We were lucky to catch up with Liz Morrison recently and have shared our conversation below.
Liz, thank you so much for joining us today and appreciate you talking about a sensitive topic. It’s unfortunately relevant to so many in the community as layoffs have been on the rise recently, and so we’d appreciate hearing your story and how you overcame being let go?
It’s Cinco De Mayo 2020, and I’m sitting against a tree in my local park, silently sobbing my eyes out. I just learned I was being laid off from my dream job at Airbnb after almost 6 years on the team.
Leaning against that tree, thankful my Covid mask and sunglasses obscured my big emotions from the happy families playing on the swings a few feet away, I realized my life and career were about to change dramatically. It was both scary AF and strangely exciting.
Up until that point, I’d let lucky opportunities dictate the flow of my career. I started as a producer in reality TV (ask me about my time working on a Bravo dating show), then an old boss invited me to work on President Obama’s reelection campaign as a digital filmmaker (I got to be a fly on the wall when the President had intimate meals with everyday Americans), and eventually campaign connections landed me a job as a Creative Lead at Airbnb (I got to travel the world sharing stories of the benefits of healthy travel. Not a bad gig.)
But when the pandemic hit and the layoff email came, the path in front of me was wide open. I could actively choose what I wanted to do next.
So after a 15+ year creative career telling other people’s stories, I decided to explore my own for the first time. These three personal storytelling practices helped me not just heal from the layoff but also reclaim the agency of my life and enthusiastically step into my new career chapter.
If you are in a similar moment of career transition, whether because of a recent layoff or because you are just craving something different in your professional life, I hope these three practices can help you too.
STEP 1: Realize you are IN a story right now, and decide what kind of story you want it to be.
Those first few weeks post-layoff were rough. I went through a full-on identity crisis. Who was I without these cool companies, campaigns, or cable stations next to my name??
But then I realized I was in a “turn-the-page” moment. I would look back and tell the story of this moment many times. (Hello! Here we are 4 years later, and I have probably told this story thousands of times…)
So what kind of story did I want it to be? Did I want it to be a story about crying on my couch for a year, or passively waiting for someone to show up with my next opportunity? Or did I want it to be the story of the time I got clear on what I really wanted to do when I grew up? A story about leaning into my unique skills and finding (or creating) aligned opportunities?
So I proactively decided on the story I was going to create for myself over the next few months (and years.) I told myself: “This is a story about the time I lost my job. But it’s really a story about the time I found myself.”
So what do you want your story to really be about right now? What does that allow you to start (or stop) doing to create an empowering path forward?
STEP 2: Look back across your career, and find the moments of magic and the moments that sucked. What does that tell you about what you want to do next?
Next, I started to think about myself like an author writing a book about my career.
I cataloged my career stories, defining different chapters and giving them creative names like “My Year of Hope and Change” or “Post-Airbnb Identity Crisis & Reset.” I reflected on what I liked or didn’t like when it came to the work, people, or compensation. I highlighted both the Moments of Magic (those times when work felt energizing, exciting, in flow) and the Moments that Sucked (the times that drained my energy and my soul, that really challenged me, where I learned lessons the hard way.)
Almost immediately, patterns emerged: I loved creating spaces for people to find and share their stories, but dreaded playing office politics or having roles with squishy boundaries.
I saw a map of my talents – asking questions, creating safe spaces for people to open up, and creating beautiful documents and organization. This exercise amplified my desire to start my own business as a Strategic Storytelling Coach and Consultant.
If you are interested in trying this exercise for yourself, I’ve created a free storytelling worksheet you can download at my website. What name would you give the current career chapter you’re in??
Step 3: Know that you are not alone. Reach out and build a community of peers, collaborators, mentors, and friends who can help you unlock your next level of growth.
I started reaching out to people from old jobs for virtual coffees, joined networking communities, and formed accountability groups with fellow entrepreneurs. In each conversation, I shared stories of my past, the realities of my present, and dreams for the future. In turn, they shared theirs too.
We connected on a human level, and I learned so much from them about building a business. Starting a business can be lonely, but knowing I had a community behind me helped me push through even the hardest times. Plus, many connections introduced me to my first clients, and even became collaborators themselves.
So back to that tree in 2020, crying my eyes out – scared about my layoff but excited for what was to come. By proactively shaping my story, reflecting on my career experiences, and building a supportive community, I was able to turn that challenging moment into the first step toward finding my true calling.
How do you want to take control of your career story so you can find your true calling too?
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
As a Strategic Storytelling Coach & Consultant, my mission is to help you harness the power of your personal stories. Why? Because storytelling is our human superpower – and when you tap into it, you will communicate better, connect deeper, and inspire meaningful action.
Seriously, every single person in this world is a storyteller, whether you know it or not. We’ve evolved to use stories to help us empathize, engage, educate, entertain, and excite. As a social species, we crave both sharing our stories and hearing other people’s stories, too.
But I’ve noticed that in today’s fast-paced, distracted world, many of us don’t feel connected to our own stories anymore. (If you’re anything like me, it is often easier to go down a TikTok rabbit hole than spend that time with my journal.) We’ve forgotten how to mine the rich stories within us and use them as tools for self-discovery, meaning-making, and forging profound connections.
Here’s the good news: while storytelling is an innate human skill, you can learn the art and science of doing it effectively. Just like any other skill, it can be honed with the right techniques and dedicated practice.
That’s why I create transformative storytelling spaces where you can take a pause from your busy day-to-day life to dive deep into your own experiences.
I lead 1:1 Story Coaching containers for folks trying to create more impact in their personal and professional lives. Many of my clients come to me in times of career transition and leave our work not only with the job of their dreams, but with new-found confidence in their unique skills, values, and purpose.
I help you deepen your storytelling skills through interactive and introspective storytelling workshops and reflective storytelling worksheets. In particular, I love leading offsites for teams who not only learn a foundational communication skill but, more importantly, get to know their colleagues on a more personal level.
And I host really fun storytelling events that give you a place to practice sharing, listening, and connecting over stories of our relatable human experiences. There is always such an electric vibe in these rooms as folks connect over themes like “Poor Decisions”, “First Times”, and the “Meals That Made Us.”
My process guides you to unearth the meaningful stories of your past, get clarity on your present narratives, and proactively shape the story you want to live moving into the future. You’ll learn to tell engaging, memorable, and inspiring stories that allow you to connect more intentionally with yourself and others, too.
If you’re ready to explore your story superpowers, visit my website for free storytelling resources and worksheets. I also offer complimentary Story Coaching sessions so you can experience the transformative power of exploring your stories firsthand.
Your extraordinary stories are waiting to be unleashed upon the world. I’m here to help you share them.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
On my journey as a Storytelling Coach, I’ve learned so much from witnessing my clients (and myself) grow and evolve through our storytelling work. Here are three major lessons to help you build clarity and confidence in your own stories, so you can use them to create the life you desire.
LESSON ONE: You have powerful stories within you, but it can take time to unearth them.
For years, I thought I didn’t have any “good” stories because my life lacked Hollywood-worthy drama. But when I carved out dedicated time for self-reflection, seemingly mundane experiences unveiled profound meanings. Exploring your life stories helps extract valuable lessons, identify your unique strengths, and spot patterns that fuel personal growth. Trust me, you have important narratives to share – prioritize the time to go inward and find them.
LESSON TWO: You don’t need to do this work alone – storytelling is a back-and-forth exchange.
Sharing our narratives with others sparks curiosity, creates connections, and literally links our brains through mirror neurons and feel-good neurochemicals. Whether with friends, colleagues, or dedicated storytelling communities, the act of swapping stories unlocks growth and empowerment. I also encourage seeking out a coach or therapist who can be a compassionate mirror, helping you rewrite limiting narratives and gain clarity on the story of your path forward.
LESSON THREE: Remember that you control your stories – past, present, and future.
You are the author and the hero of your own life. (No side-kicks here.) The more you delve into personal storytelling, the more your narratives will evolve, and that’s a good thing. For example, I evolved my layoff story from a perceived contamination narrative of feeling like a victim into a powerful redemption narrative of overcoming obstacles and fueling my personal reinvention.
When you harness the power of your stories, you open the door to the life you truly desire. This practice shifts you into a growth mindset. Now there is no failure, just one story ending (with many lessons learned) and a new story beginning (full of potential.) So what do you want your life stories to really be about? I’m here to help you unleash them.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
My ideal client is someone who hears a little whisper that there is something more they want to achieve in their life, but they are not sure what that might be or how to get there.
Maybe you are in a time of career transition, either you are in between jobs, in a job that is no longer serving you, or you are an entrepreneur starting your own business. You know you want to shift into the next chapter of your life, but the path to get there is a little murky (or downright non-existent at the moment.)
You also know that sharing your story is going to be an important skill on your journey ahead – either because you will be using it for job interviews or to secure funding for your new venture. Or maybe you’ve always desired to share your story in some way, like through a blog, writing a book, or sharing it on stage at events like the Moth, but there is some fear or nervousness holding you back.
Ultimately, you actively want to take control of your life story, but you want a little help, guidance, and accountability along the way.
Honestly, this was me four years ago when I started down my Story Coaching journey. I heard a whisper of something more, I wanted to shift into the next chapter of my career, and I desired to tell my story. But I didn’t know how to do any of those things.
So I turned to the art and science of storytelling to create a curriculum for myself, plus I hired my INCREDIBLE coach, Natasha Cecere, to help me plot my direction forward. Between the storytelling and the coaching, I found myself fully stepping into my zone of genius and building the life and business of my dreams.
Now I want to help you do the same!
If you want to dive into your stories – past, present, and most importantly, future – please don’t hesitate to reach out for a complimentary Story Coaching session. Or get started on your own by downloading one of the free storytelling worksheets on my website.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lizmorrison.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizbmorrison/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizmorrison/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lizbmorrison
Image Credits
Jessica Monroy Creative
