive & relatable, we imagine ourselves in the same situation. You have a good story, do you tell it in images to release dopamine?
3. Match the Occasion
In order to choose the right story, you will need information. You need to know who you’re talking to, what they know, what their level of interest is in particular topics, their level of knowledge is, etc. Then you need to decide what impact you want your story to have when you tell it.
 
Lesson Learned: Recently I was at an event where the stories did not match the occasion. You want to think about the setting. Is it formal or informal? A professional setting or is it more personal? Is it a roast or a toast? Do you think about the impact first and then select the story?
Forum 360 with Leslie as Host
Upcoming Shows:
 
There’s a New Sheriff in Town
Guest: Sheriff Kandy Fatheree
 
Watch/ Listen to Forum 360:
Western Reserve Public Media, PBS-TV, PBS Fusion Channels 45 & 49 (Time Warner channel 993) - Mondays at 8 pm and Saturdays at 5:00 pm. After the show airs, you can download it here.

WONE FM 97.5 Sunday 6 am
For online streaming go to http://wone.net/ and click Listen Live. 

WAKR AM 1590 Sunday, 5:00 pm, Monday 12:30 am For online streaming go to http://akronnewsnow.com/ and click Listen Live.
Many years ago I was at a horse show week-end in Wisconsin. Between competition days there was an Arabian Horse Auction. We went to “watch” the horses at the sale. As I sat between my mom and dad, my dad would kiddingly say he was going to buy each horse. To be funny he bid on a horse and NO ONE bid after him. That’s how we became the owner of the original Electric Impulse. My mom said, he would be like a mid-life child, unexpected but would bring great joy.
 
Moshe decided that Benji and I and HE needed joy in our home again. So we now have a baby Natcha. Benji and I were both navigating the journey of grief when Moshe stepped in and found this Natcha look alike. I hope he will be like my Impi, unexpected, but will bring great joy.
 
That is what I tell myself as I get up twice during the night to take him out!
wine_glasses_beauty.jpg
You are Invited to our Video & Vino Event
May 18, 5 - 7pm
Come to this one because the next Video & Vino won't be until Fall!
 
We would be excited to have you join us at Video & Vino. Each participant leaves with a small bottle of vine . . . to go with their chocolate!

Each of you will be taped for 2 -3 minutes. We play it back, make suggestions, and then we will tape you again. You will see immediate improvement!

You learn by doing and by observing. And guess what? You have fun in the process!!

You will learn by doing and by observing others and take home a gift bag!

My birthday is on the 28th so the cost of this session (usually $49) is $28 for those who reserve their seat by April 28th!!! Please text or email me to reserve your seat- it's that easy!
 
*We will start promptly at 5pm. Please park in the front of the building, wherever you can find space is fine.
 
Join us at this unique event at our Electric Impulse office in Fairlawn, Ohio.

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HorseTalk: Lessons in Leadership
Horse guided learning is a unique way for you to uncover and rediscover how to communicate your value in your company and in your marketplace.

HorseTalk is a unique approach to the coaching process. It incorporates one of life’s natural leaders, the horse, along with a human coach to create a safe setting for exploration. The horses provide immediate feedback and insights, allowing you to learn quicker and move faster in your development process.

“HorseTalk: Lessons in Leadership” is a one-day workshop for executives, their teams and business owners.

  • Friday June 16th 2023 – Spring HorseTalk #1
  • Friday July 14th 2023 – Summer HorseTalk #2
  • Friday August 18th 2023 – Fall HorseTalk #3
  • Friday September 29th – Fall HorseTalk #4

Email us at [email protected] for further information or to RSVP to one of our events.
Ask me about my 10 in 10! 
Electric Impulse Communications
330.607.5730
http://electricimpulse.com
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