Meet Maria Bryan

We were lucky to catch up with Maria Bryan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Maria, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I love this question because my purpose has evolved so much over the years. I wonder if it will all tie together in some greater way at the end of my life.

My vocational purpose is to support storytellers in gathering and telling painful, traumatic stories in a way that promotes safety and wellness while resisting harm.

When I first learned about trauma-informed storytelling, I realized with a great deal of urgency that nonprofit storytellers are tasked with holding space for really painful stories—and they likely don’t have the toolbox to do this safely. I know very few nonprofit marketers who also have an MSW. This urgency has evolved into a movement to normalize trauma-informed storytelling practices. My purpose is to train as many storytellers as possible to safely gather and tell our most sacred stories.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m a trauma-informed storytelling trainer. But it’s been a windy road to get here.

I’m a career storyteller.

My journey began as a health educator in a small Ghanaian village with the U.S. Peace Corps. With a newly minted journalism degree, I approached teaching health through what I did best—telling stories. 

I joined the Peace Corps in hopes of launching a writing career. I came home with a passion for service. I struggled deeply with writing stories about vulnerable and marginalized communities or making changes happen on the ground. 

I worked in nonprofit marketing for many years, and it felt like home. I earned a Master’s in Public Administration and was bent on building a successful career in nonprofit marketing.

Then, my first daughter blew into my life like a tornado. After a few months of feeling like I was running on a hamster wheel, I left a lucrative nonprofitt job to start a nonprofit marketing consultancy.

My consultancy was built on a desire to balance career and motherhood. We moved from Brooklyn, New York, to Tallahassee, Florida, where my family and business grew.

My consultancy had been a hub for teaching, consulting, and guiding organizations in marketing and storytelling strategy for a few years.
I was teaching a nonprofit storytelling and marketing class when a student posed a question that reshaped my trajectory—how does trauma-informed storytelling fit into your marketing framework? 

This led me down a path to bridge the gap between trauma-informed care and nonprofit storytelling. I halted direct services and pursued certifications in Trauma & Resilience, Trauma-Informed Space Holding, Trauma-Informed Coaching, and Somatic Embodiment & Regulation.

Today, my consultancy is committed to supporting nonprofit leaders in telling powerful and impactful stories that resist harm by incorporating trauma-informed care into their storytelling. My mission is to make trauma-informed storytelling accessible, especially for those without a social work background.

I facilitate the When Bearing Witness® Trauma-Informed Storytelling Certification Program, an immersive, supportive, and experiential learning cohort-based program. I also host the When Bearing Witness® podcast, which includes conversations with trauma-informed experts and fellow social-good storytellers as we help shape the intersection of trauma-informed care and the storytelling process.

From my days studying journalism, climbing the nonprofit profession ladder, marketing consulting with nonprofit leaders, to my current and most purpose-driven role of trauma-informed storytelling training—one truth is woven through my entire career: Stories are sacred. And storytellers make the world a healthier, safer, cleaner, and happier place.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

As a trainer on a very sensitive and nuanced topic, I rely heavily on what people consider ‘soft skills,’ which are the ability to lead with abundant and radical kindness, grace, and empathy. I believe these values and skills are crucial for sustainable social change. I’m constantly honing these skills. In fact, I’m currently reading On Repentance and Repair by Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

There is a growing movement toward all aspects of ethical storytelling (trauma-informed storytelling is a limb of that). I’m always eager to find more folks in the ethical storytelling sector to be at my table.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mariabryan.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariabryancrtv/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariabryancrtv/
• Other: https://www.mariabryan.com/when-bearing-witness-podcast